Author: Braxton Taylor
“Teams that say they’re elite aren’t elite until they start performing,” Gen. Mark D. Kelly, the Air Force officer in charge of Air Combat Command, says in the new Netflix documentary film, “Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds.”The Air Combat Command commander makes the final decision in certifying who gets to be a member of the Air Force’s Thunderbirds air demonstration team and perform for the American people. “Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds” takes viewers behind the scenes of what it takes to get the four-star general’s approval to represent the Air Force’s best in front of the American people.”There’s high standards that…
The U.S. Coast Guard plans to cut one-quarter of its 46 flag officer positions this year in a move that acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said is part of a force redesign aimed at improving effectiveness.In a Coast Guard-wide message May 15, Lunday said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “determined that there is redundant executive oversight” in the service that “hinders efficient decision-making and service effectiveness.”The goal is to reduce the number of flag officers by about 25% over the next seven months, cutting at least a dozen positions. The positions will be eliminated and the flag officer corps redesigned,…
The Marine Corps is partnering with federal immigration authorities under a pilot program the service says is aimed at preventing foreign nationals from unlawfully accessing multiple installations across the country, spokespeople for the service told Military.com on Tuesday.Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California announced Friday that it is integrating Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents into its installation security. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps said that ICE agents will also be part of installation security at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii.The pilot program is in the “proof-of-concept” phase,…
President Donald Trump has named a four-star Space Force general to oversee the development of Golden Dome — the massively expensive space-based missile defense system promised during the first days of his second term.During a press conference in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump named Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations, as the “direct reporting program manager” for the effort to build a missile shield over the U.S.”He has an unmatched background in missile warning technology and defense procurement,” Trump said during the announcement. “Gen. Guetlein also knows that we need to move fast. No one is…
If you’re a dedicated gun owner who values smart training and effective range time, you’re going to want to meet your new favorite target. Built for Readiness series: Part 4 of 12 Introducing the Gambling for Points Target from SG ConceptsWe’re thrilled to spotlight the Gambling for Points target, designed by Sean at SG Concepts. At the heart of precision shooting, we love targets that serve multiple purposes, and this one delivers! It’s not just a target, it’s a dynamic exercise to hone your fundamentals, boost shooter confidence, confirm your firearm zero, or kick off your range session with a…
An architecture, a price tag, and a development leader have been set for the ambitious Golden Dome anti-missile defense system, President Trump said Tuesday.“We have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea, and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors,” Trump said from the White House. “This design for the Golden Dome will integrate with our existing defense capabilities and should be fully operational before the end of my term. So we’ll have it done in about three years.”The system will cost about $175 billion over those three years, he added.In…
Another judge in a border state is dismissing charges against people accused of trespassing into the Trump administration’s newly created military zones between the U.S. and Mexico, marking the latest legal setback for the immigration crackdown strategy.U.S. Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres last week began throwing out some charges in the cases before the U.S. District Court of West Texas related to violating defense property security and unlawful entry onto a Department of Defense installation. The judge deemed there was not probable cause to continue with those charges, according to federal court dockets reviewed by Military.com.The dropping of charges in El…
The Air Force is drawing up plans to convert a Qatari luxury jet into an Air Force One at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—despite bipartisan concern that accepting a foreign government’s plane is both dangerous and unethical.“The Secretary of Defense has directed the Air Force to basically start planning to modify the aircraft,” newly appointed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Tuesday during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing.Last week, President Donald Trump confirmed plans to take a $400 million jet from Qatar and use it as an interim Air Force One—calling it a “gift, free of charge”…
The Defense Department is reviewing a request from the Department of Homeland Security for 20,000 National Guardsmen to help with the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, the chief of National Guard Bureau told lawmakers Tuesday.At a House hearing Tuesday, Gen. Steven Nordhaus was asked about a report last week in The New York Times that Homeland Security officials requested the Guardsmen to help with “interior immigration enforcement” — which would mark a major change from the supporting role that the Guard has traditionally played in security at the southern border.”I do know that the Department of Defense has received a…
HONOLULU—Military casualty care in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars aimed to fly wounded troops to a hospital within “the golden hour.” But such quick medevacs are unrealistic in the vast Pacific.“You can’t fly anywhere in an hour, and you may or may not have air dominance,” in a potential war with China, Maj. Gen. Darrin Cox, commander of the U.S. Army’s 18th Medical Command, said in an interview at the Land Forces Pacific conference here.To prepare for that possibility, the Army has added a few days to the combat medic training course, is doing more realistic rehearsals with partner nations…