'Progress' on NDAA negotiations — Richardson takes over as CNO — Hunter wants Mabus out Presented by Northrop Grumman

With Louis Nelson, Philip Ewing and Leigh Munsil

A POSSIBLE NDAA COMPROMISE EMERGING? There appears to be movement on the stalled National Defense Authorization conference report, our colleague Austin Wright reports: “The chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are close to resolving a dispute over military health care fees that has ground to a halt negotiations to craft a final version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, according to multiple sources.


“One proposal being considered is to allow a ‘one-time reset’ of Tricare fees — an approach that could kick to next year the contentious issue of whether to green-light the Obama administration’s request for a series of fee increases phased in over a decade. This would be similar to what happened last year, when negotiators agreed to a fee hike for the current fiscal year but rejected long-term fee hikes, saying they might reconsider the 10-year proposal in the future. ‘I think we’re making progress,’ said Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee.

“‘I think that there is an opportunity to look potentially for a smaller, one-time reset of the co-pays that could pass muster.’ He cautioned that ‘negotiations are ongoing.’ Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain also said Thursday there has been ‘progress’ in the House-Senate conference negotiations, which have been stalled since July over Tricare fees and other issues.” http://politico.pro/1MuFIcg

THE CHANGING OF THE WATCH — RICHARDSON TAKES COMMAND: Adm. John Richardson is set to take over as chief of naval operations at 1 p.m. today from Adm. Jonathan Greenert in a ceremony at the Naval Academy up in Annapolis, Maryland. Defense Secretary Ash Carter plans to be there to help officiate. Richardson is “an exceptional leader,” Greenert said in a message to the fleet about his fellow nuclear submarine officer. “You are in excellent hands.”

Richardson is not planning any major shakeups or breaks with Greenert, say people familiar with his thinking, and he may spend his first few weeks as chief simply traveling around the fleet, meeting with sailors and visiting commands around the world. He was surprised to get the call to leave his post as the head of the Naval Nuclear Reactor Program, but people close to him say he’s eager to expand his aperture from reactors and metallurgy to personnel and strategy, both as the boss of the Navy and a new member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In particular, Richardson wants to be an advocate for seapower in his new role as the top naval adviser both to Carter and President Barack Obama, people who know him tell Morning D.

HAPPY FRIDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we’re always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at [email protected], and follow on Twitter @ jeremyherb, @ morningdefense and @ politicopro.

HAPPENING TODAY — AIR COMBAT COMMAND CHIEF AT CSIS: Air Combat Command chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle speaks this morning at the Center for Strategic and International Studies as part of its “Military Strategy Forum.” He'll discuss the Air Force’s current and future challenges on the heels the Air Force Association's annual Air and Space Conference.

WOMEN IN COMBAT DEBATE — HUNTER CALLS FOR MABUS TO STEP DOWN, via our colleague Philip Ewing: “Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is calling for Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to step down after his criticism of a Marine Corps study about the integration of women into infantry units. Hunter, a former Marine, called for Mabus' ouster in a letter to the defense secretary, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO.

“Specifically, Hunter cited Mabus' criticism of the study, which concluded that integrated infantry units were less effective in tests than those made up only of men. And he faulted Mabus' opposition to any Marine Corps request for an exemption to Carter's order that women be admitted to combat roles.” http://politico.pro/1MtJqms

Hunter’s full letter is here, for Pros: http://politico.pro/1Je5CcI

— HASC FEMALE COMBAT VET BACKS MABUS: Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) said Thursday that she agreed with some of the concerns Mabus raised about the study. Speaking at a press conference where she and other female Armed Services members pushed a resolution to honor the two female Army Ranger school grads, McSally said: “I echo some concerns by the secretary of the navy related to, do we take a bunch of combat-trained men and a bunch of non-combat trained support women, and put them together and just wonder how they’re going to do when the women have not actually been through combat training?”

“If a woman can compete and be better than the next guy below her, why would you exclude her from doing that?” McSally added. “We’re saying that what, Serena Williams is not qualified, but Justin Bieber is?” Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the HASC Personnel Subcommittee, said she was seeking a briefing from the Marine Corps on the study.

DoD GITMO TRANSFERS RESUME: Morocco has taken custody of a detainee from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The defense secretary and other U.S. officials "unanimously" endorsed the transfer of Younis Abdurrahman Chekkouri, the Pentagon said, adding his move, after more than 13 years in detention, "took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures."

Chekkouri, 47, is of Moroccan descent and was the co-founder of the Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group, where he oversaw the group's terrorist operations in Afghanistan, according to a 2008 Pentagon dossier. It stated he was uncooperative with U.S. interrogators and warned that if he was released without rehabilitation, close supervision, and the means to reintegrate into society he would likely seek out his former terrorist allies. In 2010 he was recommended his release to another country. His transfer now leaves 115 detainees at Gitmo.

GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE FALLOUT — HOW MUCH DOES FIORINA’S MILITARY PLAN COST? Kate Brannen crunches the numbers for The Daily Beast: “GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina put forward an ambitious plan for expanding the U.S. military during the Republican debate Wednesday night. One thing she didn’t mention: How much her plan would cost. The answer: more than $500 billion — on top of the more than the $5 trillion the Pentagon plans to spend over the next 10 years.

“She said she wants 50 Army brigades, 36 Marine battalions, between 300 and 350 naval ships, and an upgrade of ‘every leg of the nuclear triad.’ These numbers seem to be pulled straight from a report released by the conservative Heritage Foundation this year. The conservative think tank says a U.S. military of this size is necessary so that it has the ability to fight and win two major wars at the same time.” http://thebea.st/1NAwNop

WHO’S TO BLAME FOR THE SYRIAN REBEL DEBACLE? The White House is distancing itself from the train-and-equip program, The New York Times’ Peter Baker notes: “By any measure, President Obama’s effort to train a Syrian opposition army to fight the Islamic State on the ground has been an abysmal failure. The military acknowledged this week that just four or five American-trained fighters are actually fighting.

“But the White House says it is not to blame. The finger, it says, should be pointed not at Mr. Obama but at those who pressed him to attempt training Syrian rebels in the first place — a group that, in addition to congressional Republicans, happened to include former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.” http://nyti.ms/1MuIsq1

— SYRIAN ARMY STARTS USING NEW WEAPONS FROM RUSSIA, reports Reuters:“The Syrian military has recently started using new types of air and ground weapons supplied by Russia, a Syrian military source told Reuters on Thursday, underlining growing Russian support for Damascus that is alarming the United States. ‘The weapons are highly effective and very accurate, and hit targets precisely,’ the source said in response to a question about Russian support. ‘We can say they are all types of weapons, be it air or ground.’” http://reut.rs/1NAwIkG

BERGDAHL HEARING GETS UNDERWAY, via the Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe:“Army prosecutors began laying out their case Thursday against the soldier at the heart of the most closely watched military desertion case in decades, arguing that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl sneaked away from his base in Afghanistan under cover of darkness in an effort to get the attention of his commanding general. Bergdahl, 29, was charged in March with desertion and misbehavior for allegedly walking off his patrol base alone and without a firearm in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.” http://wapo.st/1MuILRS

MAKING MOVES — TOP OSHKOSH EXEC IS RETIRING: Oshkosh Corporation CEO Charles Szews is retiring on Dec. 31, the company said Thursday. Wilson Jones, currently Oshkosh Corporation president and chief operating officer, who has been with the company since 2005, will take over. Jones's succession was long planned, Oshkosh said. The Oshkosh Defense unit was selected by the Army and Marine Corps earlier this month over a team led by Lockheed Martin and Humvee-maker AM General to build the new fleet of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles.

SPEED READ

— The Taliban stormed a mosque in Pakistan on a military base today, killing 16 worshipers and sparking an hours-long firefight. The Associated Press: http://bit.ly/1MuIPkx

— The Islamic State claims responsibility for twin suicide bombing in Baghdad Thursday that killed at least 11 people. WSJ: http://on.wsj.com/1NAwAS4

— In the wake of successful nuclear negotiations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have voiced widely different positions on their nation’s relationship with the U.S. NYT: http://nyti.ms/1NA8g2K

— In the first ever live TV interview for such a director, the head of Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence agency calls for more power to combat terrorism. NYT: http://nyti.ms/1NA8qHA

— China’s construction of another airstrip on its contested man-made islands in the South China Sea could close a gap in its anti-submarine defenses, complicating operations in the Pacific for the U.S. Reuters: http://reut.rs/1NA9hrD

— A small number of U.S. troops partner with local forces in Niger to help combat militant group Boko Haram. Reuters: http://reut.rs/1MuGO84

— Air Force Secretary Deborah James says changes in the nature of warfare and terrorism could prompt an update to the eligibility rules for valor medals. Military Times: http://bit.ly/1NA9ZFm

POLITICO’S WHAT WORKS D.C.: Join POLITICO Magazine for the next in their What Works series, focusing on the future of Washington, D.C. Featured speakers include: Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Delegated Deputy Secretary John King, Department of Education; Karen Mills, former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and senior fellow at Harvard University; and more. Find out more http://politi.co/1LgPvkI and RSVP here.

DEBRIEF FRIDAY PREVIEW: Every Friday, the Agenda’s Debrief catches you up on the policy conversation for the week ahead. In two minutes. This week on the Friday Preview: the Pope, China, and the Budget. Watch it here: http://www.politico.com/agenda-video/

The newest installment of POLITICO Magazine’s “What Works” series explores how Portland is intent on lessening their carbon foot print as it leads the way in passive construction in the U.S. From the outside Mayor Charlie Hales’ first term might appear to have been a huge success but back home Portland residents are increasingly voicing concerns that their green city is losing its pride of place. Read more about Portland’s passive house movement http://politi.co/1aniZgh

Follow us on Twitter Dave Brown @dave_brown24



Bryan Bender @bryandbender



Connor O'Brien @connorobriennh



Jacqueline Feldscher @jacqklimas



Lara Seligman @laraseligman