Thank You
Robert Serge
VVA 17 Member
Blog Master
To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember
From: no-reply@navytimes.com
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Navy Times Early Bird Brief
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 04:27:53 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. SecDef Hagel: 130-member team to assess Iraq's 'squandered opportunity'(Marine Corps Times) Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said a 130-member "assessment team" that arrived in Iraq Tuesday is charged with making a full-evaluation of the increasingly violent situation in northern Iraq. From there they'll provide advice on the crisis to the president and cabinet-level officials in the United States. 2. US Clears Major Arms Sales to Saudi, Turkey (Defense News) The US cleared two major potential sales to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced Tuesday. 3. Doing The Math: Saving A-10s By Cutting F-35s (Air Force Lt. Col. Dan Ward in Breaking Defense) In February 2014, Secretary of Defense Hagel briefed that retiring the A-10 fleet would save $3.5 billion over five years. That equals a savings of $700 million per year, not exactly chump change. 4. U.S. Army Paid Too Much Upgrading Russian Copters: Audit (Bloomberg) U.S. Army contracting officers overpaid an American company upgrading Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters as contract costs increased almost 70 percent, according to an audit by the Pentagon inspector general. 5. Hagel changes hair policy after controversy (Military Times) Dreadlocks, cornrows, twisted braids and other hairstyles popular among African American women will be more accepted across the military after a forcewide review of hairstyle policies prompted several changes, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. IRAQU.S. Weighs Military Rescue Mission for Yazidi Refugees(Wall Street Journal) The U.S. is weighing a military mission in Iraq to rescue thousands of Yazidi refugees, a move that risks putting American forces in direct confrontation with Sunni fighters for the Islamic State. Militants have not yet displayed surface-to-air capability, Pentagon says (Military Times) After five days of intense air operations over northern Iraq, military officials say they've seen no use of anti-aircraft weaponry fired on U.S. aircraft, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Iraqi military helicopter crashes delivering aid (Associated Press) A Russian-built Iraqi military helicopter providing aid to those stranded on a mountain fleeing Sunni militants crashed Tuesday after too many tried to climb aboard, killing the pilot, said the army spokesman. Czech Republic Prepares Arms Supply for Kurds (Defense News) Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek has announced plans by his country to supply arms to the Kurdish forces in northern Iraq to support their battle against the Islamic State terror group. British military sending Tornado fighter jets for Iraq air campaign (Washington Post) The Royal Air Force will deploy Tornado GR4 fighter jets in support of the growing military air campaign over northern Iraq, British officials said Tuesday. Britain Offers 'Small Number' of Helicopters for Iraq Campaign (New York Times) Facing a mounting drumbeat of calls on Wednesday for stronger military action in northern Iraq, the British authorities have agreed to send a "small number" of Chinook helicopters and to transport military equipment supplied by other countries to Kurdish fighters in the American-led campaign against Sunni militants, officials said. Iran Backs Iraqi Prime Minister Nominee (Wall Street Journal) Iraq's newly nominated prime minister won a crucial endorsement on Tuesday from Iran, dealing a blow to Nouri al-Maliki's bid to remain as the country's top leader and signaling a possible way out of the country's political crisis. Maliki urges military commanders not intervene in Iraq political battle (PBS Frontline) In Iraq today, an aid helicopter on a mission to help stranded members of the Yazidi religious minority crashed. Meanwhile, the man chosen to succeed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gained critical international support. U.S. dangles more aid to new Iraq leader (Washington Post) The United States is ready to offer significant additional economic and military aid to Iraq under a new, less sectarian government, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday. INDUSTRYUS Army's JMR Program Kicks Off; Two Contracts Awarded(Defense News) Less than two weeks after announcing that it was pushing back the initial selection of the technology demonstrator phase of the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program and working to forge a closer relationship with industry, the US Army awarded two development contracts for the effort on Tuesday. Who Are AandD's Top 40 Under Forty? (Aviation Week) Talent runs deep in the aerospace and defense companies that design aircraft, run complex operations and engineer extraordinary technologies. But some people stand out for their multifaceted excellence. They are