The six-month independent review, commissioned by Undersecretary of Defense Anthony Tata in December, was originally set to be performed by the Institute for Defense Analyses, a Washington, D.C.-area nonprofit that administers three research centers supported by federal funding. The effectiveness study, according to a Pentagon official, was set to kick off with the 10-year anniversary of Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s lifting of the ban on women in ground combat roles at the end of 2015.

This review, the official told Military Times on Monday, is “in line with standard [Department of War] practice for evaluating the effects of significant policy changes.”

But a reevaluation of study requirements has led to a reassignment of the work, the official said.

“The Department has since recognized the need to incorporate combat-relevant field tests, based on established tasks, conditions, and standards, into the independent review to produce the comprehensive data required for this effort,” the official said. “DoW has engaged the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to assume responsibility for the study from IDA, effective April 2026. JHU/APL, a University Affiliated Research Center, has the capability to examine existing personnel and operational data, as well as conduct the field tests, ensuring a unified effort that will further posture our warfighters to meet mission objectives.”

JHU/APL will now complete work over the next 12 months to inform what’s now being called the “Performance, Readiness, and Integrated Mission Effectiveness Assessment,” according to the Pentagon. The assessment will use established analytical techniques “to identify the dominant drivers of combat performance variance in ground combat units and provide evidence-based findings to inform force design, training, physical standards, and readiness decisions,” the official said.

A request for information to JHU/APL for more details on the study and data collection milestones did not receive an immediate response.

Pentagon officials emphasized the long tradition of conducting reviews of policy changes, citing specifically an internal assessment of the 2010 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal that was conducted in 2021, and reviews by the Pentagon-connected Rand Corporation of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 and the Blended Retirement System of 2015.

Historically, these analyses have been used to evaluate major changes and their impacts, but have not carried with them the possibility of reopening the matter for potential reversal. It’s not clear that the same considerations are in play here.

In a December memo first reported on by NPR, Tata described the review as gauging “the operational effectiveness of ground combat” elements and the impact of permitting women to enter the roles.

Leaders of the Army and Marine Corps were asked to provide the Institute for Defense Analyses with a broad slate of data ranging from training performance to command climate; and metrics showing individual service members’ readiness to deploy.

An email from Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson at the time also appeared to open the door to changes based on the review, saying the Pentagon “will not compromise standards to satisfy quotas or an ideological agenda — this is common sense.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed opposition to women serving in combat roles in his 2024 book “The War on Warriors,” saying they couldn’t meet the physical requirement and adding, “We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.”

His Senate confirmation hearing in 2025 softened the stance. He said then that women would continue to have access to ground combat roles, “given the standards remain high.”

In September, he announced that ground combat jobs would be reserved for those who meet “the highest male standard.”

The Pentagon official said the pending combat effectiveness review, now to be carried out by JHU/APL, showcased the military’s commitment to “continuous learning and improvement.”

“These types of studies enable the Department to maximize our efforts in support of peace through strength,” the Pentagon official said Monday. “The ‘Performance, Readiness, and Integrated Mission Effectiveness Assessment’ is expected to further this tradition, increasing the lethality and readiness of the force.”

In an exclusive interview with Military Times, Rear Adm. Jennifer Couture said the Navy would finally make a long-anticipated cutback to one PT uniform by next year and soon announce other seabag reductions as well.

“By 2027, it will be one PT uniform,” Couture said. “That makes sense. And it is also higher-quality. It is more in line with, if you were to go to a running store out in town … the kinds of clothing you would find there.“

The Navy in 2019 introduced a new PT uniform consisting of a moisture-wicking navy-blue short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with gold Navy logos and matching shorts with a 5-inch inseam and side pocket. At the time, officials said the much older PT set with its bright-yellow cotton T-shirt would eventually be phased out. But until now, no timeline has been provided for the shift.

Also being considered for elimination are some of the working boot options available to sailors, Couture said. A slide presentation posted on the Navy’s HR website last year listed nine different categories of authorized general-purpose, safety and flight deck boots. The current mandatory wear boot is the I-Boot 5 for working uniforms, introduced in 2022. Along with six uniforms, the seabag sailors receive at boot camp includes one pair of boots.

“We have lots and lots of different kinds of boots,” Couture said. “If you see 10 sailors in a room, there might be, you know, eight different pairs of boots on people. And so we’ve said, why are we doing this? Does this really make sense? Does this meet the requirement for their working conditions?”

