U.S. and French military personnel prepare to board a French Casa CN 235 to participate in a joint jump exercise at Base Aérienne 188, Djibouti, March 18, 2025. The exercise included 83 parachute jumps and two equipment bundle drops, with participation from 16 U.S., French, and Djiboutian units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jana Somero) APRIL 7, 2025 - U.S. … [Read more...]
Navy Commissions USS Iowa (SSN 797)
APRIL 7, 2025 – The Navy commissioned its 24th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, USS Iowa (SSN 797), in a traditional ceremony held April 5, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. Christie Vilsack, Iowa’s sponsor and former First Lady of Iowa, gave the crew the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life,” after which Iowa’s sailors … [Read more...]
DoD Offering Deferred Resignation Program
APRIL 7, 2025 - The Department of Defense (DoD) announced a Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) and Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) for civilian employees, offering an opportunity for eligible employees to resign or retire while receiving paid administrative leave until September 30, 2025. DoD DRP and VERA are workforce-shaping tools that will help the DoD reach its … [Read more...]
Space Command Awards Launch Contracts
APRIL 7, 2025 - Space Systems Command awarded three National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 contracts April 4. These Firm Fixed-Price, Indefinite-Delivery Requirements contracts were awarded to SpaceX, United Launch Services, and Blue Origin to provide critical space support to meet national security objectives. Anticipated values for these contracts are … [Read more...]
Special Ops Train With Panama’s SOF
APRIL 7, 2025 - Recent security engagements between U.S. and Panamanian forces culminated in the first official U.S.-Panama special operations forces talks, Feb. 18, 2025. The talks, along with concurrent joint combined exchange training exercises, underscore a decades-long bilateral partnership and highlight the global impact of U.S. special operations forces. Since 2020, … [Read more...]