technically superb, exhibit strong leadership skills and possess a smart and fearless approach to business. Leadership Shakeup at United Launch Alliance (Defense News) The United Launch Alliance has a new leader for the first time in its nine-year history. Sotera signs $87M Army contract (C4ISR & Networks) Sotera has been awarded an $87 million contract to support U.S. Army intelligence software. Procurement Reforms Reignite Feud Between Weapon Buyers and Testers (National Defense) Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall is proposing changes in how weapon systems are tested. He suggests tests should be performed earlier in the design cycle than is customarily done. Satellite association signs Pentagon data-sharing agreement (C4ISR & Networks) A space satellite association has signed a data-sharing agreement with the Pentagon to avoid interference with satellite signals. MLP trials, demonstration programme continues (IHS Jane's 360) The US Navy's second Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), has successfully completed Final Contract Trials (FCTs) off the northwest coast of the United States. BAE, UK Government Settle Agreement on New Patrol Vessels (Defense News) The British government has firmed up an agreement with BAE Systems to build three large patrol vessels for the Royal Navy in a contract valued at GBP348 million (US $584 million). Japanese MoD denies reports of 2015 first flight for ATD-X prototype (IHS Jane's 360) The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD)'s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have both dismissed news reports that the Advanced Technology Demonstrator-X (ATD-X) fighter prototype will make its maiden flight in January 2015. UK uses Dfuze intel management tool (C4ISR & Networks) The United Kingdom's National Counter Terrorism Network is now using the Dfuze intelligence management tool. IAI Q2 profits drop 33% as sales increase (IHS Jane's 360) Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has reported a 5% increase in sales but a 33% decline in profits for the second quarter of 2014 in financial statements released on 11 August. Turkey Selects Local Firm in Tank Engine Program (Defense News) Turkey's top procurement panel selected a local tractor and diesel engine manufacturer to design and develop an engine for the country's first indigenous new generation main battle tank, the Altay. VETERANSVA takes big strides in treating military sex trauma victims(Military Times) It was in 1990 that 22-year-old Melissa Davis went to the Veterans Affairs Department office in Houston to seek treatment for depression. Vietnam POW returns to the Hanoi Hilton in search of closure (Stars & Stripes) North Vietnam wasn't on many Americans' radar until President Lyndon B. Johnson went on radio 50 years ago to tell them about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, a naval clash off the coast of the Southeast Asian nation that escalated U.S. involvement there. The Hanoi Hilton today: Shackles, plaques and airbrushed history (Stars & Stripes) Going inside the stone walls of the prison sarcastically dubbed the "Hanoi Hilton" brings a respite from the honking traffic outside - until the iron shackles, dark cells and guillotine hammer home the suffering that went on there. Art studio to offer vets 'healing space' (Military Times) A nonprofit organization plans to open a walk-in art studio for veterans in the Washington, D.C., area. PTSD can lead to heart disease (Augusta Chronicle, Ga.) Post-traumatic stress disorder can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and it is not just combat veterans at risk, doctors said Monday. CONGRESSUnlike on Syria, No Groundswell From Lawmakers for Iraq Strikes Authorization Vote(Defense News) There is no groundswell from US lawmakers demanding President Barack Obama seek their approval for new airstrikes in Iraq, a sharp contrast from his flirtation with strikes in Syria. Sen. Kaine: Iraq action needs Congress's OK (The Hill) Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said Tuesday that open-ended military actions, like President Obama's airstrikes in Iraq, should require congressional approval, and that a bill he's proposed would ensure that is the case. Senate bill calls for research on families of troops exposed to toxins (Military Times) More research is needed on the health of the children and grandchildren of troops exposed to environmental pollution and chemicals while they served in the military, several U.S. senators say. Think Tank Lays Out Steps To 'Cap' Then 'Roll Back' Post-9/11 Military Force Resolution (Defense News) A group of US national security experts is pushing a piecemeal plan to update the measure authorizing the war against violent extremist groups for the first time since September 2001. