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The secretary of Air Force said that, after weathering a 1,500-pilot shortfall last summer, the problem has escalated to being 1,926 pilots short -- or missing 1 in 10 of a force that's supposed to have 20,000 pilots. Secretary Heather Wilson told Pentagon reporters today that "it's not just pilots, though, and air crew, when it comes to readiness." "It is spare parts and flying hours and munitions," she noted. "So increasing the readiness of the force so that we win any fight, any time, is our top priority." The biggest reason for the pilot shortage, in the secretary's...

President Trump's nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense For Health Affairs, Dr. Dean Winslow, told the Senate Committee on Armed Services on Tuesday that it is "insane" that American citizens can "go out and buy" an AR-15 rifle. He admitted that this statement could get him "in trouble with other members of the committee," but he felt it necessary to speak out against the Second Amendment nonetheless. Winslow gave this opinion after being asked about the Air Force's failure to report that mass killer Devin Kelley had been court-martialed for domestic abuse, which bans him from possessing a firearm. Rather...

Corker to hold hearing on president's nuclear weapons authority By Brandon Carter - 11/08/17 07:41 PM EST Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) announced Wednesday the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would hold a hearing next week on “the executive’s authority to use nuclear weapons.” “A number of members both on and off our committee have raised questions about the authorities of the legislative and executive branches with respect to war making, the use of nuclear weapons, and conducting foreign policy overall,” Corker said in a statement announcing the Nov. 14 hearing. “This continues a series of hearings to examine these issues and...

The U.S. Army is rushing 1,000 new M3E1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon Systems, or MAAWS, to Afghanistan, according to Scout Warrior. The M3E1 is the latest version of the 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle that special operations forces have been using since the early 1990s. It’s lighter, shorter and more ergonomically designed. The Army is fast-tracking acquisition of more than 1,000 upgraded, lightweight shoulder-fired weapons able to destroy enemy targets hidden behind rocks, trees and buildings, service officials told Scout Warrior. As KitUp previously reported, the Army has approved a requirement for 1,111 M3E1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon Systems, or...

If confirmed by the Senate, Griffin could become a key voice in advancing U.S. technology in areas where the United States has long dominated — such as aviation and space — and is now being challenged. WASHINGTON — President Trump tapped former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin for a top Pentagon job, giving him a key role in shaping investments in defense and aerospace technologies at a time when other nations are gaining ground on the United States. Griffin’s nomination to be principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics had been anticipated for weeks, and the White House...

Elements of the US Department of Defense (DOD) will conduct a “communications interoperability” training exercise November 4-6, once again simulating a “very bad day” scenario. Amateur Radio and MARS organizations will take part. “This exercise will begin with a national massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and Internet connectivity,” Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, explained in an announcement. During the exercise, a designated DOD Headquarters entity will request county-by-county status reports for the 3,143 US counties and county equivalents,...

If ever there was an officer and a gentleman, it is retired Marine Gen. John Kelly. Last week, the White House chief of staff directly addressed the offensive politicization of President Trump’s personal phone call to the grieving widow of a courageous Green Beret who gave his life in a distant land. While much has been said about General Kelly’s moving tribute to those who pay the ultimate price for our freedom and the Gold Star families who live the continuous nightmare of their loss, his other declarations regarding our culture are worthy of our appreciation and reflection too. “You...

Live Your Life Worthy of Their Sacrifices!   My heart breaks and tears trickle down my cheek this morning as I gather my thoughts to share from the depths of a Gold Star Mother's heart. My fingers shake as I place them on the keyboard of my computer. How have we as a nation come to the place of tolerating the disrespect for our flag, our faith in God, and our fallen warriors and our Gold Star families? As a Mother whose sons and son-in-law served as a Marine, Soldier, and Navy SEAL and a brother who retired after...

Our president has nailed it on the head again, and I am sure no media outlet will share this heartfelt video of our president calling to wish this lady his condolences. Mrs De Alencar released her copy of the video of the president's call.

UPDATE: Former Clinton spokersperson Brian Fallon ripped Kelly, calling him "odious" for his press briefing today: This is foul attempt to spin issue of Trump's callousness into a conversation about a congresswoman who did the consoling Trump wouldn't.— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) October 19, 2017 Kelly isnt just an enabler of Trump. He's a believer in him. That makes him as odious as the rest. Dont be distracted by the uniform.— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) October 19, 2017 Before Kelly was Chief of Staff, he was the DHS secretary defending Trump's travel ban and overseeing mass deportations.— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) October 19,...

