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From: no-reply@militarytimes.com
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Early Bird Brief
Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 04:32:31 -0600

Having trouble viewing this email? | View it in your browser May 1, 2015 May 1, 2015     FOLLOW US Good morning and welcome to the Early Bird Brief. Please send news tips and suggestions to Early Bird Editor Oriana Pawlyk: opawlyk@militarytimes.com. Today's Top 5 Navy ships escorting U.S.-flagged merchants in strait (Navy Times) Navy ships in the Persian Gulf are accompanying U.S.-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's recent seizure of one cargo ship and its harassment of another in international waters, a defense official has confirmed to Navy Times. DoD rejects Tricare reform, does not oppose military retirement changes (Military Times) The Pentagon for the first time has offered a detailed response to a slate of proposed military pay and benefits reforms, flatly rejecting the idea of overhauling the military health care system but giving a cautious green light to fundamentally changing military retirement benefits. Yemenis in Desperate Need of Food and Fuel After Weeks of Airstrikes (New York Times) In one of Yemen's largest cities, residents have been reduced to a diet of rice. In another, they sleep overnight in lines waiting for gasoline. Hospitals may soon be forced to close, bombs and shells are raining down ever more thickly and randomly, and in places snipers target anyone brave or desperate enough to walk the streets. U.S., Qatar launch talks on fate of Taliban officials released in Bergdahl swap (Washington Post) U.S. and Qatari officials began talks Thursday about extending security assurances for five senior Taliban members who were released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and whose transfer to Qatar triggered an outcry on Capitol Hill. Vietnam lesson endures, 40 years later (Los Angeles Times) Forty years after Saigon's fall, Vietnam War continues to influence U.S. security policy Advertisement Yemen Yemen crisis: Saudi Arabia stops Houthi 'border attack' (BBC News) Saudi troops have repelled a major attack on their border by Houthi rebels from Yemen, Saudi state media says. Saudis Intercept Yemen Bound Iranian Jet, Bomb Runway To Stop It (Foxtrot Alpha) As the conflict in Yemen intensifies, fully armed Royal Saudi Air Force F-15Cs are caught on video intercepting a civilian Airbus A310. Fierce fighting grips Yemen's Aden as residents flee (Al Jazeera America) Houthi fighters clash with Popular Resistance Committees for control of Aden's main airport as families flee the city. Islamic State Syria conflict: Islamic State arms dump 'blows up' (BBC News) An arms dump has exploded in Deir Ezzor province in Syria, killing 25 Islamic State (IS) militants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based activist group. Islamic State group film shows Yemen killings: SITE (Reuters) A new branch of the Islamic State group in Yemen on Thursday issued a video showing what it said was the beheading of four Yemeni soldiers and the shooting of 10 others, the SITE Intelligence group reported. Report: Islamic State recruiter based in Seattle (Post-Intelligenceer) Reports from the United Kingdom say a woman who was based in Seattle used social media to try to recruit young women to join the radical Islamic State. Kobani still a ghost town, months after liberation from Islamic State (Associated Press) The battle for the Syrian border town of Kobani was a watershed in the war against the Islamic State group - Syrian Kurdish forces fought the militants in rubble-strewn streets for months as U.S. aircraft pounded the extremists from the skies until ultimately expelling them from the town earlier this year. Jailed Islamic State militant still longs for martyrdom (Reuters) The airstrike obliterated its target in northern Iraq and sent the men scattering. Four of them dived into a river and crossed to safety on the other side, but the fifth froze at the water's edge. He had never learned to swim. Syria: The new rebel unity pushing back the regime (BBC News) At the end of March, Syrian rebels captured the north-western provincial capital of Idlib as government forces fled in the face of a co-ordinated offensive. Russia-Ukraine Russia Scales Back Long-Range Aircraft Patrols, NATO General Says (DefenseOne) Moscow has throttled back long-range aviation missions near European nations, after a year where NATO fighter intercepts of Russian aircraft spiked. How This Small Seaside Ukrainian Town Has Been Wrecked by War (Daily Signal) For months, pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces have battled for the beachside town of Shyrokyne, which is about eight miles east of Mariupol. Advertisement Breedlove: Russia Intel Gaps 'Critical' (Defense News) NATO's top military commander warned of gaps in US intelligence gathering in Eastern Europe and its ability to understand Moscow's intent in the wake of Russian aggression. Russia may be readying for new Ukraine offensive: NATO commander (Reuters) Russia's military may be taking advantage of a recent lull in fighting in eastern Ukraine to lay the groundwork for a new military offensive, NATO's top commander told the U.S. Congress on Thursday. Russia cuts key interest rate, hopes worst of