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Robert Serge
VVA 17 Member
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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: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 04:59:22 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. F-35 Cleared For Flight(Intercepts) A Pentagon official told Defense News that the F-35 fighter fleet has been cleared by air worthiness authorities. A decision on attending the show has not been made but the official said DoD is "hopeful" it can make the trip. 2. Shifting Threats Spur Demand for Fighter Jets (New York Times) While geopolitical threats are shifting fast, most military budgets are still locked down by post-recession austerity policies. But even though governments may want to cut military spending, defense needs are pushing the other way. 3. Iraq and Longing for Vietnam (Gregory Daddis in War on the Rocks) Americans want desperately for Iraq to be viewed as another Vietnam. 4. Building a Better Bullet (Time) The Pentagon wants the capability for its snipers, making their goal of "one shot, one kill" even more likely 5. Booz Allen chief executive Ralph Shrader to retire (Washington Post) Ralph Shrader, the longtime chief executive of government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, is retiring after 40 years with the company, it was announced Monday. FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOWCameron Announces GBP1.1 Billion in New Defense Spending(Defense News) British Prime Minister David Cameron opened the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday with an announcement that the government will spend GBP1.1 billion (US $1.8 billion) on defense equipment using unspent money from last year's budget, but declined to commit a future government to retaining defense budget levels at 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Pentagon: 'Growing Evidence' F-35 Incident Not Systemic (Defense News) Pentagon officials are increasingly confident that a fire that heavily damaged an F-35A joint strike fighter on June 23 was the result of an isolated issue and not a fleet-wide design flaw that will require redesign or replacement of parts. BAE Aims For Half of $10 Billion F-16 Upgrade Work (Defense News) After breaking Lockheed Martin's monopoly on F-16 upgrade work with a contract in South Korea, BAE Systems is now aiming to capture more than half of what it believes is a $10 billion market in upgrades on the fighter over the next decade. Mini-Munitions Drawing Big Attention (Defense News) Could small be the next big thing when it comes to air-launched weapons? Thales UK is betting it will be and has developed a mini precision-guided bomb to grab part of the market. New Finmeccanica CEO Hints at DRS Sale (Defense News) Mauro Moretti, the recently appointed CEO at Italian defense group Finmeccanica, has hinted that he might consider selling US unit DRS as part of a major shake-up at the group. CAE Signs NATO AWACS Simulator Deal (Defense News) Simulation giant CAE has signed a contract to upgrade the simulators for NATO's fleet of E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, the company announced Tuesday. IRAQIraqi army remains on defensive as extent of June debacle becomes clearer(McClatchy) Five weeks after Islamist fighters stormed across northern and western Iraq in a surprise offensive that nearly reached the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, virtually every captured location remains firmly in rebel hands, while the central government's meager efforts at a counteroffensive have met with failure on virtually every front. US advisers in Iraq have yet to give advice (The Hill) U.S. military advisers in Iraq are assessing the situation there and have yet to offer any actual advice to Iraq on how it might contend with Sunni militants that have advanced on Baghdad, the U.S. said Monday. Heavy fighting rages over town north of Baghdad (Associated Press) Government forces and allied Sunni tribal fighters battled to dislodge militants from a small town north of Baghdad on Monday, while two car bombs in the capital killed at least seven people, officials said. In Iraq's disputed territory, minorities are embracing Kurdish control (Washington Post) Up until a month ago, Baraq Taqan Ali split his time between two homes and two wives in what was a unified Iraq. Now, when the 55-year-old used-car dealer makes his weekly trip, he traverses the turf of two warring factions, neither of them loyal to Baghdad. Echoes of a Strongman in Baghdad Today (New York Times) The ghost of Saddam Hussein still hangs over Iraq like a cloud stalking a sunny day; it doesn't always cover the sun, but it never quite goes away. Isis defector speaks of life inside brutal jihadist group (BBC) An "Islamic caliphate" has been declared in the Middle East and the group behind it, Isis, has now rebranded itself simply "the Islamic State". Panorama has spoken to a defector about life inside the feared