Tag: department of defense
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Space Force acquisition office arrives from L.A., bringing focus on testing and training
As the Department of Defense works to reform its troubled procurement process, one of the powerful new Space Force portfolio acquisition executives is settling into Colorado Springs. Col. Richard Beckman arrived in town in early August and will oversee an office of 300 people responsible for purchasing new training and test systems, personnel management infrastructure,…
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Academy D-20 breaks ground on school rebuild, expansion
Academy District 20’s oldest elementary school is set to begin a new era. District leaders broke ground Monday on the site of a new Douglass Valley Elementary School that will update, expand and replace the existing building. Students, families, community and military leaders gathered on the school’s artificial field to witness the ceremonial dig and…
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Colorado Springs’ Auria showcases BORG training software meant to defend American space interests
Auria, a major space and defense company headquartered in Colorado Springs, showcased a flagship tool it has developed to keep satellite operators well trained. The tool fills a gap identified by a congressional committee as critical as the U.S. contends with increased competition and possible threats from China. Space is a critical part of daily…
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Colorado director of Mutual UFO Network ‘very disappointed’ with DOD file release
After the Department of Defense released photos and videos and other files of unidentified anomalous phenomena on Friday, the Colorado state director for a large UFO research group says there wasn’t much to see. “I don’t think we got a lot of real stuff,” said Seth Feinstein, the Colorado State director and the Northwest Regional…
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As Colorado wraps up record-breaking season, DOD announces flu vaccines optional
The Department of Defense will no long require annual flu vaccines. “We are seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday in a social media post announcing the change. The flu vaccine mandate for service members has been in place since…
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Report finds Air Force Academy should improve due process for those facing discipline
The Air Force Academy does not provide consistent access to open hearings or clear guidance on the right to remain silent to cadets facing accusations of misconduct, a Government Accountability Office report found. The report released shortly before Christmas reviewed the honor and conduct discipline processes at the service academies and recommended changes to improve…
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$2 million in incentives approved for unnamed aerospace company looking to expand into El Paso County
An aerospace company looking to expand its Department of Defense operations is eyeing El Paso County, according to the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The company, which OEDIT did not name, has been assigned the name “Project Oak.” It is a common practice for companies to remain unnamed through the incentive process of…
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Air Force Academy tightens rules on conferences, public appearances for faculty
After the Department of Defense rolled out rules for employees to engage with the public in September, the Air Force Academy adopted a new layer of review for faculty and others who wish to attend conferences. The Air Force Academy said in a statement its new efforts were meant to keep the school in line…
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DOD to narrow definitions of bullying, hazing, shorten timelines for investigations; critics worry fewer troops will come forward
As the Department of Defense implements Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recently announced directives to overhaul the complaint processes and narrow the definition of bullying and hazing, critics worry the changes could discourage troops from coming forward to report wrongdoing. To drive home the changes, Hegseth sent out a memo Monday entitled “The Warrior Ethos and Standards at…
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Press groups condemn DOD rules governing media access
The association representing journalists who cover the U.S. Department of Defense on Wednesday condemned a new press access policy that could see reporters lose their access as early as next week, a development that would constrain the media’s ability to cover the world’s most powerful military. The Pentagon Press Association’s statement followed negotiations between the…