Department of War Awards Academy District 20 a $42.7 Million Grant for Douglass Valley K8 School at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

May 7, 2026 |

The Department of War, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, today awarded Academy District 20 a $42.7 million grant as the federal share of a larger $54.1 million project to construct a new Douglass Valley K8 School at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. 

This project will address facility capacity and condition deficiencies that placed Douglass Valley K8 School as #71 on the 2019 Deputy Secretary of Defense "Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List" (Priority List).  Upon completion, 787 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade will be supported through this project.

Funding for this grant is provided under the Department's Public Schools on Military Installations Program.  In making these funds available, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation must give priority consideration to military installations that have schools with the most serious facility capacity and condition deficiencies, as determined by the Priority List.  

A multi-disciplined Federal Evaluation Team, with representatives from the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, reviewed the school project to ensure the award appropriately addresses the noted facility capacity and condition deficiencies. 

In correcting the identified facility condition and capacity issues at the Douglass Valley K8 School, this grant keeps faith with service members, improves the quality of education for defense-connected students, aids in the recruitment and retention of vital skills at the United States Air Force Academy, and enhances partnerships between the community and the installation.

Bumblebee V1 System Sharpens 10th Mountain Division's Counter-Drone Edge

May 7, 2026 | By Army Sgt. Alyssa Norton, 10th Mountain Division |

Soldiers assigned to the 10th Mountain Division began training with the Bumblebee V1 counter-drone system, introducing a capability to improve the warfighter's ability to detect and defeat the threat of unmanned aerial systems on the modern battlefield. 

The training at Fort Drum, New York, brought together soldiers from different units to train on and operate the new system, which is expected to become the Army's standard for future warfighting. Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the premier War Department counter-drone organization, partnered with the 10th Mountain Division to operationally assess low-cost, attritable air-to-air interceptors.  

JIATF-401 invests in training to ensure warfighters can effectively employ emerging technologies, integrating kinetic defeat options to establish a layered defense against UAS threats at home and on the battlefield. 

"Countering drones is both a battlefield and a homeland defense imperative," said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. "Training opportunities like this one at 10th Mountain Division enable us to increase counter-drone capabilities across the entire joint force to keep pace with this threat." 

The Bumblebee is a first-person-view, multirotor drone designed specifically for counter-unmanned aerial system missions. By incorporating automated target recognition, the system can identify and track hostile drones with limited operator input. This allows soldiers to focus on maneuvering, communication and battlefield awareness while the system executes intercept functions. 

"It came to us in a counter-unmanned aerial systems capacity, but we're finding that it's more of a multirole fighter. It can do everything from short-range reconnaissance to detecting threats on the battlefield, on the ground, in the air," said Army Lt. Col. Max Ferguson, the director of operations for 10th Mountain Division. "It has the ability to do launched effects, it's classified as a munition, and we can use it as a one-way attack, or we can use it to drop ordinance." 

The introduction of the Bumblebee V1 reflects lessons learned from recent conflicts, where unmanned systems have become a persistent threat. By incorporating these capabilities into training, the 10th Mountain Division is working to ensure soldiers are prepared to operate in increasingly contested and technologically complex environments. 

"It gets a lot of guys out of the line of fire, so you're not running into bunkers and fortified positions anymore, which makes me feel better, makes everyone feel better," said Army Spc. Cevyn Jay Paydy, an infantryman assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. "It is way safer and more viable to hit with drones and other capabilities before going into anything, so I think it totally enhances our ability to do just about any mission." 

This is the blueprint for how soldiers at the lowest level can access real-time aerial reconnaissance that was once reserved for higher headquarters. Squad and platoon leaders can quickly launch drones to scout terrain, identify enemy positions and adjust movements without waiting for external support. This immediacy compresses decision-making timelines and speeds the pace of engagements. 

"It's a really capable component of a wider system; we have to learn how to integrate it with detection and integrate those sensors with our maneuver," Ferguson said. "This is the beginning of a shift in how we think about a three-dimensional fight where drones are common on the battlefield." 

