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: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 04:42:03 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. Three women dropped from Marines' infantry officer course will not reattempt(Marine Corps Times) The three female Marine officers who made it through the grueling first exercise of Infantry Officer Course at the start of October were asked to leave after falling out of two hikes, Marine Corps officials said this week. 2. IG: Former NRO deputy director misused government vehicle (Air Force Times) Maj. Gen. Susan Mashiko, a now-retired two-star general, misused a government-owned vehicle dozens of times, a Defense Department Inspector General report found. 3. Unmanned NASA-contracted rocket explodes; damage is 'significant' (CNN) An unmanned NASA-contracted rocket exploded early Tuesday evening along the eastern Virginia coast, causing a huge fireball but no apparent deaths. 4. USFK bans buying drinks for 'juicy bar' workers (Stars & Stripes) U.S. Forces Korea has banned servicemembers from buying drinks for workers in "juicy bars," which have long been suspected of involvement in prostitution and human trafficking. 5. IG: Former chief of wounded warrior office broke law, DoD regs (Military Times) The Defense Department inspector general has recommended "corrective action" against the former director of DoD's Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy Office. ISLAMIC STATEIraq's victory over militants in Sunni town underlines challenges government faces(Washington Post) Iraq renamed this town on the banks of the Euphrates this week to reflect the triumph of its security forces here against Islamic State militants, who were driven out last week. Jurf al-Sakhar, or "rocky bank," became Jurf al-Nasr, or "victory bank." DOD: Iraqi offensive against ISIS 'a ways off' (The Hill) Despite Iraqi security forces taking back territory from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL), they are not ready to launch a "major offensive" against the terror group, the Defense Department's top spokesman said Tuesday. Iraqi Kurdish Fighters Arrive in Turkey for Kobani Battle (Bloomberg) Iraqi Kurdish fighters, armed with mortars and Katyusha rocket launchers, arrived in Turkey today on their way to Kobani where they'll join the fight against Islamic State, according to live footage on NTV television. ISIS Shifts Its Social-Media Patterns (The Atlantic) The group's newest propaganda videos seem intended to directly counter Western media reports and spin them in a different light. U.S. again turns to Syria's FSA rebels, despite known problems (Los Angeles Times) The veteran rebel stood atop a pile of rocks, gazing across a barbed-wire fence at his homeland, Syria, where a black flag fluttered in the distance. INDUSTRYIsrael to buy 25 more F-35 Lockheed stealth fighters -sources(Reuters) Israel plans to buy a second batch of Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter jets, bringing its total number on order to about 44, Israeli defense and U.S. sources said on Tuesday. UK Orders STOVL F-35s in 1st Production-standard Buy (Defense News) In what will become an annual event for the next few years, Britain is to order its first batch of production-standard F-35 Lightning II combat jets for operation by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. How DoD Is Trying To Save Innovation (Breaking Defense) "I'm going to frame this discussion around the 'three nots,'" assistant secretary of Defense Katrina McFarland said this morning. "Technological superiority is not assured, RandD is not a variable cost, and time is not recoverable." iRobot takes Navy contracts (C4ISR & Networks) iRobot has been awarded a $7.6 million Navy contract for its Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) robots. Mistral Decision Coming Next Month (Defense News) French President Francois Hollande will decide in November whether France will go ahead with a delivery of the Mistral-class helicopter carrier to Russia, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday. UK to upgrade Sentinel R.1s for maritime operations (IHS Jane's 360) The United Kingdom is to begin the process of upgrading its fleet of Raytheon Sentinel R.1 Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) surveillance aircraft to conduct maritime operations in mid-2015, the government disclosed on 24 October. New Spanish Frigate Detailed, Deal for Taiwan Minesweepers Announced (Defense News) Spanish shipbuilder Navantia Tuesday revealed details of the F-110, a new guided-missile project to replace the Spanish Navy's Santa Maria-class frigates in the 2020s. VETERANSAugusta VA director to resign(Augusta Chronicle; Ga.) Robert Hamilton will resign as the director of the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Center, leaving the embattled Augusta hospital without a leader for the more than 40,000 veterans in Georgia and South Carolina who depend on the federal facility for health care. Nurse admits fault in death of veteran (Journal News; White