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Esper: Air Force, Space Force Leading Charge to New Technologies
New technologies are fundamentally changing the character of war and the two Air Force services are leading that charge, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said at the Air Force Association’s Virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference today.
In this time of COVID-19, Esper addressed the group virtually.
The secretary stated that America’s air, space and cyber warriors “will be at the forefront of tomorrow’s high-end fight.”
That means confronting near-peer competitors China and Russia. That means shifting the focus from defeating violent extremist groups to deterring great power competitors. It means fighting a high-intensity battle that combines all domains of warfare, he said.
“In this era of great power competition, we cannot take for granted the United States’ long-held advantages,” Esper said.
The Army wants to build a brand new exoskeleton to help soldiers ruck faster and harder
The Army is formally moving ahead with the development and fielding of a powered exoskeleton to help soldiers move faster and carry more while reducing overall fatigue after years of experimentation and testing.
Officials with Army Futures Command are currently in the process of drafting formal requirements for an infantry exoskeleton ahead of a defense industry day sometime in November, said Ted Maciuba, deputy director of the robotic requirements division for Army Futures Command.
Breaking Defense first reported news of the fresh exoskeleton effort.
“For me, it started 50 years ago when I first read Starship Troopers and said, ‘hey wait, we need a powered suit,’” Maciuba told Task & Purpose in a phone interview. “Then, three years ago, [then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark] Milley called out exoskeletons as a modernization priority for soldier lethality, and he was really focused on reducing soldier load.”
Limiting Arlington burials affects veterans and their families
The Army would like to keep Arlington functioning for the next 150 years, but prospects for adding new property is slim, as the cemetery is hemmed in by highways and other developments.
Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries stated, “Arlington National Cemetery will not be a burial option for those service members who served in the Gulf War and any conflict afterwards.”
The new regulations currently under consideration place drastic restrictions on eligibility. It will only include service people who were killed in action, recipients of awards such as Purple Hearts, Silver Stars or higher, presidents, vice presidents, people killed in combat-related deaths while operating on a unique military activity or veterans who served in combat that went on to serve in the highest levels of government in a significant role that made contributions to the nation’s security.
Bill Would Clear the Way for Army Legend Alwyn Cashe to Receive Medal of Honor
On Oct. 17, 2005, Cashe, a 35-year-old Army sergeant first class deployed to Iraq, was in a Humvee that ran over an improvised explosive device and burst into flames. The explosion left Cashe drenched in fuel and burning. But he paid little attention to his own pain and risk. He entered the burning vehicle again and again to drag out his teammates still inside, ultimately pulling all six soldiers out of the Humvee.