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: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 04:49:08 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. Marine under voluntary Ebola quarantine(Military Times) An active-duty Marine has gone under voluntary quarantine and is watching for possible Ebola symptoms after learning he was on a flight with a nurse who is undergoing treatment for Ebola, a Marine Forces Reserve spokesman said Thursday. 2. Exclusive: Turkey OK's American Drones to Fight ISIS (The Daily Beast) Turkey is now allowing the U.S. to launch unmanned aircraft to fly over Syria. But so far, traditional warplanes are out of the question. 3. An Iraq Veteran's Experience With Chemical Weapons (John Ismay in the New York Times) We found chemical weapons my first week in Iraq. 4. Biden's son discharged from Navy after testing positive for cocaine (CNN) The Navy Reserve discharged Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter this year after he tested positive for cocaine, U.S. officials confirmed. 5. AUSA 2014: Robby Johnson Government Program Manager Sig Sauer (Defense News) Robby Johnson, Government Program Manager for Sig Sauer, talks about the P320 modular handgun that is going to be their entry in the Army's Modular Handgun System competition. EBOLAUS personnel will staff Liberian Ebola hospital(The Hill) The commander in charge of the U.S. response to Ebola in Africa said Thursday that 65 U.S. uniformed personnel would soon staff a 25-bed hospital in Monrovia that will directly treat Liberian healthcare workers if they are infected. Obama may call on reserves to deal with Ebola in Africa (USA Today) President Obama has issued an executive order allowing the Pentagon to call up reserve troops to combat the Ebola crisis in Africa. In Liberia, U.S. Soldiers Race Ebola (Wall Street Journal) American and Liberian soldiers hammer, saw and sweat in the afternoon sun here in a frenetic campaign to build the county's first Ebola-treatment unit. Soon, the soldiers will have floodlights to work round-the-clock shifts. Fort Eustis soldiers prepare for Ebola fight (Virginian-Pilot) In Afghanistan, service members typically shield themselves with Kevlar, a man-made fiber designed to protect them from bullets. For their next mission, thousands of soldiers will instead rely on flimsier material - plastic suits, surgical gloves and gas masks - to protect themselves from an enemy just as deadly. FEMA Preparing for Possible Shortages of Bio-Hazard Gear as Ebola Fears Rise (National Defense) The Obama administration is looking into evoking the Defense Production Act to stem possible shortages of bio-hazard protective gear as fears of an Ebola outbreak grow, a Federal Emergency Management Agency official said Oct. 15.? Quarantines among legal tools available if Ebola outbreak widens (CQ News) As the web of infection widens, questions about the U.S. government's legal authority to contain the Ebola virus are increasing, even as federal officials attempt to keep public panic at bay by diverting the focus from the hypothetical. U.S. not ruling out Ebola travel ban (USA Today) A top public health official told a House panel Thursday that the Obama administration has not ruled out imposing restrictions on travel to and from West Africa to help protect Americans from Ebola. Ebola presents health, political challenges for Obama (Washington Post) President Obama has canceled campaign trips, convened high-level meetings with his top security and health advisers, and consulted with seven heads of state around the globe in an effort to contain the spread of Ebola. All in the past two days. ISLAMIC STATEWhite House says expired War Powers timetable irrelevant to Isis campaign(The Guardian) The White House on Wednesday said a timetable that expired over a week ago limiting its ability to continue a war unauthorised by Congress does not apply to the operation against the Islamic State (Isis) militant group. Iraqis desperate for air cover as U.S. moves warplanes to Kobani (McClatchy) With the U.S. seemingly focused on helping Kurdish militias fight off an Islamic State advance at Kobani on the Turkey-Syria border, Islamist militants this week have seized one key military base in Iraq's Anbar province and have laid siege to another, with no major increase in U.S. air support for the beleaguered Iraqi security forces. Islamic State steps up bombings in Baghdad (Los Angeles Times) A series of car bombings struck Baghdad's predominantly Shiite Muslim neighborhoods Thursday afternoon, killing more than 40 people and wounding nearly 100 in the latest of several attacks attributed to Islamic State. Multiple car bombings have occurred in the city almost every day this week as the Sunni militant group has targeted Shiite civilians and Iraqi police checkpoints. Islamic State photos highlight group's grip