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Congress has agreed on a $740.5B defense bill; here's how it impacts pay, ACFT, Space Force and more
The 2021 National Defense Authorization act will not to fund a reduction of troops in Afghanistan until the Pentagon assesses the impacts a drawdown would have on expanding terrorist safe havens and counterterrorism efforts.<br>Department of Defense
The 2021 National Defense Authorization act will not to fund a reduction of troops in Afghanistan until the Pentagon assesses the impacts a drawdown would have on expanding terrorist safe havens and counterterrorism efforts.<br>Department of Defense

Here's a look at some of the key issues addressed in the 2021 National Defense Authorization act.

The aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan sail alongside each other in the South China Sea, July 6, 2020. <br>Cody Beam/U.S. Navy
The aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan sail alongside each other in the South China Sea, July 6, 2020. <br>Cody Beam/U.S. Navy

Navy pushes ahead with plans to stand up another numbered fleet in the Indo-Pacific

The Navy can’t rely on 7th Fleet alone to cover an almost 48 million-square-mile operations area, the service’s top civilian leader said.

A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 1-186th Infantry Battalion, Oregon National Guard, uses binoculars to scan the horizon while on security watch in Somalia, on December 3, 2019.<br>Nick Kibbey/U.S. Air Force
A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 1-186th Infantry Battalion, Oregon National Guard, uses binoculars to scan the horizon while on security watch in Somalia, on December 3, 2019.<br>Nick Kibbey/U.S. Air Force

Trump orders the withdrawal of the majority of US troops in Somalia

Most of the troops to be removed from Somalia will be relocated to neighboring countries, from where they will continue efforts against the al-Qaida-aligned al-Shabab group.

A sign posted outside the food court at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo reminds patrons that masks are required inside the facility, Oct. 1, 2020.<br>Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes
A sign posted outside the food court at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo reminds patrons that masks are required inside the facility, Oct. 1, 2020.<br>Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes

US military adds 19 new cases to its coronavirus totals in Japan

On Okinawa, the prefectural government reported another 20 coronavirus infections on U.S. bases Friday. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo said 12 people tested positive while Yokosuka Naval Base, homeport of the 7th Fleet, reported six cases.


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Episode nine: Navigating new social media and Section 230

Thousands of service members and veterans have migrated away from Twitter and Facebook to new social media sites such as MeWe and Parler, but why? And a recent tweet from President Trump puts Section 230 back in the spotlight. What is Section 230 and how will that affect social media as we know it?

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Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command

'It was such a brutal crime:' Autopsy report shows Fort Bragg soldier was decapitated

Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez was killed in May while he was camping with fellow soldiers on an island at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The Army is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the murder.

Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne II, 37, was one of two men found dead Dec. 2, 2020, in a training area on Fort Bragg, N.C., the Army said in a statement.<br>U.S. Army
Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne II, 37, was one of two men found dead Dec. 2, 2020, in a training area on Fort Bragg, N.C., the Army said in a statement.<br>U.S. Army

Soldier and veteran found dead at Fort Bragg had longtime ties to the base

Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne II, 37, with U.S. Army Special Operations Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran from Pinehurst, N.C., were found Wednesday in a training area on Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville.

Airman 1st Class Sarah Figueroa said on social media that she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation at Misawa Air Base.<br>Instagram
Airman 1st Class Sarah Figueroa said on social media that she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation at Misawa Air Base.<br>Instagram

Misawa airman who posted on Instagram about sexual harassment was granted a transfer

Airman 1st Class Sarah Figueroa on Oct. 14 posted a photo of herself in uniform to Instagram and wrote that she was “a victim of sexual harassment in the Air Force” by a coworker.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden poses for photos in Atlanta on Nov. 20, 2019.<br>Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post

Pentagon blocks visits to military spy agencies by Biden transition team

The rejections from the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency came even as Biden advisers spent much of this week meeting with officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA.

See more U.S. news
The aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan sail alongside each other in the South China Sea, July 6, 2020. <br>Cody Beam/U.S. Navy

Navy pushes ahead with plans to stand up another numbered fleet in the Indo-Pacific

The Navy can’t rely on 7th Fleet alone to cover an almost 48 million-square-mile operations area, the service’s top civilian leader said.

