With aging jets and a shortage of pilots, the Air Force weighs buying throwback ‘light-attack’ planes; Retired generals cite past comments from Mattis while opposing Trump’s proposed foreign aid cuts; Nominee to be Navy secretary withdraws; It’s ISIS, not ISIL, the Pentagon informs staff in new memo; ‘Greatest threat to democracy’: Commander of bin Laden raid slams Trump’s anti-media sentiment;   A military blog by Dan Lamothe   With aging jets and a shortage of pilots, the Air Force weighs buying throwback ‘light-attack’ planes Vietnam-era propeller planes already have carried out airstrikes against the Islamic State. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   Retired generals cite past comments from Mattis while opposing Trump’s proposed foreign aid cuts Mattis gave a full-throated defense of 'soft power' spending in 2013. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   Nominee to be Navy secretary withdraws The Trump administration’s choice to become the next Navy secretary has pulled his name from consideration, the Pentagon said Sunday, the second nominee to head a military service who has bowed out in recent weeks. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced that Philip Bilden, a private equity fund manager, had withdrawn his name in a decision … By Missy Ryan  •  Read more »   It’s ISIS, not ISIL, the Pentagon informs staff in new memo The Pentagon has instructed defense officials to use the acronym ISIS, not ISIL, when referring to the Islamic State, abandoning the convention of the Obama administration and embracing the term preferred by President Trump. In a memo signed last week, a senior Defense Department official informed military departments to adopt the new term as they communicate … By Missy Ryan  •  Read more »   ‘Greatest threat to democracy’: Commander of bin Laden raid slams Trump’s anti-media sentiment "Never has the government openly challenged the idea of a free press,” said retired Navy admiral William H. McRaven, chancellor of the University of Texas System. By Kristine Phillips  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   World news alerts Get immediate updates in your inbox on breaking news from around the world. Visit washingtonpost.com/newsletters for more breaking news alerts and newsletters. Sign Up »         Share Checkpoint:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Checkpoint or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071