Author: Braxton Taylor
An airman stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, who died after being shot by an AK-47 fired through the wall of an off-base apartment in Wyoming, has been identified by service officials.Senior Airman Joshua Aragon, a specialist assigned to the 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron at the base’s 90th Missile Wing, died early Saturday morning, a statement released late Tuesday evening detailed.The airman accused of firing the weapon was identified as Airman 1st Class Jadan Orr with the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron. Orr has been “charged with involuntary manslaughter by the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office,” the statement…
The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has processed more disability claims this fiscal year than last, exceeding 2024’s record-breaking amount by nearly 6,600.As of mid-August, VA claims adjudicators had processed 2,524,115 claims compared with 2,517,519 in fiscal 2024. According to VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz, 61.8% of the claims were approved, providing benefits to nearly 1.3 million veterans or family members.The department has made changes in the past several years designed to process disability compensation claims faster and reduce the number of claims older than 125 days — what the department refers to as its backlog.Read Next: Airman Killed…
The Space Force finally has its own rulebook telling Guardians what they’re allowed to wear and how they’re supposed to look in uniform.Since being established as the smallest service branch in 2019, the Space Force has used the same guidance given to the Air Force. This month, Guardians will have their own guidelines to reference when it comes to being in uniform.”Every Guardian’s military presence and appearance are a critical and visible demonstration of our professional force, and this new policy provides clear standards that support our warfighting objectives and culture,” Katharine Kelley, deputy chief of space operations for personnel,…
A military vehicle crashed into a car in a residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, punctuating a day that saw out-of-state troops joining patrols on the National Mall and top administration officials being met with protesters as they visited troops patrolling a transit station.The vehicle collision, from which the civilian driver was reported to suffer minor injuries, comes as the National Guard’s mission to buttress President Donald Trump’s crackdown on D.C. enters its second week.Under the auspices of combating crime, Trump last week activated the D.C. Guard, deployed hundreds of federal law enforcement officials on city streets, and invoked…
The Air Force wants industry to make an identical copy of the Shahed-136 drone, used by Russia in relentless attacks on Ukraine, to develop and test defenses against the Iranian-designed system.The service wants to buy 16 of these Shahed look-alikes, with an option to buy 20 more later, as it pursues the “next generation” of counter-drone programs, according to a request for information posted last week.“To support weapons development and integration of these weapon systems, the [U.S. government] requires that the Class 3 unmanned aerial target system be a 1:1 copy (form, fit and function) of a reverse engineered Shahed-136…
Personnel cuts are crippling progress on Advana, a Pentagon data platform that has been widely used in recent years to accelerate functions from logistics to finance to readiness—and which is key to the department’s AI plans, current and former defense and military officials say.“You tell this organization to do ‘A.’ Then you cut contracted staff by 80 percent and you have a turnover of close to what, 60 percent? Things are going to break. Things are going to get delayed. We’re in both places,” said one defense official who asked for anonymity to speak freely.In 2021, the Defense Department comptroller…
It’s tough to make a good all-around hunting bipod. If it’s ultra-lightweight, it’s probably not very durable. If it’s lightweight and durable, it might not be versatile; and if it’s versatile and durable, it’s probably heavy. The CKYE-POD from MDT isn’t perfect, but I think it does a better job than any other lightweight bipod at balancing those competing priorities. At just 15.7 ounces, the single-pull model I have is no trouble to carry on the rifle. The double-pull model is a little heavier, as are versions with the ARCA and picatinny-compatible BTC mount, but not by much. I’ve been…
When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood on the Pentagon’s parade field last month to announce a memo meant to accelerate the U.S. military’s ability to stock up on cheap drones, the sheet of paper he signed was delivered by a member of the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team, a Quantico, Va.-based unit that just got its start in January.Since then, the team’s primary work has been to develop the service’s tactics, techniques and procedures for operating armed first-person viewer drones, as infantry units are integrating the use of drones. Their first pamphlet is expected this month, Col. Scott Cuomo, who…
Rost Martin has just unveiled a newly minted edition of its RM1C 9mm striker fired pistol which will be sold exclusively through Davidson’s, one of the United States’ largest firearms distributors. This RM1C variant includes a Crimson Trace CTS 1500 open-emitter red-dot sight mounted on the pistol directly from the factory. “We’re proud to offer dealers this exclusive package alongside our valued partner,” stated company CEO, Chris Toomer, “Our mission includes supporting the safety and security of our customers, and adding a robust but affordable red dot to the RM1C facilitates improved accuracy and faster sight acquisition, while making it…
The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to toss rulings that found its mass firings of recently hired and promoted federal employees unlawful, arguing that the judicial orders are hurting its management of the civil service. The Supreme Court in April already overturned a California district judge’s injunction that prevented the firings of employees in their probationary periods, but that order has not yet been formally revoked. After the high court’s ruling, the district judge ordered federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Energy, to send letters to dismissed workers attesting that they were let go as part of an effort to shrink government and not…