Thank You
Robert Serge
VVA 17 Member
Blog Master
To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember
From: no-reply@navytimes.com
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Navy Times Early Bird Brief
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 04:50:20 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. West Point responds to Gazette article(Colorado Springs Gazette) West Point's top officer on Sunday took full blame for the school's recruiting violations this year that included courting high school football players with alcohol and VIP treatment on a raucous bus ride. 2. Marine dies in Iraq, second reported loss tied to Islamic State fight (Marine Corps Times) The U.S. military is investigating a Marine's death in Iraq, the ?second reported fatality of an American service member supporting efforts to combat the Islamic State group. 3. Mr. Obama's half-hearted fight against the Islamic State (Washington Post Editorial Board) AN UNLIKELY consensus is emerging across the ideological spectrum about the war against the Islamic State: President Obama's strategy to "degrade and eventually destroy" the terrorist entity is unworkable. It's not just that, as some administration officials say, more time is needed to accomplish complex tasks such as training Iraqi and Syrian forces. It's that the military means the president has authorized cannot accomplish his announced aims. 4. Help, We're In A Living Hell And Don't Know How To Get Out (Esquire) "I didn't get elected to Congress to not get things done-most people here want to get things done. I didn't get elected to Congress to make meaningless speeches on C-SPAN and tell lies about people. I didn't get elected to Congress to scare the hell out of the country and drive the sides further apart. I didn't get elected to Congress because I love politics-I hate politics, to be perfectly honest, and if I didn't before I got here, I do now... ." 5. North Korea Closer to Building Nuclear Missile, Pentagon Says (Wall Street Journal) North Korea probably has the capability to produce a nuclear warhead that could be mounted on a rocket, a top U.S. commander said Friday, moving it closer to building a nuclear missile. DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIANNATO, Russia and Future UK Programs(Defense News) Adm. Sir George Zambellas, Royal Navy First Sea Lord, discusses partnerships and the Royal Navy's size and budgets. Army Operating Concept and Programs (Defense News) Heidi Shyu, assistant secretary of Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, on how the Army's acquisition force will work with the service's new operating concept. Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War (Defense News) "Knife Fights" author John Nagl on the theory of war versus the practice of war. Defense News Adm. Sir George Zambellas web extra (Defense News) Extended interview with Adm. Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord of the UK Royal Navy. EBOLAUTA grad isolated at New Jersey hospital as part of Ebola quarantine(Dallas Morning News) I am a nurse who has just returned to the U.S. after working with Doctors Without Borders in Sierra Leone - an Ebola-affected country. I have been quarantined in New Jersey. This is not a situation I would wish on anyone, and I am scared for those who will follow me. Quarantined nurse to CNN: 'My basic human rights' are being violated (CNN) Kaci Hickox, a nurse placed under mandatory quarantine in New Jersey, went on CNN on Sunday and criticized the "knee-jerk reaction by politicians" to Ebola, saying "to quarantine someone without a better plan in place, without more forethought, is just preposterous." Chris Christie Defends Ebola Quarantines (Huffington Post) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday defended his abrupt Ebola quarantine policy, dismissing concerns that the aggressive treatment of health care workers would prevent American doctors from going overseas to combat the disease. White House Presses States to Reverse Mandatory Ebola Quarantine Orders (New York Times) The Obama administration has been pushing the governors of New York and New Jersey to reverse their decision ordering all medical workers returning from West Africa who had contact with Ebola patients to be quarantined, an administration official said. New York revises controversial policy on Ebola quarantines amid pressure (Washington Post) New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) on Sunday revised a controversial policy to quarantine returning health-care workers from Ebola-stricken nations, under pressure from the Obama administration and medical experts over the aggressive measures. Ebola-quarantined U.S. nurse to sue in test of states' policies (Reuters) New Jersey's mandatory quarantine for certain travelers from Ebola-stricken West Africa will likely face its first legal test this week, after a lawyer for a quarantined nurse said she would file a federal lawsuit within days. Isolation pods will carry troops if they get Ebola (Military Times) The Pentagon is developing isolation pods for the C-17 Globemaster aircraft to carry up to 15 service members should they contract Ebola while supporting Operation United Assistance in Africa. The Fight Against Ebola Is in West Africa, Not the US, Officials Warn (Defense One) Just hours after New York health authorities confirmed the fourth diagnosis of Ebola in the United States, members of Congress grilled medical and military officials on the country's preparedness, warning, "We cannot assume it will be the last." U.S. force to fight Ebola virus starts training in San Antonio (Military Times) The U.S. military effort to help contain the Ebola virus at home and in West Africa is gaining steam. Pentagon speeds up effort to find Ebola treatments (USA Today) The Pentagon, which is dispatching up to 4,000 troops to west Africa to fight Ebola, is seeking a series of new proposals to control the virus that has stricken about 10,000 people