jihadist group. INDUSTRYUS: Qatar To Buy Patriot Missiles in $11B Deal(Agence France-Presse) Qatar will buy US Patriot missiles for the first time in a major arms deal worth $11 billion, officials said Monday, as Washington awaits a decision by the Gulf state on a lucrative fighter jet contract. Major UAE Merger Likely in 6 Months (Defense News) A merger between United Arab Emirates defense giants Mubadala Development, Tawazun and Emirates Advanced Investments could be completed within the next six months, according to sources close to discussions. Raytheon sees foreign sales at 30 pct of total in 2014 (Reuters) Raytheon Co , maker of Patriot missiles and a range of other defense electronics, expects international sales to expand to 30 percent of its revenue in 2014, up from 27 percent last year, Chief Executive Tom Kennedy said in an interview. Sikorsky Says VXX Will Be Low Risk (Aviation Week) Sikorsky says the risks in developing a new Marine One helicopter to carry the U.S. president will be dramatically reduced by using its S-92. Boeing reshapes military strategy in the face of US defence cuts (Financial Times) Boeing has admitted its defence business is unlikely to increase its revenues before the end of the decade because of spending cuts by western governments, but pledged to compete aggressively for new US military contracts that could provide growth after 2020. Survey: U.S. Defense Industry Fears Losing Competitive Edge (National Defense) The export of China's armed drones illustrates how a country can succeed in the international arms market even when its technology is not the world's best. 5th-To-4th Gen Fighter Comms Effort Still In Early Stages (Aviation Week) The U.S. Air Force's plans for a forthcoming program to buy a communications system to connect fifth-generation fighters to their fourth-generation counterparts is only a first step, according to Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. Windstream wins DISA fiber contract (C4ISR & Networks) Windstream has been awarded a $3 million contract to provide fiber services at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Blackjack Production Nod On Hold (Aviation Week) Completion of initial operational test and evaluation and the subsequent full-rate production decision for the U.S. Navy's RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft is on hold due to ship availability. Pentagon's No. 2 to Meet with Navy to Discuss UCLASS (DoDBuzz) The Pentagon's No. 2 official will meet with Navy officials to discuss requirements for the service's carrier drone development program as the release date for the formal request for proposal slides to the right, Navy officials said AgustaWestland to Start Wildcat DAFCS Trials (Aviation Week) AgustaWestland is planning to begin flight trials of its AW159 Wildcat helicopter fitted with a digital automatic flight control system (DAFCS) this month. Brazil confirms Pantsir-S1 signature by end of year (IHS Jane's 360) The Brazilian government has confirmed to IHS Jane's that the contract for the acquisition of three Russian-designed Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems will be signed between October and December this year. Hungarian Air Force To Issue Helo Tender (Aviation Week) The Hungarian defense ministry is planning to issue a tender for a fleet of new modern helicopters later this year for its air arm. Indian MoD says M777 buy in doubt over high cost, offset requirements (IHS Jane's 360) The Indian Army's procurement of 145 BAE Systems M777 155 mm ultra-light howitzers has been deferred yet again due to their high cost and reportedly unsatisfactory defrayment of the contract's mandatory 30% offset obligation. VETERANSVA cites progress on backlog; Congress disagrees(Associated Press) The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has made "tremendous progress" in reducing a disability claims backlog that reached above 600,000 early last year. Members of Congress and the department's assistant inspector general don't believe it. Report cites VA struggles with benefits paid to veterans (USA Today) The federal department responsible for caring for America's veterans, already mired in scandal over delays in health care, continues struggling with another major responsibility: paying compensation to those wounded or injured or who grew ill from service in uniform. Former VA official pleads guilty in $1.4M fraud scheme (WBAL; Baltimore) A former Deputy Chief of Veterans Claims in the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs pleaded guilty Monday to extortion in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1.4 million in veterans benefits. Disarray, data manipulation at Phila. VA, report finds (Philadelphia Inquirer) Inspectors surveying Philadelphia's Veterans Affairs benefits center in June found two stunning signs of disarray: mail bins brimming with claims dating to 2011 and other benefits that had been paid twice. VA reports mishandled records at Baltimore office (Baltimore Sun) An