See more Pacific news
Spc. Angel Ruszkiewicz, 21, a combat camera specialist from Milwaukee, Wi., reads a Stars and Stripes at the passenger terminal on a coalition base in Erbil, Iraq, on Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, before a flight to Syria. <br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Defense bill would continue Stars and Stripes' funding

The compromise Defense Department spending and policy bill lawmakers revealed Thursday would fund Stars and Stripes in 2021, maintaining the news organization that the Pentagon sought to close earlier this year.

See more Europe news
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division ensure the area is secure during a fly-to-advise mission in southeastern Afghanistan in December 2019. A measure has been included in the final version of the defense bill to prevent the further withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan without input from the Pentagon and other government agencies.<br>Alejandro Licea/U.S. Army

Defense spending bill would rein in US troop drawdown from Afghanistan

U.S. lawmakers have moved to block the Trump administration’s rapid drawdown of American forces from Afghanistan, with a measure in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would require input from other government agencies before more troops can be withdrawn.

See more Middle East news
A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 1-186th Infantry Battalion, Oregon National Guard, uses binoculars to scan the horizon while on security watch in Somalia, on December 3, 2019.<br>Nick Kibbey/U.S. Air Force

Trump orders the withdrawal of the majority of US troops in Somalia

Most of the troops to be removed from Somalia will be relocated to neighboring countries, from where they will continue efforts against the al-Qaida-aligned al-Shabab group.

See more Africa news

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Former Vice President Joe Biden poses for photos in Atlanta on Nov. 20, 2019.<br>Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post

Pentagon blocks visits to military spy agencies by Biden transition team

The rejections from the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency came even as Biden advisers spent much of this week meeting with officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA.

See more U.S. news
The aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan sail alongside each other in the South China Sea, July 6, 2020. <br>Cody Beam/U.S. Navy

Navy pushes ahead with plans to stand up another numbered fleet in the Indo-Pacific

The Navy can’t rely on 7th Fleet alone to cover an almost 48 million-square-mile operations area, the service’s top civilian leader said.

See more Pacific news
Spc. Angel Ruszkiewicz, 21, a combat camera specialist from Milwaukee, Wi., reads a Stars and Stripes at the passenger terminal on a coalition base in Erbil, Iraq, on Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, before a flight to Syria. <br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Defense bill would continue Stars and Stripes' funding

The compromise Defense Department spending and policy bill lawmakers revealed Thursday would fund Stars and Stripes in 2021, maintaining the news organization that the Pentagon sought to close earlier this year.

See more Europe news
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division ensure the area is secure during a fly-to-advise mission in southeastern Afghanistan in December 2019. A measure has been included in the final version of the defense bill to prevent the further withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan without input from the Pentagon and other government agencies.<br>Alejandro Licea/U.S. Army

Defense spending bill would rein in US troop drawdown from Afghanistan

U.S. lawmakers have moved to block the Trump administration’s rapid drawdown of American forces from Afghanistan, with a measure in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would require input from other government agencies before more troops can be withdrawn.

See more Middle East news
A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 1-186th Infantry Battalion, Oregon National Guard, uses binoculars to scan the horizon while on security watch in Somalia, on December 3, 2019.<br>Nick Kibbey/U.S. Air Force

Trump orders the withdrawal of the majority of US troops in Somalia

Most of the troops to be removed from Somalia will be relocated to neighboring countries, from where they will continue efforts against the al-Qaida-aligned al-Shabab group.

See more Africa news
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veterans

A U.S. Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.<br>U.S. Army
A U.S. Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.<br>U.S. Army

Defense bill does not give veterans exposed to Agent Orange in Thailand 'presumption' to key benefits

Veterans who served in nearby Thailand during the Vietnam War who experienced exposure to herbicides have found they have a higher hurdle to win crucial VA benefits than those who served in Vietnam.

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F.E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing.<br>U.S. Air Force
F.E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing.<br>U.S. Air Force

F.E. Warren AFB begins initial preparations for nuclear missile replacement project

After the announcement earlier this year that F.E. Warren Air Force Base would be the first to have its nuclear missiles replaced in the coming decade, base officials have started initial preparations for the project, which could begin as soon as 2022.

