Pentagon & Congress

The latest military news from the Pentagon and Congress.

Former aide Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser sits in the audience as Gen. John Hyten appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, for his confirmation hearing to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Military sexual assault survivors should be able to sue for damages, judges rule

A lawsuit against the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs could now go to trial.

3 days ago

Little warning, unclear responsibilities plagued Afghan resettlement: report

The report calls out the State Department for deeply underestimating the number of refugees.

3 days ago

News

Everything we know Gen. Milley has told the Jan. 6 panel

Here is all of the publicly released testimony by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in one place.

US launches three airstrikes against al-Shabab in Somalia

The strikes killed four militants, according to a release.

4 days ago

Renaming 9 Confederate-honoring Army posts will cost $21M

The name changes should be completed by early 2024.

5 days ago

US to send Ukraine another $1 billion in military aid

The new aid includes additional rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as well as other ammunition and equipment.

6 days ago

Amid hiring boom, defense firms say labor shortage is dragging them down

Labor shortfalls rooted in the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain a millstone around the neck of the defense industry, forcing firms to juggle staff, hold job fairs and find workarounds to keep operations running as smoothly as possible.

9 days ago

Pentagon reminds everyone not to wipe their phones

The Defense Department is responding to revelations that senior officials' phone records were deleted following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

10 days ago

Pentagon again delays nuclear missile test amid Chinese drills near Taiwan

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has again ordered the Pentagon to postpone a planned test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, this time amid increased tension with China over Taiwan.

10 days ago

Now that PACT Act has passed, how soon will veterans see their benefits?

Some portions of the sweeping veterans policy measure will go into effect as soon as it becomes law. Others will take years.

10 days ago

Pentagon names new press secretary

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder will be the department's next press secretary.

10 days ago

US Senate votes in favor of Finland, Sweden joining NATO

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment.

11 days ago

DoD’s missing Jan. 6 phone records need investigation, Senate leader demands

Sen. Dick Durbin said the Defense Department inspector general needs to determine whether the records were accidentally or purposefully deleted.

11 days ago

It‘s official: The Marine Corps has its 1st Black 4-star general

Lt. Gen. Michael Langley will now lead U.S. troops in Africa as the commander of U.S. Africa Command.

11 days ago

Millions of vets suffering from burn pit, toxic injuries set for more benefits after Congress passes PACT Act

President Joe Biden is expected to sign the sweeping plan into law in coming days.

12 days ago

US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said early Wednesday that China had sent 21 planes flying toward Taiwan, 18 of them fighter jets.

12 days ago

US operation killed al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri, sources say

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahri, who took over as al-Qaida leader after Osama bin Laden’s death in a U.S. raid.

13 days ago

Biden to send Ukraine ammo for HIMARS as Kyiv, Congress push for more

The Pentagon announced Monday it will send $550 million’s worth of new lethal aid for Ukraine, including ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System as well as 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition.

13 days ago

The 29th Infantry Division gets to keep its Confederacy-themed patch

The "Blue and Gray Division" patch gets to stay, with a small update.

13 days ago

Senators seek $2 billion Space Force budget boost for missile defense, responsive launch

In a report released with its bill, the committee labeled space as one of its top priorities, noting that the proposed increase is focused on hypersonic missile tracking capabilities and would support the Space Force’s shift to a more resilient, distributed architecture.

13 days ago

White House aims to release overdue security strategies within weeks

Amid pressure from lawmakers, the White House is weighing a September rollout for its long-delayed National Security Strategy, now being rewritten to emphasize Russia alongside China following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

13 days ago

VA secretary sidesteps calls for department to provide abortion services at its medical centers

Twenty-five senators have called for VA to provide access to abortions in light of growing state opposition to the procedure.

13 days ago

Burn pits benefits bill concerns aren’t new, hinge on budget moves

Republicans have accused Democrats of making new changes to complicate the sweeping veterans policy measure, but the budget issues they cite have been in the bill for months.

2 weeks ago

Vets holding around-the-clock protest outside Capitol to push for new toxic exposure bill

The move comes after Senate Republicans blocked the legislation earlier this week.

2 weeks ago

Service members, military doctors detail obstacles to abortion access after Supreme Court ruling

The end of Roe v. Wade made abortion even more difficult to access for troops and their families.

2 weeks ago

Plans for $300 billion VA budget on track after senators back big spending boost

But when the plan could be voted on by Congress remains unclear.

2 weeks ago

Angry veterans advocates scramble to save toxic exposure bill after surprise setback

"We just want to know why veterans are getting screwed.”

2 weeks ago

Biden pick for Pentagon acquisitions role vows to cut weapons system costs

The Pentagon is struggling to control costs associated with sustaining its weapons systems. For the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 jet, sustainment costs are on track to become so expensive that the Air Force will either have to cut its planned buy or flying hours, the the Government Accountability Office found.

2 weeks ago