The same simplifying logic is being applied to dress uniforms, Couture said. Navy dress uniforms fall into three categories: service dress, the most commonly used; ceremonial; and dinner dress, for more rare and formal occasions. For enlisted women, there are four different styles of dinner dress uniforms, all with lists of prescribed and optional accessories.

“Do we have too many dress uniforms,” Couture said, “And [are we] making that less burdensome on people?”

It was to address these questions in a consistent and ongoing way, she said, that the Navy reestablished its dormant uniform board in May 2025 — a panel headed by the chief of Naval Personnel and including master chief petty officers from around the fleet to represent sailors. Other voting members include the chief of Navy Reserve, type commanders and the master chief petty officer of the Navy. The board is set to meet twice a year, in April and October, to review recommendations and vote on changes.

“The Navy Uniform Board will provide a transparent, Navy-wide forum to review Fleet-recommended uniform policies and requirements with the goals of improving or clarifying standards,” a message to the force in May stated. “Additionally, the Navy Uniform Board will review and make recommendations on planned or proposed uniform related research, development, testing, and evaluation projects to include organizational clothing. The uniform board will be guided by the uniform goals and policy direction established by the Secretary of the Navy and the chief of Naval Operations.”

Couture said the newly reestablished board had been meeting more frequently than prescribed — about once a month — to address “some really important things that we want to take care of with speed” but emphasized that sailors should raise their own uniform concerns and recommendations to their fleet and force master chiefs for future consideration.

One urgent uniform priority Couture cited was achieving a proper fit for women’s uniforms. When she was a midshipman in the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at George Washington University in 1995, she said, women were still wearing the flight attendant-reminiscent uniforms the WAVES of World War II had sported. And while many updates have taken place in the decades since then, there’s much still to do. In one example, she mentioned her dress blue uniform trousers, which had pockets that barely fit an identification card. That design, based on the assumption that female sailors would carry a purse, was out of date, she said.

“We owe our sailors, all of our sailors, better functionality, form and fit for the uniforms,” she said.

Sailors should expect more announcements about what’s in and out of the uniform seabag, Couture said, in the next few months.

The 29-year-old soldier and Olympic pairs skater currently preparing to compete in the Milan Cortina Games is the first figure skater in the Army’s program that nurtures elite athletic talent, according to the program director.

Willie Wilson, director of the World Class Athlete Program, told Military Times in a phone interview from Italy that Howe, who enlisted in October 2024 and graduated boot camp in February 2025 as a Motor Transport Operator, had been excited to join the ranks.

“He has done a great job of not only representing WCAP, but also representing the Army,” Wilson said.

WCAP, which dates to 1997, offers athletes from a broad range of disciplines the opportunity to train and compete while benefiting from elite in-house coaching while receiving a military paycheck. For U.S. athletes, who don’t receive any money from the government to compete in the Olympics and typically have to pay out of pocket for equipment, coaching and other needs, this can be a pretty attractive deal. In return, the athletes stay current on typical military training and requirements and serve in addition as an outreach and recruiting branch.

“They hold clinics, speak to high school and college audiences, talk with athletic teams and make appearances in support of Army recruiting stations,” WCAP says on its website.

At the Milan Cortina Games, the Army has six WCAP members participating, including Howe and bobsledder Frank Del Duca, who, alongside speedskater Erin Jackson, was selected by fellow athletes to carry the U.S. flag in the Olympic opening ceremonies Feb. 6. The Air Force also sent two members of its WCAP to the Games.

Howe, who has skated with partner Emily Chan since 2019, narrowly made it to the Olympics following a disappointing eighth-place finish in the short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. They squeaked into a qualifying position after finishing third in the free skate program.

“The roller coaster of the trials really opened my eyes,” Howe, who like other athletes is under a media blackout until the conclusion of the Olympics, said in an Army release. “Looking back at how the competition unfolded and how we were ultimately named to the team, we’re grateful and honored. Now we want to do our best representing the Army and the United States.”

This season, he and Chan are skating to the Italian “Caruso,” performed by Josh Groban, in their short program, and “Unchained Melody” from “Ghost: The Musical” in their free skate.

In an interview with U.S. Figure Skating last November, Howe acknowledged that taking time out to complete Army Basic Training and follow-on job requirements had come with its challenges.

“Even though I learned how to be an 88M, my current duty is to maintain a high level of military standard and a high level of athletic standard as they both now coincide with each other,” he said in the interview. “Every day I check in remotely with my platoon sergeant, and I take on each training day as an opportunity to fulfill my duties as that soldier-athlete.”

When he finally returned to training last June, he said, he came with an additional set of skills — beyond those required to operate and maintain the vehicles in the Army’s motor pool.