in the region. WHO: Number of Ebola-linked cases passes 10,000 (Associated Press) More than 10,000 people have been infected with Ebola and nearly half of them have died, according to figures released Saturday by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread. Ebola crisis rekindles concerns about secret research in Russian military labs (Washington Post) She was an ordinary lab technician with an uncommonly dangerous assignment: drawing blood from Ebola-infected animals in a secret military laboratory. When she cut herself at work one day, she decided to keep quiet, fearing she'd be in trouble. Then the illness struck. ISLAMIC STATEU.S. war planners focus on advisers in Anbar(Military Times) Top U.S. military planners want to expand the limited advise-and-assist mission in Iraq and are talking to allied partner nations about potentially putting non-American troops on the ground to help support the fight against Islamic State group militants, according to several military officials. Missiles of ISIS May Pose Peril for Aircrews (New York Times) From the battlefield near Baiji, an Islamic State jihadist fired a heat-seeking missile and blew an Iraqi Army Mi-35M attack helicopter out of the sky this month, killing its two crew members. General Dempsey to the Rescue (Politico) Apart from an occasional Thursday afternoon meeting between Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the White House, Gen. Martin Dempsey-the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-rarely has opportunities to get face time with the president. So when he does, he presses his advantage. One of the few times this happened was during the early evening hours of Aug. 6, when Dempsey joined Obama in his limousine at the State Department, where the president had been attending a session of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The ride to the White House allowed Dempsey his first one-on-one with Obama in several weeks. As the two sat across from each other in the presidential limousine, Dempsey turned to his commander-in-chief James Foley's Parents Want to Change America's Position on Negotiating With Terrorists (National Journal) James Foley's life might have been saved if the United States changed its policy on negotiating with terrorists, his parents are now saying. In Iraq, U.S. sees hints of Islamic State's defense plan (Washington Post) The Islamic State has laid improvised explosives along a major highway north of Baghdad, revealing for the first time how the militant group is seeking to defend territory it controls from counterattack, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday. ISIS Hostages Endured Torture and Dashed Hopes, Freed Cellmates Say (New York Times) The hostages were taken out of their cell one by one. No direct combat for Iraqi Kurds in Kobani, IS loses ground in Iraq (Reuters) Iraqi Kurdish forces will not engage in ground fighting in the Syrian town of Kobani but provide artillery support for fellow Kurds fending off Islamic State militants there, a Kurdish spokesman said on Sunday. Moderate Syrian Rebels Plead for More Western Help (Wall Street Journal) Moderate rebels in Syria are losing ground in their two-front war against the Assad regime and the extremist group Islamic State, and are pleading for more support from the West. Iraqi troops retake control of Sunni town (Associated Press) Iraqi soldiers backed by Shiite militiamen retook control Sunday of a Sunni town seized previously by Islamic militants, said an Iraqi official and state-run TV, a rare victory for Iraqi security forces that have been battling to regain areas lost to the militants. Christians of Mosul Find Haven in Jordan (New York Times) They were among the final holdouts. Even as many of their neighbors fled the violence that engulfed Iraq after the American invasion, the three men stayed put, refusing to give up on their country or their centuries-old Christian community. INDUSTRYSelex, Raytheon Compete To Supply IFF System to UK(Defense News) Raytheon UK and Selex ES are going head-to-head to supply a new identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system for the British military, the Ministry of Defence announced. Engility wins Marine intel contract (C4ISR & Networks) Engility has been awarded a $9.2 million Marine Corps intelligence contract. Beechcraft T-6C at Center of UK Pilot Training Talks (Defense News) The next generation of British military pilots will be taught their basic flying skills on a Beechcraft T-6C trainer if a deal between Ascent Flight Training and an Israeli-US industry consortium known as Affinity conclude final negotiations. Protests delay implementation of SEWP V contracts (Federal Times) Four companies have filed bid protests to be included in NASA's slate of IT solution contracts under the SEWP V program. Marine Corps Orders Four G/ATORs from Northrop Grumman (Seapower) Northrop Grumman Corp. Electronic Systems in Linthicum Heights, Md., has been awarded a $207 million contract modification from Marine Corps Systems Command for low-rate initial production of four Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems. India Launches Drive To Buy Half of Its Weapons From Indigenous Sources (Defense News) Under a new policy, at least half of India's total weapon and equipment needs in the next 10 to 12 years - worth more than $100 billion - could be produced domestically. Taiwan eyes homegrown submarines after 13-year wait on U.S. deal (Reuters) Taiwan is moving ahead with plans to build its own submarines, with an initial design to be completed by the year-end, after lengthy delays in getting eight vessels under a 2001 U.S. defense deal and as China's navy expands rapidly. Firms Sign Contracts To Kick Off French Vehicle Replacements (Defense News) Team partners Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales have signed the industry side of contracts to develop and build a combat vehicle and a troop carrier, a key step that allows an official