NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Tuesday he hopes that the alliance members will decide to build a NATO-based missile defense system and also invite Russia to participate. “It makes sense from a military point of view because through cooperation, we can make the whole system more efficient,” he told defense reporters during a meeting in Washington. From a political view, it would also make sense because it “would be obvious” that the missile defense system “is not directed at Russia,” he said. Such a system would be a “game changer” that could benefit everyone from “Russia to Vancouver,” he noted.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.