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, 20 Aug 2014 04:42:58 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
| ||||||
|
TODAY'S TOP 51. US Air Force Grounds 82 F-16Ds After Cracks Discovered(Defense News) The US Air Force has grounded over half of its F-16D Fighting Falcons, the service's Air Combat Command (ACC) announced Tuesday. 2. Militant Group Claims to Have Killed Captive American (New York Times) The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria posted a video on Tuesday that it said showed the beheading of James Foley, an American journalist who was kidnapped in Syria nearly two years ago, according to a transcript released by the SITE Intelligence Group. 3. Opinion: Increased reliance on reserves is the answer (Brig. Gen. Samuel Mahaney in Air Force Times) The nation can maintain an appropriately sized Air Force, retain mission capability AND bring down personnel costs by quickly transitioning to greater reliance on Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. 4. New report warns of anti-aircraft weapons in Syria (Associated Press) Warnings from an international research group and the Federal Aviation Administration underscore the rising threat to commercial aircraft posed by hundreds of anti-aircraft weapons that are now in the arsenals of armed groups in Syria and could easily be diverted to extremist factions. 5. Gaza cease-fire broken as militants' rocket attacks spark retaliatory Israeli airstrikes (Washington Post) Militants in Gaza broke a temporary cease-fire by launching rockets at Israel on Tuesday, and Israel responded with airstrikes. The resumption of hostilities shut down talks in Cairo that seek a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas after more than a month of war. IRAQU.S. mission in Iraq could expand, Pentagon official says(Military Times) The mission for U.S. troops in Iraq to help Kurdish and Iraqi security forces in their fight against Islamic militants remains limited for now, but may expand after Iraqi leaders form a new government, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday. U.S. Airstrike Success Spurs Push for More Iraq Attacks (Wall Street Journal) The U.S. military's recent success in weakening Islamic State extremists and pushing them away from a key dam in Iraq is creating momentum for a broader campaign that could take American air power to the militant group's heartland northwest of Baghdad Iraq clock ticks for Obama (The Hill) Iraq clock ticks for ObamaPresident Obama has less than 30 days before he has to withdraw the first 275 U.S. troops ordered to Iraq under the War Powers Resolution, though legal experts say numerous loopholes give the White House a great deal of flexibility on that timetable. In Retaking of Iraqi Dam, Evidence of American Impact (New York Times) The two bodies lay festering in the midday sun on Tuesday, some of the only remnants of the Sunni militant force that until Monday night controlled the strategically important Mosul Dam. U.S. military stops identifying planes involved in Iraq airstrikes (Military Times) The U.S. military, at the request of host nations in the region, is no longer identifying the specific land-based aircraft carrying out airstrikes in Iraq, a defense official told Military Times on Tuesday. Are Americans Embracing Isolationism? Not When It Comes to Airstrikes on ISIS (Council on Foreign Relations) Last December the Pew Research Center made news with a poll that suggested that a majority of Americans wanted to stay out of world affairs. Today Pew released a poll about U.S. airstrikes on Iraq that throws some cold water on the Americans-are-embracing-isoationism storyline. Iraqi effort to recapture Tikrit said to stall (Washington Post) The Iraqi army launched a fresh offensive Tuesday to recapture the central city of Tikrit, seeking to build on the success of U.S.-backed government forces in seizing Mosul Dam, their first significant defeat of Islamic State militants this year. Iraq Crisis: Rivalry Flares After Joint Victory At Mosul Dam (Wall Street Journal) The defeat of Islamist insurgents at the Mosul Dam has brought to the surface long-running tensions between the Kurdish and Iraqi forces that cooperated, with U.S. help, to reclaim the strategic site. RAF RC-135 operations over Iraq revealed (IHS Jane's 360) Signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations are being conducted over Iraq by a Royal Air Force (RAF) Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon revealed on 16 August during a visit to the British Sovereign Base on Cyprus. Next Leader May Echo Maliki, but Iraqis Hope for New Results (New York Times) The last time the United States pushed Iraqis to choose a new prime minister who could unite the country to confront a sectarian civil war was in 2006, and the Iraqis chose Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The result was another civil war. This time, with the country again on the edge of collapse, they have chosen Haider al-Abadi. Germany Weighs Arming Kurdish