Thank You
Robert Serge
VVA 17 Member
Blog Master
To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember
Subject: Navy Times Early Bird Brief
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2014 04:41:32 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. U.S. sends 300 more troops to Iraq over security concerns(Reuters) The United States is ramping up its military presence in Iraq, deploying around 300 additional troops as well as helicopters and drone aircraft in response security concerns in Baghdad, officials said on Monday. 2. Sens. Kaine, McCain To Propose First Changes To Measure Authorizing Force Against al-Qaida (Defense News) US senators are readying a measure that would for the first time revise the legal underpinning for America's fight against violent Islamic groups. 3. Everyone Relax-The Army's Native American Helicopter Names Are Not Racist (Army Maj. Crispin Burke in War is Boring) Sometimes, you look at an article twice just to make sure it's not from The Onion. That was certainly the case when I read last Friday's Washington Post, which featured an op-ed from Simon Waxman demanding the U.S. military drop the references to Native Americans from its helicopter names. 4. Report: Nearly half of combat veterans complain of chronic pain (Stars & Stripes) Nearly half of a group of infantry soldiers who had seen combat in Afghanistan have reported experiencing chronic pain and 15 percent said they recently used opioid pain relievers, according to a study released Monday. 5. This Is What 12 Years of Failed Drug Policy Looks Like in Afghanistan (Foreign Policy) In 2000, Afghanistan reached a remarkable milestone: Opium production in the country hit a record low. Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar declared its cultivation un-Islamic and initiated one of the most effective -- and most brutal -- counternarcotics campaigns in history. The Taliban used threats, public punishment, and forced eradication to eliminate poppy fields. Consequently, territory under its control saw a 99 percent reduction in acreage used to grow opium. MIDDLE EASTIsraeli Outrage Over Murdered Teens(Defense News) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge on the Hamas organization it blames for the murders of three teens, whose bodies were discovered June 30 under a pile of rocks in a West Bank village near Hebron. Hamas: Attack on Gaza will 'open gates of hell' on Israel (Jerusalem Post) Hamas warned Israel on Monday against waging war on the Gaza Strip, saying this would "open the gates of hell" on Israel. Israel launches Gaza air strike after bodies of three missing teens found (Reuters) Israel bombed dozens of sites in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, striking at Hamas after finding the bodies of three missing teenagers whose abduction and killing it blames on the Palestinian Islamist group. After three Israeli teens found dead will the revenge cycle be ratcheted up? (Christian Science Monitor) Three Israeli teenagers who were presumed kidnapped when they disappeared while hitchhiking near an Israeli settlement in Hebron have been found dead to the north of the city. Israel's slain teenagers: 4 things you should know (Washington Post) News broke Monday that the bodies of three Israel teenagers missing for most of the month were found buried in a field near the West Bank city of Hebron. The trio were reportedly abducted more than two weeks ago; their absence triggered one of the most extensive Israeli incursions into the West Bank in the past decade. Now, with the discovery of the bodies, the focus has shifted to how Israel will respond. US Clears $1.7B Military Hospital Project for Kuwait (Defense News) The US government has OK'd a $1.7 billion infrastructure project in Kuwait, the Pentagon announced Monday. Official: U.S. Approach to Syria 'Consistent' With Counter-WMD Strategy (Global Security Newswire) A senior Defense Department official on Monday said the U.S. approach to the conflict in Syria has been "consistent" with a just-updated Pentagon strategy for countering weapons of mass destruction. Female prisoners in Egypt suffer rampant abuse (Al-Monitor) At a time when the Egyptian government has recognized the need to stop physical and sexual violence against women, human rights organizations have registered dozens of cases of physical abuse against women in Egyptian prisons pending trial for political issues. IRAQInside the Collapse of the Iraqi Army's 2nd Division(War On The Rocks) Although the collapse of forces in Mosul shocked many in the region, many causes of their collapse can be attributed to systemic internal factors throughout the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) generally, and forces under Nineveh Operations Command in particular. U.N.: 2,400 Iraqis killed in June, most in 7 years (Los Angeles Times) More than 2,400 Iraqis were killed in June, the highest monthly death toll in seven years, as a fierce Sunni Muslim insurgency threatens to plunge the country back into civil war. Extremists in Iraq Attack Shiite Shrine, Killing 6 (New York Times) Sunni extremists fired mortars into a shrine in Samarra that is sacred