At a time when the Pentagon is finally waking up to the physical collapse of our armed forces, Texas has a unique opportunity to lead.
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sounded the alarm with <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4118161/rapid-force-wide-review-of-military-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a directive</a>: Military standards have dangerously eroded. “Our adversaries are not growing weaker,” he wrote. “Our tasks are not growing less challenging.”
He ordered a department-wide review of physical fitness, grooming, and readiness standards and <a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1907509325804798454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently stated</a>, “For too long, we’ve allowed standards to slip within the ranks for men and women serving in combat MOSs. This is unacceptable and over.”
He also welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Pentagon, pledging to ensure our warfighters are “healthy and fit to fight.” These moves reflect a growing recognition of the military’s readiness crisis — and that rebuilding a warrior culture requires action, not speeches.
Texas is answering that call.
The Texas Military Forces Health and Readiness Act (House Bill 4993) is a no-compromise legislative initiative to restore physical readiness, health, and resilience in the Texas Military Forces. It aligns with the Department of Defense’s renewed focus on standards and provides a battle-ready model that other states — and even the federal government — can adopt.
<h3>The Current Readiness Crisis And Systemic Failures</h3>
<div id="attachment_908487" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-908487" class="size-large wp-image-908487" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-866x576.jpg" alt="EL PASO, TEXAS - APRIL 02: Texas National Guard soldiers transport border fencing layered with concertina wire near the Rio Grande river on April 02, 2024 in El Paso, Texas. Last week, hundreds of migrants seeking asylum clashed with Texas national guardsmen while waiting to turn themselves in to border patrol agents for processing. Texas continues awaiting a verdict on Senate Bill 4. Attorneys representing the state of Texas are scheduled to return to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on April 3 to continue arguing for the constitutional basis of the bill. Senate Bill 4 allows state law enforcement officials to detain and arrest undocumented immigrants suspected of illegally crossing into the United States. Thus far, all prior attempts to put the Bill into effect have been blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2133324574.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
The National Guard plays an increasingly vital dual role: it must respond to domestic crises and be ready to “fight tonight” in peer-level combat operations. Hegseth has emphasized the need to “match threats to capabilities.” But for states like Texas — where the Guard is expected to conduct disaster operations, support border security, and remain deployable worldwide — this mission cannot be met under current conditions.
This isn’t just about pushups. America’s military readiness crisis is real, and it’s gutting our combat capability across the force. Military readiness isn’t a slogan — it’s the bedrock of deterrence and victory. Yet today, 68% of U.S. service members are overweight or obese, according to a 2023 report by the American Security Project. Fitness-related health costs and lost duty time exceed $1.35 billion annually, directly sabotaging operational effectiveness. That’s bad enough for active-duty forces — but for the National Guard, the situation is catastrophic.
If active-duty service members with full access to resources are struggling, the situation for part-time National Guard forces is even more dire. In Texas, part-time Guardsmen train a fraction of the time compared to Active Duty. They are spread across vast distances, often without access to adequate training facilities, wellness programs, or basic fitness infrastructure. Unlike the Active Duty, the Guard operates with persistent disparities in funding, support services, and oversight. Wellness programs go underutilized, accountability is virtually nonexistent, and time for physical training is painfully limited. The result? A force on the edge of collapse — unfit, underprepared, and unable to meet the demands of today’s missions. This isn’t just a training problem. It’s a strategic liability.
<h3>The Army’s Food Scandal: A Symptom Of The Larger Collapse</h3>
Adding insult to injury is the military’s broken nutrition system. A January 2025 Military.com <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/02/14/over-151-million-taken-soldiers-paychecks-food-costs-spent-elsewhere-army.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a> found that the Army diverted over $151 million in food allowance payments from junior enlisted soldiers, with only 30% of those funds actually going toward meals. At Fort Cavazos in Texas, only $11.7 million of $42.5 million collected went to feed troops. Other bases relied on vending machines stocked with sugary snacks, or served meals of toast and lima beans — or no meals at all.
This isn’t just a logistical failure. It’s a betrayal of the trust and conditions necessary for building a capable, professional fighting force. For the National Guard, already starved of resources and time, this neglect is lethal. This is not a military prepared to win wars — it’s a hollow shell.
<div id="attachment_908491" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-908491" class="size-large wp-image-908491" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-864x576.jpg" alt="EAGLE PASS, TEXAS - JANUARY 12: National Guard soldiers stand guard on the banks of the Rio Grande river at Shelby Park on January 12, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Texas National Guard continues its blockade and surveillance of Shelby Park in an effort to deter illegal immigration. The Department of Justice has accused the Texas National Guard of blocking Border Patrol agents from carrying out their duties along the river. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1928669611.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
<h3>HB 4993: A Texas-Size Fix</h3>
HB <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB04993I.htm">4993</a> is a Texas-sized solution to this national crisis. It creates a comprehensive, accountable system to rebuild readiness:
<ul>
<li>Statewide Fitness Access: State-funded gym memberships and access to certified civilian trainers ensure Guardsmen across Texas can train consistently, regardless of location.</li>
<li>Integrated Digital Platform: Service members get real-time fitness tracking, customized plans, injury prevention, and mental health tools in a secure app.</li>
<li>Comprehensive Wellness Services: The bill funds rehabilitation, nutrition counseling, mental health support, and family-based fitness programs, because force readiness starts at home.</li>
<li>Performance-Based Culture: Structured incentives, advancement pathways, and public recognition will restore the warrior ethos and reward excellence.</li>
<li>Transparency and Accountability: Quarterly reports to the Legislature, corrective action plans, and unit-level oversight. If readiness falters, the system adapts — now, not later.</li>
<li>Minimal Cost, Maximum Return: This initiative delivers a high-impact return at a fraction of the $1.35 billion national fitness-related losses. This is a high-impact, low-cost readiness reform that delivers immediate and lasting results — saving lives, taxpayer dollars, and national security. </li>
</ul>
<h3>Reinforcing National Readiness Priorities</h3>
For too long, the physical and mental health of our service members has been allowed to rot — not because of funding shortages, but because of cowardice, complacency, and a lack of standards. HB 4993 rejects that failure. It embodies the resolve to act decisively and reforge a professional force worthy of the missions it’s expected to carry out.
This is the moment for Texas to lead. HB 4993 supports the national call to “Make America Healthy Again” and hands other states a clear, scalable playbook. The health, fitness, and discipline of our military are not internal HR concerns — they are national security imperatives.
Readiness isn’t negotiable. It’s the prerequisite for effective deterrence, mission success, and survival in a world of growing threats. Texas is doing its part. Now the Texas Legislature must rise to the occasion — and show the nation what readiness, resolve, and responsibility really look like.
* * *
Ammon Blair is a Senior Fellow for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s ‘Secure &amp; Sovereign Texas’ Initiative.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Texas National Guard Works To Secure Southern Border In El Paso