As the Army continues to modernize, training events like this highlight the growing role of unmanned and counter-unmanned systems in small-unit operations. For the 10th Mountain Division, the integration of the Bumblebee V1 marks a step toward maintaining an advantage against evolving threats. 

"If we are able to eliminate the enemies before friendly forces get there, that's a win for us. We're able to eliminate them without putting friendly lives in danger," said Army Spc. Quentin Martinez, a master trainer assigned to the Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

American Revolutionary War Flags Flown to Inspire Patriotism

May 8, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

The American flag is a symbol of freedom and patriotism, but before the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag in 1777, many other flags were flown.  

As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, here's a look at a few of the various United States flags flown during combat by soldiers, sailors, Marines and militia during the American Revolutionary War.  

Flags were a significant part of the war, as they served to instill esprit de corps in the men and also aided in rallying the troops, as the flag carrier led from the front. They expressed liberty and national identity, as well as a means to assert sovereignty against British rule.  

The use of colors — the term for the banners and flags — dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe, when knights displayed their distinctive symbols and colors on their shields to identify one another on the battlefield. The ancient Romans and Greeks also carried banners with symbols of their leaders into battle.  

Today, the American flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes and Old Glory, serves to unite the nation and inspire patriotism. Although military units have their own colors, all fly the American flag higher, giving it the most prominent position.  

The Hopkinson flag 

Most historians agree that Francis Hopkinson was the designer of the first official American flag. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Hopkinson flag, calling it the Stars and Stripes.  

Since there were only 13 states then, the design featured 13 stripes and 13 six-pointed stars arranged in rows on the field of blue. He also designed a very similar flag for the Navy, which looks similar to today's flag because the red stripes are located at the top and bottom. 

The Hopkinson flag was first carried into combat during the Battle of Brandywine, Sept. 11, 1777, just outside Philadelphia. 

Hopkinson also helped design the Great Seal of the United States and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence; many consider him a Founding Father. 

The Serapis flag 

Featuring 13 blue, red and white stripes and 13 stars, the Serapis flag design is similar to the Hopkinson flag except for the arrangement of stars and the blue stripes. 

The flag has an unusual origin story: it was named for the Royal Navy frigate HMS Serapis. 

The Serapis engaged the American warship USS Bonhomme Richard under the command of Continental Navy Capt. John Paul Jones in the North Sea near England on Sept. 23, 1779. 

The battle resulted in the capture of the Serapis. Jones' ship was badly damaged and sank, so he sailed the Serapis to the neutral Dutch port of Texel without a flag — technically making him a pirate. 

Benjamin Franklin, then an ambassador to France, was asked to provide a flag that Jones could use. Once created, the flag diffused the diplomatic tension, and Jones was released by the Dutch. 

The Serapis flag was one of the first flags of the United States, although it was never used in an official capacity. However, it is strongly associated with Jones and his heroics as one of the great captains of the Continental Navy and his contributions to the war effort. 

The flag is used to this day on the USS John Paul Jones, a missile destroyer commissioned in 1991 to honor the famous captain. It is sometimes called the Franklin flag in honor of the Founding Father who helped create it. 

The Grand Union flag 

Also known as the Congress flag, the Cambridge flag and the Continental Union flag, the Grand Union flag is the first national flag of the United States; it was flown from 1775 to 1776. 

The Grand Union flag consisted of 13 red and white stripes with the British Union Jack located in the area now occupied by stars. The flag was first flown by Continental Navy Lt. John Paul Jones on Dec. 3, 1775, on the USS Alfred. 

The Betsy Ross flag 

Betsy Ross was a professional upholsterer in Philadelphia from the early 1770s until she retired in 1827. While there is no historical evidence, many people believe she designed the American flag. During and after the war, Ross made a variety of military flags over the course of 50 years.   

The Betsy Ross flag is similar to the other flags in that it has 13 stripes and 13 stars on a field of blue, but rather than rows, her design includes five-pointed stars arranged in a circle.