employee at the Baltimore office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs inappropriately stored thousands of documents - including some that contained Social Security data - according to testimony from an inspector general to be made public on Monday. Researcher leading PTSD-pot study loses job (Military Times) A researcher who has been instrumental in developing a research study on the potential effectiveness of marijuana for treating post-traumatic stress disorder has lost her job at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. CONGRESSRand Paul's 'Big' Foreign Policy Speech Set for Mid-Oct., But It's Off-the-Record(Defense News) Sen. Rand Paul's self-described "big foreign policy speech" will be held in mid-October here at the National Defense University - but the public won't be able to see it. Rand Paul vs. Rick Perry: The GOP's Battle for the Future of National Security (DefenseOne) Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Friday hit Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy as "curiously blind" to threats to the homeland. Paul shot back Monday that Perry's new glasses haven't improved his foggy, hawkish view of the world. Brown hits Shaheen on VA scandal in new ad (The Hill) New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown on Monday released an ad that attacks Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) for the scandal at veterans health clinics while touting his own military service. ARMYSgt. Bergdahl returning to active duty with admin job(Army Times) Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has completed a course of counseling at an Army hospital in Texas and is getting back to regular duty as a soldier, according to Army officials. Fort Drum soldier writes about "Unashamed" days of coming out and adventures of a "Narcoleptic Hooker" (Watertown Daily Times) Ever since Fort Drum soldier Sgt. Janell J. Emerson-Farina began writing short stories as a youngster, her tales have raised eyebrows. Soldiers climb Mount McKinley, test Army gear (Army Times) Eight soldiers battled biting winds, blistering sun and subzero temperatures to scale North America's tallest mountain - and they did it all with Army-issued gear. Water main repaired, but Fort Hood still mission-essential status (Stars & Stripes) The water line that closed Fort Hood to all but mission essential workers Monday has been repaired, but soldiers and families on post are still being asked to conserve water and boil it before drinking, officials said. Release date announced for lieutenant colonel selections (Army Times) Results of the fiscal 2014 Army Competitive Category lieutenant colonel promotion selection board that met early this year will be released Thursday morning. NAVYNavy Cancelled New Destroyer Flight Due to Ohio Replacement Submarine Costs(USNI News) The looming hit to the shipbuilding budget from the Navy's plan to build 12 new nuclear ballistic missile submarines resulted in the cancellation of a fourth flight of Arleigh Burke destroyers (DDG-51) as well as the controversial plan to layup 11 Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers (CG-47), the navy's chief shipbuilder told a congressional panel in a recent hearing on cruiser and destroyer modification. A tale of two ships passing: Enterprise and Ford (Virginian-Pilot) On the banks of the James River, in the bustle of the sprawling shipyard, two great warriors have come together, a lifetime apart. New rules will let COs make the call on ball caps with NWUs (Navy Times) For most of the past 70 years, ball caps have weaved their way into Navy culture and tradition. Purser gets 2 years for stealing $350,000 from ship safe (Virginian-Pilot) A former Military Sealift Command purser was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison for stealing more than $350,000 from a ship's safe. Witness says she saw someone punch Ventura in Calif. bar (Minneapolis Star Tribune) A woman testified Monday afternoon that she was "confident" that she witnessed former Gov. Jesse Ventura getting punched at a bar in Coronado, Calif., in 2006. AIR FORCEAir Force to cut thousands of installation support jobs, create new command for surveillance(Air Force Times) The Air Force is cutting thousands of manning and organization officers, and creating a new numbered Air Force to oversee intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the service announced today. Air Force's James aimed 'deep' at nuke corps ills (Associated Press) When Deborah Lee James became top boss of the Air Force seven months ago she had no inkling a nuclear crisis was brewing. But once it erupted in the form of exam-cheating by dozens of missile launch officers, she quickly announced conclusions that no Air Force leader before her had dared state publicly. Senate Probe Offers New Details on Air Force Acquisition Blunder (National Defense) A Senate panel concluded that the Air Force wasted more than a billion dollars on a logistics information system largely because it