Rebuilding The Warrior Class: Texas Can Lead With Military Fitness Reform

Department of Defense

Marines

Military

National Guard

Obesity

Opinion

Pete Hegseth

Soldiers

Texas

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

Military commanders in the Iranian armed forces are urging Iran to strike the Diego Garcia military base, situated on Great Britain’s Chagos Islands in the Central Indian Ocean, after President Trump deployed American bombers there.
An Iranian official says the country&#8217;s military is &#8220;locked and loaded&#8221; for a strike on the island base, where at least three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were delivered last week. The bombers carry a payload of weapons that can weigh up to 40,000 pounds and have a range of more than 7,000 miles.
“Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trump’s threats have become more serious,” an Iranian official informed <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/31/iran-urged-to-strike-diego-garcia-base-immediately/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a>. “Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there. &#8230; Some are suggesting that missiles be fired towards the island, not with the intent to hit anything, but to fall into the water to send a clear message to the Americans that we are serious.”
“The response to Trump’s threats should be action, not words &#8211; every base in the region is within range of our missiles,” he continued. “The missiles are locked and loaded, ready to target any area from which Iran could be threatened, whether from Diego Garcia or Bahrain. Commanders have been instructed to ensure that all missile launchers are prepared and that nuclear sites are well protected. They are bracing for an all-out war, with everything in place for when Trump attacks.”
Satellite images show that the United States delivered a significant amount of weaponry to the island.
“A satellite image from Planet Labs taken today that TWZ has reviewed shows six B-2s, as well as six other large aircraft that could include tankers, cargo planes, and other types, parked in the open at the airfield on Diego Garcia,” <a href="https://www.twz.com/air/b-2-spirits-amassed-on-diego-garcia-underscore-hardened-aircraft-shelter-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The War Zone</a> reported on Tuesday. “There are still-unconfirmed reports that seven Spirits may now be at Diego Garcia. The Air Force only has 20 of the stealth bombers in total, meaning that somewhere between 20 and 35 percent of the entire fleet is now forward-deployed in the Indian Ocean.”
Trump has said he&#8217;d prefer a deal to a military strike.
“I would rather negotiate a deal,” President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-iran-was-told-to-accept-nuclear-deal-or-face-u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in early March.  “I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily. But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something’s going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran and I’ve written them a letter saying, I hope you’re going to negotiate, because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them.”
On Sunday, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, rejected direct negotiations with the United States, prompting the State Department to reply, “President Trump has been clear: the United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.” On Monday, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, “The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh added, “The Americans have at least 10 bases in the region, around Iran, with more than 50,000 troops – this means they are sitting in a glass house. Someone sitting in a glass house does not throw stones at others.”

MAURITIUS-US-ATTACKS-AFGHANISTAN-ENDURING FREEDOM

Iran’s Military Commanders ‘Locked And Loaded’ For Preemptive Strike On U.S. Bombers: Report

Iran

Military Bases

United States Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Wyatt Hendrickson stopped to salute President Donald Trump, his commander in chief, just after he won his NCAA wrestling championship.
Hendrickson could be seen just after his win turning to President Trump, snapping to the position of attention, and rendering a salute. Trump, who was attending the event and seated in the front row, raised his fist in salute to Hendrickson.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wyatt Hendrickson — a second lieutenant in the <a href="https://twitter.com/usairforce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usairforce</a> — salutes President Donald J. Trump after winning an <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAAWrestling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAAWrestling</a> national championship 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/KK4ngwH7mW">pic.twitter.com/KK4ngwH7mW</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903633710462775472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The announcers could be heard referring to Hendrickson as &#8220;Captain America,&#8221; laughing as the Air Force LT draped himself in an American flag. &#8220;I can&#8217;t believe it,&#8221; one said, and another added, &#8220;My jaw is on the floor.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/23/sport/wyatt-hendrickson-gable-steveson-trump-ncaa-wrestling-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hendrickson&#8217;s win</a> against Olympic champion Gable Steveson came after he delivered a stunning takedown — the only takedown Steveson allowed the entire season — in the final moments of the match, coming from behind to win the heavyweight title.
&#8220;All the matches were terrific last night, but they saved the best for last! Wyatt Hendrickson, an Air Force Academy graduate, pulled off a huge upset — something I know a little bit about — beating an Olympic champion. When I say when I watch wrestling, I see America — this is what I’m talking about,&#8221; Senator David McCormick (R-PA) commented.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
All the matches were terrific last night, but they saved the best for last! Wyatt Hendrickson, an Air Force Academy graduate, pulled off a huge upset &#8211; something I know a little bit about &#8211; beating an Olympic champion.
When I say when I watch wrestling, I see America &#8211; this is… <a href="https://t.co/GIyeYTyNg6">https://t.co/GIyeYTyNg6</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8WAAaginU">pic.twitter.com/L8WAAaginU</a>
&mdash; Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMcCormickPA/status/1903820472023749076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hendrickson, who wrestles for Oklahoma State University, made an appearance Monday morning on Fox News and told &#8220;America&#8217;s Newsroom&#8221; anchor Bill Hemmer about how &#8220;special&#8221; it was to have Trump in the audience when he won the title.
&#8220;That&#8217;s pretty special, I gotta be very honest with you,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That is very special, you know when we talk about the final boss — like that is the boss of my boss of my boss, so, you know, having him be there and support the great sport of wrestling and be able to watch me have a historic moment like that, I mean, that&#8217;s something I&#8217;ll remember for the rest of my life.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Oklahoma State wrestler and Air Force Second Lieutenant Wyatt Hendrickson on winning the national championship with President Trump watching: &quot;Having him be there and support the great sport of wrestling and be able to watch me have a historic moment like that &#8212; that&#39;s something… <a href="https://t.co/qg4LE8MNsX">pic.twitter.com/qg4LE8MNsX</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1904179323906437626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship

Air Force LT Wins NCAA Wrestling Title, Stops In His Tracks To Salute President Trump

Donald Trump

General

NCAA

Sports

U.S.

