Soldiers with the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (1ID) conduct a nighttime live-fire exercise with M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles during Victory Eagle at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, on Oct. 24, 2021. Spc. Michael Alexander / Army
The Army Brief: Vaccine exemptions; Skipping climate conference; Afghanistan terror; and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
China’s hypersonic orbiter. A U.S. official confirmed to Defense One that the recent launch of a hypersonic missile by China did in fact “circle the globe.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said in an interview Wednesday that the launch “has all of our attention.”
Chaplains’ dilemma. Military chaplains face a complicated process to determine whether a service member seeking a religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine is being sincere about it, Stars and Stripes reports. There is no standard form for determining someone’s religious convictions, so commands have had to come up with their own questions.
DOD skips climate conference. Despite issuing a report that climate change is an “existential threat” to national security, no one from the Pentagon will be attending the upcoming global climate conference in Scotland, Defense One reports. Extreme weather has already done damage worth billions of dollars to military bases, like the hurricanes that hit Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Tyndall Air Force Base.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Oct. 25, 1940, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first African American general officer in the Army. His son was also a trailblazer, becoming the first African American to become a general officer in the Air Force.
From Defense One
Terror Groups in Afghanistan Could Attack US Next Year, Pentagon Policy Chief Says // Jacqueline Feldscher, Patrick Tucker: Kahl says ISIS-K might be able to strike in less than 12 months; AQ in one to two years.
Raytheon: Vaccine Mandate Will Likely Add to Supply Chain Disruptions // Marcus Weisgerber: But CEO Greg Hayes says his business will boom if everyone would just get the shot.
Taiwan Emerges as a ‘Pre-eminent Issue’ For CIA’s New China Directorate // Patrick Tucker: A takeover might look like Russia’s takeover of Crimea and might be coordinated with the Kremlin.