The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Army Criminal Investigative Service are investigating reports by several service members that they received unsolicited smartwatches in the mail. A press release by the Army Criminal Investigative Service stated that when the smartwatches were used, they connected to Wi-Fi, connected to cell phones without prompting, and gained access to user data. Further, the smartwatches had malware that allowed not just access to data like banking information, and account information, including passwords and contacts, but also sent the information. The malware was noted to potentially contain voice and cameras allowing access to conversations by the service member.

NCIS and Army Criminal Investigative Service have advised not to turn on the device if one is received but to turn it into your unit security manager or local counterintelligence agency. They have not announced how many service members were affected or which service branches were affected.

Many units already do not allow smartwatches. Secure areas do not allow service members to wear smartwatches. Deployed troops were not allowed to utilize smartphones, fitness trackers, or even dating apps using geolocating features in 2018.

“Smartwatches, like any wearable device, can be used by adversaries to gain a wide collection of personal information and pose a security threat to U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps service members,” NCIS spokesperson Jeff Houston stated in a CNN article.

This is not the first time a group has been targeted for information. In 2022, an Eastern European cybercriminal group tried to hack US companies in the transportation, defense, and insurance sectors by mailing people within the organization USB drives with malware on them. Per an article on CNN, several fake letters were sent via the US Postal Service and UPS impersonating the Department of Health and Human Services or Amazon, and the letters contained a USB with malware on it. The malware allowed access to the networks. The FBI determined that these acts were due to the FIN7, an Eastern European cybercriminal group. According to the a previous report, the organization had used USB sticks in 2020.

There is no return address on the packages being sent. It is unknown where the smartwatch devices are coming from or who is collecting or looking to collect data. If any suspicious devices are ever received in your mail, do not connect to them, or open them. If you receive devices that you did not order, or you know a friend or family sent, immediately stop opening the package. Notify your service branch criminal investigative service immediately. The phrase Loose Lips Sink Ships may not specifically apply to this, but using an unknown device can open you, your family and possibly your unit up to unwanted information sharing.

Military Housing. When you read those words – what comes to mind?

Clean? Free? Mold? Long wait?

It depends on your perspective. If you are a military family familiar with military housing organizations included Liberty Military Housing, formerly Lincoln Military Housing, or Hunt Military Community, you may just feel frustrated – there is a long wait for a smaller house that has mold or no air conditioning. If you are a civilian without a military connection, perhaps the word that comes to mind is free housing – so you don’t understand why there are occasional articles in your news feed.

For military family members, housing is a big factor to figure out with each move. Military members are given a Basic Allowance for Housing, BAH, which is part of their compensation which is supposed to cover 95% of housing costs at each duty station. This means that military members are required to pay for at least some out-of-pocket expenses, For most areas though, military members are paying hundreds out of pocket for rent – plus the expenses of gas, electric, trash, water and internet/television, so that can run out to $1,000 over the BAH. These expenses can be too much for a military family to spend. Military housing is an option where the company takes all of the military members BAH for the home and then just charges for electrical or gas depending on the base in addition to internet or television. Military housing can be more affordable. Affordable housing does not always mean safest or best.

Military housing used to be handled by the military branch at the base. For example, a Navy base had housing managed by the Navy and the same for Army base, etc. As of now, 99% of military housing is owned and operated by private sector companies. When the private sectors took over, electrical costs for example were then put to the tenant of the home. However, the bases were not initially built with this in mind. So streetlights are now linked to military homes and those families are paying for it and not the military base.

Further, military housing has issues with mold, water leakage, and lack of timely responses to these issues. The US Government Accountability Office, GAO, has reviewed the laws put into place in 2019 to increase the Department of Defenses oversight on the private companies, with specific recommendations for the DOD.

A More Streamlined Dispute Resolution Process

One common concern for military families utilizing military housing is the lack of a clear chain of command on how and who to bring disputes to. A chain of command is a well-known structure to active duty members. The 2020 NDAA required the DOD to provide residents a specific formal dispute resolution process to assist with issues with private housing companies. While guidance was recommended by the Secretary of Defense, it was not clear and concise. The GAO recommends actual detailed information on how to file a formal dispute.

Better Oversight

The 2020 NDAA also required that the DOD do inspections on privatized homes prior to resident occupancy. While inspections were formed, the GAO did not develop consistent inspection standards for each military department and recommends that these are developed.