Bill O'Reilly told Newsmax TV on Thursday that the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump's remarks to a Gold Star widow "looks to me to be a set-up" by Florida Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson. "The thing that disturbs me is Congresswoman Wilson," O'Reilly told host John Bachman on "Newsmax Now" in an interview. "They were given a 24-hour day. "The family of the fallen Army Sgt. [La David] Johnson, who was a Green Beret, was given 24-hour notice that President Trump would call. "They gave that information to Congresswoman Wilson, who is an anti-Trump hater and has been from the jump,"...

If you were asked to rate the readiness levels of the U.S. military, what would you say? For this exercise, assume you have a scale with five choices: very weak, weak, marginal, strong and very strong. Think about each branch of the military. Where would it fall? Perhaps you're thinking, "I'm not an expert, so I can't say for sure." So let me refer you to the latest report from The Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense. The authors are, in fact, experts -- and their conclusions are sobering. I'm referring to the 2018 Index of U.S. Military Strength. The...

The slow pace of confirming Trump administration nominees shows no signs of abating at the Pentagon as mid-October rolls around and 70 percent of its top posts remain unfilled. Just 17 of the 57 Pentagon positions that require Senate confirmation have been filled by President Trump's appointees. That figure has barely budged in two months, leaving the military without a spectrum of leaders who can put the administration's stamp on policy. "I think we should be very concerned and informal reports I get from the Pentagon suggest that this is a problem, that this is not just like business as...

Winston Churchill summarized the theme of his seminal history of World War II as “[h]ow the English-speaking peoples through their unwisdom, carelessness, and good nature allowed the wicked to rearm.”His first volume, The Gathering Storm, recounted many instances of failure among the leading figures of the 1930s to appreciate the growing danger of Hitler’s rise to power. Churchill’s history highlighted how the good intentions and virtuous character of Britain, France, and the United States hindered them from taking actions that could very well have prevented a war that claimed the lives of some 60 million people. He marveled at [how]...

Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone is a sign of the times. Spenser Rapone is a tenfold beacon in the night, a thousand blaring klaxons showing the nation and the world just how far our glorious army has fallen. Spenser Rapone is a disgrace to the army, to the famous 10th Mountain Division where is currently assigned and to the United States of America. His continued presence in the US military is a slap in the face to every grunt, tanker, zoomie, swabbie and gyrene that gave their lives for this country. Rapone literally came out of the gulag last week, when...

FORT HUACHUCA — As part of approved changes to the Department of the Army's overall music support structure and due to ongoing reduction in personnel and music support capability, the band will no longer accept new requests for music support for off-post and community events effective Oct. 15, 2017. The U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band (62nd Army Band) will inactivate no later than Oct. 15, 2018. The MI Corps Band will continue to provide music support to events currently on the commitment calendar through December 2017. Music support for military events on post and memorial or funeral support will...

The US government has stopped paying Kurdish peshmerga fighters’ salaries after a yearlong agreement expired over the summer, and there are no current plans to renew it. Under the deal negotiated by the Barack Obama administration in July 2016, the United States agreed to pay stipends to some 36,000 Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. The agreement was expected to be renewed over the summer for another year, but US and Kurdish officials tell Al-Monitor that talks stalled as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pursued a divisive referendum on independence and the IS presence in the region...

President Trump gave a scary warning at a dinner Thursday night with military leaders saying, "You guys know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm," he said. "It could be the calm... before... the storm." Asked what the storm would be, "Is it Iran, ISIS, what's the storm?" one reporter called out — Trump replied, "you'll find out." JUST IN: "Maybe it's the calm before the storm," Pres. Trump says alongside US military leaders. "You'll find out." https://t.co/NMljtvsnJF— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) October 5, 2017

Tocsin is in the air. The North Korean representative to the U.N. said President Trump’s recent speech was tantamount to a declaration of war. While this kind of verbal saber-rattling has occurred in the past, it is worth asking whether U.S. forces have the technological superiority to thwart any potential foe and the nuclear superiority to deter a “first strike.” While the U.S. still enjoys some technological advantages over potential adversaries, that advantage is declining at a rapid rate. A 2014 study noted that “The diffusion of advanced military technology and the means to manufacture it have accelerated. Capabilities in...

Col. Valle is a firsthand witness of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) response supporting FEMA in Puerto Rico, and as a Puerto Rican himself with family members living in the devastation, his passion for the people is second to none. “It’s just not true,” Col. Valle says of the major disconnect today between the perception of a lack of response from Washington verses what is really going on on the ground. “I have family here. My parents’ home is here. My uncles, aunts, cousins, are all here. As a Puerto Rican, I can tell you that the problem has...