AlaDefense.com

Auburn University appoints DOD’s former Space Development Agency head as director of space innovation

September 12, 2025

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CYBERSECURITY, SPACE FORCE

Derek Tournear (DOD photo by USMC Sgt. Taryn Escott, June 2021) By Troy Turner [email protected] AUBURN – Auburn University recently announced the hiring of Derek Tournear, former director of the Space Development Agency, as its inaugural director of space innovation, signaling the university’s growing technology role in contributing to national security. The Space Development Agency…
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Coast Guard moves forward with shipbuilder Austal USA contract in Offshore Patrol Cutter program

September 10, 2025

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COAST GUARD, CONTRACTS

MOBILE — The U.S. Coast Guard exercised options worth $314 million to shipbuilder Austal USA for additional production in the Offshore Patrol Cutter program, the company recently announced. The contract options provide Austal USA approval to order long lead-time materials for another three cutter vessels. They will be the fourth, fifth and sixth produced by…
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TURNER: A closer look behind the podium in bringing SPACECOM HQ to Alabama

September 6, 2025

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COMMENTARY

A screenshot of President Trump’s press conference. < COMMENTARY By Troy Turner [email protected] It was a celebratory moment for Alabama’s GOP congressional delegation, and not even President Trump’s punchlines about Alabama and Auburn football could distract for long from his announcement of making Huntsville, Alabama, the permanent home for U.S. Space Command Headquarters. The hard-fought…
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DOD picks up an old name: Department of War

September 6, 2025

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Uncategorized

The Old Executive Office Building, also known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and 17th Street, NW in Washington. It once housed the War Department, State Department and Navy Department. (Library of Congress) By Matthew Olay, Department of War President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order Friday changing…
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Trump announces relocation of U.S. Space Command to Alabama

September 3, 2025

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Uncategorized

By Matthew Olay, DOD News During a press conference at the White House today, President Donald J. Trump announced that U.S. Space Command — one of the Defense Department’s 11 unified combatant commands — would be relocating from Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. “I am thrilled to report…
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UPDATE: ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED TODAY …….GAO report reaffirms selection process that chose Huntsville, Alabama, as preferred site for U.S. Space Command HQ

September 2, 2025

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AIR FORCE, ARMY, CYBERSECURITY, MARINES, NAVY, SPACE FORCE

(UPDATE: President Trump is expected to announce today, Sept. 2, 2025, that Space Command HQ will indeed move to Huntsville, Alabama. More stories, commentary to come. The story below was published in May 2025 as background on why the move could be warranted.) By Troy Turner [email protected] Huntsville, Alabama, is where the U.S. Air Force…
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U.S Navy seeks SABER cybersecurity support from Huntsville company in $87 million deal

August 31, 2025

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CONTRACTS, NAVY

By Troy Turner [email protected] The U.S. Navy awarded Hexagon US Federal Inc.’s Huntsville operation an almost $87.5 million contract modification for technology support that includes a diverse set of awareness system and cybersecurity enhancement. The contract calls “for the procurement of surface ship Situational Awareness, Boundary Enforcement and Response (SABER) computing hardware production, spare parts…
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Auburn Aviation recruits veteran F-16 fighter pilot to oversee flight education

August 29, 2025

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Uncategorized

By Charlotte Tuggle Auburn University Auburn University’s School of Aviation welcomed David “Rock” Bottomlee to its program this summer as the new director of flight education. Bottomlee is a retired Air Force colonel who has flown more than a hundred combat missions, conducted thousands of hours of flight instruction in fighter aircraft, served as dean of the…
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Austal USA launches first U.S. Navy Landing Craft Utility vessel

August 29, 2025

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COAST GUARD, CONTRACTS, NAVY

MOBILE, Alabama — Austal USA recently launched the company’s first U.S. Navy Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessel at its ship manufacturing facility in Mobile. LCU 1710 is the first of 12 Navy LCUs under contract at Austal USA, part of a $91.5 million contract awarded by the Navy in 2023. Austal USA has three LCUs…
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Full steam ahead: Anniston Army Depot completes first locomotive overhaul

August 28, 2025

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ARMY

By Kayla BarrettAnniston Army Depot ANNISTON, Alabama – Anniston Army Depot made history June 23 with the completion of its first-ever full locomotive overhaul, rolling out Locomotive Serial 1400 after years of hands-on work, dedication and depot-wide collaboration. The milestone marks a major achievement not only for the Defense Non-Tactical Generator and Rail Equipment (DGRC)…
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Medal of Honor recipient from Brewton fought to the end while saving comrades

August 25, 2025

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ARMY

By Katie Lange, DOD News Army Sgt. William Wayne Seay risked his life numerous times to save his comrades as their convoy was ambushed during an important mission in the Vietnam War. He didn’t survive the firefight to tell his story, but his selfless actions led to a posthumous Medal of Honor. Seay was born Oct.…
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DOD establishes Mexican Border Defense Medal for those serving on Southern border

August 23, 2025

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ARMY, COAST GUARD, MARINES, NAVY

By David Vergun, DOD News Effective immediately, the Mexican Border Defense Medal is established to recognize service members deployed to the U.S. international border with Mexico for Defense Department support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an Aug. 13 memorandum and reported by the DOD news service today. Service…
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