Author: Michael

The first Belgian Air Force F-35A fighters have arrived in the country at Florennes Air Base, Belgium, marking a major milestone in the modernisation of the country’s aerial warfare capabilities as it prepares to phase its Cold War era F-16s out of service. The aircraft were selected for procurement in 2018, marking a major landmark for the American fighter program’s penetration into European markets as it swept aside local competition.

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For 17 years, Navy spouse Ellen Barletto has worked at the same company. Working her way up from analyst to consultant, then director of contract management, and finally to VP of business operations, before advancing to her current role as Chief Administrative Officer in 2021, Barletto brings longevity to a world of frequent changes.
Along with her Navy JAG spouse, Brian, they’ve lived in San Diego, Italy, Rhode Island, and Virginia, all while Barletto continued to advance her career with Client Solution Architects.
The company operates five offices in the U.S.

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By Lt. General Rod Bishop, USAF ret, USAFA ’74STARRS Chairman of the Board
My biggest burden—one I carry every day to the next day—is a fervent hope and prayer that the eyes of more of our fellow countrymen (especially my family members for personal reasons) are opened to the Marxist ideology that has bamboozled so many of us. It is so insidious and apparently appealing.
We all have lost friends (and I am sure some have lost family) over this divide of ideology in our nation. I miss those friends.

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Coast Guardsmen may join their sister military services in receiving a paycheck this week if a plan to divert money to payroll plays out, a Trump administration official confirmed Monday.
The Coast Guard is within the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense like other armed services, and is not covered by a Trump plan announced in recent days to fund Pentagon paychecks this week. 
On Saturday, President Trump posted to social media that he was directing the Department of Defense to use “all available funds” to cover Oct. 15 paychecks for military members.

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…flags and names…

Most should know by now that today is the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the US Navy. The first few months were a rush to get a flotilla fitted out.
Did you know the first ship to fly an “American flag?”
It was the USS Alfred…though that is not quite right. There was no United States at the time…so more accurately, the Continental Ship Alfred would be more appropriate.

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Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi sent an email across the service Monday telling airmen he is retiring following the death of his wife, Katy, last month.
“After nearly 30 years in uniform, I am retiring from active-duty service, to ensure I take care of our family and learn to live with Katy in a new way, to continue to honor her as I should,” Flosi wrote in the email, which has been shared on social media. Task & Purpose confirmed that the email is authentic.

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The Army’s new campus-style dining initiative to more bases, including overseas, officials said Monday.
The new announcement of overseas bases builds on an overhaul the Army is working on of how it feeds soldiers. The service released details for its campus style dining initiative earlier this year on its plans to have private contractors run the dining facilities at five bases including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Drum, New York; and Fort Carson, Colorado.

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U.S. Army forces in South Korea are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence across their low- and high-stakes operations, according to Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor.
And as the new acting commander of Eighth Army, Taylor is personally leaning on existing and emerging AI capabilities to help influence and shape how he operates as a leader.
“I’ve become — Chat and I are really close lately,” Taylor told DefenseScoop on Monday, using the trendy terminology to prompt generative AI chatbots (“Hey, Chat”) that’s taken off in popular culture recently.

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