The Army Brief: Soldiers return to Kabul; Civilian director at CID; Masks at trade shows; and more...

Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future. 

Troops redeploy to Afghanistan. The U.S. is sending 3,000 troops—including a battalion of soldiers—to Kabul to help with the evacuation of U.S. embassy staff and Afghan refugees, Defense One reports. The Taliban has taken over a dozen provincial capitals in the last several days, raising alarms about the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country ahead of a full American withdrawal by the end of the month. 

NCIS special agent to lead Army CID. Special Agent Gregory D. Ford has been tapped to be the first civilian director of the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command as part of a restructuring of the organization, Defense One reports. The new position breaks up the responsibilities of the general officer dual-hatted as the Army’s provost marshal and the CID commanding general.

AUSA moves ahead with in-person conference. People coming to this year’s Association of the U.S. Army conference will be required to wear masks, but the organization probably won’t cap attendee numbers, Defense One reports. With the growing concern about the Delta variant across the country, some conferences are asking that attendees wear masks. 

Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Aug. 12, 1898, fighting in the Spanish-American war came to an end, with the United States gaining the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico from Spain, and Cuba becoming a U.S. protectorate. Future president Theodore Roosevelt and then-Col. Leonard Wood organized the 1st U.S. Voluntary Cavalry regiment, better known as the “Rough Riders,” to fight in the war.

From Defense One

COVID-19 Vaccines Will Become Mandatory For Troops Next Month—or Sooner; // Jacqueline Feldscher: Biden says he will approve Austin's recommendation to require vaccinations by mid-September, or sooner if the FDA formally approves them.

What Will Decrease Training Deaths? More Training, GAO Says // Elizabeth Howe: A recent increase in non-combat vehicle deaths could be reversed with more, better training, GAO’s newest report says.

Climate Change Is Already Disrupting the Military. It Will Get Worse, Officials Say // Patrick Tucker: Even as wildfires drain National Guard resources, the Pentagon is racing to develop computer models that can better guide decisions about sustainability efforts.