failed to follow existing laws and regulations designed to prevent such flops. Can a trademark restrict who wears flight suits? (Air Force Times) Whether former military pilots can dress like pilots and talk like pilots in public appearances are issues at the heart of a trademark dispute between two rival motivational speaking companies run by former fighter pilots. MARINE CORPSJoe Dunford to inherit Marine Corps in flux(Politico) Many leathernecks might argue there's no such thing as a bad day inside the United States Marine Corps - but even they might also admit there have been better times than this. MMA Marine to take the stage in beauty pageant finals (Marine Corps Times) First, she made headlines in 2011 by taking Justin Timberlake to the Marine Corps ball. She did it again when she became a professional mixed martial arts fighter upon leaving the Corps in 2012. Marine's Email Asking for Supplies Leads to Lifeline for Troops (ABC News) When Aaron Negherbon opened his email and read a message from a longtime friend and U.S. Marine Corps captain in Afghanistan requesting medical supplies, he took action immediately. Exclusive: Marine Corps transfers whistleblower who questioned top general (Washington Post) A Marine Corps officer who accused the service's top general and other members of his staff of wrongdoing last year in an inspector general complaint has been transferred to a new base in southeastern Virginia, nine months after he was removed from his job as a lawyer in Quantico, Va. Marine sergeant accused of fatally shooting his wife (Marine Corps Times) A North Carolina-based Marine sergeant is being held without bond after he was arrested in connection to the death of his wife, who was found shot to death Sunday night. Marine captain refused to leave Afghan interpreter behind (San Jose Mercury News) Long after completing a 2010 tour of duty in Afghanistan, Marine Capt. Adrian Kinsella felt haunted by the sense that he didn't uphold a core military commitment: Leave no one behind. Reading list overhaul puts lance cpls., lieutenants on same page (Marine Corps Times) Lieutenants are way more likely to do their recommended professional reading than lance corporals, right? One-third of boarded staff sergeants get the ax (Marine Corps Times) Nearly three in 10 staff sergeants considered by the service's first Staff Sergeant Retention Board held in June were denied further service. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANIn Taliban heartland where U.S. once fought, Afghan forces triumph - for now(Washington Post) This was once the front line of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. More than 79 international troops, mostly American, were killed in the district, a parched cluster of villages that was the heartland of the Taliban. Vote deal will work, Afghan candidate tells AP (Associated Press) Declaring his nation "is not Iraq," one of two contestants in Afghanistan's deadlocked presidential election told The Associated Press on Monday that both he and his rival are committed to lead their war-ravaged nation inclusively in cooperation with international partners. Loser in Afghan presidential election will have a formal role in new government (Washington Post) The loser in Afghanistan's presidential election will play a specific, formal role in whatever new government is formed under a deal negotiated by Secretary of State John F. Kerry over the weekend between the two candidates, a senior Obama administration official said Monday. Australian UAVs not leaving Afghanistan quite yet (C4ISR & Networks) Royal Australian Air Force Heron UAVs will continue to fly in Afghanistan through the end of 2014. MIDDLE EASTIsrael agrees to cease-fire in Gaza, but Hamas rejects plan(Los Angeles Times) Israel's Cabinet on Tuesday accepted an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Hamas, but the militant group rejected the offer, puting a pause in the week-long armed conflict that has killed nearly 200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at risk. Gaza rocket fire persists after Israel agrees to ceasefire (Reuters) Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired rocket salvoes at Israel on Tuesday after the Israeli government accepted, and Hamas Islamists said they rejected, an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire. Iron Dome, Israel's antimissile system, changes calculus of fight with Hamas (Washington Post) The roar of sirens echoed across this sun-kissed city Monday afternoon, and in a heartbeat the woman in the pink bikini was out of the pool, shepherding her three young kids to the nearest shelter. Israel to deploy three new Iron Dome interceptors (Reuters) Israel has found funding for three new Iron Dome rocket interception batteries, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, a week into its conflict with Palestinian militants in Gaza. Hamas Publishes Photo of a Drone It Says It Built (New York Times) Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, said