MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
08 Nov 23. Statement by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on the Upcoming Departure of All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick. All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick announced that he will retire from federal service in December. During his distinguished 27-year career of public service in the Department of Defense and the United States Intelligence Community, and since assuming leadership of AARO, Dr. Kirkpatrick has served the American people with honesty and integrity, tackling an incredibly difficult mission to explain the unknown. During his tenure, Dr. Kirkpatrick stood up the office and its operations, investigated more than 800 unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) cases, led an extensive search for U.S. Government and contractor programs associated with UAP, and established the department’s first public-facing website, www.aaro.mil, to bring greater transparency to the department’s work. His commitment to transparency with the United States Congress and the American public on UAP leaves a legacy the department will carry forward as AARO continues its mission. Our department is stronger and better prepared for future scientific and national security challenges because of Sean’s distinguished service to our country. We are deeply appreciative of his tenacity, insight, and undying dedication to our national security mission, and wish him the greatest of success in his future endeavors. The Department of Defense, in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is in the process of searching for the next AARO Director, and it will publicly announce its selection once made. (Source: U.S. DoD)
08 Nov 23. Germany forms panzer brigade to be stationed in Lithuania. The Bundeswehr is forming a panzer (armoured) brigade to be permanently stationed in Lithuania, the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced in a press release on 6 November. The decision was made by Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius on the recommendation of Bundeswehr Generalinspekteur (chief of defence) General Carsten Breuer. Designated Panzerbrigade 42, the new formation will be composed of Panzerbataillon (Armoured Battalion) 203 from Augustdorf in northern Germany and Panzergrenadierbataillon (Armoured Infantry Battalion) 122 from Oberviechtach close to the Czech-German border. The brigade’s third battalion will be the rotating German-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) multinational battlegroup in Lithuania, which includes Dutch and Norwegian troops. (Source: Janes)
06 Nov 23. DoD Report Shows Decline in Armed Forces Population While Percentage of Military Women Rises Slightly. The Defense Department’s newly released 2022 Demographics Profile of the Military Community shows the number of service members dropped 2.7% over the previous year while the percentage of women in the military inched upward. According to the annual demographics report, the active-duty and selected reserve population was 58,282 lower than in 2021, for a total of 2,077,630 service members. Over the same period, the percentage of women increased slightly – rising to 17.5% of the active duty force from 17.3% and 21.6% of the selected reserve from 21.4%. Since 2005, the percentage of active duty military women has increased by 2.9% while the percentage of women in the selected reserve has risen by 4.4%. The annual report contains the latest publicly available information on the makeup of the military community, including service members and their dependents. Data highlighted in the report includes information from all services, including gender, race, age, education, family members, paygrades and geographic location. It provides a standard resource for policymakers, program planners and those doing analysis to support the military community.
“The Demographics Profile of the Military Community and research conducted by the Department ensures we have the quality data we need to understand and respond to the ever-changing needs of our service members and their families,” said Patricia Montes Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. “The updated demographic data and trends help the Department assess and tailor our policies and programs to best support our Service members and their families.”
The annual demographics profile report is the only comprehensive, publicly released snapshot of armed forces demographics from the Defense Department. It provides a detailed look at the people who make up the military community — active duty and reserve members and their families from all service branches.
Data from the 2022 report can be viewed in a fully interactive dashboard that allows users to select and view the latest available demographic data by various criteria, such as service branch, gender, paygrade and state of current residence.
To capture data unique to reserve component women in the military, the 2022 demographics profile features a new interactive infographic to display key demographics related to their personal, family and military life. This infographic compliments the interactive infographic of women in the active-duty military launched with the 2021 demographics profile.
The annual demographics report is available on Military OneSource.
About Military OneSource
Military OneSource is a DOD-funded program that is both a call center and a website providing comprehensive information, resources and assistance on every aspect of military life. Service members and the families of active duty, National Guard and reserve (regardless of activation status), Coast Guard members when activated for the Navy, DOD expeditionary civilians and survivors are eligible for Military OneSource services, which are available worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free to the user.