Troops in Iraq (Wall Street Journal) Germany is to decide on whether to arm Kurdish troops fighting Islamist insurgents in Iraq this week, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday. Exclusive: Iraqi Kurdistan oil pipeline export capacity to double (Reuters) The capacity of Iraqi Kurdistan's independent oil pipeline will almost double to at least 200,000 barrels per day by the end of this month, helping the semi-autonomous region increase exports and revenue, industry sources and officials said. Zebari Says Kurdish Ministers Will Rejoin Iraqi Government (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iraqi's outgoing foreign minister, Hoshiyar Zebbari, says Kurdish ministers who suspended their participation in the government of outgoing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have rejoined the administration. INDUSTRYFuel Deals Top Pentagon's Weekly Contracts(DoDBuzz) Deals to provide fuel for the U.S. military's fleets of ships and aircraft topped the list of contracts announced by the Pentagon last week. Boeing UAV prototype gets FAA approval (C4ISR & Networks) A prototype Boeing surveillance aircraft has received FAA approval. Navy Defends UCLASS Goals As Drone Decision Looms (Breaking Defense) It's crunch time for UCLASS. On September 10th - after multiple delays - the Pentagon's top weapons buyer and his Defense Acquisition Board will sit in judgment on the proposed combat drone. The question: how best to bring the robot revolution to the deck of the 90-year-old aircraft carrier. Lockheed platform simulates at-sea conditions for C4ISR systems (C4ISR & Networks) Lockheed Martin has a test platform that can simulate at-sea conditions for C4ISR systems before they are deployed. Austal USA prepares to hand over fourth JHSV to US Navy (IHS Jane's 360) After recently completing acceptance trials, the US Navy's (USN's) fourth Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), Fall River (JHSV 4), is expected to be handed over to US Military Sealift Command (MSC) in the fourth quarter of 2014, shipbuilder Austal USA told IHS Jane's . New UK Frigate Proposals Coming Together (Defense News) BAE Systems is finishing proposals to build a new generation of frigates for the Royal Navy and has begun delivering details of the bid to the British Defence Ministry ahead of a decision expected by the end of the year, company officials said. Uncertain outlook for German arms industry (Deutsche Welle) German tanks, submarines and weapons are in high demand. They're exported to Israel despite the war in Gaza, and Kurdish fighters would also welcome a shipment. Yet the defense industry is worried about its future. Japanese Advance Plans For Another Air-Capable Assault Ship (Aviation Week) The Japanese defense ministry has brought forward a proposal to construct at least one large amphibious assault ship that will enlarge the country's naval aviation capability. The program may also enhance sales prospects for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. RAN's first Canberra-class LHD begins final sea trials (IHS Jane's 360) The first of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two new Canberra-class landing helicopter docks (LHDs) has embarked on final contractor sea trials, officials announced on 19 August. Supacat wins Australian special forces vehicle contract (IHS Jane's 360) Australia has awarded UK-based Supacat Group an AUD105 million (USD98 million) contract for 89 special operations vehicles based on the latest version of the Extenda high-mobility transport (HMT), the company said on 19 August. VETERANSNew rules issued for firing VA executives(Military Times) Federal regulators on Tuesday outlined interim rules for streamlined firing of Veterans Affairs Department senior executives, a new authority backed by Congress in an effort to clean up cultural problems at the embattled department. VA chief in Sparks: Agency has failed (Las Vegas Review-Journal) New Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said Tuesday that the agency "failed in a number of ways" in providing services to the nation's veterans. Ad attacks Braley for missing VA hearings (The Hill) The arm of GOP strategist Karl Rove's American Crossroads is pushing its attack, following a spot earlier this month. The new ad repeats charges that the congressman missed 75 percent of the full House Veterans' Affairs Committee's meetings as a member. Phoenix VA Regional Office to hold veterans' town hall (Arizona Republic) The Department of Veterans Affairs Phoenix Regional Office will host a town hall Wednesday for veterans and their families to discuss the claims process and VA benefits. Hawaii veterans talk doctor shortages in panel (Associated Press) Veterans are telling U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono they face a shortage of doctors on Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, which has contributed to the long wait times they endured seeking medical treatment across the isolated island chain. CONGRESSAnalyst: Best Congress Will Do Is Two Government-Wide Spending Bills(Defense News) A prominent federal budget analyst is predicting the best Congress will do this year on spending bills is pass two massive government-wide measures. In Washington, Little Appetite Among Members of Congress for Vote on Iraq (New York Times) Mingling with Senate Democrats at the White House earlier this summer, President Obama had a tart comeback to the suggestion that he should seek a vote of Congress before deepening American military involvement in Iraq. GOP congressman reports for Air Guard duty (The Hill) Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is headed for a two-week tour with the Air National Guard. