Maj. Lisa Jaster made history when she became one of only three women -- and the only female Army Reserve officer -- to earn the black-and-gold shoulder tab signifying she had completed the Army Ranger combat leadership course. Faster, an engineer and mother of two young children, joins the ranks of fellow West Point graduates Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver. Read More »

Coalition military forces continued their attacks on the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq last week. The forces completed three drone attacks in Syria. They also made 21 attacks in Iraq using bomber, fighter, attack, ground-attack, remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery with the support of the Iraqi government. The strikes were part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Read More »

With the fuel cell industry totaling more than $2.2 billion in sales last year, the Department of Energy is investing more than $20 million to develop the market for fuel cell technology. The investment will go toward 10 projects to advance fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, and enable early adoption of fuel cell applications such as light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles. Read More »

The Pentagon is dimming the lights in the building's common areas as part of an effort to reduce the building’s utility bill and motivate people to use energy more efficiently during Energy Action Month. The Pentagon has a monthly utility bill of approximately $1.5 million. By reducing the lighting, the building could save an estimated 90,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. Read More »

With the funding, the University of Arkansas and the University of Illinois will work with utilities and energy delivery system operators to deliver a final product to the energy sector. Read More »

DroneDefender uses radio control frequency disruption technologies to stop drones in the air before they can pose a threat to military or civilian safety. Read More »

Cubic Global Defense completed the recent Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint exercise through its Korea Battle Simulation Center. “UFG is a unique simulation model because both the U.S. and [South Korea] are seamlessly woven into one federation to provide realism to the training audience, including the leaders,” Cubic Global Defense President Bill Toti said. Read More »

Optex Systems, Inc. recently signed a $2.6 million contract for periscopes with an unnamed international defense contractor. A manufacturer of optical sighting systems and assemblies for domestic and foreign militaries, the Richardson, Texas-based company will deliver the products on a continuous basis over the next five years, following its normal operating procedures. Read More »

The U.S. Navy christened its newest Virginia-class attack submarine as the Illinois (SSN 786) in a ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut on Saturday. The Illinois is the 13th Virginia-class nuclear submarine and the third Virginia-class Block III submarine. The Illinois will have a 34-foot beam and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. Read More »

NATO is in the middle of the biggest and most ambitious exercise in more than a decade that challenges troops and commanders from 27 member nations to tackle a series of demanding training events; the exercise runs through Nov. 6 and is dubbed Exercise Trident Juncture 2015, and it will increase the readiness of troops in the NATO Response Force (NRF) for responding to a wide range of challenges. Read More »

The United States Army's $185 million Army Educational Outreach Program will be managed by Battelle for up to 10 years under a new agreement, company officials said. The consortium includes Education First, Widmeyer Communications, MetriKs Amérique, Purdue University, the Academy of Applied Sciences, and the National Science Teachers Association. Read More »

This week, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL insurgents in Syria and Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is the name of the ongoing military operation that is part of an international effort to hit ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq in order to limit the group's capabilities, with coalition nations that include Australia, Canada, France, Jordan, Netherlands, the U.K., the U.S., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Read More »

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released an update on how it’s enforcing the REAL ID Act passed by Congress in 2005, an act that establishes a procedure and standards for identification that can be used for official purposes at the federal level; the law’s enforcement started being implemented in stages last year, and the DHS has promised updates on the process throughout. Read More »

The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth completed its first-ever Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise recently with Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. "The sea phase of CARAT Bangladesh was short, but filled with a large number of naval war fighting core competencies that advanced our navies' interoperability," Cmdr. Christopher Brown, commanding officer of the Fort Worth, said. Read More »

The Terror Threat Snapshot for October released by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said efforts to stop Americans and others from traveling to join jihadists overseas have largely failed, among other conclusions. The report is a monthly assessment of the committee’s effort to highlight the growing threat from ISIS and other Islamist terrorists. Read More »

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas swore in the newest members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council at a meeting that discussed a range of homeland security-related issues. The HSAC is a federal advisory committee that works with the Department of Homeland Security to provide the department’s secretary with informed recommendations and advice. Read More »

Senate's passage of defense policy bill shows that the tide is turning against Obama administration Read More »

U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made a statement on Thursday to open the committee's hearing on Afghanistan. "Fourteen years ago, America's longest war began," Thornberry said. Read More »

Vets4Energy, a U.S. military veterans group advocating for energy policies to sustain the country's national security, met Oct. 1 with dozens of legislators to promote Senate action to lift the ban on U.S crude oil exports. The group stressed the significance of sound energy policies to boost national security in meetings with 50 U.S. Senators and dozens of House members. Read More »

The U.S. Naval Reactors Program awarded BWXT the contracts. Read More »