U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Field Medical Training Battalion - West conduct a patrol as a part of the final exercise for the Field Medical Service Technician Course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 6, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Hope Straley
The Naval Brief: Unvaccinated discharges; Amphibious vehicles halted; Liberal defense voices lacking; and more...
Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.
Vaccine discharges coming. The Navy has issued new policy guidance for how active duty sailors who are not vaccinated will be discharged from service, Defense One reports. Officials said sailors can still get vaccinated and the Navy will work to try to retain them.
AAVs shelved. The Marine Corps’ amphibious assault vehicles will no longer deploy or train in the water, a decision that follows a deadly accident in 2020, Defense One reports. The AAV’s replacement, the amphibious combat vehicle, is having problems of its own.
Getting a seat at the table. Though their party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, liberal Democrats did not get their way when it came to deciding the 2022 defense budget, Defense One reports. Some advocates are now telling liberal lawmakers to serve on defense committees to get their voices heard in the future.
Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1907, 16 U.S. warships left Virginia on a first-of-its-kind world tour, dubbed the “Great White Fleet” for the white paint that coated its hulls.
From Defense One
The Navy Remains Stuck At the Pier Without a Leadership Team // Brent D. Sadler: Three of the service’s top jobs are filled by temps, nearly 11 months into the Biden administration.
This New AI Tool Can Help Spot an Imminent Invasion // Patrick Tucker: Want to know how many trucks are in border regions, or get an alert when bomber traffic spikes?
State Guards’ Vaccine Refusal Sets Up Fight with Feds // Tara Copp: Six governors are rejecting the Pentagon’s order to inoculate their troops against COVID. Is a lawsuit next?