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTDon't Expect Major Changes in US Missile Defense Policy(Defense News) The Obama administration is not likely to make major changes to the US Defense Department's ballistic missile defense programs and will focus efforts over the next two years on implementing current plans, a senior Pentagon official said. How Genes Could Predict Who Will Get PTSD (Defense One) Can you screen for post-traumatic stress disorder in the same way you screen for breast cancer? A new paper from researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that gene expression could reveal which individuals are most likely to develop PTSD, a development that could accelerate the search for a therapy to effectively pretreat the disorder through a pill. Virtual High School open to more students (Military Times) More military children are eligible to take courses through the Department of Defense Education Activity's Virtual High School, thanks to legislation being implemented this school year. SOCOM tries again with propaganda research (USA Today) The Pentagon's Special Operations Command will conduct a social research program in Colombia to help shape future propaganda efforts, newly released military records show. Robin Williams was a staple of USO tours overseas and in U.S. (Military Times) Comedian Robin Williams was a regular on USO tours, performing for more 89,400 service members in the U.S. and overseas before his death on Monday, said USO spokeswoman Oname Thompson. ARMYChanges to your combat uniform(Army Times) Say goodbye to a lot of that Velcro on the Army Combat Uniform. Attorney: Manning not receiving hormone therapy (Associated Press) Convicted national security leaker Chelsea Manning isn't receiving medical treatment for her gender identity condition as previously approved by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, the American Civil Liberties Union and Manning's attorney said Tuesday. Soldiers prep humanitarian aid for Iraq airdrops (Army Times) A recent C-17 airdrop of humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees on Mount Sinjar included more than 3,800 gallons of fresh water stacked aboard 40 complex container delivery systems, complete with self-deploying parachutes. Fort Drum's 3rd Brigade Combat Team to deactivate Thursday (Watertown Daily Times) After nearly a decade of fighting in Afghanistan, the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team's soldiers will stand together on post one final time. Army budget director promoted to 3-star (Army Times) One of the Army's top budget gurus was promoted to lieutenant general Tuesday, making her one of only five female Army three-stars serving on active duty today. NAVYRiverine squadron CO relieved(Navy Times) Cmdr. Joseph Fauth IV was fired as the commanding officer of Coastal Riverine Squadron 3 on Tuesday. Shipping firm sues over 2012 Navy collision (Virginian-Pilot) A Panamanian shipping company is suing the U.S. government, demanding it pay for more than $1.7 million in repairs needed after a Navy destroyer collided with one of its oil tankers two years ago in the Middle East. Iraq mission puts USS George H.W. Bush 'at tip of the spear' (Stars & Stripes) For sailors aboard this ship in the Persian Gulf, their focus on routing Islamic extremists in Iraq and stanching a humanitarian disaster there lends an excitement to their current mission that was absent during their last mission in Afghanistan. The long goodbye: World's first nuclear aircraft carrier going dark (Daily Press; Newport News, Va.) Newport News shipyard workers built the USS Enterprise, but their attention did not stop there. Navy contractor pleads guilty in bribery scheme (Virginian-Pilot) A former contracting official with the Navy's Military Sealift Command pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking bribes in exchange for awarding $2.5 million dollars worth of contracts to a Chesapeake company. AIR FORCELeaders who tweet: Savvy see social media as tool to increase understanding of military(Air Force Times) Hollywood celebrities aren't the only ones whose tweets go viral these days. Some military leaders are taking to social media just as other government leaders and agencies are. Iowa plane crash victim was Air Force Academy professor (Colorado Springs Gazette) John Joseph Wood, one of the victims of a fatal small plane crash in Iowa that killed two Colorado Springs residents Saturday, was a professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. EPR closeout date set for tech sergeants (Air Force Times) Technical sergeants are the first rank whose enlisted performance report closeout dates will be standardized under sweeping changes to the Air Force's enlisted promotion system. Blog: Peterson AF officer crowned Miss Black USA (Colorado Springs Gazette) Miss Black Colorado is now Miss Black USA. Jasmine Alexander, an Air Force Intelligence Officer stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, was crowned winner Sunday in Washington D.C. No RIF for medical corps, medical service corps officers in Oct. (Air Force Times) Medical corps and medical service corps officers who planned to meet the reduction in force board in October no longer have to. Wilson takes command at 24th Air Force, McLaughlin heads to CYBERCOM (C4ISR & Networks) Maj. Gen. Burke E. Wilson has assumed command of the 24th Air Force from Maj. Gen. James K. McLaughlin. The change of command ceremony was