The Naval Brief: No ‘likes’ for extremism; Vulnerable veterans; Home for repairs; and more... 

Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future. 

Anti-extremism policy. Service members who “like” or retweet a post with extremist content could be punished for violating the anti-extremism policy, Defense One reports. While the new document does not list specific extremist groups, it does lay out what actions are prohibited.

Troubling increase. The number of veterans who committed criminal acts because of extremist views has increased over the last 10 years, Defense One reports. More outreach is needed for post-9/11 veterans who may be seeking connections after service and risk being lured by extremist groups.

Home for repairs. The USS Connecticut finally arrived at its homeport of Bremerton, Washington, after hitting an unmapped seamount in the South China Sea in October, USNI News reports. Officials are concerned how the unplanned repairs will affect the backlogged public shipyards. 

Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1968, sailors from the USS Pueblo were released by the North Korean government, 11 months after they were captured in international waters.

From Defense One

US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say // Tara Copp: Within weeks, Walter Reed researchers expect to announce that human trials show success against Omicron—and even future strains.

Air Force Breakthrough Brings Space-Based Solar Power One Step Closer // Patrick Tucker: Tomorrow’s remote military bases could be powered by a light-to-microwave tile that just passed a key test.

China’s PLA Is a Peasant Army No More // Graham Allison: The Pentagon cannot hope to prevail merely by outspending Beijing.

My Children Live in Fear of US Drones // Ahmed Ali Jaber: It is time to end America’s use of airstrikes that too often kill the innocent.