Wrestling

A Pentagon official and member of the United States Air Force hosted a panel discussion that pushed Critical Race Theory, with academics and a former member of the military claiming that America’s public school system has a “white middle class problem” and that racism is “part of the fabric” of the United States, a video obtained by The Daily Wire reveals.
The August, 2021 talk, part of a broader series called “Crucial Convos,” was titled “Critical Race Theory. What is it?” and included endorsements of the far-left theory from academics and a former member of the military.
The event was organized by a team including Brigadier General Terrence Adams, who stated during the talk that “this is not a military event at all, it was a grassroots effort to talk about different topics.” Multiple Air Force <a href="https://www.302aw.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2360805/crucial-conversations-come-to-peterson/">bases</a> have <a href="https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2204/DOD_108916513/DOD_108916513-1024x576-2000k.mp4">advertised</a> <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/376512/schriever-listens-learns-with-crucial-conversations">installments</a> in the Crucial Convo series on their official websites, however, and the event was organized by Adams and moderated by retired Air Force Brigadier General Greg Brundidge. The Air Force did not respond to a request for comment.
Panelists reaffirmed the core dogmas of the leftwing ideologies, including that America is systematically racist, that white people enjoy unearned privilege on the basis of their race, and that disparities in group achievements are necessarily the result of discrimination and prejudice.
One panelist, a Georgia teacher named Dr. Jay Wamsted, asserted that disparities in academic achievement by race were due to a “white middle class problem” in America’s schools.
“Something is broken in the public schools, and it&#8217;s either nature or nurture, it&#8217;s either these black boys and girls or it&#8217;s, and I’m going to throw a stone here,  these white teachers,” Wamsted stated during the talk on Critical Race Theory. “Our structure of public schools has a white, middle class problem.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WATCH: A Pentagon official hosted a talk for Air Men where activists pushed Critical Race Theory and complained about the &#8220;white middle class problem&#8221; in America&#8217;s schools.
I obtained video from the panel conversation.🧵 <a href="https://t.co/doyS8CWQkV">pic.twitter.com/doyS8CWQkV</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1880681759052108050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
He went on to imply that white American men are naturally complicit in both racism and sexism as a result of their identity and upbringing in the United States.
“I am not a racist but I do sometimes perform racist acts because of some imprinting on me growing up white and middle class in America,” he contended. “In a similar way, I am not a misogynist,” he added before stating that he does sometimes engage in misogynist acts because he was “raised in a patriarchal society.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Georgia teacher Jay Wamsted argued that whites are complicit in racism and men are complicit in misogyny by virtue of their background.
“I am not a racist but I do sometimes perform racist acts because of some imprinting on me growing up white and middle class in America.” <a href="https://t.co/QvuLaqdSJN">pic.twitter.com/QvuLaqdSJN</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1880681762604675190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
He provided one way in which white people can atone for racism, however. “When a white person is looking to help, an easy thing to do is spend your money at black businesses,” Wamsted stated.
Wamsted, who did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire, also recommended a book from leftist Carol Anderson that advances Critical Race Theory
“Carol Anderson wrote a great book called &#8216;White Rage,&#8217; which is a hard book to read if you’re white but it&#8217;s a good read,” he stated. The book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/46010383-white-rage-the-unspoken-truth-of-our-racial-divide">claims</a> that “black advancement” is the “trigger for white rage,” and that white rage “works its way through the courts, the legislatures, and a range of government bureaucracies.” Wamsted did not respond to a request for comment.
Though Wamsted was perhaps the most radical of the panelists, others chimed in to reaffirm their support for Critical Race Theory and its core doctrines.
The talk was moderated by retired Brigadier General Greg Brundidge, who similarly advanced the belief that racism is deeply embedded in the institutions of the United States. “There’s not going to be a single home run hit that gets rid of racism, it is part of the fabric of the nation,” Brundidge claimed on the call.
Another guest, DEI consultant Tammy Hodo, claimed that race is not a biological reality but a social construct that white people have used to garner special privileges. “Race is not real, it’s a social construct, it is not biologically real,” Hodo said. We recognize that the European Americans alive today did not own slavery [sic] or anything like that but they have definitely benefited from the racial construct of white privilege.”
The panel conversation was part of a wide-reaching attempt by the Biden administration to embed Critical Race Theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies throughout the military and the national security apparatus.
The Biden Defense Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-pentagon-slated-to-spend-nearly-270-million-on-diversity-agenda">requested</a> a whopping $269 million to bolster its DEI agenda from 2022 to 2024, one investigation from The Daily Wire revealed. Military funds were even used to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-harris-admin-paid-consultants-millions-to-help-military-implement-race-based-hiring-combat-resistance-to-dei">establish</a> a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) career pipeline program that discriminated against white and male students at the University of Missouri — Kansas City. The DEI pipeline program had to be modified following the Supreme Court’s decision against affirmative action.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpencerLndqst</a> joins <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charliekirk11</a> to discuss the Department of Defense’s DEI scandal, using tax payer funds to establish discriminatory hiring pipelines. <a href="https://t.co/uL80NUSRwe">pic.twitter.com/uL80NUSRwe</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1820585074724683813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
Even American intelligence agencies have adopted far-left ideologies. The NSA created a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-leaked-nsa-doc-reveals-massive-woke-glossary-pushing-critical-race-theory-gender-ideology-on-govt-employees">34-page DEI Glossary</a> complete with terms like Critical Race Theory, transmisogyny, white fragility, settler colonialism, and the gender-neutral pronouns “ze” and “zir.”
One agent at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) wrote in a widely circulated newsletter that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-top-intelligence-agency-says-crossdressing-makes-man-better-intelligence-officer-internal-docs-show">crossdressing made him a better intelligence agent</a>, The Daily Wire revealed. Both the ODNI and the Air Force hosted pride month celebrations, which included intelligence agents having their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-bidens-intel-community-is-celebrating-pride-month-with-free-trans-flag-manicures-and-filipinx-lectures">nails painted</a> the colors of the transgender flag and a talk with the leader of an organization that encourages medical <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-air-force-celebrates-pride-month-with-ceo-of-organization-advocating-for-child-gender-transitions">child sex change attempts</a>, respectively.
Pete Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, will have the opportunity to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-the-trump-admin-can-purge-dei-from-americas-military-and-foreign-policy?topStoryPosition=1">purge the DEI agenda</a> from the military if he is confirmed by the Senate.