crisis over (Reuters) Russia's central bank cut its main lending rate by 1-1/2 percentage points on Thursday, its third rate cut this year, a sign that it believes the worst of an economic crisis is over. Ukraine's conflict with Russia leaves economy in ruins (Telegraph) Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia has left the country facing years of recession as the country struggles to break ties with Moscow and implement structural reforms, the World Bank has warned. Industry Airbus Says It Will File Criminal Complaint Over US Spy Claims (Agence France-Presse) European aviation and aeronautics giant Airbus said Thursday it would file a criminal complaint against persons unknown following German media reports it had become a target of US industrial espionage. Finmeccanica Outlines Way Ahead in UK Market (Defense News) Details have emerged about how Finmeccanica's effort to revive its fortunes is impacting its UK business in a letter dispatched to government officials, industry leaders and others by Sir Brian Burridge, the executive now heading up the company's presence in Britain. France Sells 24 Rafale Fighters to Qatar (Defense News) Qatar will sign contracts for 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets and MBDA missiles May 4, President François Hollande's office said Thursday. ITEC: A Call To Expand, Improve Training (Defense News) Military and industrial support for more effective, affordable military training were common themes at the April 28-30 ITEC symposium here. Army awards $4B Rifleman Radio contract (C4ISR & Networks) Harris Corp. and Thales Defense and Security are the winners of a $4 billion contract to purchase the Army's handheld, manpack and small-form fit (HMS) Rifleman Radio. Congress Panel votes to dump delay in military lending rules (Military Times) House lawmakers narrowly voted to remove controversial language delaying rules on payday lenders from their annual defense authorization bill early Thursday morning Obama holds off support for military retirement and healthcare reform (The Hill) President Obama is holding off on endorsing controversial recommendations by a blue-ribbon panel to reform the military retirement and healthcare systems. House rejects proposal to let VA doctors recommend medical marijuana (The Hill) The House rejected a proposal Thursday to allow doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals to discuss the use of medical marijuana with patients. House members press Boehner for vote on ISIS war resolution (The Hill) A bipartisan coalition of 28 lawmakers are urging Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to take action on an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Ex-U.S., Russian brass: 'De-alert' nukes or risk disaster (Politico) Amid all the talk about a new Cold War, here's one hard, cold fact: Nearly 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Washington and Moscow still have nearly 2,000 atomic bombs ready to fly at a moment's notice to destroy each other. Veterans Report: Veterans are civic assets (Military Times) Veterans are more likely to volunteer in their communities, vote in elections and belong to civic groups, according to a report released this week. POW calls out Japan's prime minister over WWII apology (Military Times) Lester Tenney, a 94-year-old survivor of the Bataan Death March, asked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday to acknowledge a hard truth about his country's treatment of American captives during World War II. Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Founder: Monument Almost Never Got Built (National Public Radio) From that first thought, Scruggs instigated a contest for some way to put all the names of the dead on display. Maya Lin, a young architecture student at the time, won. The memorial she designed opened in 1982, but amid controversy. The distinctive black granite was seen by some as a symbol of defeat. Lawmaker: VA should cover all psychiatric drugs (Military Times) A congressman who also serves as a Navy Reserve psychologist says the Veterans Affairs Department should provide former troops any psychiatric drug they've been prescribed successfully, regardless of whether the medication is in the official VA pharmacy formulary. VA reaching breaking point as malware attacks rise (Federal Times) The Department of Veterans Affairs has seen a dramatic uptick in cyberattacks recently, fending off almost 1.2 billion attempts to put malware on its networks in March alone - a trend that has agency cybersecurity officials worried. Not all veterans struggle when they come home, new study shows (Washington Post) The first-ever examination of civic involvement of veterans, released Thursday, shows results that debunk stereotypes of the wounded former service members struggling to adjust to civilian life. Newly Released VA Reports Include Cases of Veteran Harm, Death (USA Today) Almost 140 investigative reports newly released by the inspector general at the Veterans Affairs Department offer a litany of instances of dysfunction or mistreatment of veterans at VA facilities across the country and show that in many cases, the department's chief watchdog trusted the VA to correct problems on its own rather than make findings public. Wells Fargo honored for veteran hiring practices by Lt. Gov. Guadagno (Independent