Improved Tenant Advocate

The 2020 NDAA also required that residents have access to a tenant advocate. Each military department does have a person assigned for this, but the GAO found that there was not a clearly defined role nor was there communication to the residents on how to use the tenant advocate. The GAO recommends that these guidelines are clear with clear communication.

Nineteen Recommendations for Executive Action

The GAO has outlined nineteen recommendations for executive action, which can be read here. Each of these guidelines are for specific departments – Army, Air Force, Navy and the Department of Defense are listed specifically. Recommendation 10 for example states that the Secretary of Defense ensures that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing develop a mechanism to collect and incorporate resident feedback on the formal dispute resolution.

A timeline for these changes are not listed on the GAO website, but the recommendations will remain open until they are addressed.

Considering changes in retention in the military services, the Air Force is ready to address this. As of June 1, first-term Airmen can retrain into any Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) they qualify for that is under 90% manned prior to separation, even if the AFSC they are currently in is below the 90% manning mark. The Retaining Selection Board is no longer required during the retraining application process.  

Per the press release, Chief Master Sgt. Of the Air Force, JoAnne S. Bass stated, “providing these opportunities for our Airmen helps us keep talent on the bench. While this particular change impacts First Term Airmen, expect to see more initiatives like this as we evolve our policies and talent management to focus on the fore of the future and building the Air Force our nation needs.”  This will remain in place until June 1, 2024, but could be rescinded earlier.  

This retention change comes after the announcement that the Air Force faces a 10% recruiting shortfall. With a low unemployment rate and a lack of interest and eligibility to join the service, all military service branches are facing low recruitment. This announcement hopes to retain current Airmen, thus lessening the number of recruits needed overall. According to Major General Ed Thomas, the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, only 23% of Americans are eligible to serve, and 9% are interested in serving. Additionally, he said that 50% of American youth could not name all of the military services, and 65% of young Americans would not join for fear of death or injury, demonstrating their lack of familiarity and understanding of the military services and the jobs that are entailed.

As of this writing, the Space Force is on track to meeting its goals for recruitment, and the Air Force does have strong retention in comparison to other military service branches.

If this will change, the number of Airmen remaining is yet to be seen. Many challenges will face the Air Force in the coming years, so other programs should roll out in order to continue to bring in new talent and keep the talent within the Air Force.

In 2021, a bipartisan agreement listed the plan to rename bases across the country with links to Confederate Generals, and the renaming has begun.

Fort Cavazos

Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9, 2023. The name was chosen to honor General Richard Edward Cavazos, a hero from his time in service during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Per the Army publication, Lt. General Sean Bernabe, III stated, “We are proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of an outstanding American hero, a veteran of the Korea and Vietnam wars and the first Hispanic to reach the rank of four-star general in our Army. General Cavazos’ combat-proven leadership, his moral character, and his loyalty to his Soldiers and their families made him the fearless yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served and beyond. We are ready and excited to be part of such a momentous part of history while we honor a leader who we all admire.”

General Cavazos is Texas-born, so it makes sense that a Texas native’s name will now grace the Texas base. When Cavazos was but a First Lieutenant and serving in Korea, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross. He served in the Army in many different positions in the 1950s and 1960s, including as a professor of Military Science at Texas Tech.  He commanded the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment in Vietnam as a Lieutenant Colonel and earned the  Distinguished Service Cross again. He became the first Hispanic-American to be promoted to brigadier general in 1973, and in 1982, he became the first Hispanic-American to pin on four stars. He served in the Army for 33 years, retiring in 1984.

Fort Moore

Fort Benning was renamed to Fort Moore on May 11^th.  Harold Gregory Moore is a United States Army Lieutenant General. He fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War and was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism at the Battle of la Drang. After the Vietnam War, he worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense and went on to earn his Master’s in International Relations. He is known for being the first of his West Point Class to be promoted to Brigadier General, Major General, and Lieutenant General. 

Per FortMoore.com, the base is also named to honor General Moore’s wife, Julie, who was a lifelong volunteer in service to other Army wives. It is noted that she found out that families were learning of casualty notifications through taxi drivers delivering the telegrams, and she began to follow the cars to provide comfort and information to the families. It is noted that her efforts were part of what spurred the Army to change its policy on casualty notifications. Per the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, “Mrs. Moore’s actions to change Pentagon death notification policy in the aftermath of the historic battle of the Ia Drang Valley represents a significant contribution to our nation.  It serves today as a shining example of one of Mrs. Moore’s many contributions to the morale and welfare of the Army family.”

