The Army Brief: National Guard support of natural disasters; Forever War continues; Drafting women; and more...

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

National Guard support. More than a dozen states are helping the California and Louisiana National Guards respond to wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, at a time when both states have a number of personnel deployed overseas, Defense One reports. The states had coordinated this support during a summer conference, to be ready in case of emergencies while their units were deployed.

War on terror continues. The end of boots on the ground in Afghanistan is not the end of counterterrorism operations there, President Joe Biden said this week, Defense One reports. The United States plans to continue using “over-the-horizon” capabilities, like drones, to target terrorist groups such as ISIS-K with air strikes.

Drafting women. The House Armed Services Committee approved a proposal for their FY22 defense authorization bill that would require women to sign up for the selective service, Military Times reports. The move comes several years after combat roles were opened to women. 

Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Sept. 1, 1939, Army Gen. George Marshall was sworn in as the Army chief of staff, the same day Germany invaded Poland. He would remain in that role until the end of World War II.

From Defense One

US Army Wants to Put Facial Recognition in Daycare Centers // Aaron Boyd: A pilot system at Fort Jackson would begin “monitoring the health and well-being of children."

Lawmakers Load Defense Bill With Measures Demanding Answers for Afghanistan's Fall—and Its Future // Jacqueline Feldscher: Armed Services Committee members passed several bipartisan Afghanistan-related amendments amid partisan jabs at Biden.

No US Military Dogs Were Left Behind in Afghanistan, DOD Says // Elizabeth Howe: Pentagon officials say the caged dogs in viral photos aren’t military working dogs, all of which were evacuated.

China Hawks Try for Beijing Olympics Boycotts on Defense Bill // Jacqueline Feldscher: Democrats rejected proposals that could affect military bases, but unlikely allies appear to be forming.