Pentagon Completing Lockheed Talks On Next F-35 Contract
(Bloomberg.com) The Pentagons long-running negotiations with Lockheed Martin Corp. over the next F-35 production contract may wrap up soon, the militarys top weapons buyer said.
Pentagon Bulks Up Defenses In The Gulf
(Wall Street Journal) The Pentagon is building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar and organizing its biggest-ever minesweeping exercises in the Persian Gulf, as preparations accelerate for a possible flare-up with Iran, according to U.S. officials.
New Level Of Stress To Flying F-22 Raptor
(CNN) Pilots behind the stick of one of the military's fanciest fighters, not to mention costliest, have been hampered by a lack of oxygen flow. Needless to say, this brought a new level of stress to flying the F-22 Raptor.
Israel, U.S. Agree On Iran, Clinton Says
(Los Angeles Times) Over the last year, the Obama administration has dispatched
VA unveils new process to eliminate backlog; critics await results. Express service is on the way for tens of thousands of pending veterans benefits claims.
Afghan exit will cost US billions, Pentagon's No. 2 says. Moving the mountain of U.S. military gear out of Afghanistan after more than a decade of war will cost billions of dollars and prove far more difficult than last year's withdrawal from Iraq, the Pentagon's No. 2 official said.
Pentagon To Make Database To Track Medal Awardees. AP "The Pentagon plans to establish a searchable database of military valor awards and medals, hoping for a technological fix to the problem of people getting away with lying about earning military honors." The "move is in response to a June 28 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated a law making it a crime to lie about receiving the Medal of Honor and other military decorations." The "high court ruled that the 2006 Stolen Valor Act infringes upon speech protected by the First Amendment." Wall Street Journal Groups like Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) were pleased to hear about the plan for an awards database. Joe Davis, a VFW spokesman, said the cost of such a database is "minimal compared to the verifiable proof it provides to honorable service members, veterans and all their families."
Report: Troops open to increased pay now, health-care fees later. Troops may be open to substantial cuts in military retirement and health care benefits that could save the Defense Department billions in future personnel costs, according to a new think tank report released Thursday. But any such plan would need to be combined with immediate pay increases and other personnel perks to get the backing of servicemembers.
CBO Says Military Health-Care Costs Could Soar
(Washington Post) Active and retired service personnel and their families are increasing their use of the military health care system at a faster rate than civilians enrolled in comparable private health programs, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office
Some Vets Feeling Shorted By The Army College Fund
(USA Today) Hickam is one in a new wave of veterans who are discovering that their Army College Fund is worth far less than they thought when they enlisted. The Army has acknowledged, in at least 91 cases, that enlistment agreements involving the fund were "blatantly misleading" for more than a decade, a review of publicly available military records show.
Trial Begins For Air Force Trainer In Sex Case
(San Antonio Express-News) Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent Monday wrangling over a series of motions as an Air Force training instructor went on trial on accusations of having sex with recruits in basic training.
Jet?s Oxygen Lack Is Explained
(Honolulu Star-Advertiser) A drop in cockpit oxygen that caused a Hawaii-based F-22 Raptor pilot to feel dizzy during a training flight earlier this month has been deemed a mechanical malfunction and is not related to a string of oxygen deprivation incidents in the spring of 2011, the Air Combat Command said.
Pirate Attacks Decline
(Wall Street Journal) Antipiracy efforts helped to cut attacks by a third in the first half of this year, though an increase in incidents in the Gulf of Guinea offset drops in the major piracy hot spot off Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau said.
How The Navy's Incompetence Sunk The 'Green Fleet'
(Danger Room (Wired.com)) In October of 2009, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus took the stage at a hotel ballroom in Virginia to announce the militarys most ambitious energy plan in decades: a break with the U.S. fleets strict dependence on oil. Instead, he declared, the Navy would get half of its fuel and power from clean, alternate sources by 2020. Leading the way would be an aircraft carrier strike group -- the ultimate symbol of American naval power -- running on nothing but biofuels and other renewables.
