Pentagon looks to expand protections for military families in privatized housing
01/05/2026 | 7 mins.
The Pentagon is seeking to expand protections for military families living in privatized housing who report unsafe or inadequate living conditions. In a legislative proposal sent to Congress earlier this month, the Defense Department called for allowing tenants to report housing issues not just to landlords or their chain of command, but also to Defense Department housing officials, inspectors general and members of Congress. Currently, tenants are not protected from retaliation by the landlord if they report housing problems to an inspector general or a member of Congress. The proposal would expand the channels through which tenants can safely report their housing issues. The Defense Department says the proposal would not require additional funding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Political appointees exempt from new performance evaluations
30/04/2026 | 6 mins.
The Trump administration's overhaul of federal employees' performance management won’t apply to political appointees. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management excludes all Schedule C and Schedule G appointees from the stricter performance metrics. OPM says political appointees are already at-will workers, so decisions on whether they should be kept or removed from their jobs do not depend on formal performance evaluations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Lawmakers look to expand incentives to retain Air Force pilots and Airmen
29/04/2026 | 5 mins.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to expand both financial and non-monetary incentives to help the Air Force retain pilots and other in-demand Airmen. A new bill, dubbed the Retention Enhancements for Tactical Aircrew Initiative, or RETAIN Act, would require the Air Force to pay maximum aviation incentive pay, increase retention bonuses up to $100,000 and allow Airmen to transition indefinitely to non-combat aviation career paths. Meanwhile, the Fighter Aircrew Career Flexibility Act would allow service members to take a one-time break from active duty lasting four months to one year. The measure would also allow aviators to spend time in the civilian workforce and return to active duty afterward.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Army changes voluntary retirement policy
28/04/2026 | 6 mins.
The Army is changing when soldiers can request voluntary retirement. Under the new policy, soldiers can submit voluntary retirement requests at least 12 months, and no more than 24 months, before their preferred retirement date. Army officials say the change will allow the service to better predict personnel losses, synchronize personnel movement cycles and support soldiers transitioning out of the military. Soldiers who are being considered for a new assignment or have received official orders for a permanent change of station will not be able to submit a voluntary retirement request. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Space Force selections companies for Golden Dome initiative
27/04/2026 | 5 mins.
Twelve companies have been selected by the Space Force to develop a space-based interceptor system for President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Through its acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, the service awarded 20 Other Transaction Authority agreements with a potential combined award value of up to $3.2 billion. The service said the system should be integrated into the Golden Dome architecture by 2028. The announcement comes after Gen. Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome's program manager, said that space-based interceptors might not make it into the final design due to high costs. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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