Press) Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) Commissioner Harold J. Wirths visited Wells Fargo in Summit on Thursday, April 30, to recognize the company's strong history of hiring veterans. Defense Department & National Security DoD rejects Tricare reform, does not oppose military retirement changes (Military Times) The Pentagon for the first time has offered a detailed response to a slate of proposed military pay and benefits reforms, flatly rejecting the idea of overhauling the military health care system but giving a cautious green light to fundamentally changing military retirement benefits. U.S. troops survey need for military relief efforts in Nepal (Military Times) U.S. Pacific Command sent a Joint Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa on Wednesday. The effort is being led by Brig. Gen. Paul Kennedy, commander of 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Governor asks Texas State Guard to monitor SOCOM exercise (Army Times) Concerns from citizens prompted the governor of Texas to ask his state's Guard to keep an eye on a U.S. military exercise, one that some fringe websites regard as preparation to invade Texas and other states to institute martial law in a coup or rebellion. Under-21 smoking ban awaits Hawaii governor's signature (Army Times) Those under 21 could not use, possess or purchase any tobacco products, according to the legislation, including snuff and electronic cigarettes. Young service members stationed in or heading to Hawaii could soon have another reason to quit tobacco: Avoiding a fine. Jon Stewart grills Judith Miller over her Iraq reporting (Los Angeles Times) Jon Stewart is headed for the exit of "The Daily Show," but he's definitely not coasting. On Wednesday night, Stewart had one of his rare but always noteworthy testy interview exchanges with former New York Times reporter Judith Miller. Report: To Aid Combat, Russia Wages Cyberwar Against Ukraine (NPR) The rules of War 2.0 (or 3.0) are murky. Experts and pundits say that cyberwarfare is happening. And it makes sense. But it has been very hard to prove. Army New Army commercial seeks new 'team' members (Army Times) The service's latest 60-second commercial debuted Monday, featuring black-and-white photos over stirring narration and music, offering glimpses of many aspects of service and sacrifice, and extolling the virtues of joining "the Army team." Paratrooper dies during airborne training at Fort Bragg (Army Times) A paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division died Tuesday during an airborne training operation at Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Frightened Vietnamese Kid Who Became A U.S. Army General (National Public Radio) Luong's job is to train the Afghan military to fight a guerrilla force, the Taliban. But he's willing to talk about another guerrilla war, long ago. Army selects two makers for its Rifleman Radios (Army Times) The Army tabbed two vendors to produce its hand-held, squad-level Rifleman Radios as it shifts from limited-rate to full-rate production. Leaders disciplined after fatal 2014 artillery accident (Army Times) The Army has disciplined half a dozen leaders after a training accident last year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, killed one soldier and injured seven others. Rangers honored with Silver Stars, Bronze Stars with V (Army Times) Under heavy enemy fire, Staff Sgt. James Jones and Sgt. Derek Anderson rushed into the open courtyard in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province to get to their fellow Ranger. Decorated Green Beret struck by car, killed (Army Times) A car struck and killed a decorated Green Beret NCO as he attempted to cross a road in San Diego. Airborne ops suspended after two paratrooper deaths (Army Times) The XVIII Airborne Corps has suspended all airborne operations following the deaths of two paratroopers in less than two weeks. Breaking military's ultimate glass ceiling? Women start Ranger training. (Christian Science Monitor) You have to look closely to notice. The men have a little less hair, perhaps - their heads were shaved completely as incoming Ranger students. Some of the women wanted to do the same, but the Army decided it would be "too GI Jane," as one official puts it. Navy Congratulations, master chief! The FY16 E-9 list is out (Navy Times) The Navy has selected 389 of the 3,206 eligible senior chiefs for advancement to master chief. Navy ships escorting U.S.-flagged merchants in strait (Navy Times) Navy ships in the Persian Gulf are accompanying U.S.-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's recent seizure of one cargo ship and its harassment of another in international waters, a defense official has confirmed to Navy Times. Sources: Investigators focus on ship's seagoing goat (Navy Times) A bad command climate survey may have sunk the career of a San Diego cruiser skipper, but then there was that deal with the goat. House Mandates Shorter Modernization Periods for Navy Cruisers (DoDBuzz) House lawmakers want to limit the amount of time the Navy will be able to lay up portions of its fleet of cruisers from four years down to two years, citing combatant commanders' need for the ships' ballistic missile defense technologies. Female 'boomer' officer lauds Navy (Shreveport Times) There was a time when Maura Thompson would have caused a sensation