to Shiites late Monday, killing six people and damaging the shrine, according to a report on Iraqi state television. ISIS Opponents Take Aim at Its Online Presence (National Journal) Groups as different as Anonymous and the U.S. government are taking the fight to ISIS on the Internet. How 2 shadowy ISIS commanders designed their Iraq campaign (McClatchy) The attack in Mosul wasn't particularly surprising, according to Wameed, an Iraqi soldier who'd been assigned to the city's main highway that night. It began June 9 with suicide bombers in cars and machine gun fire directed at checkpoints leading to the main thoroughfares of Iraq's second largest city. Iraq vet general warns against airstrikes on ISIS (The Hill) A retired Army general who served three tours in Iraq is warning against immediate U.S. airstrikes to beat back the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Voices: Why Awakening II won't save Iraq this time (USA Today) In early 2006. Ramadi was a godforsaken place, with rubble-strewn streets and abandoned buildings. Americans had secured the main routes through the city, but not much else. Al-Qaeda in Iraq had boldly declared the city its capital and militants roamed through most neighborhoods, free to intimidate residents. In Mosul, early support for militants gives way to unease (Washington Post) When Sunni extremists swept into the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, many residents welcomed them, claiming that the masked gunmen had liberated them from oppression by Baghdad. But three weeks on, discontent is surfacing. For Iraq, Potential Leader With a Tarnished Past (New York Times) He took millions of dollars from the C.I.A., founded and was accused of defrauding the second-biggest bank in Jordan and sold the Bush administration a bill of goods on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. INDUSTRYRaytheon Declines to Protest Space Fence Award(Defense News) Raytheon has declined to protest the Air Force's decision to award the lucrative Space Fence contract to its competitor Lockheed Martin, a Raytheon spokesman said in a statement released late Monday. Poland Shortlists Thales/MBDA, Raytheon In Missile Defense Bid (Aviation Week) The Polish defense ministry has shortlisted Raytheon Co. and a European team comprising Thales Group and MBDA in its ongoing tender to acquire a new medium-range air- and missile- defense system, rejecting bids by the Lockheed Martin-led Meads consortium and the government of Israel. U.S. unveils more export control changes, for military electronics (Reuters) The U.S. government on Monday published another big batch of changes to export control laws affecting military electronics, and said it was on track to finish reviewing remaining categories for possible streamlining by the end of the year. U.S. Returns To Farnborough Air Show, Russia Retreats (Aviation Week) International political and security developments are casting a shadow on this year's Farnborough International Airshow. The U.S. and its allies are presenting strong fronts as they draw down forces in Afghanistan. But given the threat of new sanctions and unrest in Ukraine, the Russian military will not bring its aircraft to the show. ThyssenKrupp Sells Swedish Shipyards to Saab (Defense News) German ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, Essen, announced that it will sell ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (formerly Kockums) to Saab for about 37 million euros (US $51.45 million). Fastlight GPS-guided bomb will allow low-cost standoff attacks (IHS Jane's 360) Israel Military Industries (IMI) has conducted flight tests of its new Fastlight GPS-guided bomb. Intended to be released from light aircraft, it is intended to provide a low-cost method of saturating with firepower any battlefield on which a 'low-tech' enemy is operating. Nine Major German Defense Projects Under Civil Review (Defense News) A civil consortium will review nine major defense contracts worth more than 50 billion euros (US $68.2 billion) and provide recommendations broadly on project management, according to the Defense Ministry. UK MoD places contract for FASGW(L) (IHS Jane's 360) Thales has been awarded a contract worth GBP48 million (USD80.3 million) from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the demonstration and manufacture of the Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (Light) (FASGW[L]) system. India's Defense Spending Boost Won't Be As High, Sources Say (Defense News) Despite calls by India's new defense minister for a 20 percent boost in spending, sources in the Foreign Ministry say that number will more likely be 10 percent due to New Delhi's financial conditions. SAES signs contract to make and market Russian diver detection sonar (IHS Jane's 360) Spanish underwater electronics specialist Sociedad Anonima de Electronica Submarina (SAES) has signed an agreement to manufacture and market the Russian Federation's underwater research centre Gidropribor's high-frequency DDS-03 diver detection sonar. Boeing, Airbus enter bids for $1.38 billion South Korean refueling plane order: sources (Reuters) Boeing and Airbus were among