USAF aircraft

Air Force Official Held Event Pushing Critical Race Theory, Bemoaning ‘White Middle Class Problem’

Air Force

Critical Race Theory

Diversity

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Less than a week ago, as engineers at SpaceX prepared to achieve something that had never been done before in human history, a dozen bureaucrats at the California Coastal Commission assembled to do something that&#8217;s been done many, many times before. The commissioners — a group that mostly consists of liberal women — set up a massive regulatory roadblock to impede people who are actually doing real, important work. And these commissioners established this roadblock in a way that made it extremely obvious to everyone that the root of their frustration was their own jealousy and bitterness.
The following clips come from a meeting of the California Coastal Commission to consider SpaceX&#8217;s plans to launch as many as 50 rockets every year from Vandenberg Space Force Base, which is located in Southern California&#8217;s Santa Barbara County. This is a plan that was formally proposed by the Air Force and the Space Force, because SpaceX is a military contractor — and everything SpaceX does either directly benefits the Defense Department, or more broadly advances the interests of this country. But the California Coastal Commission, in its infinite wisdom, disagrees. They <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-11/la-me-spacex-coastal-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted down</a> the proposal for more launches. So why did they do that, exactly?
Here&#8217;s one of the commissioners, Gretchen Newsom (no relation to Gavin Newsom), explaining her reasoning. Pay attention not only to what she says, but also how she says it. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Once all the crazy talks from the public are over, the even crazier talks from government officials start. Now it REALLY becomes clear as to what the actual reasons are. 
Here is <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretchenNewsom</a> spewing a load of bullshit about Starlink. The quoted post explains just how wrong… <a href="https://t.co/iVqI9AP0jI">pic.twitter.com/iVqI9AP0jI</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895750204436736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
She&#8217;s practically snarling over the fact that Elon Musk provided internet access to people in a storm. This is internet access that the federal government denied these people, because the Biden-Harris administration cut Starlink out of a funding program for rural broadband access. And as you&#8217;d expect, many of these people voluntarily — and gratefully — accepted this internet access from Elon Musk in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
But somehow this is all a &#8220;sick ploy,&#8221; says Gretchen Newsom. And she makes that claim because, if they wanted Starlink, people had to pay a couple hundred dollars for the Starlink unit — the normal cost of the device — followed by a monthly fee after 30 free days of service (which has since been extended, for free, to the end of 2024). In other words, according to the California Coastal Commission, it&#8217;s not enough for Elon Musk to swoop in and provide basic services that the Biden administration failed to provide. He also has to do it for free. And if he doesn&#8217;t, the government will retaliate against him by blocking permits to launch rockets.
There&#8217;s so much to going on in that clip, it&#8217;s not even clear where to begin. But I wanted to start with Starlink, because it highlights the anti-human ideology that&#8217;s consumed so much of the Left. They don&#8217;t care if Elon Musk is saving lives in disaster zones in states like North Carolina. They don&#8217;t care if people are voluntarily paying him money so that they can access a vital service like the internet. They only care about damaging Elon Musk as much as possible.
And from that clip, it&#8217;s pretty clear why they want to damage Elon Musk. Gretchen Newsom says that Musk has made &#8220;bigoted&#8221; remarks about the &#8220;transgender community.&#8221; She claims he&#8217;s &#8220;spewing and tweeting political falsehoods about FEMA.&#8221; First of all, it would be hard to imagine a more direct and obvious violation of the First Amendment than these statements. Elon Musk has already said he&#8217;s suing the California Coastal Commission over this, and he absolutely should. On top of that, the things Elon Musk was saying are true. Men can&#8217;t become women. And FEMA did waste more than a billion dollars on services for illegal migrants. If the Constitution protects anything, it&#8217;s statements like these.
That&#8217;s how the Constitution is written, anyway. But obviously that&#8217;s not how things work in places that are run exclusively by Democrats, like California. We saw that just a couple of weeks ago, when the governor, Gavin Newsom, tried to ban satire and memes. He didn&#8217;t like how people on social media were talking about Kamala Harris being a DEI hire, so he tried to outlaw it. He just came right out and said it. And Gretchen Newsom (again, no relation, surprisingly enough) has taken the exact same approach, right out in the open.
There are a few other things that Gretchen Newsom said that I could quibble with. For example, no, Musk isn&#8217;t requesting &#8220;government support.&#8221; This meeting, again, is about a request by the Air Force and Space Force for the California Coastal Commission to get out of the way. No one wants the &#8220;support&#8221; of this commission. They want this commission to stop bothering them. Of course, technically, the military can override this commission if it wants to. But right now they&#8217;re working to find some kind of compromise solution. That may not last for very long, though.
That&#8217;s because it&#8217;s not just Gretchen Newsom who thinks like this. The majority of the Coastal Commission in California is the same way. Here for example is Caryl Hart, the chair of the Commission. And this clip may be even more embarrassing than the previous one. Watch:
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Next, here is Dr. Hart, the chair of the CCC, forgetting about Mathew Dun and she has to be interrupted. I think this shows how much she cares and how much attention she pays to everything. 
She&#39;s also scared about her position. Lol. <a href="https://t.co/JKHDvIQsjK">pic.twitter.com/JKHDvIQsjK</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895764154716191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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So she tries to ding SpaceX for not showing up on Zoom during the meeting. And then she&#8217;s told that, in fact, SpaceX did show up by Zoom. In fact, someone named Mathew Dun, the Director for Government Affairs at SpaceX, gave a whole presentation. He explained that SpaceX is currently supporting the Defense Department, Boeing and NASA. He pointed out that SpaceX is the only operational U.S. provider for astronaut transportation to the International Space Station — which is kind of a big deal, because astronauts are trapped up there at the moment. He went into detail about how Starlink assists the Pentagon, in addition to disaster victims.
But somehow, the chair of the California Coastal Commission missed all of this. And when she&#8217;s informed that SpaceX had shown up and done a whole presentation, she instantly waves it off. She says it wasn&#8217;t enough for her. So obviously, she made up her mind long before this hearing. And again, it&#8217;s clear what she&#8217;s really upset about. She complains that Musk has, &#8220;aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his point of view is.&#8221; So, in other words, he&#8217;s exercised his First Amendment rights in a way that the California Coastal Commission doesn&#8217;t approve of.
For good measure, Caryl Hart also complains that Musk has, &#8220;managed the company&#8221; in a way that&#8217;s &#8220;very disturbing.&#8221; It&#8217;s hard to know exactly what that&#8217;s a reference to. Maybe she&#8217;s complaining about that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hostile-work-environment-elon-musk-becomes-the-latest-target-of-left-wing-lawfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> by some former SpaceX employees, which accused Musk of posting insensitive memes on X. Those memes were allegedly very traumatizing to these employees — particularly the meme depicting Bill Gates as a pregnant man emoji. It&#8217;s very disturbing stuff.