on Ramadi (Long War Journal) The Islamic State has released two separate photo collections detailing its presence in Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar. More than half of Ramadi is said to be under the control of Islamic State. Blackmail in the Buffer Zone (Foreign Policy) The U.S. needs Turkey to join the fight against the Islamic State. But Turkey won't do it without dragging the U.S. deeper into Syria's civil war. Turkey Postured to Defeat ISIL Without NATO Help (National Defense) Despite continued threats to its border with Syria, Turkey is capable of handling pressure from the conflict without major NATO support, an Army official said Oct.16. U.S. airstrikes in Syria are now dwarfing those in Iraq, thanks to the fight for one town (Washington Post) The Syrian border town of Kobane is still in danger of falling to the Islamic State, more than a week after the U.S. military began launching airstrikes on militants there regularly. Hundreds of fighters have been killed, the Pentagon's press secretary said Wednesday, but even more are swarming the area. Kurds' refusal to quit in Kobani proves decisive (USA Today) The small Kurdish force defending Kobani along the Syrian-Turkish border is accomplishing what no ground force in the region has been able to do: hold the line against an Islamic State siege. Kurds Hoping To Fight ISIS In Kobani Are Trapped By Turkish Suspicions (National Public Radio) Syrian defenders of the mainly Kurdish border town of Kobani say an increase in coalition airstrikes - and better coordination with the air support - have helped them hold off the more heavily armed fighters from the so-called Islamic State. US worried over 'acceleration' of ISIS recruits (The Hill) The top U.S. Army commander in Europe said Thursday he was concerned by an "acceleration" in the recruitment of Europeans by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). UK To Add Reapers to Air Power Operating in Iraq (Defense News) Britain is adding Reaper remotely piloted aircraft to its forces deployed to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq, the government announced Thursday. IS sent warning letters to Middle East embassies (Al-Monitor) Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that after the self-styled Islamic State (IS) took over Mosul in early June, it sent letters to the embassies of countries in the region warning them not to take action against the group. Iranian support for Iraqi militias becomes increasingly apparent (IHS Jane's 360) A growing number of Iraqi militias have been seen using Iranian-made weapons in their battles against Sunni militants led by Islamic State (IS). Baghdadis Stay Put in Belief Islamic State Can't Take City (Bloomberg) Each morning Majdi al-Dabbagh listens to the news to figure out if Islamic State is any closer to Baghdad. He has an escape route south planned for his family if the jihadist group manages to storm the Iraqi capital, yet sees no immediate need to flee. On outskirts of Baghdad, Islamic State's advances raise tensions (Washington Post) About 14 miles from Baghdad International Airport, a mortar shell landed with a thud. A second followed, closer, and then a third struck across the Iraqi army's lines, as the Islamic State militants zeroed in on their target. Syrian regime takes advantage of coalition strikes (Al-Monitor) As the world's focus remains firmly fixed on the Kurdish enclave of Kobani, under assault for three weeks now by a relentless and determined Islamic State (IS) force despite airstrikes by the US-led coalition, other significant events on the Syrian battlefield have largely gone unnoticed. As the Syrian army, backed by various local and foreign militias, makes significant gains in both Damascus and Aleppo, the question being raised is whether President Bashar al-Assad is the ultimate beneficiary of the coalition's campaign against IS and other jihadist groups. INDUSTRYNew Ingalls Boss Focusing on Cost Performance, Agility(Defense News) Brian Cuccias has been in the Gulf Coast shipbuilding business for 35 years, working for Litton, Avondale, Northrop Grumman and now Huntington Ingalls Industries. In April, he succeeded Irwin Edenzon as president of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and now is responsible for managing one of the world's most complex naval shipyards, with 12,000 employees building destroyers and two classes of amphibious ships for the US Navy, and large national security cutters for the US Coast Guard. F-35 Test Jets to Undergo 'Burn In' for F135 Engine Fix (Aviation Week) The Pentagon's long-awaited deal with Pratt and Whitney to build the seventh low-rate production lot of F135 engines for the multinational F-35 fighter has finally been signed, though officials have not yet outlined a clear path forward to address the design issue that led to an engine fire