The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
July 10, 2024
Fall Meeting Early Bird Rates available until August 22, 2024
Register today for the 12th annual NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting scheduled for October 7-10, 2024 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO. Government, military and industry partners will gather to collaborate, share experiences, and discuss solutions and impacts related to the 2024 Fall Meeting theme. The theme, “Accelerating Decision Advantage Across Defense Transportation & Logistics,” aligns our discussions with a very important USTRANSCOM priority and focuses the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise on the need to orient, decide, and act faster than the adversary. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
Report to Congress on Use of Force in Cyberspace
The following is the June 25, 2024, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Use of Force in Cyberspace. There are presently no internationally accepted criteria for determining whether a nation state cyberattack is a use of force equivalent to an armed attack, which could trigger a military response. Likewise, no international, legally binding instruments have yet been drafted explicitly to regulate inter-state relations in cyberspace. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
Since President Biden took office, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken key steps to improve the safety of our railways by deploying funding from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, holding railroads accountable, raising rail safety standards, and supporting first responders and rail workers. Following the Norfolk Southern derailment last year, the Administration has mobilized a comprehensive, cross-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio. […READ MORE…]
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $123 Million in Grants to Improve Airports
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced more than $123 million for airfield, safety, and other improvement projects at 235 airports in 35 states and the District of Columbia. […READ MORE…]
FedEx has been named as a Patron Donor to the NDTA Hall of Fame.
Welcome New Members
NDTA is pleased to announce Alamo City Engineering Service as the newest member of the Chairman Circle.
NDTA also welcomes two new Sustaining Members:
Preferred Corporate Housing
D&G Support Services
Editor’s Picks
Biden to Pardon Veterans Convicted Under Former Military Law that Banned Gay Sex
(Stars and Stripes) President Joe Biden announced he would pardon U.S. veterans convicted by the military during a 60-year period that banned gay sex. “Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades,” Biden said in a statement. The granting of pardons won’t automatically change convicted veterans’ records but allows those impacted to apply for a certificate of pardon that “should help them unlock access” to receive withheld benefits, an official said.
More of the Air Force’s Toughest Enlisted Jobs Qualify for Bonus Pay
The Air Force is bumping up the number of challenging jobs for which airmen and guardians can earn bonus pay in the coming year. Enlisted airmen in 78 job specialties will be eligible for special duty assignment pay in fiscal year 2025, which starts Oct. 1, the Air Force said in a press release. That’s an increase from last year, when the Air Force approved bonuses for 70 critical fields, ranging from an extra $75 to $450 a month.
Attacks Against Defense Industrial Base Increasing, NSA Chief Warns
The Pentagon is pushing ahead with zero-trust plans to automate defenses against future threats. China, Russia, and others are taking aim more frequently at companies that serve the U.S. military, Gen. Timothy Haugh, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, told the crowd at TechNet Cyber.The defense industrial base—the companies that produce goods and services and conduct research for the Defense Department—includes over 160,000 domestic and foreign companies that employ 9 percent of the U.S. workforce.
Navajo Corporal Becomes First Marine Authorized to Wear Traditional Native Hair
Cpl. Bradford Flores is honoring his culture by growing his hair out — and the Marine Corps authorized it. Flores, a Native American service member and anti-tank missile gunner, is the first Marine to receive a religious waiver allowing him to grow his hair long in accordance with his Navajo heritage.
Survey Finds a Decline in Well-Being Among Military Families Amid Stress and Loneliness
More military families are reporting that their well-being has declined over the past three years, citing financial strain, loneliness, and the stressors of military life as reasons why they would not recommend military service, according to a survey from the Military Family Advisory Network. Out-of-pocket expenses during frequent military moves, housing and child-care costs and barriers to spouse employment contribute to situations where military families can never get ahead, according to the group’s president and executive director.
Troops May Face Inflated Drug Costs Under Tricare, Lawmakers Say
A bipartisan group of 24 congressional lawmakers is questioning whether the Pentagon’s pharmacy contract may be driving up drug costs and limiting access to medication for Tricare beneficiaries, while overcharging independent pharmacies and taxpayers. The lawmakers are concerned that the Defense Health Agency has decided to retain Express Scripts as the sole pharmacy benefit manager for Tricare, the military insurance system serving 9.6 million troops, retirees, and their families.
Military Needs Better Recipe for Feeding Troops, Auditors Say
When it comes to feeding troops, the food chain is not the only chain that matters. The military must also address issues atop the chain of command to ensure service members get the nutrition they need, government auditors say. While the Defense Department has worked to improve nutritious options at military dining facilities to retain a fit and healthy force, gaps continue to limit officials’ ability to manage and evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition programs.
AAR Named Among America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024 by Newsweek
AAR CORP. a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, announced that it has been recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. They identified America’s Greatest Workplaces by conducting a large-scale employer study based on over 1.5 million comprehensive company reviews from 250,000+ employees in the United States.
Sabre Launches Etihad Airways’ NDC Content
Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced the availability of Etihad Airways’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) content through Sabre’s global travel marketplace. The addition of Etihad Airways expands Sabre’s footprint of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region-based NDC airlines and broadens travel agencies’ access to real-time content based on offers and orders.
Lineage Offers Filing of Registration Statement for Proposed Initial Public Offering
Lineage, Inc. has publicly filed a registration statement on Form S-11 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten initial public offering. The timing, number of shares that may be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The Company intends to apply to list its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “LINE.”
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.