three bidders in South Korea's roughly 1.4 trillion won ($1.38 billion) program to buy four refueling tanker aircraft, two people briefed on the matter said on Monday. New Indian Govt. Eases Standards on Company Blacklisting (Defense News) India's newly elected government will not cancel defense contracts or blacklist overseas defense companies until charges leveled against them are proved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Defence Ministry source said. Chinese laser-guided bomb for 120 mm mortars (IHS Jane's 360) China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is marketing a semi-active laser projectile for 120 mm mortars. Weapons of this calibre are widely available in towed and self-propelled forms, says the company, and the new projectile will give these a high-hit probability and increased cost-effectiveness. Turkish Defense Exports Up 17.6% for Last Five Months (Defense News) Exports by Turkey's defense industry rose by 17.6 percent to $600 million January through May, up from $510 million in the same period last year, official figures revealed. VETERANSWhite House nominates McDonald to lead VA(Military Times) President Obama on Monday nominated former Procter and Gamble CEO Bob McDonald to serve as the eighth Veterans Affairs secretary - a move that puts an experienced corporate manager at the helm of the beleaguered department. What Bob McDonald could bring to Veterans Affairs (Washington Post) President Obama's pick of former Procter and Gamble CEO Bob McDonald to lead the scandal-plagued Veterans Affairs agency is an unusual choice, to say the least. $25 Million Settlement in NY Veterans Charity Case (Associated Press) A direct-mail fundraising company that sent solicitations on behalf of a disabled veterans' charity but took in most of the money raised will pay $9.7 million in damages and the charity will re-organize its board and reform its practices as part of a $24.6 million settlement, the state attorney general's office said. The 4 Biggest Challenges the Next VA Secretary Faces (National Journal) We now know who will inherit the broken Veterans Affairs Department, but fixing the agency's bureaucratic nightmare will be no easy task. Vet's call for medical appointment prompts visit by armed agents (Tampa Tribune) Like a lot of veterans, Michael Henry says he has been waiting a long time for help from the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center. CONGRESSImmigration Reform's Death Is a Dagger for US Arms Manufacturers(Defense News) The US defense sector will miss out on billions of dollars in new sales to the federal government after a dagger was driven into hopes for sweeping immigration-reform legislation. The Loneliest Hawk (Politico Magazine) For a guy who was shot down in Vietnam-and endured five years of hell as a POW in a lost war-John McCain sure is enthusiastic about the use of American air power. Congress Avoids Calling for Specific U.S. Action After Death of Israeli Teens (National Journal) Lawmakers condemn the murder of three boys, including one American, but are careful so far to not take a position on the appropriate response. Blumenthal: VA nominee will face 'tough questions' (The Hill) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) warned President Obama's nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs that he would face tough questioning from lawmakers before a confirmation vote. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTInterview: Robert Hale(Defense News) Robert Hale has been the man who has managed the Pentagon's money through more than three years of budgetary uncertainty. He has planned for numerous government shutdowns, managed the Defense Department through one last fall and executed sequestration cuts to the DoD budget in 2013. GAO: Pentagon needs to improve climate planning (The Hill) The Defense Department needs to better prepare for the potential impact of climate change, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns. Pentagon Releases New Counter-WMD Report (Defense News) The Pentagon wants to partner with allies to counter weapons of mass destruction (WMD), particularly as it faces a budget crunch, a new US Defense Department report states. Official Seeks Restored Trust in Military Care (New York Times) The Pentagon's senior health-affairs official said Monday that the armed forces' global network of hospitals and clinics must work to restore trust in the caliber of health care following disclosures of shortcomings in maternity and surgical care and a pattern of avoidable errors that have led to injuries and contributed to some deaths. ARMYArmy says it's close to finalizing handheld Spice detector(Stars & Stripes) The allure of synthetic marijuana. or Spice, lies mostly in its chameleon-like chemical blends that make it difficult to test. 1st lt., son of NFL head coach, faces felony charge after auto accident (Army Times) An Army officer's arrest after a March 23 traffic accident has drawn media attention thanks to his father's profession - and a disputed conversation between the officer's lawyer and a police detective. Fort Bragg soldier named suspect in death of Panamanian