that grounded the fleet of single-engine aircraft this summer. AUSA: New lightweight UAV defies crosswinds (C4ISR & Networks) Small, portable drones can be tricky to launch, as shown in the famous YouTube video of U.S. Marines repeatedly failing to get an AeroVironment RQ-11B Raven off the ground. However, Stark Aerospace, an Israel Aerospace Industries company based in Columbus, Miss., has a new unmanned aerial vehicle, which company officials say can be launched while the operator is prone and in crosswinds of up to 15 knots. CEO: US Needs to Speed Up Foreign Drone Sales (DefenseOne) The painstakingly slow government process of selling weapons and drones to allies is hurting U.S. defense companies at a time when the industry is trying to compensate for lower Pentagon sales, says Ellen Lord, president and CEO of Textron Systems. Raytheon Offers Laser-Guided Artillery to Army, Navy (DoDBuzz) Raytheon is testing a new laser-guided 155mm artillery shell which adds laser-designation to GPS guidance in order to provide more targeting options and better pinpoint targets on-the-move, company officials said Sierra Nevada Steps Up Legal Battle Over NASA 'Space Taxi' Competition (Wall Street Journal) Sierra Nevada Corp., the losing bidder in NASA's recent multibillion-dollar "space taxi" competition, has gone to court seeking to block winners Boeing Co. BA +0.08% and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. from proceeding with work until a pending contract protest is resolved. USN bolsters Laser Maverick stockpile (IHS Jane's 360) The US Navy (USN) has awarded Raytheon a USD55 million production contract for AGM-65E2/L laser-guided Maverick close-air-support missiles, the company announced on 16 October. Exclusive: Boeing eyes possible Chinook helicopter sale to Brazil (Reuters) The Brazilian Army has expressed interest in buying a handful of Boeing Co (BA.N) CH-47 Chinook helicopters, the company said on Wednesday, saying that it continued to view Brazil as an important partner for defense and commercial projects. Canadian CF-18 upgrades could delay F-35 buys (IHS Jane's 360) Canada plans to upgrade and continue using its legacy McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet combat aircraft, while postponing a final decision on Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter acquisition, officials have said. Abuelo Hercules: Latin American Programs (Defense Industry Daily) L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP in Waco, TX receives a maximum $68.9 million unfinalized contract to modify 5 Argentinian C-130s. They will standardize all 5 planes to the same equipment, remove obsolete parts, and upgrade their CNS/ATM avionics per the Oct 19/11 DSCA request. FAB approves EC725 offset transfers (IHS Jane's 360) The Combat Aircraft Programme Co-ordinating Commission (COPAC), run by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), has approved recent technology transfers that fall in line with the offset requirement for the procurement of 50 Airbus Helicopter EC725 medium multi-role helicopters for the armed forces. VETERANSAfter Hospital Scandal, V.A. Officials Jump Ship(New York Times) After a national scandal erupted this year over veterans dying while waiting for care at Veterans Health Administration hospitals, Congress passed a law making it easier to fire executives who were responsible for the problems, which included systemic efforts to cover up lengthy wait times that kept patients from seeing doctors. Two others with ties to Hines VA also left about the same time hospital director stepped down (Chicago Sun-Times) Two other top officials with ties to Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital recently left their jobs - around the same time the director of the hospital announced she was stepping down, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. Uncertainties swirl as VA 'Choice Card' deadline nears (Military Update) Congress last August gave the Department of Veteran Affairs 90 days to issue medical "Choice Cards" to 9.1 million veterans enrolled in VA care. Topeka VA installing 2,629 solar panels (Topeka Capital-Journal) People driving or walking by the Topeka Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center at S.W. 21st and Gage may notice the installation of hundreds of ground-mounted solar panels. Ex-US POWs visit Japan, recall horrors of war (Associated Press) The prisoners of war held in Tokyo's Omori POW camp saw some of the most horrific destruction during the last months of World War II, as American B-29 bombers dropped incendiary bombs that obliterated much of the city. CONGRESSArmy Waiting for Hill OK To Build Upgraded Strykers(Defense News) The Army has found enough friends on Capitol Hill to fund a fourth brigade of double V-hull (DVH) eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles, service