Plains, N.Y.) A nurse who tended to an 84-year-old Korean War veteran who died last year pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of failing to care for him properly, the New York State attorney general said. VA adds $50 to deceased vet's 59 cent bill (News Journal; Wilmington, Del.) It's bad enough that the Department of Veterans Affairs billed a deceased Navy vet for 59 cents this summer. Now, the VA has added $50 to that balance - a charge for 2013 outpatient care at the Wilmington VA Medical Center that apparently is legitimate but that was somehow not included on the 59-cent bill sent to him more than a year after that office visit. Federal government settled Legionnaires' disease lawsuit for $125,000 (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) The federal government paid $125,000 to settle a Legionnaires' disease lawsuit brought by the son of a Marine Corps veteran, according to court documents. Emergencies, VA bureaucracy create headaches for veteran (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Between a disability-forced retirement, outdated paperwork filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs and an ongoing dispute over hospital bills, an Air Force veteran says he's in a financial bind, unable to buy heating oil for the winter or pay his Fayette County property taxes. CONGRESSHouse candidate Zinke releases military record(Great Falls Tribune; Mont.) Republican U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke produced a military record Monday that opponents have been calling for since this summer. Levin Comes to Shaheen's Defense After McCain Questions Her National Security Chops (Defense News) The chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee is defending an embattled fellow Democrat after an outspoken Republican senator questioned her devotion to national security issues. McCain wants probe of military's Ebola response (The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is demanding a probe into the Pentagon's response to Ebola, asking President Obama to explain why troops are headed to Africa without congressional approval. NSA Chief: 'I Don't Want Privacy Information' (Defense News) The chief of the National Security Agency offered assurances Tuesday that the agency does not want access to companies' private data as he spoke in support of pending cybersecurity legislation. Reid cancels Reno appearances due to daughter's illness (Reno Gazette-Journal) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was forced to cancel Reno appearances at a Regional Transportation Commission celebration and at a banquet to honor Nevada's 150th Anniversary of Statehood Tuesday because his daughter fell ill, according to a statement from his office. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTWith US women soon eligible for combat, the draft could be next(Christian Science Monitor) The US Supreme Court decided that it's constitutional to exclude women from registering for the draft because they're banned from combat units. That ban ends in 2016. Hagel to decide if troops will be quarantined (Military Times) The military's top officers are recommending a sweeping rule imposing a 21-day quarantine on all troops returning from Ebola-stricken West Africa, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has made no final decision, defense officials said Tuesday. Military suicide survivors help each other heal at seminar (Stars & Stripes) Sitting and sobbing outside the hotel room where her Marine husband had just hanged himself, Kim Ruocco said she was horrified to find that nearly everyone who responded to the scene somehow managed to make her feel worse. Report: On-base banks, credit unions should offer more info online (Military Times) Service members need more information - and protection - from banks and credit unions that operate on military installations, according to research by The Pew Charitable Trusts. DPMO head Winfield reportedly resigns as agency reorganizes (Stars & Stripes) The embattled head of America's efforts to account for MIAs has resigned, according to emails obtained by Stars and Stripes. ARMYAbout 200 Fort Stewart soldiers heading to Afghanistan on 12-month deployment(Army Times) About 200 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters will deploy to Afghanistan in November, officials announced Tuesday. Quarantined general: Army brass unexpectedly ordered isolation of soldiers returning from Liberia (Stars & Stripes) "Army leadership" unexpectedly decided to quarantine U.S. Army Africa troops as they returned to Italy from a mission in Liberia because they wanted to "reassure both our soldiers and family members," Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams said by videoconference Tuesday. Official allowed others to believe he had Ph.D. (Associated Press) A key figure in a struggling Army intelligence program has for years allowed himself to be portrayed as a Ph.D. in engineering, even though he does not hold a doctoral degree, according to records and interviews. Army coach accepts blame for NCAA violations (Colorado Springs Gazette) A contrite Jeff Monken accepted responsibility on Tuesday for a football recruiting trip that happened a month after he was hired as head coach at Army and resulted in minor NCAA violations. 