A classified cyber operation issued last June is referenced in a recently released Air Force Instruction. Judging from the Air Force Instruction 10-1701, titled “Command and Control (C2) for Cyberspace Operations,” the June 21 “execute order” extends to offensive cyberspace operations, according to Steven Aftergood, who writes the Federation of American Scientists’ Secrecy News blog. The President or Defense Secretary must have issued the order, which remains classified, given that an “‘Execution begins when the President decides to use a military option to resolve a crisis,’ according to Joint Publication 5-0 on Joint Operation Planning,” FAS said. “Only the President…
Browsing: Obama Administration
The nominee to be the next commander of U.S. Strategic Command has been public since June 25, but the current commander isn’t speaking out definitively about his future plans. Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler has been at the helm of STRATCOM since Jan. 2011. Last month, President Obama nominated Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney to be his replacement, with Air Force Lt. Gen. James Kowalski nominated to be the next deputy commander. Haney is currently the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Kehler told reporters this morning that he didn’t want to get out in front of the Defense Department…
Air Force Staff Sgt. Bria Nelson had quite the dance partner last night. Nelson, who serves with the 579th Medical Operations Squadron at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., was selected to dance with President Obama last night at the Commander-in-Chief’s Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center after the 57th presidential inauguration ceremony. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Timothy Easterling was selected to dance with first lady Michelle Obama. The service members and the Obamas were serenaded by Jennifer Hudson for the dance. The ball was the end of a long day of inaugural festivities, which included about 5,500 military members, including…
Air Force Staff Sgt. Serpico Elliott had a unique opportunity on Sunday. Elliott stood in for the commander in chief during a presidential inauguration dress rehearsal Sunday afternoon in Washington. Military members in the Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region will be an integral part of the Jan. 21 ceremony, with more than 5,500 troops expected to take part in the ceremony. More than 1,000 of these service members will be airmen, tasked with security, support and marching in the parade. More than 200 airmen have also been nominated to attend the Military Inaugural Ball.
Stephen Colbert has always taken time to cheer up and support the troops, even traveling to Baghdad, donning a universal camouflage pattern suit and declaring victory in the Iraq War in 2009. And last week he did it again, only this time he had some very pointed criticism for those in Congress who have supported cutting Tricare benefits for veterans as a way of reducing America’s debt burden. During his regular segment “The Word,” Colbert called on the nation’s “1 percent” to sacrifice more for the good of the country. “Everybody’s talking about it,” Colbert said. “There is a tiny…
One* of the men who wants to be your next commander-in-chief is touting his Air Force experience. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been stumping across Iowa lately. He proudly presents his conservative bona fides: He loves guns (and packs heat while jogging). He really doesn’t like same-sex marriage. He likes pardoning death-row criminals even less. He also likes to tell voters about his military service: He earned a commission in the Air Force, became a C-130 pilot and left four years later as a captain.** That experience provides one reason why Perry wants to unseat President Barack Obama next November.…
Today is the 100-day mark for operations over Libya and all is not well in the coalition. Initially tasked with enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians threatened by Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, the international coalition is beginning to crack under the strain of a mission that seemingly has no end in sight. Here in the U.S. there is a tense debate over the legality of the operation since the Obama administration has not sought Congressional approval for the operation, which some argue violates the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Most, however, support the goal of regime change in Libya. In Britain,…