on Monday that it had built and flown three types of unmanned aircraft against Israel, all variants of the Ababil-1, an Iranian-made drone. It said two of the drones were armed for attacks and one was intended for reconnaissance. Syria's Allies Are Stretched by Widening War (Wall Street Journal) The Lebanese movement Hezbollah, facing a heavy strain on its resources, is recruiting more fighters in Syria and bringing in fresh but inexperienced forces from Lebanon to shore up Bashar al-Assad's regime. Iran Outlines Nuclear Deal; Accepts Limit (New York Times) Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, faced with an imminent deadline for an agreement with the West on the future of the country's nuclear program, said in an interview on Monday that Iran could accept a deal that essentially freezes its capacity to produce nuclear fuel at current levels for several years, provided it is then treated like any other nation with a peaceful nuclear program. EUROPEUkraine says Russian army officers fighting alongside rebels(Reuters) Ukraine accused Russian army officers on Monday of fighting alongside separatists in the east of the country and said Moscow was once more building up its troops on the joint border. Ukraine says military plane was 'probably' shot down from Russian territory (Washington Post) Ukraine's top defense official said Monday that Russia may have shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane, an action that would represent a dramatic new step in the months-long conflict that has engulfed eastern Ukraine. U.S. Says Moscow Giving Ukraine Rebels Weapons (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) The United States has accused Russia of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine with military hardware, including tanks. Russia Increases Troop Numbers on Border With Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) Russia has now deployed 10,000 to 12,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, just a month after it had withdrawn those troops to less than 1,000, a military officer with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said Monday. ASIA-PACIFICUS military wraps up aid mission in Philippines(Stars & Stripes) The U.S. military poured in emergency aid after one of the deadliest storms on record devastated large swaths of the Philippines. Abe Defends New Japan Defense Policy (Wall Street Journal) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe defended his government's move to expand the role of the country's military, in his first parliamentary debate with opposition lawmakers since announcing the policy shift two weeks ago. Yahoo Hacks Highlight Cyber Flaws Japan Rushing to Thwart (Bloomberg) Shortly after the alert sounded at 9:10 p.m., Yahoo Japan Corp. (4689)'s risk team knew it had a problem. More than 20 million usernames and passwords belonging to its customers were being dumped into a file, primed to be stolen. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISCommentary: Lt. colonel writes plea to help 'pink slip' soldiers(Army Lt. Col. Amanda Rossi in Army Times) The reduction in force in the Army ranks has historical precedence. The Army grows to fight a war and when the war is over - the Army shrinks. This is no different than what occurred after the First Gulf War and others, except now we are turning our service members out into a less-than-ideal economy that does not seem prepared to absorb them within the labor market. Needed: A new team of rivals (Fred Hiatt in The Washington Post) President Obama's second-term staffing was always going to be a risk. He abandoned his first term's team of rivals for a closer-knit team of loyalists. The bet was that he was assured enough in the job to no longer need the in-house challenge - and that smooth-running consensus would compensate for the loss. Putting Politics Ahead of Good Acquisition Management (Brian Detter in Real Clear Defense) On June 22, a long-awaited, long-overdue test took place of the Army's long-range, Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile system. How to Capitalize on Success in Missile Defense (Jonathan Bergner in Real Clear Defense) Recently, a very important, yet under-reported development for the defense of the U.S. homeland against the threat of ballistic missiles occurred Rick Perry Is Dead Wrong (Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ken., in Politico) There are many things I like about Texas Gov. Rick Perry, including his stance on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. But apparently his new glasses haven't altered his perception of the world, or allowed him to see it any more clearly. Column: Watching the Real Leadership Race (John T. Bennett in Defense News) Reporters camped out in a musty hallway in the basement of the US Capitol Building. Cable news networks breathlessly cut live to the scene, the dingy yellow walls providing the background for the dramatic scene. | |||||
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