“I started looking at skating from a soldier’s perspective and not just an athlete. Taking on the responsibility to compete at the highest level — not just for Team USA but also for the Army — is a different level of commitment,” he said. “Working with my partner Emily every day isn’t just a job; it feels like a duty. Approaching training with that mindset has changed how I work and helped me excel.”

According to Army releases, Howe plans to join the Chaplain Candidate Program after finishing his undergraduate degree, begun last year. Eventually, he said, he plans to earn his Master of Divinity.

Wilson, who is attending his eighth Olympics since joining the program in 2007, said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll had already visited the Games to encourage and congratulate the athletes. While the competitors will return to the U.S. at different times following their events, Wilson said the camaraderie and team spirit was strong and would be capped off with a get-together at WCAP headquarters in Colorado Springs later this year.

While WCAP wants its athletes to do as well as they can, it’s a lower-pressure environment than most sports sponsorship programs.

“If your best today is an Olympic gold medal, we’re pretty excited about that,” Wilson said. “But if your best turns out to be a sixth-place performance, we’re honored that you’re here and proud of you, and we would consider that success within the program.”

The pairs skating competition begins Feb. 15.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Association of the United States Army on Tuesday, Gen. Randy George touted the M1E3, which last week made its debut as a pre-prototype at the Detroit Auto Show.

“Obviously, not as fast as the Chevy ZR1,” George said, referring to the flashy Corvette also on display at the show. “But this is a tank that can also hit a target. So it won’t meet that quarter-mile speed, but I know it can hit a target in a tenth of a second at a quarter mile.

The M1E3 is reaching prototype stage six years early, George said, adding that new features are also coming to light.

The “Formula One cockpit” contains a driver interface that “looks like an X-Box controller,” George said, referring to the control device made by Fanatec – a company that designs F1 simulator controls and many popular video game cockpits.

“It’s modular, so it can be updated,” George added.

He also touted the engine made by Caterpillar, transmission made by Michigan-based company SAPA and software through “a bunch of tech companies” enlisted to increase the tank’s awareness and effectiveness.

In a release published from the show, Army officials revealed that the M1E3 would feature GenAI among “a suite of AI-powered digital engineering tools” to help integrate other technologies more quickly and keep it up to date in a perpetually changing modern battlefield.

Unlike the current Abrams, which has a four-person crew including a loader, the M1E3 will have a crew of three and an autoloader, which will help the notoriously heavy Abrams get 25% lighter.

“We’re very excited to get that out — and again, that’s the way of the future here. Nothing should take us five to seven years to produce,” George said. “And when we get an upgrade just like we have with the [infantry fighting vehicles], it should come naturally. We’ve had upgraded engines and upgraded transmissions, and we should expect that. And I know our soldiers expect that with the equipment that’s coming to them.”

While many details are still unknown, officials have also cited advanced protection that accounts for contemporary threats including enemy drones and long-range weapons.

Michigan-based news site MLive reported that the turret on display in Detroit was remote, and featured a 120mm smoothbore main cannon — like the current M1A2 — as well as a Mk. 19 40mm grenade launcher and Javelin missile launcher.

“The crew compartment … it’s going to look a lot like a race car,” Brig. Gen. Troy Denomy, program executive officer for PEO Soldier, told the outlet.

Another new feature for the next-gen tank is a hybrid-electric drivetrain that will reportedly make the vehicle 50% more fuel efficient.

“The M1E3 Abrams represents a bold step forward in modern vehicle design, combining advanced protection, reduced weight and a smaller logistical footprint to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s battlefield,” Michelle Link, the deputy capability program executive, Ground-Combat Platforms, said in a statement.

While the M1E3 was originally slated to reach initial operational capability in 2030, officials said late last year that the first prototypes would be inside active Army formations sometime in 2026.

For George, the new tank program represents a new way of doing business in acquisition that evaluates tradeoffs and doesn’t get bogged down in developing a perfect solution. He described efforts to put more acquisition and contracting functions under a single individual, citing Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, program executive officer for Missiles and Space, as an example.

“I think trades are critically important,” George said. “We may say, hey, it needs to go 100 miles an hour. It needs to do a certain number of things. … Frank can come back to us and basically say, ‘Hey, for 30% less cost, it can go 90 miles an hour, and you can have it in six months, or you can wait to do those things.’ And I think these are important things that were trades that we have not considered and that we need to, moving forward.”

In a letter responding to queries from a coalition of lawmakers, Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness said that “hazing and bullying have no place in the U.S. military,” despite comments from Hegseth that appeared to blur the lines on acceptable training.

