July 02, 2009

July 2, 2009
US Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, new commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US forces in Afghanistan, issues a “Tactical Directive” that calls for greater restraint in employing air strikes against and engaging in firefights with Taliban insurgents as a means to limit civilian casualties.

Related

Some Guard Troops Won’t Get Paid Until Shutdown Ends

Oct. 29, 2025
The National Guard Bureau says most units are postponing drills during the shutdown, but some states are sticking to their training schedule, resulting in a patchwork of different policies and some confusion in the ranks.

F-35s, F-16s Rapidly Deploy to Greenland for Exercise

Oct. 29, 2025
NORAD surged two F-35s, two F-16s, and a trio of KC-135s to Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland earlier this month for a “dynamic operational exercise,” testing its ability to rapidly deploy forces in the Arctic.

US Airstrikes Destroy 4 Alleged Drug Boats, Kill 14

Oct. 28, 2025
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against four boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Oct. 27, killing 14 people that the Trump administration alleges were engaged in drug smuggling, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on social media. It is the first time the U.S. has conducted multiple strikes in…

Pentagon Nominee on Consolidating Space Force and NRO: ‘Open to All Options’

Oct. 28, 2025
Marc Berkowitz, the Trump administration’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary of defense for space policy, told lawmakers he would consider “all options” for improving the efficiency of the national security space enterprise, including combining some functions of the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.