officials said. Without that order, most work on the vehicle would come to a halt in 2017, according to Army officials. National Security Fears Could Decide Midterms - and the Senate Majority (DefenseOne) Growing anxiety about global threats from the Islamic State to Ebola has given national security issues an outsized influence in the midterm elections that few predicted, but Republicans are seeking to capitalize on. The GOP is trying to tie Democratic candidates to a narrative of President Barack Obama that has gained momentum in recent weeks: weakness on foreign policy has threatened America's international standing and national security. Some Democratic candidates have responded to the angst by adopting a more hawkish tone and distancing themselves from the president. Ad hits GOP lawmaker for missing VA hearings (The Hill) The retired Air Force general looking to unseat incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn (R) is hammering the Colorado lawmaker, claiming he's missed more than half of the Veterans' Affairs Committee's meetings. Congress presses for Ebola travel ban (Washington Post) Members of Congress sharply questioned top public health officials Thursday about banning travel from West African countries where the Ebola virus is out of control to the United States, demanding to know why the administration has not adopted that tactic. Gallup Poll: Americans Are Divided About Divided Government (Defense News) Americans are divided about whether a single political party should control the federal government. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTNew coed guard duty causing ruckus at Guantanamo high-value prison(Miami Herald) The military now has female soldiers escorting former CIA captives around Guantanamo's high-value prison, an apparent personnel change that defense lawyers say is causing an uproar over religious insensitivity. Eating disorders fairly rare among troops, study finds (Military Times) A new study finds that eating disorder diagnoses in the U.S. military remain somewhat rare, but perhaps not surprisingly, female troops are 20 times more likely to have such issues than males. This Could Be the Future of Battlefield Robotics (DefenseOne) The floor of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., was an obstacle course this week, as the Association of the United States Army convention brought together, among other defense contractors, various robot makers from around to demo their goods to military leaders and the curious. ARMYU.S. soldier pulls grenade out of Alabama man's leg(Washington Post) Driving through the wee hours of the morning, Army Staff Sgt. David Mensink prepared for a daunting assignment: Pulling a grenade from the leg of a man in Alabama who'd accidentally fired it into his thigh. U.S. soldiers, tanks train in Eastern Europe to show Russia that NATO will hold the line (Army Times) The world's attention may be fixed on Ebola and the Islamic State, but U.S. soldiers and armored vehicles are conducting exercises in Eastern Europe to remind Russia that NATO will defend every inch of the alliance's territory. 2 Special Forces soldiers given Soldier's Medal for saving life of another on Fort Bragg in 2011 (Fayetteville Observer) The Army has recognized two Special Forces soldiers for saving the life of another on Fort Bragg in 2011. Army Electronic Warfare 'Is A Weapon' - But Cyber Is Sexier (Breaking Defense) "Electronic warfare is a weapon," fumed Col. Joe Dupont. But as the Army's project manager for EW programs - and its recently declassified offensive cyber division - Dupont faces an uphill battle against tight budgets and Army culture to make that case. Four Years After Establishment, Army Cyber Command Touts Progress (National Defense) The relatively new Army Cyber Command is looking to perform more joint operations as it continues to build its capabilities, a pair of its senior leaders said Oct. 15 at the Association of the United States Army annual conference in Washington, D.C. Soldier gets 6 months for false testimony in AFN murder (Stars & Stripes) Spc. Cody Kramer pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to investigators as part of a pretrial agreement that requires him to testify against a colleague charged with the murder of an American Forces Network broadcaster. CrossFit vs. unit PT | Troops will do the training plans in what's likely the biggest CrossFit study ever (PT 365) Researchers with Kansas State University's kinesiology lab will track 20 groups of soldiers - more than 200 troops in all - over four years. Half of the troops will do by-the-book PT training, and the other half will get trained up in CrossFit. Fort Stewart soldier arrested after dry cleaner break-in (Army Times) A Fort Stewart soldier faces burglary charges after allegedly tampering with a cash machine, breaking into a hair salon and being caught in an adjacent dry cleaner wearing some of the store's inventory. NAVYNew US Navy E-2D Aircraft Goes Operational(Defense News) The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has been declared to be operational, meaning that deployment training for the US Navy's newest airborne warning and control aircraft can begin in earnest. 