Impenetrable Pakistan
(Washington Post) Trucks are trickling across the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan this month, thanks to the latest patch-up between the Obama administration and Islamabads fractious menage of generals and elected politicians. The reopening of the supply route will facilitate the massive withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from Afghanistan scheduled to take place between now and the end of 2014, and it will allow Pakistan to collect more than $1 billion in deferred compensation from Washington. It heads off an irrevocable breach between the two nations.
Obama's Defense Maneuver
(Washington Times) President Obama is willing to put our national defense at risk for a win on his campaign pledge of higher taxes. He's shown no interest in leading an effort to handle the sequester, the $1.2 trillion in automatic reductions that will hit Jan. 2. Instead, his priority has been re-election fundraising, lollygagging on a bus tour and chatting at town halls. Republicans are trying to force him to get to work.
U.S. Lawmakers Eye Military Sports Sponsorship Budget For Cuts
(Reuters.com) First it was NASCAR auto racing. Now critics of the Pentagon's spending on sports marketing are focusing on the world of mixed martial arts.
Top Senate Dem: No Sequestration Deal Without New Taxes
(The Cable (thecable.foreignpolicy.com)) Senate Democrats won't agree to any deal to avoid $1.2 trillion on impending defense and entitlement cuts without new taxes, according to Senate leadership member and former "supercommittee" chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA).
Obama Readying To Turn Tide On Defense Sequester
(NationalJournal.com) The endgame is nigh. After stonewalling Republican demands on defense sequester all year, the White House finally has agreed to send its budget director and the Pentagons top civilian deputy up to Capitol Hill.
Enough! Study Finds Voters Overwhelmingly Want Big Defense Cuts
(NationalJournal.com) Americans of all stripes have had enough of massive Pentagon budgets and want significant cuts in defense spending, according to new survey data released on Monday.
$180 Million Is Allocated For Road
(Washington Post) The federal government will invest
Aircraft Carrier Stennis Going To Middle East Early
(Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) The Pentagon is sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East several months early to make sure at least two carriers will constantly be present in the troubled region.
Navy Ship Fires On Boat In The Persian Gulf
(New York Times) A 677-foot United States Navy refueling ship in the Persian Gulf opened fire on Monday with a .50-caliber machine gun on what appeared to be a 30-foot sport fishing boat after it ignored repeated warnings to stop, killing a crew member and causing a spike in oil prices that reflected the heightened tensions in the region between Iran and the United States.
Interviews With Secretary Clinton
(CBS; CNN) Two interviews with Secretary Clinton from her Middle East trip.
GOP Move Leaves Sea Treaty Dead In The Water
(Wall Street Journal) Senate Democrats' hopes of passing the Law of the Sea Treaty sank Monday, when a pair of Republican senators announced they oppose it.
Military Has To Fight To Purchase Lauded IED Buster
(Washington Times) U.S. commanders increasingly are turning to a relatively obscure battlefield detective to find buried bombs, a major killer of Americans in Afghanistan.
$180 million in improvements of U.S. Route 1 through Fort Belvoir, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Humvee?s Successor Pursued By U.S. Military As Ground Wars End
(Bloomberg Government (bgov.com)) The U.S. military is moving forward with a program to replace the Humvee even as it braces for automatic-budget cuts and seeks to shift focus away from the ground wars of the past decade.
Removal Of Army Chief Follows A Familiar Pattern In North Korea
(New York Times) In the first months of Kim Jong-uns rule over North Korea, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho was one of the officials most often seen with him. They inspected military barracks and reviewed parades together. Photos often showed the young leader leaning in to listen to the general, and laughing. Just a week ago, Vice Marshal Ri was seen standing next to Mr. Kim at an important state ceremony.
Top Pentagon Official To Visit Korea
(Yonhap News Agency) U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will visit South Korea and other nations in the Asia-Pacific region later this month, the Pentagon announced Monday.
Whales, Somehow, Are Coping With Humans? Din
(New York Times) The danger has long been a political football. In 2008, the Supreme Court heard a lawsuit by the National Resources Defense Council against the Navy over ocean noise; the court ruled that naval vessels had the right to test sonar systems for hunting submarines. But environmentalists saw a tacit victory in getting the nations highest court even to consider the health of sea mammals in a debate over national security.
