Christine Wormuth, nominee to be secretary of the Army, testifies during her Senate Armed Service Committee confirmation hearing on May 13, 2021. Tom Williams/Pool via AP
The Army Brief: Army Secretary's letter, Afghan evacuation plans, UAV strike, and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
SecArmy’s first week. In her first letter to the force, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said that her service’s top priority is its people, and pledged to do her best to ensure healthy command climates and improve quality of life concerns like housing and employment opportunities for Army families.
Evacuation plans for Afghans. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has tasked U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. Frank McKenzie with creating options for evacuating Afghan civilians—including translators—whose lives could be at risk from the Taliban once American troops leave, Tara Copp and Jacqueline Feldscher report in Defense One. The options would be available if the White House decides to order an evacuation, which they have not done yet, despite the looming September deadline to leave Afghanistan.
Afghan pilot finally arrives in America. Mohammed Naiem Asadi and his family had been in hiding from the Taliban after their approval to move to the United States was withdrawn last year, Stars and Stripes reports. Asadi plans to apply for asylum.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On June 5, 1917, American men aged 21 to 30 began registering for the draft for the first time after passage of the Selective Service Act in May.