The Office of the Secretary of Defense is evaluating the decision by Congressional defense authorizers to continue the F-35’s second engine, the F136, over its objections in Fiscal 2010 and whether to advocate a White House veto of the defense policy bill when it comes before President Obama, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Wednesday. “The action taken thus far by the Congress is clearly troubling, but we need to gain a better understanding of its impact,” Morrell told reporters. House and Senate authorization conferees agreed to authorize $560 million on top of the F-35’s baseline budget to keep the F136 program alive. The House approved the conference version of defense policy bill on Oct. 8. The Senate has yet to vote on it. Morrell said OSD remains committed to ensuring that the F-35 program “is not adversely impacted by pursuing a second engine.” (Morrell transcript)
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