3 Navy ships depart Philippines, Peleliu remains as murder investigation continues (Navy Times) Three U.S. Navy ships have been cleared to leave Subic Bay in the Philippines, but the amphibious assault ship Peleliu will remain in port as local authorities continue to investigate whether a Marine killed a transgender woman, according to Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. 2 ballistic missile defense-equipped ships moving to Yokosuka (Stars & Stripes) The destroyers USS Benfold and USS Milius will leave San Diego and report to Yokosuka in the summers of 2015 and 2017, respectively. Hagel Briefed on New US Surface Ship, But No Decisions Yet (Defense News) The US Navy's senior leadership briefed top Pentagon officials Oct. 6 on proposals for a new Small Surface Combatant (SSC), but no decisions have been made, said the US military's top spokesman. Preparations for arrival of littoral combat ships at Mayport underway (Florida Times Union) As Mayport Naval Station prepares for its first batch of littoral combat ships (LCS), U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., traveled Tuesday and Wednesday to San Diego Naval Station to inspect its progress. AIR FORCEAir Force: 'Unrealistic to expect perfection' in force management programs(Air Force Times) Weeks after more than 1,000 voluntarily separating airmen learned they would not receive the medical benefits the Air Force had promised them, no solution to the problem is yet in sight. 18th Air Force commander upholds sex assault conviction (Belleville News-Democrat) The 18th Air Force commander, based at Scott, has upheld the punishment meted out to a Scott master sergeant convicted of sexual assault and abusive sexual contact of a female airman under his previous supervision. Charleston crew returns from Ebola mission: 'I felt very safe,' pilot says (Air Force Times) The C-17 crew headed to the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa earlier this month would only be on the ground for a few hours. MARINE CORPSDunford to take command of the Marine Corps Friday(Marine Corps Times) Gen. Joe Dunford will become the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps on Friday during a formal ceremony held at Marine Barracks Washington. Viral video: Marine survives sniper shot to the helmet in Afghanistan (Washington Post) The Marines are deep in southern Afghanistan when they peer out of a doorway. One of them asks if there is cover from gunfire outside. Seconds later, there is the crack of a single gunshot, and a sniper rifle round deflects off the top of one of their helmets. Fallen Marine's family sues Corps over insider attack secrecy (Marine Corps Times) A Gold Star family is suing the Marine Corps and other Defense Department agencies, alleging a coordinated, illegal effort to suppress details about the insider attack that claimed three Marines' lives in Afghanistan. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN2 Haqqani Militant Leaders Are Captured, Afghan Officials Say(New York Times) In a blow to a major component of the Taliban insurgency, two senior leaders of the Haqqani Network, a group responsible for numerous attacks against the Afghan government and its Western allies, were reported to be in Afghan custody on Thursday. Militant Leader Killed In Northern Afghanistan (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) A leader of the Jundullah militant group has reportedly been killed in northern Afghanistan. Afghanistan Confirms New Polio Cases as Pakistan's Outbreak Reaches Grim Milestone (Vice) On Tuesday, public health officials reported three new cases of polio in Afghanistan's Kandahar province - the first in nearly two years to be recorded in the province, which, like the rest of the country, had recently made strides in fighting the disease. Military action launched in Khyber Agency (Express-Tribune; Pakistan) Security forces formally launched military action 'Khyber-1' against terrorists in scattered areas of Bara in Khyber Agency on Friday. MIDDLE EASTWhen the Ayatollah Said No to Nukes(Foreign Policy) The nuclear negotiations between six world powers and Iran, which are now nearing their November deadline, remain deadlocked over U.S. demands that Iran dismantle the bulk of its capacity to enrich uranium. The demand is based on the suspicion that Iran has worked secretly to develop nuclear weapons in the past and can't be trusted not to do so again. As Oil Prices Plummet, Saudi Arabia Faces a Test of Strategy (New York Times) With