“The definition of toxic has been turned upside down, and we’re correcting that. That’s why today, at my direction we’re undertaking a full review of the department’s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing, to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing,” Hegseth said in his remarks.

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

Drill instructors, Hegseth said, would be empowered “to instill healthy fear in new recruits.”

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” he said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”

In his response letter, Tata put guardrails around the use of physical contact with military recruits, saying it would be used to ensure the safety of personnel.

“Drill instructors have the difficult task of shaping civilians into soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and Marines,” he wrote. “Basic training involves real world scenarios and weapons. When the safety of the recruit or others is jeopardized, drill instructors may take appropriate actions to ensure the safety of the recruits.”

The response letter did not define the scope of “appropriate actions” or what would determine whether a drill instructor’s physical response to a recruit was justified. But Tata did stress that Hegseth’s effort to reevaluate definitions of terms including “bullying” and “hazing” would, he said, make it easier to identify and respond to truly objectionable behavior.

“What the department is trying to get after is the unduly burdensome complaints system in the military that undermines leaders’ effectiveness,” he wrote. “By providing definitions that focus on the egregious misconduct described in your letter, leaders will be empowered to more easily address inappropriate conduct that does not constitute hazing or bullying while focusing resources on preventing and addressing incidents of hazing and bullying.”

Rep. Judy Chu, the California congresswoman who led the group of 28 Democratic lawmakers in requesting responses from Hegseth regarding his plans to change recruit training and hazing definitions, has a personal connection to the issue: Her nephew, Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, died by suicide in Afghanistan in 2011 after a night of physical hazing and abuse by fellow Marines in punishment for falling asleep on post.

“We want a strong military where people feel that they’re unified in their desire to protect this country,” Chu told Military Times in a November interview. “Not where they are torturing one another to the point where certain people feel like they have to kill themselves.”

The most recently compiled report on military hazing, from 2024, shows that about one in five hazing and bullying complaints is substantiated, and that reporting numbers, while on a recent upswing, are relatively low, with 138 hazing complaints for that year. The Marine Corps has accounted for a disproportionately high share of hazing allegations since congressionally mandated reporting began in 2020.

Tata maintained in the letter that a “clearer definition” of hazing and bullying following the Hegseth-ordered review of definitions would increase the percentage of substantiated complaints. He also cited a new database under development by the Pentagon, thanks to funding provided in 2025 to collect and compile hazing complaints more effectively.

“Historically, these data were collected manually, and some details of the complaints were not reported to the department,” he wrote.

Pentagon officials did not officially have an update on the definitions review, which was initially expected to take 30 days, but was affected by the October government shutdown.

In a statement to Military Times following the Pentagon’s response letter, Chu was cautious.

“I am pleased that the Department of Defense has responded to our letter but remain concerned about its decision to change the definition of hazing and processes to handle hazing, bullying and harassment complaints,” she said. ”I will continue to lead my congressional colleagues in ensuring the dignity and safety of all service members and recruits and that the department accurately fulfills its annual reporting requirements to Congress. No one should have to endure abuse and hazing while honorably serving our country.”

The V-22 Osprey, which the Navy uses for aircraft carrier onboard delivery missions, is overdue for a midlife upgrade, spending far too much on unscheduled maintenance and contending with undertrained maintainers — all of which spell increased risk for a platform that has faced intense scrutiny since its earliest days in the air. The 33-page review recommends the establishment of a readiness and safety steering board to report annually to top officials on the Osprey’s status; initiation of the overdue midlife upgrade; and changes to establish a “proactive safety system” to identify and address mechanical issues before mishaps occur.

“When the V-22 Enterprise does not actively manage risks with the potential for catastrophic outcomes, the risks compound, increasing the likelihood of a catastrophic event that, if left unaddressed, will ultimately occur,” the investigation concluded.

The Navy’s review — and a simultaneously released Government Accountability Office report — follow a November 2023 crash of an Air Force CV-22 Osprey that killed eight troops, ultimately attributed to a gear box failure. In the dozen mishaps since 2022 involving Marine Corps and Air Force personnel, four Ospreys have been destroyed and 20 personnel have been killed.

The review determined that the Osprey is “accumulating safety risk” due to lagging timelines to fix identified problems; failure to follow airworthiness and flight safety procedures; missing airworthiness standards for some risks; and challenges related to differing safety standards and priorities between the three services that fly the Osprey. It also found the Osprey has suffered in readiness due to a failure to implement best practices across the services, persistent “reliability issues” and challenges in managing and delivering aircraft and parts inventory.