review before the government can countersign an order that launches the French Army's Scorpion program, sources close to the deal said. Poland seeks MG-20 Daglezja-G tracked bridge layers (IHS Jane's 360) The Polish Armament Inspectorate has launched a restricted tender procedure for low-rate initial production (LRIP) of two MG-20 Daglezja-G tracked assault bridge layers. Israel Positions Itself To Boost Satellite Business (Defense News) After silently settling what many here have characterized as the most potentially damaging lawsuit in Israeli aerospace history, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has taken full control of ImageSat International (ISI), a company it created to stimulate satellite business, but ended up as a renegade, aspiring rival. China's AVIC outlines 3D printing investment (IHS Jane's 360) The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has outlined its intention to invest further in developing 3D printing technologies in a bid to "catch up" with the world's most advanced aerospace industrial groups. French Navy Plans To Dominate Above, On and Below the Seas (Defense News) Despite a fiscal downturn, France is seeking to continue sailing a blue water Navy able to project maritime power on the waves, silently below and by striking from the air. KMW and Nexter reaffirm April merger date (IHS Jane's 360) European land systems group Nexter and KMW have reiterated that they are to conclude their previously announced union by April 2015. Italy Closing in on Major Patrol Vessel Deal (Defense News) The Italian Navy has nearly finalized its design for a new fleet of offshore multipurpose patrol vessels, one step in a massive 20-year, 5.8 billion euro (US $7.3 billion) funding package. ThyssenKrupp Denies in Talks to Sell Marine Systems to Rheinmetall (Wall Street Journal) ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA.XE) isn't in talks with Rheinmetall AG (RGHM.XE) about selling its marine systems business to the defense technology company, a spokesman for the German steel maker said denying an earlier report by German newspaper Wirstschafts Woche. Europe Struggles With Naval Sector Cooperation (Defense News) DCNS was awarded a relatively light 6 million euro (US $7.6 million) when the French warship builder this year won a little-noticed claim against Italian underwater specialist WASS over the F21 heavy torpedo. Sagem Promotes 'Complete System' of Protection (Defense News) Pirates on the high seas and fast small boats are seen as today's threats to commercial shipping and naval vessels, opening potential markets for naval technology to detect and track such targets, a Sagem senior executive said. French Mistral Ships Operate While Russian Sale Decision Awaits (Defense News) The French Navy deployed two of its three Mistral class helicopter carriers in this month's two-week Catamaran exercise, reflecting the warships' key role in a joint amphibious assault and landing operation. Russians Have Other Nations Wary, But No Defense Increases - Yet (Defense News) Cold War memories were instantly rekindled Oct. 17 when reports emerged of suspected Russian submarine activity in Sweden's coastal waters. Speculation was rife in the media and the blogosphere - it was a submarine, a mini-sub, some sort of underwater vehicle. While the Swedish Navy fanned out searching for contacts, other Baltic countries made searches of their own. Japan Builds Response to Chinese Area-Denial Strategy (Defense News) Japan's response to Chinese anti-access/area-denial threats rest on three planks: increasingly large helicopter carriers, next-generation 3,300-ton Soryu-class submarines and new Aegis destroyers. Pacific Powers Build Capability, Warily Eye Neighbor Countries (Defense News) Ninety percent of the world's trade flows by sea and the majority of that through narrow, vulnerable straits such as Malacca, Singapore and Taiwan. This has forced the Asia-Pacific region to outspend all other nations, except the US, in procurement of ships and submarines. VETERANSCentral Ala VA director first to be fired under new law(Montgomery Advertiser; Ala.) After more than two months on paid administrative leave, James Talton has officially been fired as director of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For Forgotten Soldier, a march through mental health gauntlet (Miami Herald) They call him the Forgotten Soldier - although actually he served in the Marines. Meghan McCain shares veterans' stories on air (Military Times) Meghan McCain wants America to know about the issues veterans face and the skills veterans possess that can make them top performers at any business. Triple amputee EOD tech celebrates new home, growing family (Northwest Florida Daily News) Ret. Air Force Master Sgt. Joe Deslauriers can't wait to start the yard work. Horrific accident can't stop ex-Dover AFB sergeant (News Journal; Wlmington, Del.) Nick Dadgostar lined up on the track. CONGRESSSenate report outlines plan to keep tens of billions of dollars flowing to Afghanistan(Washington Post) Senate Democrats plan to keep supporting Afghanistan's reconstruction but the spending must be linked to human rights reforms and closer scrutiny of whether the country can maintain its new programs and buildings, says a congressional report due to be released Monday. Marine grunt runs for Congress after four Iraq deployments (Marine Corps Times) A veteran Marine infantry officer bagged one of the biggest upsets in the election season this fall when he picked-off a 17-year incumbent in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for the 6th congressional district. Shifting Voter Preferences Could Spell Trouble for Armed Services Incumbents (Defense News) An analysis of polling data and past voting trends suggests tight races could spell trouble for several incumbents on two defense committees. Defense hopes for sequester relief (The Hill) The odds of rolling back the sequester are improving with the fight against Islamic