Author: Michael

Early in the Space Race, before the formation of NASA and even when the new organization was getting off the ground, the U.S. military took the lead on rocket development and space exploration. The Army, Air Force and Navy all had their own individual projects and studies. And the Air Force once proposed creating a weapons system on the Moon with the express purpose of bombing Earth. 
Task & Purpose has previously dived into the ambitious Space Race plans for militarizing the Moon.

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The Air Force is expanding the number of career fields eligible for large retention and reenlistment bonuses in the new fiscal year, in an effort to hold onto skilled troops when their talents are in demand elsewhere. 
The Department of the Air Force released a memo listing 89 career fields in the U.S. Air Force in the 2025 fiscal year, up from 73 the previous one. The expanded list went into effect on Dec. 16, according to Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokesperson. The jobs range from signal intelligence to nuclear weapons to maintenance for combat drones.

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On December 7, 1941, 22-year-old radioman Warren “Red” Upton was getting ready to shave when a Japanese torpedo struck his ship, USS Utah (AG-16). In 2020, Upton recounted to The Associated Press that no one knew what caused Utah to shake. The battleship-turned-target ship was then struck by a second torpedo, which caused her to roll over and sink quickly. Upton abandoned ship, scraping barnacles on Utah‘s hull on his way down. He swam to shore with many of his shipmates.

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GEN (Retired) Lloyd Austin will be replaced as SECDEF once the new administration’s pick is confirmed. He will finish nearly 50 years of service to our country. He achieved many firsts – first Black theater commander during war and the first Black SECDEF among other firsts. He does however, leave a troubling legacy as both an Army general and SECDEF.
DEI
Austin accelerated the spread of DEI within the US military as SECDEF.

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