While defenders of the V-22 have accurately pointed out that the aircraft, at least in the Marine Corps, has a lower mishap rate than fleet averages, the report highlights other concerning ways that the Osprey is an outlier. The V-22, it found, has the second-highest number of “catastrophic” risks of any naval aviation platform, meaning components at risk of failure with catastrophic outcomes. Parts at risk are also 70% older on the Osprey than on other Navy planes, it found.

“As the first and only military tiltrotor aircraft, it remains the most aero-mechanically complex aircraft in service and continues to face unresolved legacy material, safety, and technical challenges,” the investigation notes.

In maintenance concerns, the Osprey is again at odds with other platforms, requiring 100% more unscheduled maintenance than the Navy average and requiring about 22 maintenance man-hours per flight hour, compared with about 12 for other aircraft.

“Despite numerous initiatives aimed at improving procedural compliance, most efforts to date have not led to significant improvements in safety outcomes,” investigators found. “A critical gap remains in the form of specific, measurable, and enforceable action plans, complete with clear timelines and accountable owners, to address the root causes of non-compliance, improve procedural adherence, or mitigate the effects of non-compliance at the enterprise-level.”

Among recommendations already being implemented are a retrofit of prop-rotor gear boxes to address identified risks; the development of risk mitigation plans; and a midlife upgrade, which is listed as “in-work,” with no estimated completion date. Establishment of new proficiency standards for maintainers is also underway across services. Other recommendations, like the establishment of a readiness and safety steering board, have yet to be started.

Anthony Krockel, a retired Marine Corps colonel who flew the Osprey from 2010 to 2018 and came to its defense earlier this year, saying its record “was not a safety outlier,” told Military Times he saw additional problems contributing to the aircraft’s woes.

While he noted that the aircraft was full of sensors and that issues could arise from crews’ failure to address the equivalent of “check engine lights” on degrading parts, he also said the Osprey had a track record of parts that failed well before their anticipated service lives were up.

“If something was supposed to last, you know, 10,000 hours before it is being replaced, it’s lasting, like, 2,000 hours,” Krockel said. “And so that’s what’s driving these really high unscheduled maintenance rates.”

That, in turn, he said, had a “cascading effect” on maintenance backlogs.

“So now you have to spend time that wasn’t scheduled on the backs of these Marines to fix the plane and, oh, by the way, because these components are breaking more often, you’re depleting the spares inventory much faster than was originally anticipated,” he said. “And so now you don’t have any spares on the shelf because they’re being used systemically, higher than originally budgeted for.”

Krockel said he’d still like to see a thorough review take place of the top 10 “degraders to readiness” involving the V-22, including the parts that most frequently failed.

“Some of them are technically challenging to fix. Some of them are logistics challenges,” he said. “So there’s larger challenges, but if you get those top 10 degraders fixed and get the aircraft to higher mission capable rates, then everybody wins.”

Lt. Col. William “Skate” Parks, who commanded the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, until earlier this year, received the Silver Star at the Pentagon on Wednesday in recognition of a high-risk flight on March 27 that helped save the lives of his wingmen as well as his own from the urgent threat of running out of fuel, in addition to incoming enemy missiles.

The 480th EFS was designated in 2010 with one of the Air Force’s rarer and more risky missions: Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, or SEAD. As the only squadron in Air Forces Europe and Africa performing SEAD, it destroys, spoofs and subverts enemy ground-based air defenses, such as surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns.

While Air Force releases and Parks’ award citation do not specify where the squadron was operating in the Middle East at the time, the timeframe aligns with Operation Rough Rider, a series of strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had been targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Operation Rough Rider began March 15 and continued through April. Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition-led response to the Houthis, was also ongoing and continued through May.

Parks, according to the award citation obtained by Military Times, had been serving as mission commander for a 21-plane force package of strike aircraft on March 27 while also leading four F-16 Fighting Falcons conducting SEAD operations.

“During this mission, Colonel Parks intentionally placed himself in threat range of a complex air defense zone protecting the enemy’s capital,” his citation reads. “Colonel Parks’ heroic decision ensured mission success in crippling enemy ballistic missile production facilities.”

However, this choice also left the aircraft vulnerable to enemy attack and dangerously short on fuel. Fighters on the ground loosed “a barrage of precisely targeted enemy air defense missiles and anti-aircraft artillery” at the four F-16s. Facing death from below, Parks had to resort to high-stress flight maneuvers typically reserved for dogfighting.