Or maybe she&#8217;s referring to how SpaceX was <a href="https://spacenews.com/faa-fines-spacex-for-launch-license-violations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined</a> several hundred thousand dollars because of alleged &#8220;launch license violations&#8221; last year — even though those &#8220;launch license violations&#8221; wouldn&#8217;t have been violations at all, if the FAA had responded to SpaceX&#8217;s various applications in time. Maybe that&#8217;s what the commissioner finds &#8220;disturbing.&#8221;
Or maybe she&#8217;s talking about how SpaceX is doing things that no one has ever done before in all of human history. Maybe she finds that disturbing. Maybe she doesn&#8217;t see any benefit to reusable rockets, or colonizing Mars, or rapidly deploying satellites to provide internet access to millions of people. Maybe the idea of human progress upsets this particular bureaucrat. That would explain a lot.
You can go through the whole hearing and you won&#8217;t find a serious explanation for the commission&#8217;s ultimate vote, which was to deny SpaceX the additional launches. But you will find a lot of hysteria. 
There&#8217;s a user on X using the handle &#8220;Robin&#8221; who assembled some of the better examples. Here&#8217;s two of them. The first clip is a commissioner named Dayna Bochco, who announces that the Air Force and Space Force are wrong, and that really, SpaceX has nothing to do with our national defense. She just comes out and unilaterally declares that SpaceX doesn&#8217;t benefit the government in any way. She knows more than the Pentagon and all of the engineers on this point. Watch:
The second clip is a woman — a member of the public — complaining about sonic booms from the launches. Watch:
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Then, we have this absolute gem. She doesn&#39;t think that the launches are needed for the federal government or defense. <a href="https://t.co/mhT7mDkaKV">pic.twitter.com/mhT7mDkaKV</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895766591610884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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This next clip is a woman — a member of the public — complaining about sonic booms from the launches. Watch:
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I suppose we shouldn&#39;t expand humanity&#39;s presence in space because Leah finds a sonic boom &#39;terrifying&#39; and claims she &#39;felt it through my bones.&#39;
Then she talks about the recent landing failure as if that has anything to do with it. 🤦 <a href="https://t.co/5gRxlKgfk0">pic.twitter.com/5gRxlKgfk0</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895745213202744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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There&#8217;s all sorts of back-and-forth on this sonic boom issue. SpaceX disagrees on how many of these booms are audible in populated areas, and how loud they are, and so on. But let&#8217;s just put all that aside for a moment. Let&#8217;s concede, for the purposes of argument, that every now and then there&#8217;s briefly a loud noise from a SpaceX launch, and that some people can hear it for a second or two. In what universe does this justify denying SpaceX the ability to launch rockets at all?
This would be like denying construction crews the ability to work, at all, at any time. Imagine if people like this had their way during any other significant moments in this country&#8217;s history. Imagine if someone like that lady was bothered by all the noise they were making in Los Alamos, and had the Manhattan Project shut down. Imagine being the kind of person who hears a couple seconds of a sonic boom, and feels &#8220;terrified&#8221; as a result. When this woman says &#8220;sonic boom,&#8221; this is what we&#8217;re talking about here, to give you some idea. Watch:
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Tracking footage of Falcon 9’s first stage booster landing and sonic boom <a href="https://t.co/HNohw3oCCp">pic.twitter.com/HNohw3oCCp</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1820562095613898976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
So the rocket makes a loud noise — that&#8217;s reason number 10,000 to shut down SpaceX, apparently. And I haven&#8217;t even gotten into the DOJ&#8217;s lawsuit against SpaceX for not hiring enough &#8220;asylum seekers,&#8221; which is what they&#8217;re calling illegal aliens now. And of course, the European Union has about a million of their own issues with SpaceX as well.
The only positive thing to come out of this pathetic meeting at the California Coastal Commission is that it established, by sheer contrast, how useless all of these &#8220;regulators&#8221; and critics really are. They couldn&#8217;t have picked a worse day to hold this hearing. Less than a week later, Elon Musk demonstrated that unlike his critics, his companies are actually accomplishing things. They&#8217;re benefiting humanity in very real and tangible ways. It&#8217;s maybe the least flattering juxtaposition in the history of juxtapositions. On the one hand, you have useless, bitter bureaucrats trying to slow human progress. And on the other hand, you have this:
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Starship rocket booster caught by tower <a href="https://t.co/aOQmSkt6YE">pic.twitter.com/aOQmSkt6YE</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1845467052443828579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
What SpaceX just accomplished will make interplanetary travel — in particular travel to Mars — an order of magnitude cheaper. They proved that they can catch their rocket boosters in-mid air. They also proved that they can precisely land the ship itself in the water. As Elon Musk put it last night, when you can re-use extremely expensive equipment like this, and then rapidly re-deploy it, you make it literally 1,000 times easier and less expensive to colonize a planet like Mars. And when you&#8217;re talking about trillions of dollars, that&#8217;s a big difference. It&#8217;s the difference between colonizing Mars and staying on this planet forever.
The reason Musk&#8217;s critics don&#8217;t care about this is that, when you get down to it, they&#8217;re not just bitter and jealous and unhappy. They&#8217;re also anti-human. They don&#8217;t want humans to colonize another planet anymore than they want humans to have free speech on the internet, or to reproduce above replacement level. Pretty much the only issue these people are passionate about is abortion, because it means fewer humans will exist.
That&#8217;s why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris didn&#8217;t bother to congratulate Elon Musk or SpaceX on their achievement, even though it altered the trajectory of civilization forever. It&#8217;s why they&#8217;re engaging in open lawfare to shut his companies down. These people do not want to save this country, or civilization for that matter. They want to destroy it. And they&#8217;ll complain about any pretext imaginable — whether it&#8217;s &#8220;sonic booms&#8221; or &#8220;launch licenses&#8221; or &#8220;hiring asylum seekers&#8221; — in order to achieve that end.
The only reasonable response is to dismantle the vast web of bureaucratic agencies like the &#8220;California Coastal Commission&#8221; along with the Biden-Harris administration. This election isn&#8217;t really even about Democrat or Republican anymore. It&#8217;s a choice between unimpressive, profoundly cynical bureaucrats, and people who advance civilization in meaningful ways. After what SpaceX accomplished this week, that fundamental distinction is now clear to everyone with an internet connection or a television. That&#8217;s what they&#8217;re actually upset about. And it&#8217;s why, in just a few weeks, there&#8217;s a very good chance they&#8217;re going to lose the power that they never deserved to have in the first place.

