Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Pentagon, spent his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 19 pressing his civilian bona fides to lawmakers, with some pledging opposition to the waiver Austin would need to become the nation’s first Black Defense Secretary. Austin spent ...
The drama of the twin Georgia Senate runoff elections looming in January could seep into negotiations over the 2021 defense policy bill, a key GOP lawmaker warned Nov. 17. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), who is retiring this term as ranking member of the House Armed ...
The Space Force on Oct. 21 formally stood up its Space Operations Command, the largest organization to run satellites, radars, and other combat assets for regional military commanders around the world. Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting will run SpOC at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. ...
Maj. Gen. John E. Shaw, the head of the Space Force's operations organization, is up for a promotion to be the deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, the Pentagon said Oct. 1. He would also rise to the rank of lieutenant general if confirmed by ...
The Senate confirmed Lt. Gen. David W. Allvin as the next Air Force Vice Chief of Staff on Sept. 30, while also approving his promotion to four-star general. Allvin will replace current VCSAF Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson, who became the second-highest officer in July ...
Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson is nominated to formally become the Vice Chief of Space Operations, the Space Force’s second-highest officer, and is up for a promotion to four-star general, the Pentagon said Aug. 7. Thompson took the job of vice commander of Air Force ...
If Turkey sells the U.S. the advanced S-400 air defense system it bought from Russia, Ankara could resume its lucrative role in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, under provisions inserted in the Senate's version of the 2021 defense policy bill by Sen. John Thune ...
A bipartisan group of senators are attempting to block the White House’s effort to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Germany, saying such a step would be a “gift” to Russia. On June 29, a group of senators led by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) ...
Senators endorsed the creation of a reserve component for the Space Force in new legislation but want more evidence that a Space National Guard is necessary as well. The Senate Armed Services Committee this week approved its version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill ...
News that the US killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a targeted strike early Jan. 3 reverberated across Capitol Hill, as lawmakers acknowledged the threat one of Iran’s top military officials posed to American assets but were publicly cautious about the possible ...
The Senate on Dec. 17 approved the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 86-8, sending the bill to the White House where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. Also on Dec. 17, the House approved a $1.4 ...