Fort Liberty

Fort Bragg, home to the Airborne and Special Operations Forces, in North Carolina, was renamed to Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023.

Per the Army’s announcement, the name of Liberty was chosen to “the heroism, sacrifices, and values of the Soldiers, Service Members, Civilians, and Families who live and serve with this installation.” The goal behind the renaming to Fort Liberty is to unite the entire military community in the light of pursuing the liberty that America pursues and protects.

With more base names changing, the light will be shown on influential people in the history of military service and our country.

At one point in our history, almost every male over 18 had served in the military for at least a few years. The draft was utilized for the Civil War, under President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 for World War I, and again for World War II. In a survey of 18-year-olds shared in LIFE magazine in 1942, 90% of the 10,000,000 US high school students surveyed felt America should keep fighting, and 68.9% felt that military training should be compulsory after the war. Today’s world is a massive shift from the 1940s. In 2021, total military personnel, including active duty, retired reserve, and ready reserve, are 2,586,825 people per Military One Source. In 2021, there were 331.9 million people in America. This means that 0.01% of the American population serve in the military, worlds away from the 68.9% of high schoolers in 1942 who felt that mandatory military training was necessary. Is it any wonder that recruitment is at an all-time low?

The military is now an all-volunteer force. This means that the numbers in each military branch depend heavily on the recruitment to each branch.  

One reason recruitment is low is the lower number of Americans who are eligible to be recruited. Weight and behavioral health conditions are automatic removals from eligibility, depending on the military service branch. The Army is working to address this with a pilot program called the Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. This program began in August 2022 to address academic and physical fitness barriers for those individuals to enter military service. At the end of 2022, over 3,000 students attended the program, graduated, and moved to basic combat training. During the course, the recruits have up to 90 days to meet the Army’s standards.

Another barrier to recruitment is that single parents must give up guardianship of their children for initial enlistment. With 11 million single-parent households who may not have anyone to provide guardianship for their children, this is a massive barrier to entering military service. Who would be an appropriate caretaker for your children during the initial enlistment? However, there is a large number of single parents serving in the U.S. military –119,186 of them, according to Military One Source. The recommendation to address the barrier for other single parents to join the military, there is a suggestion to allow recruits to regain custody of their children at 12-18 months of active duty. The reality of this happening is yet to be seen. Childcare centers are often full with very long wait lists. While active duty do get priority, this may mean that other families would not receive childcare to make room for the single-parent active duty member. If this program is enacted, more childcare centers and after-school programs should be made to provide affordable care for all.

Per a Newsweek article, Dr. Beth Asch, a senior economist at RAND who studied military recruitment, stated, “..when the civilian economy is strong, military recruiting becomes a lot more difficult to enlist the type of people the military prefers. It’s not just that the unemployment rate is very low. It’s that we know that fewer younger men are participating in the labor force. They’re not working, and they’re not even looking for work. They’ve left the labor force.”

Marijuana is still federally illegal, while there are several states where its use is legal. While a part of the federal government, marijuana is still illegal in the military. Given its sizeable legal area, many would-be recruits had used marijuana and tested positive on initial testing, meaning they cannot continue in the recruitment process. The Army now allows recruits to retest even after a positive test during the first assessment.

There are several barriers to recruitment for the military service. The lack of desire and ability to serve due to weight, health, or academic concerns. And simply due to being a single parent not wanting to give up their guardianship. While some of these barriers are being addressed with specific programs and potentially changing guardianship rules, the reality is that the federal government needs to move quickly. These changes will be discussed, evaluated, and enacted, so it could take several years unless something changes. Will there be a change quick enough to address the lack of recruitment? Time will tell.

Are we living in a science fiction novel? It looks like those Star Wars-like medical care where a robot repairs and replacing a hand may not be far off as the Department of Defense works on technology that may help determine if service members will get sick.

The Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, partnered with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to create a wearable device that was successful in identifying hospital-acquired COVID-19 infections. The project is called the Rapid Assessment of Threat Exposure, or RATE, program. The device utilized an artificial intelligence algorithm trained in data from hospitals in regard to the COVID-19 illness. Per the Scientific Report published in Nature, the device was first utilized among active duty military members in June of 2020, and the protocols were reviewed by the Clinical Investigation Department Naval Medical Center San Diego, Air Force Research Laboratory Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Ohio, and Stanford University Investigational Review Board.