“For fifteen agonizing minutes, with enemy missiles detonating mere feet from his aircraft, Colonel Parks stoically led his flight through a series of high-G maneuvers and countermeasure employment,” the citation reads. “Below minimum fuel and still within enemy territory, Colonel Parks immediately coordinated for an emergency rendezvous with two separate tankers, ensuring his [flight’s] access to critical fuel and preventing the probable loss of two aircraft due to fuel starvation.”

It’s rare for pilots to receive the Silver Star, an award just below the service crosses and the Medal of Honor. It’s rarer still for the award to go to a squadron commander. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach noted in Parks’ medal presentation ceremony that fewer than 100 Silver Stars had been presented within the Air Force since it became a service in 1947.

“After hearing Skate’s story, his leadership, decisive action, and skill in the face of danger, I absolutely believe he deserves this honor,” Wilsbach said, according to a service release. ”Recognizing valor in combat matters, and it is a privilege to serve alongside warfighters like him.”

The release noted that Parks had led his squadron to numerous other combat achievements during the deployment, including 108 shoot-downs of enemy drones and land attack cruise missiles — a record — and the first successful combat employment of an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile in three decades. Parks’ “innovative employment standards” in using the AIM-9M instead of the newer AIM-9X; and his use of relatively inexpensive AGR-20F Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rockets, designed for air-to-ground combat, in an air-to-air role, also helped save the Air Force $25 million, the service said.

Six of the 108 aerial victories the squadron notched helped protect the USS Harry S. Truman, deployed to the region with more than 5,000 sailors onboard, and another five of the shoot-downs were missiles targeting his own aircraft, according to releases.

At the ceremony, Parks described cycling through peaceful and panicked feelings during his high-stakes mission.

“That loneliness settles in, even though it seems like it’s all happening fast, you just feel that moment where ‘I’m feeling very alone out here tonight,’” Parks said, according to releases. “And then that transitioned very quickly to elation. As I got a little bit closer, the [command and control] agencies and the Air Force team started picking me up, and my requests of ‘Hey, I need help! We’re out of gas. I need tankers moved.’”

He added that his family history in Air Force aviation, which includes his dad, an Air Force test pilot, and a grandfather who flew C-47 transport planes in Vietnam, added to the significance of the award. His brother and cousin are also pilots, the Air Force said.

“It is incredible, and this means a lot,” Parks said. “The amount of aviation and everything that we have in our family, that’s what shaped me and helped mold me.”

Recent combat operations involving enemy drones and missiles have resulted in the minting of new Air Force flying aces — a title given to those with five or more air-to-air shoot-downs — for the first time in more than half a century. While it’s not clear whether Parks himself has earned the title of ace, his award sheds light on an emerging era of aerial combat featuring a mix of manned and unmanned systems.

That’s the vision behind the Expeditionary Precision Approach Landing Capability (EPALC) it’s looking to acquire. In a new request for information published Monday, Naval Air Systems Command is asking industry for details about available flight line navigation systems that would allow the Corps to land any of its aircraft, manned or unmanned, in all weather conditions.

According to the solicitation, the navigation system must fit inside an MV-22, CH-53, or C-130 transport and take a four-person team no more than 90 minutes to set up. It has to be able to provide precision approach guidance to aircraft during bad weather that limits visibility to half a mile, and have an operating range of 20 nautical miles. The gear has to be rugged, according to specifications, with “environmentally hardened” features capable of operating in temperatures ranging from -20 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and at humidity levels of 85%.

The requirements all align with Marine Corps “Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations,” a forward-looking operating concept the Corps has developed over the last decade that emphasizes dispersed operations with self-sufficient small units in the littorals, or coastal regions.

EABO “involves the employment of mobile, low-signature, operationally relevant, and relatively easy to maintain and sustain naval expeditionary forces from a series of austere, temporary locations ashore or inshore within a contested or potentially contested maritime area in order to conduct sea denial, support sea control, or enable fleet sustainment,” according to a description published by the service in 2021.

The idea of operating in contested areas also informs security requirements, which include a friend-or-foe identification system, resistance to jamming or spoofing, and the ability to operate silently and with minimal detectable signature.

The new capability described in the RFI parallels the ship-based Joint Precision Approach and Landing (JPALS) system that has revolutionized aircraft carrier landings by providing GPS-based guidance in to the flight deck, taking much of the guesswork (and terror) out of catching the wire, particularly at night or in low-visibility weather conditions.