militants and the possibility that Republicans will control the Senate, budget experts and defense firm analysts say. Durbin vows to find out what went wrong with vehicle shipment program (Belleville News-Democrat; Ill.) U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced he will begin looking directly into the problems plaguing International Auto Logistics LLC of Brunswick, Ga., a federal contractor that received a nearly $1 billion contract from the U.S. Transportation Command, based at Scott, to ship military members' privately owned vehicles. Can DHS be fixed? Lawmakers divided over agency's future (Federal Times) As the Department of Homeland Security reels from scandals, falling morale and recruiting issues, lawmakers are divided over how to reform the struggling agency - or if it should even exist at all. Analysis: 2016 Candidate Paul Channels 2007 Candidate Obama in Security Speech (Defense News) A politician eyeing the White House is leery of "perpetual war," worries that US military actions breed extremists and wants to avoid war with Iran over its nuclear-arms ambitions. Surprise: The politician is Rand Paul, channeling his inner President Barack Obama on each point. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTTransgender troops say they want to serve openly(Military Times) The landmark repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" in 2011 allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military. In Proposal to Congress, Pentagon Seeks Simplification of Acquisition Process (National Defense) The goal is plain and simple: "Ease the burdens on program managers." That about sums up the gist of the acquisition reforms that the Defense Department hopes Congress will pass in 2016. DoD Speeding Tech Acquisition Efforts (Defense News) The civilian team at the top of the Pentagon's acquisition structure is charging in several directions at once, pushing initiatives aimed at revamping how the building thinks through technology development, shares those burdens with allies and finds the next leap-ahead capability. The Pentagon Still Needs More Eyes in the Sky (Defense One) Airborne intelligence has arguably given the U.S. military an advantage over adversaries on the ground during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Pentagon will continue to rely on high-tech sensors and cameras mounted on drones high above the battlefield for years to come, according to Andrew Hunter, the head of the Defense Department's Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell. US Military Girds for More 'Unconventional Warfare' (Defense News) The US military must prepare for murky, undeclared wars in which foreign entities use proxy insurgencies against established governments, typified by Russia and Iran, US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) writes in a new white paper. Vehicle shipper still at odds with subcontractor (Military Times) A month after the end of the peak moving season, troubles continue for International Auto Logistics, the new contractor that is responsible for shipping troops' cars on reassignment moves to and from overseas. SOCOM Wants To Start Data Mining the Open Web (Defense News) US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is building an open-source data-mining program that will run automatic keyword searches across a variety of websites and databases, allowing its operators to build a better picture of their operating environment in as close to real time as possible. Joint military-civilian project allows 24/7 monitoring of patients with brain injuries (Stars & Stripes) Even to an untrained eye, it can be apparent when someone is having a seizure. A person falls to the floor, muscles may stiffen or twitch out of control; eyes may roll back or eyelids flutter. ARMYHead of Fort Benning Warrior Training Center relieved of command(Army Times) The head of the Warrior Training Center, a Fort Benning, Georgia-based unit that offers pre-Ranger and other training primarily for Army National Guard soldiers, was relieved of command Oct. 9 and is under investigation, the base announced Friday Sequestration Looms Over US Army Budget (Defense News) If sequestration budget cuts remain in effect, the Army will take a $14 billion hit in 2016, jeopardizing modernization and its ability to respond to a major conflict, Army officials told reporters Friday. Army 'funding cliff' may mean more demand for deployments, reserve soldiers, leader says (Army Times) The Army likely will look to the National Guard and Army Reserve to fill steady-state missions as it deals with increasing demands for soldiers around the world. Sleep study at Madigan Army hospital makes case for new type of nightmare disorder (Tacoma News Tribune) The symptoms were common, but until this month, Army doctors did not have a good definition for the mix of nightmares and nighttime outbursts troops sometimes report after living through traumatic events at war. Report: Army discriminated against transgender civilian worker (Army Times) The Army discriminated against a former soldier working at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, who transitioned from male to female, according to a federal report released Thursday, by improperly barring her from the female restroom and allowing employees to refer to her repeatedly as "him" or by her birth name. Army officer at Fort Gordon sentenced to lengthy prison term for child pornography (Augusta Chronicle; Ga.) Second Lt. Cory Griffis, 23, pleaded guilty this year in U.S. District Court. On Wednesday, he apologized for being involved in child pornography. Personnel chief: Army may be drawing down too fast (Army Times) The Army will continue to reduce promotions and force out soldiers in 2015, even as manpower officials voice concern the service may be drawing down too fast and deeply. Fort Carson's top NCO clearly outlines dos and don'ts for soldiers (Colorado Springs Gazette) As the 4th Infantry Division's top enlisted