2 Korean soldiers are the first women to earn Expert Infantryman Badge (Army Times) Two female soldiers in the South Korean army have earned the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge - the first women, Korean or American, to do so. Corvias Foundation awards $20,000 in educational grants to Fort Bragg spouses (Fayetteville Observer) Corvias Foundation, the private, charitable arm of Corvias Military Living, is awarding $5,000 educational grants to four Fort Bragg military spouses. An Army widow runs to remember, make peace with her loss (Army Times) Katie Groves and her husband shared a wonderful life in Savannah, Georgia. Whether painting their home or raising their two boys, they were a team who tackled everything together. They even ran together, enjoying the adrenaline as their hearts pumped and their legs grew sore.But on March 16, 2013, everything changed. NAVYNew survey to measure sailors' body shapes(Navy Times) The Navy is once again re-evaluating the size and shape of its force. But it's not end strength this time, but the size and shape of those in the force that's under scrutiny. U.S. Navy Impressed with New Russian Attack Boat (USNI News) One of the U.S. Navy's top submarine officers was so impressed with Russia's new Project 885 nuclear attack boats that he had a model of K-329 Severodvinsk built for his office. Official SEAL app gut-checks your fitness (Navy Times) Think you've got what it takes to be a Navy SEAL? If you want to test your mettle, the Navy is about to drop an app for that. Advanced Hawkeye declared operational (C4ISR & Networks) Northrop Grumman has already delivered some of the aircraft to the Navy. Comstock diesel engine fixed mid-cruise (Navy Times) The dock landing ship Comstock is back on the front lines in the Arabian Gulf after some serious engine trouble mid-deployment. AIR FORCERegistered Sex Offender Emerges as Star College Football Player(ABC News) A registered sex offender has emerged as a star player on a top tier college football team, resuming his athletic career after being expelled from the Air Force Academy where he was court-martialed for sexual assault. Report: Winds, pilot error caused April Predator crash (Air Force Times) Low-level winds and pilot error caused an MQ-1B Predator to crash in April at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, the Air Force announced today. It was a very humbling experience' (Northwest Florida Daily News) Over a year ago, Senior Airman John Hamilton was in a dark ditch in Afghanistan, trying to stop an Army special forces soldier from bleeding out. Why Air Force Drones Rely On Horsehair to Land (Defense News) Regardless of your feelings on militarized drones, it can't be denied that they are a high tech piece of equipment that gives the service an efficient, relatively cheap way of providing persistent overwatch in an area. Which is why Intercepts was a little surprised to discover that among all the fancy sensors carried by the Predator and Reaper, a little piece of "horsehair" is vital to getting the systems up into the air. Veterans put experience to use at Air Force's only fabrication shop (Air Force Times) The Air Force taught Bobby Pierce how to sew in 1955. As a parachute rigger, he needed to know not only how to properly pack parachutes but also to mend and maintain them. MARINE CORPSMarine's death reclassified to Operation Inherent Resolve(Marine Corps Times) The Defense Department has reclassified the death of Lance Cpl. Jordan L. Spears as one that occurred in support of the military's effort to combat the Islamic State group, making him the first official casualty of Operation Inherent Resolve. 22nd MEU returns after 9 month deployment (Jacksonville Daily News) For Kat Wyble, the months of longing and worry ended Tuesday when she got to wrap her arms around her husband. MoH recipient Dakota Meyer helps develop new 1911 (Marine Corps Times) Anyone with $3,500 to spare can now own a pistol befitting a Medal of Honor recipient. Two Marines hurt in California Humvee crash (Marine Corps Times) Two Marines were seriously injured in a car accident near Camp Pendleton, California, on Sunday, and one remains hospitalized. Ex-Marine pleads guilty to wife's killing in Va. (Associated Press) A former Marine who served in Afghanistan pleaded guilty in the strangling death of his wife the same day his trial was set to start, surprising a Northern Virginia court and his own attorney. Recon Marine's girlfriend finishes marathon on crutches after accidents left her disabled (Marine Corps Times) Two years ago, Amanda Sullivan's friends, a group of severely wounded military veterans who she connected with through Facebook, challenged her to join a gym. Using a wheelchair at the time, Sullivan, 36, scoffed at the request. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANUnfinished Afghanistan Prison Renovation Plagued By Shoddy Workmanship, Watchdog Says(Roll Call) Afghanistan's largest prison was supposed to be renovated under a State Department contract to allow it to take in more detainees, but five years later, the project sits unfinished, hampered by defective workmanship and other problems, according to a report released Tuesday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Violence marks Afghan president's first month (Associated Press) Suicide bombers, roadside bombs and rocket attacks on the Afghan capital have intensified in the one month since President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai took office as the Taliban are sending a message that they disapprove of his tough stance on ending the insurgency and close security ties with Washington, officials, analysts and the Taliban said. Pakistan's army chief to visit U.S. (Military Times) The Pakistan army's chief of staff is coming to the U.S. to meet with his American counterparts, the Defense Department has confirmed. MIDDLE EASTThe Ghosts of Gaza: Israel's Soldier Suicides(The Daily Beast) Were Israeli soldiers so haunted by what they saw and did in the last Gaza war that they took their own lives? What role did their zealous commander play? Why Egypt, of all places, is keeping a wary eye on falling oil prices (Foreign Policy) The bears that barged into the oil market and knocked crude prices down one-quarter from their summertime highs appear to be hunkering down for a lengthy stay. Big investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays, have just slashed their forecasts for next year's oil price. Energy analysts Wood MacKenzie said Tuesday that a sluggish economy could keep oil benchmark prices around $80 a barrel unless OPEC makes production cuts. That means the oil-price slump of the last four months may not be a bug, but a feature of frothy, oversupplied markets. Egypt to clear residents from Gaza border (Al Jazeera) Egyptian authorities have ordered residents living along the country's eastern border with the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes prior to their demolishing because the army plans to set up a buffer zone. EUROPENATO Chief Urges Allies to Boost Defense Spending, Build Ties with Russia(Defense News) NATO countries must boost defense spending and build a constructive relationship with Russia, the alliance's new leader said on Tuesday. Hackers breach some White House computers (Washington Post) Hackers thought to be working for the Russian government breached the unclassified White House computer networks in recent weeks, sources said, resulting in temporary disruptions to some services while cybersecurity teams worked to contain the intrusion. U.S. Command Ship Leaves Black Sea (USNI News) The U.S. command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) has left the Black Sea after several port calls with allies in the region, according to a Tuesday release from U.S. 6th Fleet. Italian Air Force Experimental Unit Turns to Space (Defense News) After building up its in-house design capability, the Italian Air Force's Experimental Flight Unit has set itself a new target - space - with a focus on satellites and sub-orbital flights. ASIA-PACIFICSouth Korea: Kim Jong Un had ankle surgery to remove cyst(CNN) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who recently disappeared from public view for about six weeks, had a cyst removed from his right ankle, a semi-official South Korean news agency reported Tuesday. Convictions Deal Blow to South Korean Intelligence Service (New York Times) In the latest blow to the image of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, a court on Tuesday convicted two of its counterintelligence officials of fabricating Chinese government documents to build a spy case against a refugee from North Korea. NKorea may be developing sea-based missiles (Associated Press) North Korea has built a new testing facility that is probably intended to research how to launch ballistic missiles from submarines or ships, according to a U.S. research institute. Ex-General in China Admits He Took Bribes, Report Says (New York Times) China's highest-reaching military corruption scandal of recent times moved toward trial on Tuesday, when investigators announced that a retired People's Liberation Army commander, the former Gen. Xu Caihou, had confessed to taking enormous bribes in return for giving promotions and favors. AFRICAUganda Sends Fresh Troops to Somalia(Wall Street Journal) Uganda has started sending 2,700 new troops to war-torn Somalia, a military spokesman said on Tuesday, as African Union peacekeeping troops continue efforts to stabilize the nation. Zambian president Michael Sata dies at 77 (Los Angeles Times) After reportedly concealing a long illness, Zambian president Michael Sata, 77, died Tuesday in a London hospital, the country's second leader to die in office in a foreign hospital. Tunisia, after igniting Arab Spring, sends the most fighters to Islamic State