The U.S. Army looks to decommission nine long-range surveillance groups from active duty in 2016 as part of an effort to reorganize the armed forces, Stars and Stripes reported Friday.

Alex Horton writes the Defense Department could decide on the deactivation of three active-duty and six National Guard Long-Range Surveillance companies over the next two months.

Army spokesman Troy Rolan told the publication that commanders identified the nine long-range surveillance groups as low priority.

The LRS units consist of 15 teams with six crew members whose function is to monitor enemy movement and collect intelligence for commanders, Horton reports.

Rolan noted that approximately 882 soldiers serve in the nine remaining LRS units.

The report said LRS troops believe the move to deactivate the units will affect the readiness and battlefield-intelligence gathering efforts of the Army and will put heavy reliance on technology for monitoring needs.

Aircrew members and aviators of the New York Army National Guard based in Rochester participate in the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams Joint Readiness Training Center exercise as they prepare to deploy in Afghanistan early next year.

The Army said Friday the Army units will undergo combat training in real-world scenarios with opposing force, civilian role-players, action monitoring systems and observer-controllers.

JRTC aviation support units will work to move troops and equipment through the training facility to assist units that take the training and the aviators of Detachment 1, Company B, 3rd Battalion and 126th Aviation will prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.

“Being here at JRTC gives us a great opportunity to test the skills of our aviators and soldiers and determine their strengths and abilities to handle high pressure positions before our deployment,” said Cpt. Jesse Cody, the Rochester based aviation detachment commander.

The Rochester aviation unit uses Boeing-built CH-47 Chinook helicopters to transport personnel and cargo when they conduct missions.

Vice Adm. Jan Tighe, former commander of the Fleet Cyber Command and 10th fleet at the U.S. Navy, assumed the roles of director of naval intelligence and deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare.

She took over the posts from Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch, who has retired after a 37-year military career, during a ceremony held Friday at the Pentagon, the Navy said Friday.

Tighe assumed the posts two months after she was nominated by President Barack Obama.

The 32-year Navy veteran started her career within the service branch as a special duty cryptology officer.

Tighe has a Level 3 certification in program management under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and is a member of the Acquisition Professionals Community.

She also held the roles of deputy commander of the Fleet Cyber Command/10th fleet, acting president of the Naval Postgraduate School, director for decision superiority and deputy chief of the U.S. Cyber Command.

Tighe earned the Naval Aviation Observer wings and the Information Dominance Warfare pin during the Operation Desert Shield/Storm in the Persian Gulf as an airborne special evaluator onboard the VQ-1 EP-3E aircraft.

Three Defense Department leaders have testified before the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee that the U.S. needs a nuclear modernization and sustainment strategy to support national and allied security, DoD News reported Thursday.

Karen Parrish writes Robert Scher, assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities, said a modernization effort worth a potential $450 billion over 20 years will help the U.S. shrink its nuclear arsenal.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Robin Rand, Air Force Global Strike Command commander, noted he believes nuclear modernization efforts are “long-overdue” and that plans for the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system, air-launch cruise missile, nuclear weapon storage facilities and more are already in place.

“Comprehensive strategic deterrence and assurance and escalation control require a long approach… and it’s far more than just nuclear weapons and platforms,” added U.S. Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command.

“It is crucial that we modernize our strategic deterrence capabilities, which underpin our national and global security.”

The Government Accountability Office has recommended the Defense Department fully define the Joint Information Environment‘s scope and projected cost as well as create strategies to address DoD’s workforce and security planning.

GAO said Thursday DoD has began efforts to update JIE governance structure and processes including steps to identify decisions and processes the department is required to document in support of the effort and assess the workforce needed to operate JIE.

Auditors said DoD also taken steps to address JIE personnel and security needs but the department still needs to determine the number of staff and skills needed for the initiative and address existing gaps in the workforce.

GAO added it has conducted a study that determined DoD plans to spend a potential $1 billion to implement an element of the JIE by the end of the current fiscal year.

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) William Merz has been named director of the undersea warfare division, or N97, at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and promoted to rear admiral upper half.

He most recently served as commander of the Navy’s Task Force 74, Submarine Group Seven and Task Force 54 in Japan, the Defense Department said Friday.

As N97 director, he will be responsible for the planning, programming and budgeting for acquisition, operational readiness and modernization of the submarine force and its support.

Merz previously led the Naval Mine & Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, Task Force 77, Task Force 144, Naval Reactors Line Locker and Submarine Forces Atlantic.

He also held positions aboard the USS Haddo, USS Boise and USS Proteus submarines and supported various U.S., joint and coalition submarine operations overseas.