The RATE research utilized a Garmin watch, Oura Ring and Empatica E4 wristband to monitor the subject’s heart rate, inter-beat interval, respiration rate, pulse oximetry, skin temperature, and accelerometer date. The Oura rings were fitted based on the subject’s preference. The devices were worn every day, and no tracking information was transmitted per the DOD’s guidelines.

In addition to wearing the device, study subjects submitted a daily survey and COVID-19 testing through rapid testing at military and civilian facilities. This data was utilized to determine if the device could predict infection before it occurred. The predictive model was utilized with Python code over the 10-month study period.

As of April 2021, a total of 9, 381 people had enrolled. Of these, 7,458 were male, 1,922 were female, and one was unknown. Of the subjects, 491 reported a positive COVID-19 illness during the 10-month period. The programming had a 60% sensitivity of predicting the illness, further stating the RATE score utilized to determine illness increased (demonstrating possible illness) as early as 6 days prior to the COVID testing.

Could this be the future of healthcare in the military? The key focus of military service is workforce readiness. Every year, military members have physical and combat fitness testing in addition to pistol qualifications. This readiness ability could be affected by potential illness, especially with illnesses like COVID-19 that had mandates to stay home for up to 14 days during part of the pandemic.

The RATE device did prove to be useful in predicting COVID-19 illness. The translatability to other illnesses is yet to be determined. Additional funding has been allotted for further studies of wearable technology to predict not only COVID-19 but also other infections. The Food and Drug Administration has determined that this device is a general wellness device. We shall see what further studies show with this new technology. Will this be the Minority Report for illness? Time will tell.

When the Space Force, a division of the U.S. Air Force, was formed, there were a few jokes. Then the naming of the protectors to be Guardians led to some Guardians of the Galaxy jokes, but let’s be honest, with how awesome those movies and stories are, would it be so bad to have some Guardians in space?

The U.S. Space Force was established on December 20, 2019 to include Space in the national security measures. While the discussion began under President Ronald Regan to create a military service specifically for space, it did not stand up in decades later.

The Space Force has announced the development of a new dress service uniform. The service dress uniform was first unveiled as a prototype in September of 2021, and it was then brought to focus groups and roadshows. One hundred Guardians were part of the fit test in the development stage. The organization completed its final service dress uniform fit after the initial fitting at Peterson Space Force Base.

Space Force spokesperson Col. Catie Hague said the uniform has meaning behind its design. “The deep blue color was chosen from the Space Force seal. The dark color represents the vastness of outer space,” she said. “The buttons have the globe, delta, orbit and stars that are part of both the U.S. Space Force flag and the seal.”

The next step for the uniforms is now the wear test. The wear test includes Guardians wearing the uniform three times a week to provide their feedback on the wearability, flexibility and comfort of the design and uniform. It is in the plans for the uniform to hit the force on late 2025.

“We are excited by Guardians’ input into their future uniform,” Catherine Lovelady, the head of the service’s Office of Change Management Team. “We are passionate about ensuring our members continue to have a voice in shaping a unique Space Force uniform.”

While some people have remarked that the uniform looks like it belongs on the set of Battlestar Galactica, others have remarked that it looks like something Captain Kirk work on Star Trek. What do you think? The dress uniforms can be viewed here on the Air Force Times article here. The dress uniform is unisex, meant to be worn by both males and females.

Semper Supra! (Always above, the US Space Force motto).

Lawmakers approved changing the Defense Department’s service academies policies regarding cadets having children. The Defense Department’s service academies include the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. All cadets and midshipmen receive taxable pay at the rate of 35% of an O1, and receive free room and board, with the exception of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The CADET Act was introduced in 2021 by Senators Ted Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand. CADET stands for Candidates Afforded Dignity, Equality, and Training. The bill asked for the DOD to ensure that the cadets and midshipmen in the service academies who become pregnant during their time at the school are provided with options to take leave from the military service academy for up to one year, fully released from the military service academies and any related obligations or enlist in active-duty service. It further added that males who became parents would not be required to give up parental rights and must not acquire any benefits or leave considerations having to do with having a child.

While the CADET Act was not signed into a bill, the wording and idea behind the act were added to the National Defense Authorization Act. This includes not forcing students who quit after the start of their third year to become parents also to have to pay back the military service academy.

