F-47 Goes the Distance, not the VA, Less Brass - More Ass, Lasers, Pakistani Jihad, and more.

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Alright, enough of the BS - Let's smoke straight to the butt of these headlines.

Topics:

• VA's Overpayment Battle: Veterans Caught in the Crossfire
• Trimming Brass, Boosting Battle: U.S. Military’s Warfighting Focus
• Screaming Eagles Soar First: 101st to Field Army’s Game-Changing FLRAA
• Laser Links Locked In: Space Force’s $100M Leap for MILNET
• Air Force Hits Pause on Orders, Not Freedom: Budget Woes Delay Moves
• Pakistan Army’s Jihad Doctrine: Faith Fuels the Fight
• Lockheed’s Mass. Layoffs: 64 Jobs Cut in Defense Shake-Up

VA's Overpayment Battle: Veterans Caught in the Crossfire

The VA overpaid veterans $5.1B in benefits from 2021 to 2024 due to administrative errors and unreported changes in veterans’ status, like dependents or eligibility, representing less than 1% of the VA’s $161B 2024 payouts. These mistakes lead to repayment demands, sometimes years later, causing financial strain and confusion for veterans, with some facing unexpected debts. Congress is pressing the VA to address this issue, highlighted in a recent House Subcommittee hearing, as veterans report feeling “angry or suicidal” over these “financial nightmares.” The VA has reduced improper payments by 85% since 2018 and resolved a 2024 error for 15,000 veterans without requiring repayment, but lawmakers demand better communication and processes to prevent future issues.

Trimming Brass, Boosting Battle: U.S. Military’s Warfighting Focus

The U.S. military is cutting 20% of its four-star general positions to streamline leadership and boost efficiency, as announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This means a focus on keeping top leaders in roles critical to combat readiness and global deterrence, especially in commands that directly support warfighting and alliances. The goal is to maintain strength against adversaries like China and Russia, despite a smaller, leaner force. Critics warn that poorly planned cuts could disrupt leadership continuity and weaken strategic depth, but supporters argue it prioritizes lethality over bureaucracy, ensuring the military remains a “warfighting machine.”

Screaming Eagles Soar First: 101st to Field Army’s Game-Changing FLRAA

The U.S. Army has selected the 101st Airborne Division, known as the Screaming Eagles, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to receive its first Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), the MV-75, a tiltrotor designed to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. Chosen for their rapid deployment and ability to operate in tough, contested environments, the 101st will use the FLRAA’s enhanced speed and range—twice that of current helicopters—to conduct air assault missions over vast distances. The Army aims to field the first aircraft by 2030, with potential to accelerate to 2028, using digital engineering to speed development. This will transform how you, as a veteran, see air assault tactics, doctrine, and sustainment evolve for modern warfare.

Laser Links Locked In: Space Force’s $100M Leap for MILNET

The U.S. Space Force has selected CACI, General Atomics, and Viasat for Phase 2 of its $100M Enterprise Space Terminal (EST) program, eliminating Blue Origin from the initial four competitors. This means the Space Force is advancing laser-based communication terminals to create a secure, high-speed data network for military satellites across various orbits, known as MILNET. These terminals, designed to be compact and cost-effective, will enhance battlefield communication with faster, more resilient data transfer compared to traditional radio systems. The program, started in June 2024, aims to have prototypes ready for testing by 2030, ensuring robust national security data flow in space.

Air Force Hits Pause on Orders, Not Freedom: Budget Woes Delay Moves

The Air Force has paused issuing separation orders for airmen with approved dates on or after January 1, 2025, and retirement orders for dates on or after April 1, 2025, due to budget shortfalls, not a “stop loss” policy. This means delays in receiving move-related paperwork, but approved separation and retirement dates remain unchanged. The Air Force aims to process orders within 90 days for separations and 180 days for retirements, allowing time for transition planning. Airmen can request policy exceptions to leave earlier, but delays may complicate moves, and financial obligations should be avoided until orders are received. This is the second budget-related delay in three years, with critics urging better financial planning to avoid impacting airmen’s lives.

Pakistan Army’s Jihad Doctrine: Faith Fuels the Fight

The Pakistan Army’s spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, recently stated that jihad, alongside Islam, is integral to the army’s training and operations, reflecting its motto: “Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fi Sabilillah” (faith, piety, struggle in the name of God). This means the army embeds religious ideology, specifically jihad, into its military doctrine, influencing operations like “Bunyanum Marsoos,” named to symbolize a “steel wall” of fighters for Allah. This stance, rooted in General Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization policies since the 1970s, blurs lines between state military and non-state militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, raising concerns about ties to extremism. Critics, including India, highlight this as evidence of Pakistan’s support for terrorism, while the army defends it as a core part of its identity.

Lockheed’s Mass. Layoffs: 64 Jobs Cut in Defense Shake-Up

Lockheed Martin, a major defense contractor, is laying off 64 employees at its Andover, Massachusetts, facility starting July 5, 2025, as part of an annual business review. This means job cuts primarily affecting engineering, product operations, and quality teams at the Missiles and Fire Control site, which develops the GridStar Flow Battery project. The layoffs, reported under the WARN Act, don’t impact the company’s Chelmsford location. While Lockheed Martin didn’t specify reasons beyond the review, the move aligns with broader industry trends of cost-cutting and restructuring, potentially affecting local veteran employment opportunities in defense and clean energy sectors.

F-47’s 1,000+ Mile Reach: Redefining Air Dominance

The U.S. Air Force’s F-47, a sixth-generation fighter under Boeing’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, now has an official combat radius of over 1,000 nautical miles, as shared by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. This means the F-47, set to replace the F-22 Raptor, will fly 70% farther without refueling than the F-22’s 590-mile radius, enhancing its ability to penetrate deep into enemy territory, like China’s anti-access/area denial zones, with advanced stealth and AI-driven drone control. With a top speed over Mach 2 and plans for 185+ aircraft by 2029, it’s a leap in air superiority, though some argue the range may not fully counter future threats.

Current VA Rates:

USAA VA Mortgage

As of today:

• VA Purchase Loan: 6.250% Interest / 6.593% APR / 0.988 Discount Points
• VA Jumbo Purchase Loan: 6.250% Interest / 6.578% APR / 0.924 Discount Points

Navy Federal Credit Union VA Mortgage

As of today:

• 15 Year: 5.125% Interest / 5.773% APR / 0.250 Discount Points
• 30 Year: 5.750% Interest / 6.223% APR / 1.000 Discount Points

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