soldier, Clark spearheaded the new rulebook released this month that outlaws walking while smoking and requires soldiers to exit their cars to render honors to the nation at the end of the duty day. 5 tips for working with Army civilians (Army Times) Can civilian Defense Department employees really be dedicated to their profession if they work just eight hours a day? Do they really respect the uniform? Can they be managed and motivated the same way a soldier can? Army issues new reenlistment rules (Army Times) The Regular Army retention program that opened Oct. 1 includes five re-enlistment options for qualified soldiers whose terms of service will expire before Sept. 30, 2015. Army announces sgt., staff sgt. selections for November (Army Times) These Regular Army soldiers are eligible for promotion to sergeant and staff sergeant on Nov. 1, based on their accomplishments under the cutoff scores system, the Army announced Friday: NAVYDestroyer CO sacked after Philippines canoe collision(Navy Times) A week after the Philippine media reported that the destroyer Stethem had run over a small canoe near Subic Bay, the ship's skipper has been fired. Navy officer dies in Qatar in non-combat incident (Navy Times) The Pentagon announced Sunday that a Navy officer died Oct. 24 in a non-combat related incident at an air base in Doha, Qatar. You Spot, I Shoot: Aegis Ships Share Data To Destroy Cruise Missiles (Breaking Defense) Imagine you're a sniper. Imagine the bad guys are coming - but you can't see them yet. Imagine your spotter can see them - but only because he's miles away from where you are, with a better view. Now imagine that when you put your eye to your gunsights, you see the view through his. You fire. You hit the target. It goes down. CO's handling of assault case ends his career (Navy Times) Cmdr. Joseph Fauth was deployed to the United Arab Emirates in February when his handling of a sex assault thousands of miles away undid his career. That was a close one! Blue Angel buzzes Golden Gate Bridge (Scoop Deck) If you look closely at the above photo, you'll realize it's not just another shot of the Golden Gate Bridge during weeknight rush hour. That's right - there's a blue and gold fighter jet zooming right between the towers. Navy football comes together to support son of fallen teammate (Capital Gazette; Annapolis, Md.) Frank Schenk remembers a selfless teammate who gladly lent his officer's shoulder boards so a friend could get married with the proper rank on his Navy uniform. US to compensate Philippines for coral reef damage (Associated Press) The United States will pay the Philippines 87 million pesos ($1.9 million) for damage caused by a U.S. Navy minesweeper that ran aground on a protected coral reef last year, an official said Friday. AIR FORCEISR reservists join ops against Islamic State group(Air Force Times) The Air Force is surging reservists with experience in ISR in order to assist in ongoing operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. US Commander in Korea: A-10 Warthog Will be Missed (DoDBuzz) The U.S. commander in South Korea on Friday praised the vital close air support role performed by the A-10 Thunderbolt in deterring North Korean aggression but backed the Air Force decision to retire the aircraft. Air Force review shows 50 airmen can remain on active duty (Air Force Times) Fifty airmen who were told that they must separate by Jan. 31 have been offered the option of remaining on active-duty, Air Force officials said Friday. Drone protestors make a stand at the air base (Niagara Gazette) Normally it's retired military rallying support for the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station drone program but on Thursday veterans joined anti-drone protestors at the base's entrance to publicize their opposition. Officials break ground on hospital to replace Landstuhl (Stars & Stripes) After more than a year of delays, American and German officials heaved the first shovels of dirt Friday to mark the symbolic start of construction on a nearly billion-dollar U.S. military hospital here. MARINE CORPSLejeune Marine killed during training at Fort Bragg(Marine Corps Times) A North Carolina Marine was killed during an artillery training exercise at Fort Bragg, Marine officials said Saturday. Three pioneering women in Marine infantry course are asked to leave. Why? (Christian Science Monitor) The three women who qualified for the Marine Corps's Infantry Officers Course were physically disqualified last week. No woman has successfully completed the course. Injured Marine uses viral posts to promote VA reform (Marine Corps Times) Many are likely to view getting shot as the worst thing a person could experience, but former Lance Cpl. Matt McElhinney said getting turned over to Veterans Affairs care has been more painful than anything he experienced on the battlefield. New rules are official for promotion to corporal through gunny (Marine Corps Times) Lance corporals through staff sergeants looking to pick up their next rank will have to complete new command seminar or resident course requirements in order to be eligible for promotion. Purpose runs deep in Marine Corps Marathon (Marine Corps Times) Thousands of runners checked through security to compete in the 39th annual Marine Corps Marathon early Sunday, a 26.2-mile race through the Washington area with a high-five from a Marine at the finish line. COAST GUARDEnlisted training overhaul in the works in Coast Guard(Navy Times) Coast Guard leaders are looking to overhaul enlisted professional education, but they first want to hear what Coasties want. 