in Syria (Washington Post) Tunisian pastry chef Slim Gasmi died on a Syrian battlefield and was lionized with a hashtag: #martyrdomofabuqatada. THE AMERICASNew counterterrorism powers already coming in cyberbullying bill(Globe and Mail; Canada) Police in Canada will soon have new tools to track terror suspects through online records, bank accounts and other means - powers the RCMP Commissioner called for this week but which are already moving through Parliament. Cuban Wave Arrives by Land (Wall Street Journal) In June, Luis Alberto Cuan Lio and his pregnant wife, Yordana Bravo Perez, flew from Cuba to Ecuador as tourists. It was the first leg in a circuitous journey that ended when they crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S., where they are building a new life. Mexico focuses on new mass grave in students' disappearance (Los Angeles Times) Mexican authorities Tuesday announced the arrest of another suspect in the disappearance of 43 college students and said they were working with the most solid clues to date in finding the youths' whereabouts - centering on a mass grave at a trash dump near the city of Iguala. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISSize of U.S. Army Should be Determined by Needs of Victory(Retired Air Force Col. Eric Jorgensen in cicero Magazine) Some countries want big armies, though no countries want to need big armies; but all countries want to have the armies they need, when they need them. Now that the United States has been compelled to join the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria after hoping to end more than a decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our country needs to reconsider the plans for what the U.S. Army should look like, now and in the future. That has to include examining why countries have armies at all, and how the army our country needs may be different than the armies other countries need. A Town Shouldn't Fight the Islamic State Alone (Meysa Abdo in The New York Times) Since Sept. 15, we, the people of the Syrian town of Kobani, have been fighting, outnumbered and outgunned, against an all-out assault by the army of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Stop U.S. support for the repressive regime in Egypt (Washington Post Editorial Board) FOR SEVERAL years President Obama has asserted that the United States must sometimes subordinate its commitment to human rights in backing repressive regimes that are supportive of U.S. national security objectives, such as fighting terrorism. The Egyptian government of Abdel Fatah al-Sissi is providing a case study of why that doctrine is misguided. Obama's top military advisers: 'Useful idiots' or good military officers? (Retired Navy Cmdr. J.D. Gordon in Fox News) Sen. John McCain's labeling of the Pentagon's press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, as an "idiot" ought to spark a long overdue debate on the role of military officers serving in high-profile Obama administration posts. Unconstrained Grand Strategy (Bryan McGrath in War on the Rocks) How grand is grand strategy? Frank Hoffman, a friend and WOTR contributing editor, wrote an article titled "Grand Strategy: The Fundamental Considerations," available behind the paywall at Orbis, the journal of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Counterterrorism Messaging Needs To Move From State to CIA (Philip Seib in Defense One) The State Department is trying hard to counter online propaganda from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The information battleground includes Twitter and video messages, terrain that ISIL knows well. In addition to having too little money and too few people, the department is forced to conform to federal rules requiring that its work be identified as coming from the U.S. government. To Beat Russian Tanks, the Baltic States Are Studying the Georgia War (Robert Beckhusen in Real Clear Defense) 2008 conflict with Russia proves that anti-tank missiles rule External Support to Insurgencies (Bruce J. Reider in Small Wars Journal) This essay argues that external support to the insurgents is usually a decisive factor in determining the outcome of an insurgency. Canada Didn't "Lose its Innocence" in Ottawa: How the Media Ignores History (Claude Berube in War on the Rocks) In the wake of last week's attacks on Canada's Parliament Hill by a domestic self-radicalized terrorist, the media was quick to lament the nation's "loss of innocence." But that phrase fundamentally ignores the inherent strength of a nation that has known war and terrorism. It confuses the notion of innocence with a democratic people's desire for peace. What the attacks demonstrated were the service and sacrifice of Corporal Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard at the National War Memorial and Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, a former officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), whose quick-thinking and expertise stopped further bloodshed. | |||||
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