global oil prices plunging at a pace not seen since the 2008 financial crisis, Saudi Arabia is emerging as a central player, accused by some of deliberately depressing the market to weaken rivals like Iran but looked to by others as the only hope of ending the rout. Still others say that the oil colossus is merely struggling to deal with its diminished position in an industry it once dominated. AQAP, Houthis clash in central Yemen (Long War Journal) As the Houthi rebels continue their military advance throughout much of northern and central Yemen without any indication of resistance from the Yemeni authorities, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has increasingly clashed with the Shi'ite rebels that it deems "apostates." Shia Houthi rebels and al-Qaeda clash in south Yemen (BBC) Shia rebels and suspected Sunni al-Qaeda militants have been engaged in heavy fighting in southern Yemen. Israeli Troops Are Suspected in Shooting of a Teenager (New York Times) The Israeli military said it would immediately investigate reports that soldiers killed a 13-year-old Palestinian on Thursday night during a confrontation in a village near the West Bank city of Ramallah. EUROPEPutin defiant in face of criticism over Ukraine at Asia-Europe summit(Los Angeles Times) A defiant Russian President Vladimir Putin joined Asian and European leaders in Italy on Thursday for talks intended to focus on trade but, like many diplomatic gatherings of the past six months, was being dominated by the deadly crisis in Ukraine. Serbia Honors Putin While Keeping Its Eyes on Ties to the West (New York Times) President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived Thursday in Belgrade to commemorate the city's liberation by the Red Army during World War II, in a visit that underlined Moscow's growing attempt to assert its influence in the western Balkans, even as Serbia tries to link itself inextricably to the West without losing Russia's support. Georgian PM: No Progress Normalizing Relations With Moscow (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili says attempts by Tbilisi to normalize political relations with Russia have thus far been unsuccessful. ASIA-PACIFICChina building 10,000-ton coastguard cutters(IHS Jane's 360) China is building two large coastguard ships with displacements estimated to be 10,000 tons, Chinese military news websites reported on 13 October. Hong Kong police clear pro-democracy camp at key intersection (Washington Post) Police forcefully cleared a pro-democracy camp at a key intersection before dawn Friday, a day after Hong Kong's leader said he is ready to start talks with protesters as early as next week, although with no concessions. Japan, Seeking Revision of Report on Wartime Brothels, Is Rebuffed (New York Times) The Japanese government has asked for the partial retraction of a nearly two-decade-old United Nations report on Korean and other women forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II, but the report's author has refused the request, a Japanese government spokesman said on Thursday. Khmer Rouge Genocide Trial Resumes in Cambodia (Wall Street Journal) The genocide trial of two former Khmer Rouge leaders resumes in Phnom Penh Friday, with worries persisting over whether the two aging men will see justice for the alleged mass murder of ethnic Vietnamese and Muslims in the 1970s. AFRICAExclusive: Boko Haram Negotiating Cease-fire, Abducted Girls' Release with Nigeria(Voice of America) Islamist militant group Boko Haram is in talks with the Nigerian government to release more than 200 girls abducted six months ago and negotiate a cease-fire to a deadly insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives Scattered violence in Benghazi as pro-government forces anticipate counter attack (Libya Herald) Sporadic and isolated violence has continued in Benghazi in the aftermath of yesterday's fierce clashes, as pro-government forces brace themselves for a counter offensive. At least 27 killed in attacks in eastern Congo: official (Reuters) At least 27 people were killed and another seven people seriously injured in overnight raids on villages near the eastern Congolese town of Beni, local officials said on Thursday. UN: 3 peacekeepers killed in Darfur (Associated Press) Two peacekeepers serving in the joint United Nations-African Union force in Sudan's troubled Darfur region were killed in an attack, and a third later died from his injuries, the U.N. secretary-general said Thursday. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISKeeping Ebola at Bay(New York Times Editorial Board) The Ebola cases in the United States show that American hospitals and public health officials have much to learn about effective ways to protect health care workers and the public from possible infection. Give Ukraine the weapons it needs for self-defense (Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., in The Washington Post) When Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke to a joint session of Congress last month, he thanked the United States for its assistance in confronting Russian aggression, and indeed, our country, along with our NATO allies, has done much. But Poroshenko asked us for more. "Blankets, night-vision goggles are also important," he said, "but one cannot win the war with blankets." The Perils of Limiting Our Wars (Kori Schake in War on the Rocks) President Obama has been vague about many aspects of this most recent American involvement in the Middle East, but he has been absolutely clear about one thing: only the military forces of the countries under siege by the Islamic State can defeat the Islamic State. Numerous supporters of the president's strategy keep repeating this mantra. When did we start believing that? When America Realizes It Needs the Army, It'll Need It Really Bad (Daniel Goure in Real Clear Defense) Twice in just the past 15 years, the U.S. government has made the decision to shrink the size of the Army. Under the Bush administration, the argument was that the real threat was from rising near-peer powers and regional adversaries empowered by advanced weapons technologies. Combatting these threats required investment in transformational capabilities that would allow the military to exert control over the air, seas and space. According to this paradigm, there was less need for land forces. 'Friction' Where U.S. Intelligence and Policymakers Meet (Chris Miller in Cicero Magazine) No matter how capable intelligence collectors are, no matter how insightful analysts are, no matter how skilled briefers are, and no matter how useful their products are, if intelligence is not received, misunderstood, or discarded by policymakers, it will be for naught. Understanding the relationship between the intelligence community and policymakers is necessary to understand the "friction" between them and how it affects intelligence estimates and U.S. national security. The Only Things That Can Stop the U.S. Air Force (Mackenzie Eaglen in U.S. News & World Report) President Obama has been busy preparing the American people for a potentially years-long campaign against the Islamic State in recent weeks. It is increasingly likely this is a challenge he will hand off to the next administration in 2017, but it is unclear whether America's aging air assets, particularly those in the U.S. Air Force, are up for another mission with no clear end state in sight. The Historic And Evolving Role Of Women In The Military (Rachel A. Brune in Task & Purpose) A new documentary premiering this month demonstrates that the modern battlefield has opened an opportunity and, with the development of the all-volunteer military, created a need for women to enter the realm of war and warfare. How to Discover Defense Innovation (Mark Jacobsen, Nate Finney, Joe Byerly, Mikhail Grinberg, Roxanne Bras and Darryl Diptee in War on the Rocks) In 1972, a young man dropped out of college after his first semester. He then lingered around campus as a "drop-in," attending only classes that interested him. For the next 18 months, he learned seemingly obscure skills like the art of calligraphy, a subject that had no practical relevance to his life. The student, of course was Steve Jobs and a decade later his knowledge of calligraphy would help shape the groundbreaking user interface of the Macintosh computer's operating system. Contain ISIS, Then Roll It Back (Richard Fontaine in Defense One) Nine days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush addressed a joint session of Congress. Referring to thousands of terrorists active in more than 60 countries, the president committed the United States to "the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network." Fighting ISIS for Us, Too (George Packer in The New Yorker) Karim, an Iraqi I know who belongs to the Yazidi minority, had to flee his home town near Mt. Sinjar when the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) overran it, in August. Helping Europe with its Sea (Mark Lawrence in Small Wars Journal) Southern Europe's mass migration problem is out of control. The U.S. government may be forced to address this fact sooner rather than later if it wants to keep its transatlantic allies focused on Russia and active alongside us in the Middle East. Obama is M.I.A. on case of decorated Marine jailed in Mexico (Pete Hegseth in The Hill) This past Sunday, President Obama played his 200th round of golf as president of the United States. And tragically, it has been just over 200 days that Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, a decorated U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, has languished in a Mexican jail. | |||||
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