'People will die' if Coast Guard base closes (KOIN; Portland, Ore.) If the Coast Guard closes its air base in Newport, people will die, concerned community members and officials say. NATIONAL GUARDTami's Torment: 'Suicides are a problem in the Guard'(Argus Leader; Sioux Falls, S.D.) Tami Mielke's decision to end her life raises serious questions about South Dakota's care of its emotionally wounded warriors. Indiana National Guard: 'She can contact Dr. Phil' (Indianaplois Star) When a woman from Florida claimed she experienced harassment as a result of a romantic relationship with the top commander at Camp Atterbury, she received a surprising - and apparently inadvertent - email from the Indiana National Guard's top attorney Alaska National Guard recruiter fights accusations of misconduct (Alaska Dispatch News) Master Sgt. Jarrett Carson, a large, bald man described by his own attorney as a loud, brash, direct, in-your-face senior noncommissioned officer, is fighting to save his military career. In mine-riddled Bosnia, bomb dogs are life savers (Army Times) When Betsy, a 7-year-old bomb-sniffing dog from Bosnia-Herzegovina, arrived in the U.S. to receive an award for her life-saving work finding abandoned landmines, she was offered the treatment a hero of her stature deserves - a trip to a luxury canine resort, far from the dangerous battleground where U.S. troops first deployed nearly 20 years ago. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANMarines end mission in Afghanistan after 13 years(Marine Corps Times) Marines in Afghanistan handed over the Corps' last remaining base there to Afghan National Army troops Sunday, marking the official end of the service's primary work in support of the war. NATO promises Afghans air support after 2014 as it shuts key base (Stars & Stripes) The international military coalition said Sunday it would continue to provide air support to Afghan forces after the scheduled end of combat operations in December, even as it shuttered a major regional command in the violent Helmand province. Eerie silence of deserted Camp Bastion in Afghanistan (BBC) British troops have officially ended operations in Afghanistan bringing to a close a 13-year campaign in which 453 British troops died since it began in 2001. War amputees in Afghanistan face harsh lives of discrimination and poverty (Washington Post) No one knows how many there actually are. Decades of conflict have made tallying Afghanistan's war-related amputees - the victims of land mines, unexploded ordnance and roadside bombs - essentially impossible, health officials say. Operation Zarb-e-Azb: TTP sets up new sanctuaries in Afghanistan (Express Tribune; Pakistan) Pakistani officials claim to have found evidence of 'new sanctuaries' set up by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates in the Afghan territory near the border with North Waziristan Agency, where a massive military operation, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb, has been ongoing since mid-June. Pakistani military says jets kill 18 militants (Associated Press) Pakistan's army says its jets have killed at least 18 militants as part of an ongoing offensive to eliminate militants' hideouts and ammunition stockpiles in the Khyber tribal region. Army chief to visit US next month for talks on strategic issues (Dawn.com; Pakistan) Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif will visit the United States next month for talks with senior US military commanders and defence officials. In Pakistan, a coup that wasn't (Associated Press) It had all the elements of a classic coup: thousands descending on the capital, clashing with police outside parliament and commandeering state TV to demand the ouster of a civilian leader who had locked horns with the military in a country with a long history of turmoil and dictatorship. MIDDLE EASTEgypt, after Sinai attacks, postpones talks on Gaza's future(Reuters) Egypt announced on Sunday it was postponing talks in Cairo on cementing the Gaza war ceasefire after closing its border with the Palestinian enclave in response to deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula. Foreign conspiracy behind Sinai attack, Egypt's president says (Washington Post) Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said Saturday that an assault on an army checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula that killed 30 troops was a "foreign-funded operation" and vowed to take drastic action against militants. Israel advances building plans in east Jerusalem (Associated Press) The Israeli government is advancing construction plans to build about 1,000 housing units built in parts of Jerusalem that Palestinians demand for their future state. Hanged Iranian Woman Leaves Heartbreaking Last Message (Slate) The 26-year-old Iranian woman who was executed on Saturday for murdering a man she said tried to rape her sent a final message to her mother, asking her to make sure her organs would be donated. Reyhaneh Jabbari is largely calm in the voice message she recorded for her mother in April in which she seems resigned to her fate after being in death row for five years. Iranian activists distributed a translation of the message, equating it to Jabbari's will. The Battle for Aleppo: A Decisive Fight for ISIS, Assad, and the USA (The Daily Beast) A battle is taking shape that could decide the fate of the Obama administration's strategy for defeating ISIS, and it's not around the Kurdish town of Kobani. It's for the future of the second biggest city in Syria, ancient Aleppo, besieged on three sides by the forces of the tyrant Bashar Assad and the murderous zealots of the so-called Islamic State holding part of the other side. Lebanese troops fight street battles in Tripoli (Associated Press) Lebanese army tanks pounded Muslim militants' positions in the narrow streets of a poor neighborhood in this northern city Sunday, where fighting has intensified and spread to nearby areas where gunmen killed four soldiers. 