That’s no coincidence. JPALS is made by RTX-owned Collins Aerospace, which also has developed the land-based expeditionary Joint Precision Approach Landing System (eJPALS), built for rapid deployment and “full functionality within just 90 minutes,” according to the company.

Collins’ “land-based eJPALS and ship-based JPALS systems complement each other seamlessly, working in conjunction with the JPALS airborne software and providing pilots with familiar instrumentation,” an eJPALS fact sheet states. It adds that the system can come with an optional surveillance feature to support air traffic control.

The Marine Corps has already had an opportunity to test out a version of eJPALS. In 2021, the system was quietly shipped to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, for a three-week demo involving 50 landings, including the vertical approaches performed by the service’s F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, according to a report from Breaking Defense.

An executive told the outlet at the time that the Marine Corps was “looking at ways of incorporating [eJPALS] into the next budget request.”

The company has also pitched eJPALS to the U.S Air Force.

The new RFI, which will “allow NAVAIR to conduct and identify possible sources in the commercial marketplace capable of providing Expeditionary Precision Approach Landing Capability,” according to the solicitation, represents an early step toward actually investing and fielding the technology. Interested companies have until Jan. 16 to respond with descriptions of tech that matches NAVAIR’s requirements.

That’s according to a Defense Department report published in June and obtained by Military Times. The congressionally mandated report, which tracks the reporting and adjudication of hazing and bullying within the armed forces but does not include reports from boot camp and entry-level training, shows that while overall numbers remain small, the Marine Corps continues to be the greatest source of complaints among the services. It also shows that data collection on accountability actions for those found to have perpetrated hazing behaviors is inconsistent. 

In fiscal 2024, the last year for which data is available, troops submitted 138 complaints of hazing, of which 31, or 22%, were substantiated. That’s up from 121 complaints and 29 substantiations the previous year. They also made 1,058 reports of bullying, of which 227, or 21%, were substantiated. That’s up from 932 bullying reports and 175 substantiations in fiscal 2023.

While hazing reports saw an upswing in 2024 after three years of steady decline, bullying complaints, both total and substantiated, have been steadily increasing since 2020.

Perhaps the most notable data point is the uneven spread of complaints across the services. In 2020, the first year for which reporting is available, the Marine Corps made up 82% of hazing reports. In 2024, its smallest percentage across the four-year spread, the Corps — the smallest DOD service, except for the Space Force — accounted for 47% of reports.

Bullying reports are more evenly spread across the services. In 2024, the Navy had the most bullying complaints with 381, or 36% of the total, followed by the Air Force at 271 and the Marine Corps at 223. Notably, the Army, the largest service by far, has consistently had among the fewest reports of both hazing and bullying.

What happens following reports of hazing and bullying is not as clear. In 2024, disposition of 44 out of 138 hazing complaints was listed as “unknown,” including 30 of the 66 complaints submitted within the Marine Corps. The same was true for 123 bullying complaints. No hazing or bullying complaints were withdrawn by the complainants themselves during the report time frame. And while some data was provided regarding disciplinary actions for substantiated incidents, it was incomplete. In the Marine Corps, for example, half of the perpetrators of substantiated hazing received nonjudicial punishment, and actions regarding the other half were listed as “other.”

As provided in the recent report, the military definitions of hazing and bullying are somewhat broad. Hazing, according to the report, can be conducted in person or electronically, via social media and other means. It can involve physical actions such as striking another person; pressing or piercing an object into someone else’s skin; “branding, handcuffing, duct taping, tattooing, shaving, greasing, or painting another person;” and subjecting a person to forcible consumption of food, water, alcohol, drugs or any other substance. It can also include oral or written scolding and humiliation; “playing abusive or malicious tricks;” or “encouraging another person to engage in illegal, harmful, demeaning, or dangerous acts.”

Bullying, as defined, is even broader, including “degrading or damaging another’s property or reputation” and “intimidating, teasing, or taunting another person” in addition to the activities listed under hazing. 

Yet, as U.S. Rep. Judy Chu emphasizes, the consequences of hazing and even bullying can be deadly. Chu, a Democrat representing California’s 28th Congressional District, authored the legislative language requiring the military’s annual reports to Congress on hazing. The issue became personal to her in April 2011, when her nephew, Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, took his own life in Afghanistan after a night of “merciless” physical and hazing and scolding meant to punish him for falling asleep at his post, according to an investigation into the event.

Following Hegseth’s address to the generals and an accompanying memo calling for a review of current military definitions of hazing and bullying, Chu sent a letter of concern, signed by 27 other congressional Democrats, to his office.