held July 31 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Airman portrayed by Robin Williams reacts to actor's death (Military Times) Actor Robin Williams, who died on Monday, got his breakout movie role in "Good Morning Vietnam," a fictionalized account of Adrian Cronauer's stint in Vietnam as an Air Force disc jockey. MARINE CORPSMarines to load new prepositioning gear into Norway caves(Marine Corps Times) Climate-controlled caves in Norway will house a new stock of Marine military gear and vehicles in August, and Marines will return unusable equipment to the U.S. Marine Reservist killed in single-car wreck (Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Colton Robert Carlson, 23, died Monday evening when his car slid off the road and hit a tree in Cumberland County, according to 1st Sgt. J.D. Aiken of the NC Highway Patrol. Okinawa Marine held in suspected theft of 7-ton vehicle (Stars & Stripes) A Marine suspected of crashing a stolen 7-ton vehicle through a Camp Foster gate before abandoning it in southern Okinawa is in pretrial confinement, according to Marine officials. COAST GUARDUS Coast Guard engineers to deploy on UK Royal Navy frigates(IHS Jane's 360) The US Coast Guard (USCG) will deploy selected enlisted personnel to serve alongside UK Royal Navy (RN) counterparts on board the RN's Type 23 frigates, beginning in October 2014 as part of a five-year trial initiative. Suspect in Bellingham murder found dead in Arizona (Bellingham Herald; Wash.) A U.S. Coast Guardsman suspected of murdering a 59-year-old Bellingham woman killed himself in an Arizona cabin this weekend, according to police. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANPolitical talks begin as pressure grows for Afghan election resolution(Stars & Stripes) A committee formed by Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates began discussions on a unity government here Tuesday, as NATO's secretary-general urged a speedy resolution to the country's election crisis. Ashraf Ghani rejects sharing power if he wins Afghan presidential recount (Washington Post) Ashraf Ghani, one of two candidates competing to become Afghanistan's president, said Tuesday that the deadline to finish a vote recount is slipping and that a U.S.-brokered agreement for the rivals to form a joint government afterward does not mean the winner will fully share power with the loser. The threat of Pakistan's angry young marchers (BBC) Just over a year after it won a landslide victory in elections, the government is coming under siege from two of the country's latest generation of politicians. MIDDLE EASTIsraeli Forces Praise Elbit UAVs in Gaza Op(Defense News) Israeli military commanders are crediting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by Elbit Systems for delivering added operational value in recent combat in Gaza. Al Nusrah Front spokesman explains differences with Islamic State in video appearance (Long War Journal) In a video released online on Aug. 8, Abu Firas al Suri, who serves as the Al Nusrah Front's spokesman, answered questions about the ongoing war in Syria. ISIS advances in Aleppo province (Agence France-Presse) Jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) have taken control of a string of villages in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, an activist group said Wednesday. Syrian Forces Advance on Aleppo, Rebels Fear Another Siege (Wall Street Journal) Syrian government forces have nearly encircled Aleppo, preparing a siege to wrest control of the city from rebels in what would be the biggest blow yet to the three-year uprising. Chechen-led jihadist group in Syria releases video of training camp (Long War Journal) A new jihadist group known as the Jamaat Ahadun Ahad, or the Group of the One and Only, has released a video of its training camp in Syria. The group is led by a Chechen commander and includes fighters from Chechnya, Europe, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and several Arab countries. Russia cancels Syrian S-300 deal (IHS Jane's 360) The S-300 air defence systems that Syria ordered from Russia will probably now be scrapped after the cancellation of the deal, Konstantin Buryulin, the deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told the Interfax-AVN military news agency. In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters (Washington Post) Before their blitz into Iraq earned them the title of the Middle East's most feared insurgency, the jihadists of the Islamic State treated this Turkish town near the Syrian border as their own personal shopping mall. EUROPEAid Convoy for Eastern Ukraine on Road Again(Wall Street Journal) A convoy of nearly 300 trucks that Russia said contained humanitarian aid resumed its trip toward the Ukrainian border early Wednesday, heading in the direction of the Russian city of Belgorod, the official RIA-Novosti news agency reported. Russian soldiers brag on Internet about repainting 300 KAMAZ trucks to carry aid (Kyiv Post) Amid fears of a full-scale Russian invasion disguised as humanitarian assistance, the Kremlin announced on Aug. 12 that it was sending nearly 300 trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Although the Russian authorities claimed there was no military cargo in the convoy, soldiers of the Russian army bragged in their social networks that even the trucks themselves were military vehicles, hastily repainted white. The Kremlin's Troll Army (The Altantic) Moscow is financing legions of pro-Russia Internet commenters. But how much do they matter? ASIA-PACIFICAs China flexes maritime muscle, SE Asia builds home-grown defence industry(Reuters) Spurred by tensions with China, Southeast Asian nations are building up their own defence industries, channelling fast-growing military budgets to develop local expertise and lower their dependence on big U.S. and European arms suppliers. NZ Navy's Newest Ships May Have Short Life (Defense News) New Zealand's government is considering cutting half of the Royal New Zealand Navy's inshore patrol vessel (IPV) fleet. SCO to hold largest military drills since 2004 (IHS Jane's 360) Upcoming joint military exercises of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will involve about 7,000 soldiers, the largest drill held by the group since 2004. Indian Premier Denounces Pakistan for 'Proxy War' (New York Times) On a visit to Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, made his toughest statement on Pakistan to date, saying it "has lost strength to fight conventional war, but continues to engage in a proxy war through terrorism." AFRICAEbola death toll tops 1,000 in West Africa; WHO says use of test treatments is ethical(Washington Post) As the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in four West African nations officially climbed above 1,000, the World Health Organization on Tuesday said the use of unproven, experimental treatments and vaccines is ethical given the magnitude of the crisis. Using a Tactic Unseen in a Century, Countries Cordon Off Ebola-Racked Areas (New York Times) The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is so out of control that governments there have revived a disease-fighting tactic not used in nearly a century: the "cordon sanitaire," in which a line is drawn around the infected area and no one is allowed out. Chief of Staff admits he has no control of "army" - army on verge of collapse (Libyan Herald) In what was described by a House of Representatives (HoR) member as a rough session, Libya's Chief of Staff Abdulati Al-Obeidi faced numerous tough accusations in a grueling session that lasted over three hours yesterday. Hundreds of Thousands of Nigerians Flee Boko Haram, Seek Sanctuary (Wall Street Journal) Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians fleeing Islamist militants are searching for sanctuary, say government and international relief officials, the latest fallout from Boko Haram's campaign to seize the northeast of Africa's most populous country. Ansar Dine leader resurfaces, urges expulsion of France from Mali (Long War Journal) After lying low since early 2013, Iyad Ag Ghaly, the founder and emir of the Malian-based terrorist group Ansar Dine, has appeared in a video expressing solidarity with the group's mujahideen brothers across the world and calling for the expulsion of France from Mali COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISEditorial: JSF Program Has Some Explaining To Do(Aviation Week) The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program will certainly recover from the embarrassment of missing its intended international debut in the U.K. last month after an engine fire grounded the fleet for 13 days. But numerous questions remain to be answered before we can be equally confident that the most costly weapons procurement in history is back on course A New Strategy Shows the Service's Enduring Value (Alex Ward in Real Clear Defense) The U.S. Air Force recently released its newest strategy, "A Call to the Future," and it is the best of its kind put out by a U.S. defense and security entity in a long time. Left Behind: Why It's Time to Draft Robots for Casevac (Paul Scharre in War on the Rocks) With thousands of air and ground robots in the field, you could be forgiven for thinking that the U.S. military has embraced unmanned systems. Why America Still Needs Nukes (Evan Moore in Real Clear Defense) In a highly anticipated report, a bipartisan group of former civilian and military leaders recently concluded that U.S. security could face grave dangers if Washington fails to quickly reverse a decade's worth of deep cuts to defense spending No More Solitude: How to Make DOD the Next Google (Adam Jay Harrison and Stephen Rodriguez in War on the Rocks) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, "Nothing will change the fact that I cannot produce the least thing without absolute solitude." The Good, Bad, and Ugly about Intervening against ISIS (Lionel Beehner in Cicero Magazine) US. policy in Iraq is truly perplexing. Like many things President Obama does abroad, he appears to be trying to have it both ways: We are striking ISIS militants, yet also engaging in humanitarian operations near Mount Sinjar. | |||||
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