The new policy allows a cadet to grant temporary guardianship of her child to another person while they complete their studies at school.  The policy does not change that cadets and midshipmen cannot get married while at the academy. Furthermore, people with children are still not allowed to apply to the academies.

While the NDAA was signed in 2021, the Defense Department was given one year from signing to enact the act.

The slogans of the US Army have changed throughout the history of the service branch. In World War I, the “I Want YOU for the US Army” poster with Uncle Sam was plastered all over towns and recruiting stations. In the 1980s and 1990s, the phrase “Be All You Can Be” was synonymous with the U.S. Army. The early 2000s saw the “Army of One” slogan and “Army Strong.” Most recently, it was “Warriors Wanted.”  As in the circle of fashion with the return of bell bottoms in the 2000s, the return of the Army slogan “Be All You Can Be” is here.

Maj. General Alex Fink told a major news outlet that “We are reinventing ‘Be All You Can Be’ for Generation Z.” Per the Army release, she said further, “Serving our nation is a calling, and one that is fundamentally hopeful. We want a new generation of Americans to see the Army as a pathway to the lives and careers they want to achieve.”

The move to revamp the old slogan came after multiyear research was conducted. The Army star remains, but with the box removed to “reflect the limitless possibilities in the Army.” The change in logo and slogan is a full change in their recruiting brand. They have changed the font and color palate along with motion graphics and a change in photography.

Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, Chief of Army Enterprise Marketing, said within the release that “We know youth seek purpose, passion, community, and connection, but we also know many don’t recognize the Army’s ability to deliver on those needs. We need a brand that effectively communicates the possibilities of Army service.”

To appeal to Generation Z, two films made for recruitment are narrated by Emmy and Critics’ Choice Award-nominated actor Jonathan Majors, star of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The films focus on the history of the Army and the options for serving in the Army. The films will be shown during the 2023 NCAA March Madness tournament and be paired with print ads, streaming video, and ads on social media.

Is this the right way to go?

On the one hand, the adults of this age grew up with Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood and loved when Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was both a reminiscence of this and added a new element. Will that be the same for the reinvention of the Army slogan? These adults cannot join the Army as the oldest you can be to enlist in active duty in the Army is 35, but perhaps they will be understanding and sympathetic to their children joining. Will it be appealing to Generation Z? That remains to be seen. The goal of the Army is that the slogan will lead the recruits to look within themselves to determine what their personal goals are and if the Army can bring them there.

Mid-March of 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, Academic Program Year 2021-2022. The report is available online at the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response website.

The DOD found that while in 2012-2014, there were efforts made to reduce sexual assault, there was actually an increase in prevalence between 2014 and 2018. Congress mandates that the DOD collect and submit an annual report for each of the Academies. The report includes sexual harassment and sexual violence involving academy personnel at the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, and United States Air Force Academy.

The 44-page report is in addition to a memorandum on actions to address and present sexual assault in the military service academies and self-assessment reports by the academies themselves.  The report demonstrates a continued increase in prevalence rates of unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment, and “other readiness-detracting behaviors.” The total number of sexual assault reports among the academies was 206, with 114 restricted reports and 92 unrestricted reports. As compared to the 2019- 2020 school year of 129 total reports.   

Sexual harassment complaints also increased, with 15 formal complaints, 20 informal complaints, and 5 anonymous complaints. In total, the United States Naval Academy received 9, the United States Military Academy received 20, and the United States Air Force Academy received 11.

The survey also demonstrated that the students perceived that academy leadership did try to prevent sexual assault or harassment.

Due to these findings and more, the DOD listed that they would conduct on-site installation evaluations, provide outcome evaluation assistance to determine which prevention programs to continue, and work on climate assessments at each of the Academies.

The report outlined further actions for the military departments and academies to incorporate up-to-date sexual assault prevention and response policies, develop a prevention implementation workforce, ensure military justice reform, and implement a return to health policy assisting cadets in balancing their academic goals and needs after a sexual assault. In addition, the Military Service Academies were advised to address the physical separation of survivors and alleged perpetrators. It is noted the Deputy Secretary of Defense will assess the progress made on the programs.

The Secretary of Defense closed out his guidance for addressing the memorandum by stating, “I expect you to reverse the harmful trends at our MSAs. Now is the time to employ the resources with which we have been entrusted and advance our common way forward. Our future leads are counting on you. We must lead the change we require.”