Hegseth also announced that the active-duty obligation for troops who opt to return to service is slashed in half from four years to just two years.

Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland, 68, was last seen on the morning of Feb. 27 at his residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico, authorities said.

Six crew members were killed when a US Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, US Central Command announced Friday morning. The Tampa, Fla.-based command said the crash of the KC-135 Stratotanker followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace” “The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

As military bases around the country ramp up security, experts say MacDill Air Force Base plays a vital role in U.S. military operations.

Military officials say a shooting that left one person dead and another injured on a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico was an isolated domestic incident.

A US KC-135 Stratotanker, a refueling aircraft, went down in western Iraq on Thursday, the US military said, though the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.” The statement did not specify whether any US service members were hurt or killed.