About Military Community and Family Policy
Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for establishing and overseeing quality-of-life policies and programs that help our service members, their families and survivors be well and mission ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the 4.5 m service members and immediate family members of the military community. These DOD services can be accessed 24/7/365 around the world. (Source: U.S. DoD)
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
10 Nov 23. His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of Brigadier Philip McNee as the next Surgeon General (SG), in the rank of Major General, from May 2024. Brigadier McNee has had a distinguished career in the Army and Defence Medical Services (DMS). He has undertaken joint 1* roles, commanded at every level and completed Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS). With 23 years in the DMS, he has trained and worked in Radiology, and deployed on multiple operations. Brigadier McNee takes up his new appointment as Surgeon General in May 2024.
09 Nov 23. Ms Liz Boyles has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania in succession to Mr Brian Olley who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Boyles will take up her appointment in September 2024.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
09 Nov 23. USAF BG Steven J. Butow for appointment to the grade of major general. Butow is currently serving as the commander, California Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Sacramento, California.
09 Nov 23. USAF Col. Patti L. Fries for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Fries is currently serving as the flight surgeon, 155th Medical Group, Nebraska Air National Guard, Lincoln, Nebraska.
09 Nov 23. USAF Col. Tommy F. Tillman Jr. for appointment to the grade of brigadier general. Tillman is currently serving as the director of operations, Mississippi Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Jackson, Mississippi.
09 Nov 23. MG Christopher C. LaNeve for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commanding general, Eighth Army; and chief of staff, Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea. LaNeve currently serves as commanding general, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
06 Nov 23. UAW members at General Dynamics plants ratify new tentative agreement. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Monday said members at the General Dynamics (GD.N) plants at Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania have voted to ratify a new tentative agreement. The vote was ratified with 74% members in favor of the new four-year deal, which provides a 14% wage hike, protection against inflation, reduces the time it takes to get to top pay and “beats back the company’s proposed healthcare concessions”, UAW previously said. Like its peers, General Dynamics has struggled with supply and labor shortages at a time when weapons demand is on the rise due to the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and tensions in U.S.-China relations over Taiwan. UAW members at the company make military vehicles including tanks and light armored vehicles, according to the union. In the latter half of October, the UAW, in separate strike actions, had reached tentative agreements with the Detroit Three automakers, General Motors (GM.N), Ford (F.N) and Stellantis (STLAM.MI). (Source: Reuters)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
06 Nov 23. Apogee, a leading defense and security solutions provider, has appointed a new chief financial officer (CFO) Andrew Cox, a two-decade finance veteran in the defense industry effective October 16, 2023. The company makes this executive team hire as it further expands its defense solution offerings. CEO and chairman Wes Georges announced this strategic appointment adding, Cox will work diligently with Apogee’s leadership to further drive the company’s transformative growth. As CFO, Cox will oversee Apogee’s finance and accounting functions with a focus on strategic execution. He will also be responsible for investment innovations to drive key business objectives with an eye towards optimizing value to Apogee’s customers. (Source: PR Newswire)
30 Oct 23. Solstar Space names an expert Space Advisor. Solstar Space (Solstar) announces Dr. Alan Stern as an expert advisor to support the development of the company’s forthcoming, space-based, internet connectivity systems. Dr. Stern is scheduled to perform a research and training exercise during the upcoming Virgin Galactic spaceflight onboard Galactic 05 with a launch window that opens Thursday, November 2, for the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Galactic 05 will launch from The Gateway to Space at Spaceport America, located North of Las Cruces, New Mexico and South of Solstar’s Santa Fe, New Mexico, headquarters. (Source: Satnews)
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
09 Nov 23. D-Fend Solutions, a leader in radio frequency (RF), cyber-based, non-kinetic, non-jamming, counter-drone takeover technology, has announced the addition of Mike Laor as Chief Financial Officer. As D-Fend Solutions continues to strengthen and broaden its executive team, Laor will provide strategic corporate financial oversight during the company’s expansion and growth.