US troops, bases in Middle East could be targets in conflict with Iran
About 40,000 U.S. personnel are spread throughout the region, giving Iran a chance to strike back at American military forces.
Congress
Navy’s preliminary budget undercuts shipbuilding, senator says
The future looks murky for Navy shipbuilding due to budgetary uncertainty amid lagging ship production, Sen. Roger Wicker said at a recent hearing.
This week in Congress: Military leaders deploy to Capitol Hill
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of March 2, 2020.
Navy secretary pick Braithwaite gets official nod from Trump
President Donald Trump has officially announced his intent to nominate Kenneth “K.J.” Braithwaite as the Navy's top civilian.
Don’t leave Open Skies Treaty, top Democrats say
If President Donald Trump withdraws the U.S. from the Open Skies Treaty, it would “harm both U.S. and allied security interests,” two top Senate Democrats have told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Democrats press Pompeo over Trump’s ‘failure’ of an Iran policy
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got an earful on the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran
Strategic Command boss warns of nuclear ‘point of no return’
The Pentagon alone plans to spend more than $87 billion on nuclear programs in the next five years.
Lawmaker asks Esper: Should the Army pay for sealift?
An influential lawmaker is wondering if the U.S. Army should be on the hook to pay for its own transportation.
Expect Congress to block Africa troop cuts, says defense panel chairman
The upcoming 2021 defense policy bill will likely restrict the Pentagon from reducing its footprint in Africa, says the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Lawmakers oppose Trump move to cut union bargaining for DoD feds
They want to reverse a White House decision to let Pentagon leaders strip collective bargaining rights from military civilians.
Trump taps Pentagon’s acting personnel head to take over permanent job
Air Force Under Secretary Matthew Donovan has been serving in the post since early December.
