Senior leaders from US Army Alaska train on snowshoes for the first time at Black Rapids Training Site on Nov. 17, 2021, as a part of their Cold Weather Orientation Course. U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Christopher B. Dennis
The Army Brief: Pacific missile defense; Protecting Guam; Medals of Honor; and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
More defense in the Pacific. U.S. Army Japan commander Maj. Gen. Joel Vowell believes there is not enough missile defense in the Pacific, Defense One reports. He said wants more integrated air and missile defense within the first island chain.
Defending Guam. Leaders at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and elsewhere say the Pacific island needs new defenses, including a comprehensive missile defense system, lest adversaries render the strategically important U.S. territory unusable, Defense One reports. “Those aren't idle threats. Those are based off of events that we're seeing unfold around us right now,” said Marine Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Recognizing valor. Sgt. 1st Class Alywn Cashe, along with two other soldiers, are expected to receive the Medal of Honor within the next week, the Washington Post reports. The Army had for years resisted calls to award the medal to Cashe, who died saving soldiers from a burning vehicle in Iraq in 2005.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Dec. 13, 2003, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured by soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division led by Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno. Hussein, found hiding at the bottom of a hole with a pistol, did not resist.
From Defense One
New National Defense Strategy to Be Released Early 2022 // Caitlin M. Kenney: The Pentagon's NDS will follow the release of a new National Security Strategy from the White House, officials said.
How China Is Challenging US Central Command, Digitally // Patrick Tucker: The Pentagon may have “CENTCOM fatigue,” but Beijing is pushing into the Middle East, warns the command’s communications chief.
General Atomics Unveils New Drone That Carries 16 Hellfire Missiles // Marcus Weisgerber: The Mojave, marketed for special forces, doesn’t need a traditional runway to launch.
Austin Rejects ‘Red Lines’ for Taiwan, Ukraine // Tara Copp: As crises loom, defense secretary reveals a bit of his diplomacy-first thinking.