Celebrities Attend The 2024 US Open Tennis Championships – Day 14

Why The Left Is Willing To Do Anything They Can To Take Down Elon Musk

California

Elon Musk

Matt Walsh

SpaceX

United States Space Force

The U.S. Air Force pursued a &#8220;goal&#8221; to reduce the &#8220;white male population&#8221; in its Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) officer’s applicant program, according to documents obtained by <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/09/19/exclusive-new-docs-shed-light-air-force-reduce-white-male-population-joining-officer-ranks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Caller</a>.
The Caller reported on Thursday that in 2022, the Air Force created a slideshow focused on gender and racial quotas, which detailed how it hoped to &#8220;achieve&#8221; a &#8220;goal&#8221; of having fewer white men in its ROTC officer&#8217;s applicant program. The Caller reported on the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/770884913/Production-1-in-CASA-Air-Force-Racial-Quotas-Lawsuit-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> after the Center To Advance Security In America (CASA) sued the Air Force earlier this year to obtain them. The Air Force previously responded to a 2023 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request claiming it could not find any records related to CASA&#8217;s ask.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of the Air Force also issued a <a href="https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/2022SAF/Officer_Source_of_Commission_Applicant_Pool_Goals_memo.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memorandum</a>, stating, &#8220;Diversity and inclusion are an essential part of our society and key to the success of any organization.&#8221;
One of the slides the Air Force put together is titled &#8220;AFROTC White&#8221; and shows a chart of the white population in the ROTC officer&#8217;s applicant program declining to under 50% by fiscal year 2029, which is marked as the &#8220;achieved goal.&#8221;
“White male population will decline as other demographics increase,” the slide states.
Another slide is labeled &#8220;Racial milestones&#8221; and shows how the Air Force is progressing in its race- and gender-based quotas. For African Americans, the Air Force slideshow says it will “target [the] male population through ongoing programs and marketing.” In the slideshow, the Air Force says it had already met its &#8220;female goal&#8221; for ROTC officer applicants, according to the Caller. The Air Force documents also show that the military branch requested $500,000 to be put toward “diversity advertising campaigns.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
The racial goals include the Air Force’s Aim High Flight Academy (AHFA), according to the documents. The AHFA is an aviation scholarship program for students in high school, ROTC, and the Air Force Academy. The Air Force pushed to ensure that at least 35% of the AHFA applicant pool was made up of minorities.
The Air Force&#8217;s racial quotas are similar to plans workshopped by Federal Aviation Administration officials in 2022. Daily Wire host Matt Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/plan-to-reduce-the-number-of-white-males-in-aviation-matt-walsh-reveals-troubling-internal-footage-of-faa-discussion-on-dei-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed footage</a> earlier this year showing FAA brass complaining about a &#8220;white-male dominated&#8221; industry. Deputy Chief Operating Officer Angela McCullough argued in the footage that the FAA needs to “get a little uncomfortable” and “talk about what the future could look like.”

Air Force Pushed To Reduce ‘White Male Population’ In Its ROTC Program: Report

Air Force Pushed To Reduce 'White Male Population' In Its ROTC Program: Report

White Men

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-air-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States Air Force</a> released images this week of its new state-of-the-art stealth bomber that is set to enter service in the near future.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Military</a> unveiled the new strategic long-rage stealth bomber, Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider, at a special ceremony in Palmdale, California.
The B-21 will replace the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the B-1 Lancer bomber, both of which have been around for three decades.
The B-21 looks very similar to the B-2, but is smaller and significantly more sophisticated as it has more advanced stealth technology and has more capabilities in the realm of electronic and cyber warfare. Only 21 B-2 bombers were ever built, a number that will be dwarfed by the more than 100 B-21s that the U.S. Military is requesting.
&#8220;The B21 Raider continues to conduct flight tests at Edwards with the B-21 Combined Test Force, including ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations,&#8221; Edwards Air Force Base said in a post on X that included new photos of the bomber. &#8220;The Raider continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone of the USAF bomber fleet.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/B21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#B21</a> Raider continues to conduct flight tests at Edwards with the B-21 Combined Test Force, including ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations. The Raider continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USAF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USAF</a> bomber fleet. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFMC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/usairforce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usairforce</a> <a href="https://t.co/u03HsnTKwd">pic.twitter.com/u03HsnTKwd</a>
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdwardsAFB/status/1793345250108527054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
“The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin <a href="https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-and-the-us-air-force-introduce-the-b-21-raider-the-worlds-first-sixth-generation-aircraft?_gl=1*furu96*_ga*NjU3Njk5MTgzLjE2NzAxMDczNTY.*_ga_7YV3CDX0R2*MTY3MDEwNzM1NS4xLjEuMTY3MDEwNzU3NS4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last year. “It is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation. And it’s proof of the Department’s long-term commitment to building advanced capabilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future.”
The B-21 Raider was named in honor of the Doolittle Raid of World War II, which happened on April 18, 1942. The raid was led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, who volunteered to lead America’s first military response to Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Sixteen B-25 medium bombers took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet in a one-way bombing raid that targeted Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya, the U.S. Air Force <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107225/general-james-harold-doolittle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>. “As did the others who participated in the mission, Doolittle had to bail out, but fortunately landed in a rice paddy in China near Chu Chow. Some of the other flyers lost their lives on the mission.”