woman (Fayetteville Observer) A Fort Bragg soldier is being held in Fayetteville after he was named a suspect in the killing of a Panamanian woman. Promotion points cut for making sergeant (Army Times) A policy change takes effect Tuesday that will terminate 16 promotion points for specialists and corporals hoping to advance to sergeant. Fort Bragg soldier killed in crash near Lillington Saturday (Fayetteville Observer) A Fort Bragg soldier was killed Saturday after losing control of his motorcycle on Elliott Bridge Road in Harnett County, the Highway Patrol said. Army museum delayed to 2018; more funds needed to build it (Army Times) The long-awaited National Museum of the United States Army is scheduled to open in 2018 as a focal point for this generation of soldiers and future ones. Staff sgt. choked out early in UFC defeat (Army Times) Staff Sgt. Colton Smith has a sizable cheering section, the benefit of a full-length fight camp and the pressing need to snap a losing streak entering his Saturday UFC bout with Carlos Diego Ferreira in San Antonio. NAVYA Reprieve for GW?(Defense News) Indications are growing that the US Navy, faced with large-scale Congressional opposition to its plan to decommission the aircraft carrier George Washington, is preparing to begin the process to refuel and modernize the ship. SEAL remembered as hero, patriot (San Diego Union-Tribune) Navy SEAL Bradley S. Cavner was remembered Sunday as a hero and a patriot who lived life "full throttle" and wasn't shy about showing love for his family. Howard to receive history-making 4th star Tuesday (Navy Times) For the first time in the Navy's 236-year history, a woman will be pinned with a fourth star. USN expects fire-damaged cruiser to complete repairs by fourth quarter 2014 (IHS Jane's 360) A US Navy (USN) guided-missile cruiser continues to undergo repairs resulting from an April 2014 shipboard fire as the ship's deputy commanding officer is relieved of duty following an investigation into the incident, naval officials told IHS Jane's on 27 June. Annapolis grad's golf journey (Navy Times) Most of PGA Tour golfer Billy Hurley III's time in the Navy was spent doing a different kind of driving. MCPON wants every sailor to have a tablet (Navy Times) It may be 2014, but fleet sailors know it takes way too long to get onto a shipboard computer. Waits are often like the doctor's office - or a Soviet breadline. A few wake up in middle of the night to use the computer to get their work done or write home. AIR FORCEFix the PT test: Former PT leader creates new scoring(Air Force Times) He's done the calculations. He's gotten positivefeedback from fellow airmen. And now Staff Sgt. Darius Boscarino wants to take his PT test Air Force-wide - and eventually to all services. Expect cuts to F-15 fleet in Europe, Breedlove says (Stars & Stripes) The size of the F-15 fleet in Europe will shrink in the coming years, according to the head of U.S. forces in Europe. Air Force Ground Combat Readiness Training Center opens at Fort Bliss (El Paso Times) The Air Force has picked Fort Bliss to be the home of its new consolidated training center. MARINE CORPSMarines train allies to battle cartels in Central America(Marine Corps Times) Marines are contributing to the fight against some of the most sophisticated and brutal narcotics traffickers the Americas have ever seen, known for hanging their rivals from overpasses and ruthlessly assassinating government officials. Alleged Marine deserter being held at Camp Lejeune (WCTI; New Bern, NC) A Marine accused of deserting his unit in Iraq is now being held at Camp Lejeune to face Marine commanders. Marine collapses, dies during PFT (Marine Corps Times) The incoming commander for the Marine Corps' Logistics Operations School in North Carolina died early Friday while taking the Physical Fitness Test. Iwo Jima-style landings are a relic of the past, says top Marine general (Marine Corps Times) World War II-style full-frontal amphibious assaults are relegated to the annals of history, a top Marine general told reporters Thursday in Washington. COAST GUARDNew Coast Guard commandant wants to limit PCS moves(Navy Times) It's been one month to the day since Adm. Paul Zukunft took the helm of the Coast Guard, and now that he's had some time to get situated, he's talking about his direction for the service. For newest Coast Guard cadets, first day is no picnic (The Day; New London, Conn.) At first glance, the screaming and yelling happening at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Monday seems rough, bordering on cruel. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANAfghan Army Says Regains Control Of Helmand District(Rado Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Afghan officials say the army has regained control of Sangin district of southern Helmand Province, which was attacked in a major Taliban offensive last week. Pakistani army begins ground offensive against Taliban (Washington Post) Pakistan's military launched a major ground offensive in the northwestern part of the country Monday, beginning what army commanders say will be a "house-to-house search" for terrorist leaders and other militants. A Long History of Rebellion in the Mountains of Pakistan (New York Times) The North Waziristan tribal agency in northwestern Pakistan has been the focus of a lot of firepower: The C.I.A. has made it ground zero for its drone strike campaign, the Pakistani military has sporadically unleashed raids and barrages there, and now it has been stormed by Pakistani infantry forces trying to clear out entrenched militant groups. EUROPEPoroshenko ends Ukraine ceasefire, says government will attack rebels(Reuters) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday government forces would renew offensive operations against rebels and "free our lands", hours after a ceasefire to allow for peace talks with the pro-Russian separatists had expired. Ukraine captures 'Russian' T-64 MBT near Donetsk (IHS Jane's 360) The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) published pictures on 29 June of a T-64BV main battle tank (MBT), captured in east Ukraine, that it claims has come from Russian military stocks. Russian Sailors Arrive To Begin Mistral Training (Defense News) Some 400 Russian sailors arrived on Monday at Saint-Nazaire dockyard to begin training on the Mistral-class helicopter carrier built for the Russian Navy, an industry executive said. Years Of Syrian Violence Have Changed The Face Of The French Jihadi (National Public Radio) In the past five years, the conflict in Syria has helped dramatically change the profile of a jihadi fighter: No longer are jihadi groups forced to meet in secret forums; instead, they're openly on Facebook, and the movement is democratizing. ASIA-PACIFICJapan Reinterprets Constitution to Allow 'Collective Self-Defense'(Voice of America) Japan is set to ease restrictions on its military, in a historic move away from Tokyo's pacifist post-World War II policies. China to have 1,500 fourth-gen fighters by 2020, according to Asian government estimates (IHS Jane's 360) An Asian government source has disclosed to IHS Jane's estimates of China's future combat aircraft fleet size and composition that are larger - and more specific - than those offered in the annual China Military Power reports published by the US Department of Defense. Corruption crackdown snares former Chinese general (Associated Press) A spreading anti-corruption crackdown launched by President Xi Jinping snared its most senior figure yet on Monday when a former top Chinese general was expelled from the ruling Communist Party to face bribery charges. Large Crowd Gathers in Hong Kong for Pro-Democracy March (New York Times) A huge throng of people, mostly young, began gathering on Tuesday afternoon in Hong Kong's largest urban park in preparation for a pro-democracy march, even as Beijing has shown dwindling tolerance for challenges to its control here in Asia's main financial center. THE AMERICASChilean Court Rules U.S. Had Role in Murders(New York Times) The United States military intelligence services played a pivotal role in setting up the murders of two American citizens in 1973, providing the Chilean military with the information that led to their deaths, a court here has ruled. At least 22 killed in gunfight southwest of Mexico City (Reuters) At least 22 suspected gang members were killed southwest of Mexico City early on Monday, the government said, in one of the bloodiest shootouts with security forces since President Enrique Pena Nieto took power. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISDon't let history repeat itself: Column(Michael McCaul in USA Today) We need to leave Afghanistan a stable nation, or it will turn into another Iraq. Commentary: Put Human Rights at Center of Gulf Strategy (Defense News) The day after US Assistant Secretary of State Anne Patterson spoke at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar, on June 9, the violent extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took control of Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, sending much of its population fleeing for their lives. If Obama Wants to Save Iraq, He'll Have to Get His Hands Dirty (James Oliphant in National Journal) The president likes things clean and surgical, he likes exit strategies and limited commitments. If Iraq is to be saved, he may have to get over that. A Little Hit and a Big Miss (Tom Z. Collina in Foreign Policy) Don't be fooled by a minor success. America's interceptor missile-defense system is still a failed $40 billion boondoggle. Procurement troubles still dog Defense Department (Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) Congress has held hearings over the past 30 years seeking ways to fix the Defense Department's poor procurement system. Editorial: Don't Micromanage AMPV (Defense News) With US defense budgets dropping and new program starts dwindling, what work remains is engendering more furious competition than ever before. Military Intervention, Iranian-Style (Farzan Sabet in War on the Rocks) The Islamic Republic of Iran today is being confronted by existential attacks on its alliance system, the axis of resistance, on two fronts: first Syria, and now Iraq. | |||||
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