PA EST AOI Mgmt Sync Group 05-16-23 (FOIA 22-F-0249)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian
General Staff, as an exercise of continued communication to reduce risk and operational conflict amid rising concerns of
a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported. Additionally, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kath leen Hicks
announced the creation of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group, which will
investigate "unidentified aerial phenomena" found in restricted military airspace, according to the New York Times. Also
of note, the Pentagon continues to search for logistical solutions to pandemic-related supply chain challenges that have
upended the defense industry, Defense News wrote.
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TOP STORIES
1. Top U.S., Russian Military Chiefs Talk Amid Ukraine Tensions
Bloomberg News, Nov. 23 (1351) I Tony Capaccio
The top military officers of the U.S. and Russia spoke Tuesday as tensions remain high over Moscow's deployment of
about 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine. General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and
General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, talked by phone about "several security-related issues of
concern," according to a statement from the Joint Chiefs. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the call, lnterfax
reported, without providing details.
2. Pentagon Forms a Group to Examine Unexplained Aerial Sightings
New York Times Online, Nov. 24 (0008) I Julian E. Barnes
The Pentagon on Tuesday night announced a new group to investigate reports of unidentified aerial phenomena in
sensitive areas, work that will be overseen by both the military and the intelligence agencies. The group will lead an
effort to "detect, identify and attribute objects" in restricted airspace, as well as mitigate any threats to military flights.
3. 'No company is immune': Supply chain woes weigh on defense firms
Defense News Online, Nov. 23 (1050) I Stephen Losey
More than a year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic began to rock supply chains around the world, the defense
industry is still wrestling with its fallout - and figuring out how to move forward amid the turmoil. From massive
deliveries of steel and aluminum needed to build the military's newest ships and aircraft to landing gear brakes to items
as small as semiconductors, supply chain shortages or delays have upended the plans of defense firms of all sizes.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
4. Key Pentagon Posts Remain Vacant Amid Supply-Chain Crisis
DefenseOne.com, Nov. 23 (1650) I Marcus Weisgerber
In March 2020, as the coronavirus spread and millions of employees around the country were told to work from home,
the Pentagon's acquisition and sustainment office mobilized to figure out how they could safely keep open companies
critical to national security. But the office has been leaderless since Jan. 19, when Ellen Lord, the Trump administration's
defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, stepped down. And those government-industry conference
calls have stopped.
5. ' Forever Chemicals' Exposure Data Emerging From Federal Studies
Bloomberg News, Nov. 23 (1704) I Pat Rizzuto
The findings of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and six other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the
blood of 459 people living in Westfield, Mass., near Barnes Air National Guard Base were among the first study results
recently posted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The study is one of eight Congress ordered the
agency, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to conduct to better understand the extent of exposure
to PFAS in drinking water resulting from military bases. It will discuss the findings with the community at a Dec. 9 public
meeting.
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