See more Air Force news
Marine Corps Cpl. Evan Barr, field radio operator, 1st Transport Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducts an individual workout at Paige Fieldhouse, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Jan. 2, 2019. All Marines are required to undergo unit physical fitness training daily, but they are also highly encouraged to train on their own in order to achieve optimal physical fitness.<br>Emmanuel Necoechea/U.S. Marine Corps
Marine Corps Cpl. Evan Barr, field radio operator, 1st Transport Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducts an individual workout at Paige Fieldhouse, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Jan. 2, 2019. All Marines are required to undergo unit physical fitness training daily, but they are also highly encouraged to train on their own in order to achieve optimal physical fitness.<br>Emmanuel Necoechea/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines suspend fitness tests as coronavirus runs rampant across the nation

As of now, testing is suspended through the rest of 2020 and will resume in January, according to a memo from the Marine Corps.

See more Marine Corps news
Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command

'It was such a brutal crime:' Autopsy report shows Fort Bragg soldier was decapitated

Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez was killed in May while he was camping with fellow soldiers on an island at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The Army is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the murder.

See more Army news
<br>U. S. Coast Guard Station Cape May
<br>U. S. Coast Guard Station Cape May

Coast Guard suspends search off New Jersey for missing man

The Coast Guard on Friday suspened its search in the waters off New Jersey for a man who is missing from a capsized boat.

See more Coast Guard news
In a Sept. 11, 2013 photo, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) North Dakota is rolled out of an indoor shipyard facility at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.<br>General Dynamic
In a Sept. 11, 2013 photo, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) North Dakota is rolled out of an indoor shipyard facility at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.<br>General Dynamic

Submarine funding is restored in final version of defense bill

The final version of a defense policy bill agreed on by House and Senate negotiators restores funding for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines, built in Groton, and authorizes billions of dollars for Connecticut's defense industry.

See more Navy news

military branches
F.E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing.<br>U.S. Air Force
F.E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing.<br>U.S. Air Force

F.E. Warren AFB begins initial preparations for nuclear missile replacement project

After the announcement earlier this year that F.E. Warren Air Force Base would be the first to have its nuclear missiles replaced in the coming decade, base officials have started initial preparations for the project, which could begin as soon as 2022.

See more Air Force news
Marine Corps Cpl. Evan Barr, field radio operator, 1st Transport Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducts an individual workout at Paige Fieldhouse, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Jan. 2, 2019. All Marines are required to undergo unit physical fitness training daily, but they are also highly encouraged to train on their own in order to achieve optimal physical fitness.<br>Emmanuel Necoechea/U.S. Marine Corps
Marine Corps Cpl. Evan Barr, field radio operator, 1st Transport Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducts an individual workout at Paige Fieldhouse, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Jan. 2, 2019. All Marines are required to undergo unit physical fitness training daily, but they are also highly encouraged to train on their own in order to achieve optimal physical fitness.<br>Emmanuel Necoechea/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines suspend fitness tests as coronavirus runs rampant across the nation

As of now, testing is suspended through the rest of 2020 and will resume in January, according to a memo from the Marine Corps.

See more Marine Corps news
Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found near Cape Lookout National Seashore after he was reported missing near his campsite on May 23, 2020.<br>U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command

'It was such a brutal crime:' Autopsy report shows Fort Bragg soldier was decapitated

Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez was killed in May while he was camping with fellow soldiers on an island at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The Army is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the murder.

See more Army news
<br>U. S. Coast Guard Station Cape May
<br>U. S. Coast Guard Station Cape May

Coast Guard suspends search off New Jersey for missing man

The Coast Guard on Friday suspened its search in the waters off New Jersey for a man who is missing from a capsized boat.

See more Coast Guard news
In a Sept. 11, 2013 photo, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) North Dakota is rolled out of an indoor shipyard facility at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.<br>General Dynamic
In a Sept. 11, 2013 photo, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) North Dakota is rolled out of an indoor shipyard facility at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.<br>General Dynamic

Submarine funding is restored in final version of defense bill

The final version of a defense policy bill agreed on by House and Senate negotiators restores funding for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines, built in Groton, and authorizes billions of dollars for Connecticut's defense industry.

See more Navy news
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Air Force runs over Utah State 35-7 behind Daniels

Air Force (3-2, 2-2 Mountain West Conference), rushed for 334 yards and had 127 on the ground.

Sports

Air Force runs over Utah State 35-7 behind Daniels

Air Force (3-2, 2-2 Mountain West Conference), rushed for 334 yards and had 127 on the ground.