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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Nov. 17, 2021, in Washington. The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Pentagon issues rules aimed at stopping rise of extremism

By Lolita C. Baldor - Associated Press

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pauses while speaking during a media briefing at the Pentagon on Nov. 17, 2021, in Washington. Oklahoma's Republican governor and the state attorney general are suing in federal court to exempt the state's National Guard from a Biden administration COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Gov. Kevin Stitt argued in a statement Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, that the Biden administration's Defense Department overstepped its constitutional authority by subjecting the National Guard to the mandate it imposed on the active-duty military. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Pentagon anti-extremism rules target service members on social media

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder, left, receives the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine given at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Dec. 16, 2020, south of Seattle. The Army says 98% of its active duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week’s deadline for the shots. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) ** FILE **

Thousands of soldiers miss vaccine deadline as Army weighs mass purge

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

In this file photo, U.S. Army medic Kristen Rogers of Waxhaw, N.C. fills syringes with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in North Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) **FILE**

As Army hits mandate deadline, services ponder next moves

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., center, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, pay their respects during a ceremony to honor the life of Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, as he lies in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 in Washington. (Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Iran nukes on the agenda for Pentagon discussions between U.S., Israel defense chiefs

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Rep. Adam Smith in a file photo from April 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Hot-button issues pulled from NDAA, big boost in funding left in

By Joseph Clark - The Washington Times

In this undated file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea. China flew more than 30 military planes, including SU-30 fighter jets, toward Taiwan on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2021, the second large display of force in as many days.(Jin Danhua/Xinhua via AP) **FILE**

Pentagon warns China is preparing for military campaign to take over Taiwan

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Critics pan Pentagon’s strategic posture review, lack of action on China threat

By David R. Sands - The Washington Times

Ohio National Guard's Pfc. Trey Risner, assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, prepares to operate the Avenger Air Defense System during exercise Forager 21 on July 30, 2021, Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands. The Avenger is a self-propelled surface-to-air missile system which provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units. Exercise Forager 21 exercises our ability to conduct strategic deployment and Joint operational maneuver of forces into and across the Indo-Pacific theater. (Photo by Army Spc. Olivia Lauer) **FILE**

Eyeing China, Pentagon to shift resources, seek access from Pacific allies

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

In this June 3, 2011, file photo, the Pentagon building is seen from air from Air Force One.
The Defense Department's comptroller said on Nov. 16, 2021, that senior leadership is making steady progress in getting the Defense Department’s financial house in order, even as most military agencies and services once again failed to receive a clean bill of health in their annual audit.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) **FILE**

Gaming it out: Inside the Pentagon’s preparation for a China clash

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

Illustration on Congress and UFOs by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Congressional encounters with UFOs

By Dillon Guthrie

In this file photo, Hickam 15th Medical Group hosts the first COVID-19 mass vaccination on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. (U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Nelson Jr./Department of Defense via AP)

System strained as military personnel seek religious waivers from COVID-19 vaccine

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

In this file photo, China's People's Liberation Army displays DF-26 ballistic missiles in a parade. Over just the past several months, major revelations about the extent of China's hypersonic weapons capabilities, its nuclear arms stockpile, and even the size of its navy have sparked concerns that Washington may not have a full window into exactly what its 21st-century rival has up its sleeve, or what may be under development deep inside the communist nation. (Associated Press/File)

‘Not messing around’: China’s rapid military advances stoke fear, catch Pentagon by surprise

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

Taliban fighters block roads after an explosion Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. An explosion went off Tuesday at the entrance of a military hospital in Kabul, killing several people and wounding over a dozen, health officials said. (AP Photo/Ahmad Halabisaz)

Outside looking in: After Afghanistan, U.S. scrambles for bases in central Asia

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

In this Oct. 19, 2012, photo, Chinese navy vessels take part in a drill in the waters off Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang province. (AP Photo) **FILE**

Pentagon: China’s navy is now world’s largest with 460 warships by 2030

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks via video link to leaders at the G20 Summit from Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. President Xi has been absent from the Group of 20 summit in Rome and global climate talks in Scotland, drawing criticism from U.S. President Joe Biden and questions about China's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (Yue Yuewei/Xinhua via AP)

Pentagon details China info war on U.S.

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

U.S. Navy F-35 jets fly over Levi's Stadium during the national anthem before an NFL divisional playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) ** FILE **

F-35 crossroads: Critics, supporters clash on future of cutting-edge fighter jet

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

In this file photo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Gen. Milley has insisted there was “a significant degree of intelligence” indicating the Chinese military was on alert for a U.S. attack in October 2020 in the hectic run-up to the November U.S. presidential election, a claim disputed by civilian defense officials who served in the Trump administration. (Rod Lamkey/Pool via AP) **FILE**

‘Very close’ to a ‘Sputnik moment’: Top general sounds alarm over China’s hypersonic weapons test

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

A goose is startled as Northup Grumman's Antares rocket lifts off the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Island flight facility in Wallops Island, Va., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. The rocket is delivering cargo to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Army-Navy team launches rockets to test hypersonic weapons

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Taliban fighters stand guard during women's protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahmad Halabisaz) ** FILE **

‘Plan Z’: With Afghanistan lost, U.S. weighs help from Taliban, adversaries in terror fight

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times