on the USS Louisiana. Navy runs tests on lint, clears cotton coveralls for subs (Boston Globe) As the US Navy prepared to roll out cotton, flame-resistant coveralls for submarine sailors, it needed first to assess a possible threat: There was concern the boats' ventilation systems could be clogged by lint. Air Force House panel blocks A-10 retirement (Air Force Times) The House Armed Services Committee has approved a plan to keep the A-10 in the air. The committee passed an amendment late Wednesday from former A-10 pilot Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., to block any attempt by the Air Force to cut any Warthogs. The amendment is on top of language in the defense authorization bill to authorize about $682 million to keep the A-10s flying. Comments end 19th Air Force commander's career (Air Force Times) Maj. Gen. Michael Keltz, commander of the 19th Air Force, has resigned his position effective Thursday over an "inappropriate comment" in a public forum, the Air Force said Wednesday. Cannon airman charged with attempted murder (Air Force Times) An air commando stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, is charged with attempted murder and related offenses in connection with an alleged robbery, according to a charge sheet provided to Air Force Times. Helicopter that landed at school clear to fly to Andrews (Air Force Times) A helicopter that made a "precautionary landing" Thursday at a Virginia elementary school has been cleared to fly back to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, said Laura McAndrews, a spokeswoman for the 11th Wing. Sensor operator in pre-trial confinement for two months (Air Force Times) A drone sensor operator accused of domestic violence and drug offenses has spent eight weeks in pre-trial confinement. Marine Corps Marine 2-star tapped to lead installations and logistics (Marine Corps Times) Maj. Gen. Michael Dana has been nominated to take over as deputy commandant of Marine Corps Installations and Logistics, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Thursday morning. Marine Corps Memorial to be restored after $5.4M donation (Associated Press) Marine Corps Memorial to be restored after $5.4M donation Marine Corps Historic Half fills up fast (Free Lance-Star) The Marine Corps Historic Half sold out this week, the earliest the 13.1-mile race has filled up in its eight-year history. Coast Guard Clear Lake Michigan waters helps Coast Guard find old shipwrecks (WDIV) Lake Michigan is transitioning to spring as the winter ice melts and before the summer brings along sediment. The water is clear. Very, very clear. Coast Guard member in Virginia sentenced for violations (Associated Press) A Coast Guard member has been sentenced to 80 days in military prison and given a bad conduct discharge for his guilty plea to charges of assault and failing to obey an order or a regulation. Afghanistan/Pakistan Pakistan court convicts 10 in shooting of Malala Yousafzai (Los Angeles Times) 10 convicted in Pakistan for involvement in shooting of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai Photos show purported ISIS training camp in Afghanistan (Fox News) New photos purport to show ISIS fighters training at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border, in what may be yet another sign of the black-clad jihadist army's expanding reach. Middle East Analysis: Secret talks hold hope for lengthy Hamas-Israel truce (Haaretz) Indirect negotiations going on for months; Hamas political wing in favor, Mohammed Deif and military wing opposed. US vice president says Washington "deepening" cooperation with Israel amid efforts to forge comprehensive nuclear deal. (Jerusalem Post) US Vice President Joe Biden pushed back against Iran's demands for a final deal over its nuclear program on Thursday, demanding access to its military sites, sanctions relief phased over time and a "clear" snapback mechanism at the United Nations should Tehran violate the deal. Lebanon to use alternative maritime export route via Aqaba Port (Ammon) Lebanese cabinet will study options to open an alternative maritime export routes to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, Lebanese sources said. Yemen dispute could hurt Lebanon (Al-Monitor) Lebanon is going above and beyond to maintain internal security and stability, despite the shaky situation in various Arab countries. This quest was finally represented by the dialogue between the Sunni Future Movement and Shiite Hezbollah, launched on Dec. 23, 2014, under the banner of alleviating tensions between Sunnis and Shiites, and is still ongoing, sparing the country security problems and neutralizing the region's conflicts. urope should learn from Lebanon's refugee crisis: Italy (The Daily Star) Europe could learn a lesson from Lebanon's method of handling the mass influx of Syrian refugees, a visiting Italian official said after meeting Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil Wednesday. Europe 'Charlie Hebdo' Cartoonist Says He Will No Longer Draw Prophet Muhammad (National Public Radio) The French cartoonist who drew the Charlie Hebdo cover featuring Islam's Prophet Muhammad after the deadly attack on the magazine in January by Islamist militants says he will no longer draw the figure. EUCOM Head: Consider Force Structure Increase (Defense News) The Pentagon should weigh whether force