The letter included five detailed questions regarding the intent and potential impact of narrowing the definition of hazing, setting a Nov. 7 deadline for response.

“We strongly urge DOD to retain the existing definitions and take steps to strengthen hazing prevention and reporting policies, rather than roll back these critical protections,” the authors wrote. “All service members and recruits must be treated with dignity and respect. Weakening these protections will only worsen the existing problem of military hazing and endanger more lives.”

In an interview with Military Times, Chu said Hegseth had not responded by the set deadline, though she’d followed up and still hoped for an answer.

Chu cited other high-profile examples of military hazing with deadly results in the last 15 years, including Raheel Siddiqui, a Muslim Marine recruit who jumped off a roof at boot camp in 2016 following treatment by a drill instructor involving being forced into an industrial clothes dryer, and Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, who died in 2017 of asphyxiation after an apparent hazing incident gone wrong at the hands of Marine Raiders and Navy SEALs.

“This does not serve our military,” Chu said. “We want a strong military where people feel that they’re unified in their desire to protect this country, not where they are torturing one another to the point where certain people feel like they have to kill themselves.”

It’s not yet clear how Hegseth’s memo and exhortation will affect the military. 

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs,” Hegseth said during his Quantico speech. “No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

He specifically addressed entry-level training too, saying that drill instructors and drill sergeants would once again be able to “put their hands on recruits” and “swear.”

A Sept. 30 memo coinciding with Hegseth’s speech ordered a 30-day review of definitions, saying policy defining hazing, bullying and harassment was “overly broad, jeopardizing combat readiness, mission accomplishment, and trust in the organization.”

“When commanders face undue administrative burdens, it distracts from their core mission,” the memo signed by Hegseth stated. “This review aims to strike a balance, ensuring leaders have the tools necessary to foster a warrior ethos rooted in mutual respect and accountability, while also maintaining a lethal and ready Force.”

The memo was signed just before the 43-day government shutdown, which paused or delayed operations across the federal enterprise.

A Pentagon official told Military Times this week there was nothing yet to announce about the review’s progress or findings.

Capt. Gabriel Coppinger, an aviation officer and commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 11th Aviation Regiment, out of Fort Rucker, Alabama; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shane Hawkins, an instructor pilot at Rucker’s 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, recently received the Soldier’s Medal, Rucker officials announced this week. Officials noted that only about 300 soldiers currently wear the award.

In remarks delivered at the ceremony, Coppinger spoke of the toll the crash, which claimed the lives of three soldiers, had taken on those who experienced it.

“This day is not just about recognition; it is a symbol of the journey many of us have endured these past two years,” Coppinger said, according to a news release. “It represents the courage, the pain, and the resilience of those who lived through that day and those we will forever carry in our hearts.”

The two Fort Wainwright-based Apaches collided April 27, 2023, about 50 miles east of Healy, Alaska, while returning from a training flight. The aircrew members killed in the crash included Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah.

The two helicopters had been among a group of 14 Apaches returning to base in clear weather conditions following training. A heavily redacted Army investigation released at the end of 2023 found the collision took place about 30 seconds after the formation executed a turn to head for a mountain pass.

“The pilot of one of the Apaches slowed down and lost sight of the other, then tried to increase airspeed and hit the main rotor blades of the other aircraft. Both of the helicopters then crashed into the side of a mountain,” Alaska news station KTOO reported at the time.

The award citations, and Coppinger’s remarks, shed new light on the aftermath of the crashes and how soldiers in the formation responded.

“Six soldiers flying in three separate aircraft landed without hesitation in the aftermath of the mishap,” Coppinger said, according to the release. “Without regard for their own safety, each of them quite literally ran directly into harm’s way. … If not for their selfless actions, I don’t know that I would be standing before you today.”

He saluted the fallen aviators by name, noting that Wayment had been his co-pilot that day.

“I am honored to have served alongside each of you. Blue skies and tail winds,” he said. “Your memory will forever guide my service.”

Army officials declined to specify which aircraft Coppinger and Hawkins had been in prior to their crash response efforts.

Coppinger and Hawkins, according to their medal citations provided by the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, “put [themselves] back in danger” to provide aid to soldiers following the crash. Coppinger extracted a severely injured soldier from the wreckage of a mishap aircraft and provided immediate medical aid, then “helped coordinate the chaotic scene until air medevac arrived,” according to his citation.

Hawkins, then a chief warrant officer 2, provided aid to three other severely injured soldiers and participated in controlling the chaos until the arrival of a medevac aircraft.

Hawkins’ actions “are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service,” his citation states.