WASHINGTON: The US Army is in the midst of a generational modernization effort, a budget crunch and pivoting away from the Middle East to focus on threats in China and Russia. But that’ll be the focus of a different end of year piece. For this one, we can just have fun. Here are the stories from 2021 (or from the three months that I’ve been with Breaking Defense) that I had the most fun or found the most interesting. And if you don’t notice right away, there’s a common theme: I got to leave the house for these stories. [This article is one of many in a series in which Breaking Defense reporters look back on the most significant (and entertaining) news stories of 2021 and look forward to what 2022 may hold.] 1) Lack of future helo doesn’t stop Army’s Future Vertical Lift experiments in the desert Many Army modernization programs won’t be fielded until the late 2020s, including the Army’s future helicopter: the Future Attack Reconnaissance Air