Charlie Sheen To Donate To USO
(Los Angeles Times) Charlie Sheen's anger issues will soon be helping soldiers. The actor announced Monday that he'll donate at least $1 million to the USO in what is believed to be the largest single donation ever given to the troop morale-boosting organization.
Fighting Spreads In Damascus; Russia Resists Pressuring Syria
(New York Times) Several neighborhoods in the Syrian capital of Damascus turned into combat zones on Monday as street battles between the government and rebel forces spread for a second day, with activists reporting that tanks fired down city streets.
Bagram Detainees Want To Use U.S. Constitution To Argue For Release
(McClatchy Newspapers (mcclatchydc.com)) Prisoners held without trial for years at an American air base in Afghanistan shouldnt be able to challenge their indefinite detention with the help of the U.S. Constitution, Obama administration attorneys argued Monday.
Muslim Holy Period Delays Sept. 11 Case At Gitmo
(Yahoo.com) A U.S. military judge agreed Monday to postpone the next court hearings at the Guantanamo Bay prison for five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks to avoid a conflict with the Muslim holy period of Ramadan.
Data Predicted War's Next Moves
(Los Angeles Times) The project, whose results were published online Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is part of a growing movement to understand and predict episodes of political and military conflict using automated computational techniques.
Fight Goes On Over Mall Visitors Center
(Washington Times) An education center planned as a complement to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall earned an important go-ahead from the National Capital Planning Commission, which supporters say is one step closer to a dedicated space for all military services, but critics worry it could be a step backward for the sanctity of the memorial.
Raptor Pilots Still Have What It Takes
(Air Force Times) Much has been written lately about the challenges associated with the F-22 Raptor as we continue investigating the root cause of oxygen-related anomalies. Some have questioned whether todays pilot has the same spirit of attack in his heart needed to bring success over the battlefield.
Learning The Wrong Lesson From Military Sex Scandals
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Simultaneously, two very different stories are unfolding about women in the military, speaking to the best and worst about our force's capacity to reform and repulse. As the Pentagon allows more women to train for duties they couldn't perform under the antiquated combat exclusion rules, an unfolding rape scandal at Texas' Lackland Air Force Base shows that some men still view assault as sport.
Japan Feels A North Asia Squeeze
(Wall Street Journal) As U.S. naval power wanes, an ally faces territorial claims from Russia and China.
Sanctions Against Iran Air -- (Letter)
(New York Times) Irans Aging Airliner Fleet Seen as Faltering Under U.S. Sanctions (news article, July 14) does not mention two critical facts.
Transparency On Trips -- (Letter)
(Washington Post) I would like to thank Al Kamen for his recent articles about many members of Congress taking congressional delegation trips (codels). Many codels are taken using military aircraft, but while the cost of travel on commercial aircraft is publicly disclosed, the cost of travel on military aircraft is not. These trips are taxpayer-funded, and taxpayers have a right to know how much of their hard-earned money is spent on that travel.
Guard, Reserves Need Employer Support
(Baltimore Sun) Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) has labored to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees in the National Guard and Reserve. The last decade of continuous combat and historic natural disasters has tested our reliance on Guard and Reserve members and their employers, revealing both groups willingness to make extraordinary sacrifices for the good of our country.
The Few, The Proud, The Women
(New York Times) Score one for fairness: the Marine Corps is about to let women take the Infantry Officer Course, a notoriously punishing test that prepares lieutenants to lead infantry platoons into combat. The course, as C. J. Chivers of The Times recently explained, requires students to endure extreme heat, stress, exhaustion and disorientation while staying mentally sharp written exams are mixed among the physical ordeals for 86 days.
Anger Grows Over GI Bill Profiteers
(Los Angeles Times) Critics warn that some schools are misleading veterans, giving them expensive educations with little chance of a job or credit transfer.
Stand Down Gives Vets Something To Smile About
(Los Angeles Times) The focus of Stand Down has long been on providing medical care, counseling for substance abuse, assistance in finding shelter and clothing, and referrals for follow-up help from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Updated PTSD Program Means Better Care For Vets
(Tacoma News Tribune) For Johnnie Larmore, a veteran of three combat tours in Vietnam, living with post-traumatic stress disorder means bursts of anger followed by wells of depression. Last week, the Port Angeles man left a recently expanded treatment program at VA Puget Sound American Lake Division in Lakewood. He calls it the best staff and the best facility hes seen in his 41 years seeking help coping with Army combat-related PTSD.