B-21

U.S. Air Force Releases New Images Of Cutting Edge Stealth Bomber About To Enter Service

National Security

B-24 Liberator Bombers

He Flew 34 Missions Over Europe. An Interview With A 100-Year-Old World War II Veteran

Books

Europe

Memorial Day

Morning Wire

Nazi Germany

Readers Pass

Veterans

World War II

A B-1 Lancer bomber crash landed in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-dakota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Dakota</a> on Thursday, forcing the entire crew to eject during a training mission. 
The crash landing took place at 5:50 p.m. at Ellsworth Air Force Base during a training exercise. The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth said that the accident happened while the plane was “attempting to land on the installation. At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission. There were four aircrew on board. All four ejected safely.”
There were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1-crash-air-force-bomber-ellsworth-2146e52e94ae5f928407a85030e8c60d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> poor winter weather conditions at the time of the crash, which is still being investigated by an officer board. 
B-1 bombers have been in use since the 1980s with about 60 being used by Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base, according to the Associated Press. 
“The B-1B holds almost 50 world records for speed, payload, range, and time of climb in its class. The National Aeronautic Association recognized the B-1B for completing one of the 10 most memorable record flights for 1994. The most recent records were made official in 2004,” the Air Force <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104500/b-1b-lancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>.
The aircraft was used extensively in both Iraq and Afghanistan during the early 2000s.
“During the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom, eight B-1s dropped nearly 40 percent of the total tonnage delivered by coalition air forces. This included nearly 3,900 JDAMs, or 67 percent of the total. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the aircraft flew less than 1 percent of the combat missions while delivering 43 percent of the JDAMs used. The B-1 continues to be deployed today, flying missions daily in support of continuing operations,” according to the Air Force.
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Earlier this year, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-sure-where-the-airplane-is-911-call-from-f-35-crash-in-south-carolina-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air Force lost track</a> of an F-35 in South Carolina after the pilot ejected. Military officials had to ask for the public’s help finding the plane and describing the incident as a “mishap.” Debris from the plane was later located in Williamsburg County after hours of searching. 
The plane, which cost about $100 million, kept going for about 60 miles after the pilot ejected. A spokesperson for Joint Base Charleston said the F-35B Lightning II jet from the Marine Attack Training Squadron was placed on autopilot before the pilot ejected.

US Air Force B-1B Lancer aircraft conducts flight over Sarajevo

B-1 Bomber Crash Lands In South Dakota, Forcing Crew To Eject

Airplane

Airplane crash

South Dakota

In 1955, Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup had a very important job. It was the height of the Cold War, and Shoup was working at the Continental Air Defense Command — now known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
One December day, his phone rang, but it wasn&#8217;t his regular phone. It was the red phone — the phone that had a <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/local/wrong-number-started-norad-santa-tracker/">number so secret</a> that only he and a four-star general at the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/disney-hires-obama-era-pentagon-spokesperson-to-build-on-companys-strong-reputation/">Pentagon</a> knew of its existence. But when he answered the phone, a child was on the other end.
&#8220;Is this Santa Claus?&#8221; the child asked. <a href="https://www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2018/12/21/santa-tracker-creator-norad-colonel-christmas/2369617002/">Shoup</a>, according to his children — Terri Van Keuren, Rick Shoup, Pam Farrel — was initially surprised and annoyed, but when the child began to cry he quickly changed his tone. He said, &#8220;Ho, ho, ho,&#8221; and asked the child whether he had been good — and then he asked to speak to a parent.
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371647099/norads-santa-tracker-began-with-a-typo-and-a-good-sport">NPR reported</a>:
<blockquote>His children remember Shoup as straight-laced and disciplined, and he was annoyed and upset by the call and thought it was a joke — but then, Terri says, the little voice started crying.
&#8220;And Dad realized that it wasn&#8217;t a joke,&#8221; her sister says. &#8220;So he talked to him, ho-ho-ho&#8217;d and asked if he had been a good boy and, &#8216;May I talk to your mother?&#8217; And the mother got on and said, &#8216;You haven&#8217;t seen the paper yet? There&#8217;s a phone number to call Santa. It&#8217;s in the Sears ad.&#8217; Dad looked it up, and there it was, his red phone number. And they had children calling one after another, so he put a couple of airmen on the phones to act like Santa Claus.&#8221;
&#8220;It got to be a big joke at the command center. You know, &#8216;The old man&#8217;s really flipped his lid this time. We&#8217;re answering Santa calls,&#8217; &#8221; Terri says.</blockquote>
The joke took another turn when, on Christmas Eve of 1955, several of the Airmen under Shoup&#8217;s command drew a sleigh and eight reindeer on the glass board that they normally used to track the paths of airplanes over U.S. and Canadian airspace.
According to Terri, Shoup saw the drawing and asked, &#8220;What is that?&#8221;
The airmen said it was just a joke, apologizing and offering to take it down.
&#8220;Dad looked at it for a while, and next thing you know, Dad had called the radio station and had said, &#8216;This is the commander at the Combat Alert Center, and we have an unidentified flying object. Why, it looks like a sleigh.&#8217; Well, the radio stations would call him like every hour and say, &#8216;Where&#8217;s Santa now?'&#8221; Terri told NPR, adding, &#8220;And later in life he got letters from all over the world, people saying, &#8216;Thank you, Colonel,&#8217; for having, you know, this sense of humor. And in his 90s, he would carry those letters around with him in a briefcase that had a lock on it like it was top-secret information. You know, he was an important guy, but this is the thing he&#8217;s known for.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s probably the thing he was proudest of, too,&#8221; her brother agreed.
In the years since, NORAD has embraced the tradition. Call centers are operational and children can call from all over the world to see where Santa is as he makes his grand journey delivering gifts around the world in a single night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Take an inside look at our NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center as we track <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Santa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Santa</a> on his magical journey today! Track with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORAD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORAD</a> at <a href="https://t.co/7afKWWcryj">https://t.co/7afKWWcryj</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORADSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORADSanta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SantaTracker?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SantaTracker</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORADTracksSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORADTracksSanta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/santaclaus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#santaclaus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/merrychristmas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#merrychristmas</a> <a href="https://t.co/NsKxdPvuyo">pic.twitter.com/NsKxdPvuyo</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1738940517080031321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
There is even an official Twitter account — @NoradSanta — that posts updates and videos throughout the day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORADTracksSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORADTracksSanta</a> is following the heat signature from Rudolph&#39;s nose to Dubai as Santa flies over the Arabian Peninsula.<a href="https://t.co/UVuyzrCgDr">https://t.co/UVuyzrCgDr</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1738979427218760075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Santa is making a special stop for the astronauts at the International Space Station! Find out where he will go next at <a href="https://t.co/6qfPToRTlN">https://t.co/6qfPToRTlN</a><a href="https://t.co/pwuCxiDDyg">https://t.co/pwuCxiDDyg</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1738993195214667809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORAD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORAD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SantaTrackers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SantaTrackers</a> still going strong and tracking <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Santa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Santa</a> on his magical journey around the world! Call our Santa Trackers at 1-877-Hi-NORAD, or track on our website at <a href="https://t.co/7afKWWcryj">https://t.co/7afKWWcryj</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoradTracksSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoradTracksSanta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerryChristmas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerryChristmas</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristmasEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristmasEve</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SantaClaus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SantaClaus</a> <a href="https://t.co/mFSU6hB8to">pic.twitter.com/mFSU6hB8to</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1739006882038071397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sleighbells are ringing over Athens 📷 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORADTracksSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORADTracksSanta</a> <a href="https://t.co/1OZguqLhXv">https://t.co/1OZguqLhXv</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1739012780760465760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-LIFESTYLE-CHRISTMAS-INTERNET-SANTA-OFFBEAT

