APRIL 21, 2020 - Aerodynamics testing on the KC-135 Stratotanker confirmed vertically mounted wiper blades reduce aircraft drag by approximately 1% during cruise conditions, potentially saving the Air Force $7 million annually in associated fuel costs. Across the KC-135 fleet, blades are positioned horizontally on the windshield as part of the aircraft’s original 1950s … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2020
COVID-19 Plant Closures Affect DoD’s Industrial Base
APRIL 21, 2020 - The most serious impacts to the Defense Department from COVID-19-related industrial closures domestically are in the aviation supply chain, shipbuilding and small space launch, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment said. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference today, Ellen M. Lord said that internationally, several pockets of … [Read more...]
Soldiers Authorized to Accumulate Additional Leave This Year
APRIL 21, 2020 - Soldiers who have continued to serve during the coronavirus pandemic can now accumulate an additional 60 days of leave, according to new guidance. A special leave accrual allows Soldiers who have served between March 11 and Sept. 30 of 2020 to carryover up to 120 leave days of leave into fiscal year 2021, doubling the normal carryover limit of 60 … [Read more...]
DoD Providing Leave Leniency Due to Travel Restrictions
APRIL 21, 2020 - Travel restrictions made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in the Defense Department providing leave leniency for service members who accrue too much leave and might otherwise lose it. Each year, active-duty service members are granted 30 days of leave, but at the end of each fiscal year, they normally lose any unused leave exceeding 60 days. … [Read more...]
Marine Finds New Use for Art Skills in Recon Community
APRIL 20, 2020 - There are few tokens of gratitude within the Marine Corps that carry as much weight as the paddle – a staple of the Reconnaissance community that symbolizes the respect and honor that a unit holds for a specific Marine. A tradition that dates back to World War II, Recon Marines would be issued a paddle at the beginning of their training that they would be … [Read more...]