Veterans' Homelessness High Priority For Agency
(Miami Herald) On a cold night in Monmouth County, N.J., a lone dishwasher stayed late, taking on extra work to buy time. The restaurant's owners, trying to close up, guessed the man had no place to go. And when they tried to find him one, they struck out.
'Core Values' Missing In Scandal's Wake
(San Antonio Express-News) The Air Force has three core values, and they're drilled into recruits from their first hours of basic training.
Air Force Sergeant Faces Court-Martial In Scandal
(Baltimore Sun) U.S. Air Force Sgt. Luis Walker faces court-martial Monday on multiple charges of rape and aggravated sexual assault of female recruits in his training squadron, the first of several such trials in the biggest military sex scandal in 16 years.
Cole Shipmates, Families Await Justice 12 Years On
(Washington Times) The Navy destroyer was moored for a routine refueling stop at the Port of Aden in Yemen on a Thursday morning when two men in a small civilian boat approached. They smiled and waved at crew members as they guided their vessel toward the port side of the ship.
Military Families Underwater On Mortgages
(Baltimore Sun) Air Force Maj. Justice Sakyis change-of-station orders to Germany came with a built-in dilemma: what to do about his familys home in Maryland. He and his wife, Olivia, bought the single-family house near the height of the housing bubble.
Spec Ops Forces In Danger Of Overuse, Observers Say
(Army Times) The ever-expanding role of special operations forces in the U.S. militarys counterinsurgency strategy is raising concerns about whether these elite troops are being stretched too far.
Deadline For Nuclear Scans Of Foreign Cargo Passes By
(Washington Post) The Obama administration has failed to meet a legal deadline for scanning all shipping containers for radioactive material before they reach the United States, a requirement aimed at strengthening maritime security and preventing terrorists from smuggling a nuclear device into any of the nation's 300 sea and river ports.
For USA Basketball, Intro Course On Medal-Winning Veterans
(USA Today) Capt. Scott Smiley sat on the sideline wearing a pair of headphones, listening to U.S. forward Blake Griffin describe the action of a recent practice in Las Vegas.
U.S. Olympic Team's Unusual Practice In Front Of Military Families Has Midnight Madness Feel
(Washingtonpost.com) Dancers were performing during breaks in the action. Dunks were greeted with MVP! chants.
Pentagon's Second In Charge Has Strategy For Saying 'No'
(Boston Globe) Neat piles of briefing books and red folders stamped "top secret'' blanket the large oak desk that once belonged to General George S. Patton. The national monuments are visible through blast-resistant windows. Steps away, in the custody of a one- star general, are the protocols for ordering the shoot down of a hijacked airliner.
Timing Of Defense Cuts Has Governors Worried
(The Oregonian) When it comes to some of the top issues facing the states, it might seem that the partisan divide among the country's governors is as wide as it has ever been. But one area in which the state executives appear to have found common ground is on the issue of defense cuts - specifically, the $500 billion in automatic cuts set into motion by last August's bipartisan debt-reduction deal.
Syria Denies Attack On Civilians, In Crisis Seen As Civil War
(New York Times) The Syrian government denied on Sunday that it had used heavy weapons to attack a small farming community, although United Nations monitors documented substantial destruction in the village, Tremseh, in an attack that left scores dead and drew sharp international condemnation.
After Meeting With Clinton, Egypt?s Military Chief Steps Up Political Feud
(New York Times) Egypts top military official stepped up his feud with the Muslim Brotherhood on Sunday, saying the army would prevent Egypt from falling to a certain group, according to the state news agency.
Iranian Bill Would Require Nuclear Ships
(Washington Post) A Iranian parliamentary committee has approved a bill that would require the government to design nuclear-powered merchant ships and provide them with nuclear fuel, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday.
US Pacific Chief Affirms Commitment To Philippines
(Yahoo.com) The head of US forces in the Pacific reaffirmed American commitment to support the Philippines Monday, amid the country's continuing territorial dispute with China.
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