3 AQAP fighters reported killed in US drone strike (Long War Journal) The US reportedly killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters today in a province in central Yemen where the jihadist group is battling Shia Houthi rebels who have advanced southward after taking control of the capital of Sana'a last month. EUROPEExit polls in Ukraine's parliamentary elections show win for pro-Western blocs(Washington Post) Under the cloud of a bitter war in their nation's east, Ukrainians on Sunday elected the most pro-European parliament in their country's 23-year-old history, firmly backing an effort to steer their nation away from Russia's orbit. Can This Drone Bring Peace to Ukraine? (Defense One) A special drone is about to take flight over Ukraine - a peace drone. The unmanned aircraft will monitor movements of pro-Russian separatists and Russian forces, working to ensure that they are living up to commitments made in the Sept. 5 Minsk ceasefire agreement (the so-called Minsk Protocol). If the drone's operators like what they see through their eyes in the sky, the situation in Ukraine could begin to look a lot brighter in the months and years ahead. Sub Search Highlights Growing Unease With Russia (Defense News) More than six months after the crisis in the Crimean Peninsula sparked regional agitation between Russia and the rest of Europe, the recent flare-up off Sweden highlighted the worsening relationship and unease among neighbors in the Baltic Sea region, according to experts and government officials. ASIA-PACIFICChina's Submarines Add Nuclear-Strike Capability, Altering Strategic Balance(Wall Street Journal) One Sunday morning last December, China's defense ministry summoned military attaches from several embassies to its monolithic Beijing headquarters. US radar deployment in Japan draws Chinese rebuke (Stars & Stripes) China has criticized the U.S. deployment of an anti-missile radar at a base in Japan, saying the move undermines "mutual trust." As China Deploys Nuclear Submarines, U.S. P-8 Poseidon Jets Snoop on Them (Wall Street Journal) Swooping down to 500 feet over the western Pacific, Cmdr. Bill Pennington pilots his U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft toward an unidentified vessel off southern Japan. Chen Ziming, jailed leader of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, dies at 62 (Washington Post) Chen Ziming, an activist branded as one of the "black hands" behind the 1989 pro-democracy uprising in Tiananmen Square, which was crushed by the Chinese government, died Oct. 21 at his home in Beijing. He was 62. Vietnam, China Agree to Restore Bilateral Relations (Wall Street Journal) Vietnam said Monday it has agreed with China to restore bilateral relations and better manage tense disputes over the South China Sea. US General: Kim Was Never Out of Power in North Korea (Defense News) North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's recent 40-day disappearance from public view sparked speculation of a coup or serious illness, but US military officials were never convinced he was out of power, the commander of US forces in South Korea told reporters today. Kerry says no apology to NKorea to free Americans (Associated Press) Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday urged North Korea to release two detained Americans to build goodwill with the United States, but ruled out providing a U.S. apology to Pyongyang to win their freedom. New Zealand Defence Force Grows (Defense News) Uniformed members of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) have grown to 9,035 sailors, soldiers and airmen and women, up from 8,504 in June 2013, according to an NZDF annual report. The Defence Force currently has 14,116 military and civilian staff, its highest staffing levels since 2011. Internal IAF report criticises serviceability rate for fighter fleet (IHS Jane's 360) The operational availability of the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) combat, transport, and helicopter fleets has averaged about 60% over the past three years, a recent internal assessment has revealed. AFRICAEbola's spread to Mali sets back effort to halt virus(USA Today) The first death from Ebola in this West African nation raised concerns Friday about whether the country would have more success in stemming the deadly virus than its hard-hit neighbors in the region. More heavy fighting in Libya's Benghazi, death toll rises to 130 (Reuters) Heavy fighting flared on Sunday between Libya's army and Islamist militias apparently trying retake one of their largest camps in the eastern city of Benghazi, military officials said. Voter Turnout Bolsters Tunisian Hopes for Post-Revolution Stability (New York Times) Tunisians filled polling stations on Sunday to elect a new Parliament, expressing a strong desire and some trepidation that, after months of political turmoil, the country would turn a corner nearly four years after the revolution. Algeria's Bouteflika consolidates curbs on state intelligence agency (Reuters) President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has signed a decree to curb the presence of Algeria's military intelligence service in public institutions, government sources said, to downgrade his rivals and ensure a smooth transition when he steps down. Escaping Boko Haram: How three Nigeria girls found safety (BBC) For six months the world has waited for news of the fate of more than 200 girls abducted by Nigerian militant group Boko Haram. As the Nigerian government insists a deal to release the "Chibok girls" is being negotiated, three girls who escaped their captors have told their story to BBC Hausa. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISWhy Is a Comedian the Only One Talking About the Plight of Afghan Interpreters?(Emerson Brooking and Janine Davidson in the Council on Foreign Relations) If you tuned in for last Sunday's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, you also watched some of the most thorough reporting to date regarding efforts to secure Special Immigration Visas (SIVs) for Afghan and Iraqi translators who have served for years alongside U.S. military personnel. When American servicemen rotate away, these translators remain-often becoming top-priority targets for reprisal attacks. Unfortunately, the State Department program intended to get Afghan translators and their families to safety has long been stuck in a bureaucratic swamp, stranding more than 6,000 Afghans across various stages of the process. With the visa program slated to end on December 31, many of these Afghans are now in very real danger of being abandoned. This raises two difficult questions: first, why has this been allowed to happen? And second, what now-at this late stage-can still be done to save them? Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS (Joshua Hersh in The Daily Beast) Millions of people now live under ISIS control. Starving them will not defeat the jihadists, and to deliver assistance, you have to deal with those in charge. The War on ISIS: More Than One Battle (Max Boot in The Wall Street Journal) On Jan. 21, 1968, North Vietnamese troops attacked the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh in South Vietnam near the border with Laos. A 77-day siege ensued, with the U.S. pouring in ever more firepower. The U.S. would drop 100,000 tons of bombs because Gen. William Westmoreland was determined that Khe Sanh not become another defeat like Dien Bien Phu, which had effectively ended France's colonial presence in Vietnam 14 years earlier. Visit to the Mosul Front Lines Briefing Note (Norman Ricklefs and Therese Tayah in Small Wars Journal) During mid-September, the Iraq Advisory Group (IAG) was kindly invited by Dr Rowsch Shaways, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and commander of the northern front, to visit the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces north of Mosul Look Who Else Has Drones: ISIS and Al Nusra (Cody Poplin in Lawfare) Since the introduction of drone technology to the battlefield, countless academics, policymakers, and military planners have pondered a disturbing question: what happens when other countries or non-state actors have access to them? In Syria, we may be starting to see the effects that the dissemination of drone technology will mean for the future of war. Domains, Budgets and Bureaucracies: Nukes, Space and Now - Cyber (Joan Johnson Freese in Breaking Defense) Analysis of the Peloponnesian War is a standard of military and security studies curricula. Strategists had it relatively easy between the 5th century BC and the 19th century AD: land power versus sea power, but then things began to get complicated. In the 19th century "domains" - warfighting environments - began to expand. Ottawa's Lone Gunman Shows Weakness of ISIS (Jeff Danovich in Cicero Magazine) Immediately following the shooting at the War Memorial at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, many began to speculate it was the work of jihadists. An ISIS sympathizer publicly murdered two Canadian soldiers in grisly fashion. The attack came on the heels of Canada pledging to join the international coalition against ISIS. Even before Parliament approved sending warplanes to Syria and Iraq, ISIS had called on "lone wolf" jihadists to attack Canada. There was indeed a spike in ISIS-related online chatter focusing on Canada in the days leading up to the shooting Wednesday. The character of the relationship between Michael Zehaf-Bibeau and ISIS is still unknown. Nonetheless, this will not stop ISIS from claiming the Ottawa murders as proof of their international reach and power as an "Islamic State." Are they right? The Allure of Radical Islam in Canada (David Frum in The Atlantic) What's behind the latest surge in political violence, and what Canadians can do about it VA is critical to medicine and vets (Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald in The Baltimore Sun) During preparation for my confirmation as secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), I was repeatedly asked, "Why doesn't VA just hand out vouchers allowing veterans to get care wherever they want?" For a department recovering from serious issues involving health care access and scheduling of appointments, that was a legitimate question. Commentary: Opportunities for veterans abound in agriculture (Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Military Times) Veterans have sacrificed dearly to keep this country safe. Every day, they confront and triumph over those that threaten our national security. We owe it to our military men and women to ensure a different kind of security is waiting when they return home - the security that comes from the promise of a good job, affordable housing, a quality education and dependable health care. Local Food for the Military (Eva M. Clayton in The New York Times) IN big cities and small towns around the United States, people are embracing local agriculture, flocking to farmers' markets and flocking to "locavore" restaurants, reaping a wide range of nutritional, environmental and economic benefits. Yet one segment of the population is largely missing out on this bounty: the millions of members of the American military and their families. Editorial: Time for answers on paid administrative leave (Steve Watkins in Federal Times) A new audit by the Government Accountability Office on the government's use of paid administrative leave is already setting off alarms on Capitol Hill. Column - Election Spoiler: Gridlock Nation (Defense News) A new Gallup poll finds Americans don't care about divided government, though they loathe Washington's dysfunction. Why sending weapons to Ukraine would be a terrible idea for the US (Michael Kofman in Quartz) The Ukraine Freedom Support Act, passed last month by the US senate's Foreign Relations Committee, could mark a new kind of policy for the US in Ukraine. It doesn't propose new sanctions, or the "major non-NATO ally" designation for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, but instead grants permission to send Ukraine a variety of weapons, ammunition, and specialized equipment to fill gaps in its current military's capabilities, with $350 million authorized for this fiscal year. | |||||
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