‘The Santa Colonel’: How One Air Force Officer Turned A Sears Ad Typo Into A Holiday Tradition

Santa Claus

Sears

The U.S. Department of Defense is warning Congress of continued military recruitment struggles as the country will enter the new year with its smallest fighting force since before World War II. 
Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the Army, Navy, and Air Force missed their 2023 recruitment goals by a combined 41,000 personnel, The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12869575/pentagon-biden-army-navy-marines-space-force-military-recruit-gen-z.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The annual defense authorization bill passed by Congress earlier this week stated that active-duty troops will drop to 1,284,500 in fiscal 2024, which is down by 64,000 troops over the past three years, giving the U.S. military its smallest force since 1940, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/12/14/amid-recruiting-woes-active-duty-end-strength-to-drop-again-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Military Times. 
&#8220;That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” Vazirani said, adding that military recruitment is facing “one of its greatest challenges” since the last declared draft ended in 1973. 
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed his concern over the decreasing military numbers.
“We need a larger force, in every branch. But the reality of recruiting is driving the numbers, not what we actually need,” Wicker told The Military Times. 
Some branches of the armed forces have gone to more extreme lengths recently to boost their recruitment levels. Earlier this year, the Navy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-hires-active-duty-drag-queen-to-combat-sinking-recruitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, an active-duty sailor and drag queen, one of five Navy Digital Ambassadors in a pilot recruitment program. The Air Force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/air-force-to-decrease-body-weight-standards-for-entry-as-americans-increasingly-too-fat-to-enlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a move</a> in April to recruit more Americans into its ranks by decreasing weight standards. 
The strategies didn’t appear to work, as both the Navy and the Air Force are expected to be down thousands of airmen and sailors from its 2021 numbers. The Army is facing the largest recruitment problem out of the military branches as it’s down over 40,000 troops over the past three years. The Marine Corps, which along with the Space Force met its most recent recruitment goal, is still expected to be down by nearly 9,000 active-duty service members compared to fiscal year 2021. 
The Pentagon is seeking to change the direction of the military&#8217;s poor recruiting numbers by developing a message that &#8220;resonates&#8221; with young Americans, according to Vazirani.
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&#8220;While the picture of the current recruiting environment is acutely difficult, the Defense Department and the military services are working together to resolve issues, improve processes, and expand awareness of the many opportunities military service offers,&#8221; said Vazirani. &#8220;We must reach today&#8217;s youth where they are with a message that resonates with them and motivates them to act.&#8221;

Army Recruitment

Pentagon Warns Of Military’s Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Pentagon Warns Of Military's Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Pentagon

At least one person is dead after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed near the coast of Japan Wednesday, the Japan Coast Guard said. 
Eight people were aboard the aircraft when it went down around 2:47 p.m. local time. Shortly after the crash, the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters said it dispatched a patrol boat and aircraft to the crash scene, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/asia/us-osprey-aircraft-crashes-japan-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The aircraft crashed into the ocean near the island of Yakushima, which is about 45 miles south of the southern main Japanese island of Kyushu, a coast guard spokesperson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-military-plane-crashes-sea-japan-osprey-yakushima-rcna127129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News. 
The Japanese Coast Guard said one man was recovered “unconscious and was not breathing” near the site of the crash. He was given CPR and taken to Anbo Port, which was nearly two miles away, but the Osprey crew member was later pronounced dead. No details were given on the status of the other seven crew members. 
Japan’s Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said the incident involved a U.S. Air Force  CV-22 Osprey and called the incident an “emergency water landing.” 
“The U.S. side explained to us that the pilot did his best until the very end, so we’re using the term ‘emergency water landing,’” Miyazawa said. 
The CV-22 Osprey can take off vertically like a helicopter while boasting the long-range flight capability of a turboprop aircraft. Its two rotors remain vertical during takeoff and landing and can rotate 90 degrees once the aircraft is in flight, allowing it to fly like a rotor-powered plane. 
Wednesday’s crash marks the third tragedy in the last two years involving U.S. military personnel flying an Osprey aircraft. In August, three Marines were killed and several more were seriously injured when their MV-22B Osprey, which is similar to the CV-22, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-u-s-marines-killed-several-injured-during-training-exercise-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crashed</a> on a northern Australian island while carrying 23 troops. 
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In June of 2022, all five Marines aboard an MV-22B Osprey died after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/all-5-u-s-marines-confirmed-dead-in-military-aircraft-crash-in-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crashed</a> in California, a few miles north of the U.S./Mexico border. A few months before that crash, four Marines were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/four-u-s-marines-killed-in-norway-nato-training-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a> in Norway during a NATO training exercise after their MV-22B Osprey went down in the Arctic Circle. 
This article has been updated after officials said there were eight, not six, crew members on board the aircraft.

CV-22 Osprey

At Least One Dead After U.S. Aircraft With Eight On Board Crashes Into Sea Near Japan

Japan

World

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