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Conference Wire: The Space Symposium Must Go On

In this edition of Conference Wire, a preview of the conference's top agenda items.

Threats

China’s Top Priority In Afghanistan Is Stability, Experts Say

Three miles away from the Kabul airport chaos, it’s business as usual at the Chinese embassy.

Policy

US Has Evacuated 42,000 from Kabul; 16,000 in last 24 Hours Alone, Pentagon Says

The pace is still rising; Taliban have threatened “consequences” if U.S. forces remain beyond Aug. 31.

Threats

Defense Secretary Orders US Airlines to Help With Evacuation

It's only the third time in history that the U.S. airlines have been mobilized by the military.

Policy

US Helicopters Rescued 169 Americans Outside Airport; More Ops Could Follow

Biden “will mobilize every resource necessary” to save more, but U.S. has yet to test Taliban checkpoints. Meanwhile, fuel-strained air operations resume.

Ideas

What Comes Next? A Lesson from Saigon

Rather than marking the eclipse of American power, withdrawal from Vietnam coincided with its spectacular increase.

Policy

It Really Was 800+ Afghans on That Plane. They Forgot to Count the Kids.

The iconic photo of Reach 871, the packed U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane, touched people around the world—and highlighted the dire situation now facing Afghans.

Ideas

The Pentagon Must Prep Now for the Next Pandemic

We must take stock of the myriad ways the U.S. military has helped fight COVID-19—and learn to do even better.

Defense Systems

How COVID-19 is driving the military’s move to mobile RFID

The need to securely track assets of a mobile workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic has made a clear case for the military to adopt mobile RFID.

Threats

At Kabul Airport, 2,000 Marines Provide Security and Process Evacuees

Meanwhile, the airfield perimeter is mostly held by soldiers of the 82nd Airborne.

Ideas

These Afghans Were Our Allies. Now We Must All Help Them Become Our Neighbors

Americans have a new chance to serve the interpreters and others who helped our troops in battle.

Policy

More Seats Than Passengers: Paperwork, Taliban Slow Afghanistan Evacuation

But the pace is picking up. Some 6,000 "will soon board planes," a State Department spokesman said.

Defense Systems

Was DOD ready for telework in 2020?

Slow networks, a lack of management buy-in and the need for more government equipment all affected how DOD feds transitioned to telework at the start of the pandemic, new reports from DOD's IG found.