structure in Europe should be grown, according to the department's top military officer on the continent. The rape of Berlin (BBC News) The USSR's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany World War Two 70 years ago is seen as the nation's most glorious moment. But there is another story - of mass rapes by Soviet soldiers of German women in the dying days of the war. No clear winner in sight in Britain's elections next week (Los Angeles Times) If the polls are accurate about Britain's election May 7, the nation appears headed for a Parliament in which neither Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party nor opposition leader Ed Miliband's Labor Party will secure enough votes for a majority. Asia-Pacific Nepal quake: Towns near epicentre 'devastated' - Red Cross (BBC News) Towns and villages near the epicentre of Saturday's earthquake in central Nepal have suffered "almost total devastation", the Red Cross says. Nepal earthquake: UK sends Chinooks to aid relief mission (BBC News) Three RAF Chinook helicopters are being sent to help the relief effort in Nepal, International Development Secretary Justine Greening says. Chinese and Russian Navies to Conduct First Ever Mediterranean Surface Exercises in May (USNI News) Six Russian and three Chinese naval ships will meet in the Mediterranean next month to conduct a series of surface exercises to include live fire drills, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. China Puts Conciliatory Slant on Land Reclamation (Wall Street Journal) China's navy chief said artificial islands China has built in disputed parts of the South China Sea might in the future be used for joint rescue and disaster-relief operations, in unusually conciliatory remarks that follow stepped-up criticism in the U.S. and Asia over Beijing's land-reclamation work. Vietnam Buys Deadly New Missiles Capable of Hitting China (The Diplomat) Vietnam is in the process of acquiring 50 anti-ship and land attack 3M-14E Klub supersonic cruise missiles for its burgeoning fleet of SSK Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines, Der Spiegel Online reports. An Israeli Lobby in China? (The Diplomat) Earlier this year, StandWithUs (SWU), a pro-Israeli American advocacy group that coordinates its activities closely with the Israeli government, finally unveiled an SWU-China division for its organization in an event that marked a joint celebration of the Chinese New Year and Jewish Tu B'Shvat in Jerusalem (involving, interestingly enough, talks by three Israel Defense Force soldiers from China's Kaifeng Jewish community). Africa Nigerian soldiers rescue 150 more women and girls from Boko Haram (The Guardian) Military frees females held by Islamist insurgents in remote forest - but some reports say women opened fire on rescuers Kenya will not force Somali refugees out, despite deadline for camp closure (Reuters) Kenya will not forcibly repatriate some 336,000 Somalis living in one of the world's largest refugee camps, but the government intends to continue with its plans to close the camp within three months for security reasons, a government official said. After Somalia's famine, hunger persists (Agence France-Presse) Three years have elapsed since famine killed more than a quarter of a million people in Somalia -- more than half of them children -- yet for many of the country's poorest and most vulnerable people the hunger has not gone away. Mugabe says neighbours should stop flow of migrants to South Africa (Reuters) Other African nations should stop their citizens from migrating to South Africa to prevent violence against foreigners, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday The Americas Brazil's central bank showing no mercy on rates (Reuters) At 13.25 percent, Brazil's towering interest rate looks totally out of line at first glance. Medicine shortages so bad Venezuela is using fingerprinting (USA Today) Venezuela's imploding economy has hit a new low: medicine rationing. Commentary and Analysis War, Repentance and Japan (Carol Giacomo, The New York Times) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan carries a huge burden as his country marks the 70th anniversary of its defeat in World War II this year. He is clearly enthusiastic about charting a future that expands Japan's alliance with America in economic and security affairs. Iran changes its tune on peace talks (David Ignatius, The Washington Post) U.S. and Iranian officials have been insisting for years that they want to resolve the nuclear issue before discussing the sectarian wars raging across the Middle East. Not anymore. As the battles have escalated in recent months, so has talk about regional diplomacy. Warren Weinstein's Death Should Help End US 'Signature' Drone Strikes (David Rhode, The Atlantic) The civilian casualties from this botched operation lay bare the immense cost of failure. A Skeptic's Guide to the Iran Deal (Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic) Democrat Adam Schiff explains what worries him about the framework nuclear agreement with Tehran-and about his Republican colleagues To forward this e-mail to a friend, click here Click to Unsubscribe from this Newsletter or Customer Service: 1-800-368-5718 or cust-svc@gannettgov.com © 2015 Military Times, a division of Gannett Government Media 6883 Commercial Drive, Springfield, VA 22159