FRIDAY PDB – Congress passes a nearly trillion-dollar defense budget, over objections of staunch House conservatives because almost all its anti-woke provisions were stripped out. Congress passed the FY24 defense policy bill: Here's what's inside. PLENTY OF WOKE STUFF.
Congress passed its $874.2 billion defense policy bill, sending it to the White House for Joe Biden's signature.
BUT, AT LEAST – Troops set for largest pay boost in 22 years under defense plan. And Pentagon officials will launch a study into boosting pay for junior service members under legislation.
AND – Troops' housing allowances will get a 5% boost in 2024. That's a nice boost.
NOW, HOW DO WE GET THE RACIST, NEO-MARXIST, TRANS, WOKE INSANITY OUT OF THE PENTAGON?
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR
Israeli defense minister says war on Hamas will last months as US envoy discusses timetable. Says it will take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war even as his country and its top ally, the U.S. face increasing international isolation and alarm over the devastation from the campaign in Gaza.
POLITICS
Israeli military veteran tapped as GOP candidate in special election to replace George Santos. Republicans have picked a little-known county lawmaker who once served in the Israeli military as their candidate in a special election to replace ousted New York congressman George Santos.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
SMALL WIN – Army must “increase” fitness standards but can use gender-specific scores. The Army said it's going to meet the new requirement with “analytically driven standards.” Congress did not require that scores be gender neutral.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Amid recruiting woes, active-duty end strength to drop again in 2024. The smallest U.S. military force in more than 80 years is about to get even smaller.
Air Force ‘cautiously optimistic' it will meet 2024 recruiting goals. The Department of the Air Force is targeting a larger group of Americans as it tries to improve its recruiting.
ALL CHIEFS, NO INJUNS – Most Americans would discourage young people from joining military as enlisted service members, report says. Most Americans would discourage a young person close to them from enlisting in the military, but a wide majority would encourage them to join as an officer.
New US ballistic missile may cost so much that project risks being terminated. Nuclear missile may cost up to 50% more than estimated.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Texas Guard's Operation Lone Star to continue beyond 2024 election. The Texas National Guard will continue its state-controlled mission to patrol the Texas-Mexico border through at least the end of 2024.
CHINA THREAT
US military returns to the jungle, training for future threats. Far from the deserts of the Middle East, the Army is instructing troops in Hawaii on the skills needed for a potential clash with China.
Rebel fire and China's ire: Inside Myanmar's anti-junta offensive. Generals from Myanmar's junta held peace talks in June near the border with China with representatives of three powerful ethnic armies. They sat across a wide table covered with blue cloth and decorated with elaborate bouquets.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
US aid to Ukraine by the numbers. Here's a look at the assistance the U.S. has provided for Ukraine's defense and the political debate about whether more should be sent.
How the US keeps funding Ukraine's military — even as it says it's out of money. The White House has been increasingly pressuring Congress to pass stalled legislation to support Ukraine's war against Russia, saying that funding has run out.
Ukraine's innovative edge counters Russian mass, official says. The Ukrainian military is repelling attacks from numerically superior Russian forces by combining new-school inventiveness and technology with old-school tactics on the battlefield.
IRAN THREAT
5 Purple Hearts awarded to injured troops after spike in attacks on bases in Iraq, Syria. At least 66 American service members in Iraq and Syria have been injured in a barrage of recent attacks by Iran-backed militants, though only a handful of troops have so far received Purple Hearts.
A cargo ship in the Red Sea has been hit and set ablaze by a projectile launched from Yemen. A Liberian-flagged cargo ship caught fire in the Red Sea on Friday after being hit by a projectile launched from rebel-controlled Yemen.
SPACE THREAT
Why the Space Force needs and deserves greater resources. As the U.S. Space Force turns four this month, a pair of retired military leaders outline the Space Force's critical need for resources to counter evolving threats and maintain American security interests in an increasingly competitive space environment.
Space Force's new, classified ‘threat warning' sensors now delivering intel on ‘foreign capabilities.' The Space Rapid Capabilities Office Director declined to share much about the new “threat warning” sensors but gave updates on other closely held programs.
Draft Space Force-NRO plan for tracking moving targets ‘floating' around military, IC. “This is a new type of capability. It's not completely the Intelligence Community supporting the [Defense Department]. It's not completely a DoD mission without the help of the Intelligence Community. It's this combination of the two.”
US POWER OVERSEAS
USAF B-2s Fly with British F-35s over the North Sea. U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers teamed up with the U.K.'s Royal Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs to fly across Europe's North Sea in a single-day exercise.
US, Japan and Australia wrap up 10-day exercise with eyes on next year. Four Asian military powers finished two weeks of virtual drills, meetings and other events Friday that strengthen a network of Pacific alliances with the U.S. at its core.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Finland to double ammunition production, build new factories. It will invest over $130 million over the next three to four years to double the country's production of artillery and mortar ammunition.
Weapons aid sent to low-income nations may fuel instability, Army-sponsored study finds. Sending American weapons and other forms of military support to countries that lack stable governments raises the odds of armed conflict, proxy wars and terrorism in the places where those arms are sent.
US MILITARY
US special ops may be buying too many Armed Overwatch planes, says GAO. U.S. Special Operations Command should reconsider its plan to buy 75 Armed Overwatch aircraft.
OORAH! US Marine is top student at Royal Marine Commando course. The Royal Marines are famous for their grueling training.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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