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTAfter Months on Back Burner, Sequester Fears Return(Defense News) For the past three years, US military officials have frequently voiced opposition to defense budget caps that went into effect in 2013. Ex-officer says she was discharged for reporting burn-pit danger (Military Times) An officer who says she was discharged from the Navy for alerting senior officials of the potential health dangers of open-air burn pits and improperly stored water at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, is suing to get her job back. Less armor, but more protection? The new, high-tech push to improve military vehicles (Washington Post) When insurgents began laying improvised explosive devices by the dozen in Iraq to kill U.S. troops in 2004, no immediate answer was available. Soldiers and Marines responded by hanging any kind of scrap metal they could find to better protect their Humvees. But "Hillbilly armor," as the troops sometimes called it, weighed the vehicles down, made them prone to rollovers and still didn't cover the bottom sides of the vehicle most exposed to a blast. Military workplace survey to gauge sexual assault, harassment (Stars & Stripes) A biennial survey that tracks sexual harassment, sexual assault and other workplace issues in the U.S. military is being conducted on behalf of the Defense Department. DoD questions military data in food bank study (Military Times) The Pentagon's personnel chief is taking exception to statistics from a recent study that concluded 25 percent of military households use food banks. Hagel snatches new Pentagon chief of staff from U.N. (Washington Post) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has selected a familiar face from his Senate days to be his new right hand man. Pentagon: Military arms transfers to police not 'program run amok' (Stars & Stripes) The Defense Department is pushing back against criticism that it's helping militarize local police forces by supplying them with surplus gear. ARMYBergdahl Plans to Leave Army, Attend College(Military.com) Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl plans to leave the Army and attend college if he is cleared of potential desertion charges following the Army's investigation into his capture in Afghanistan, Bergdahl's lawyer said Tuesday. Thieves steal monument of dead Afghan War soldier (KGW Portland, Oregon) Thieves stole the monument of an Afghan War soldier, along with eight others from Lake Sacajawea Park over the weekend. West Point pride: Coach K brings Team USA to alma mater (Army Times) In front of ESPN cameras and super-sized shoe-company logos Monday at West Point's Christl Arena, the U.S. men's basketball team put on a show for a near-capacity crowd - impromptu dunk contests, 3-point shootouts with Army hoops players, autographed cadet covers, and so on. Camp Casey school closing after 5 years as part of relocation (Stars & Stripes) A $7.5 million DODEA school in Dongducheon that opened five years ago is projected to close next June as U.S. forces relocate to Pyeongtaek. September officer promotions announced (Army Times) Congratulations to the active component officers being promoted to the ranks of chief warrant officer 3 through colonel in September: NAVYCNO Greenert calls for boosting deployed ship presence(Navy Times) More time forward and more chances to serve in the Pacific and in the Middle East; that's the course the Navy's top officer is setting in his annual "Navigation Plan" released Tuesday. Non-Standard: Navy SM-6 Kills Cruise Missiles Deep Inland (Breaking Defense) You wouldn't expect the Navy to test its weapons in the desert. But that's just what happened Thursday at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, an Army facility 500 miles from the sea, where a Standard Missile-6 successfully intercepted a mock cruise missile flying low and slow over land. Hitting that target is one sign of how far Navy missile defense programs have cast their net beyond their traditional domain. Verdicts released for July courts-martial (Navy Times) The Navy has published the results of special and general courts-martial tried in July - 36 verdicts in all. Sunk, Scrapped or Saved: The Fate of America's Aircraft Carriers (USNI News) Sunk, Scrapped or Saved: The Fate of America's Aircraft Carriers AIR FORCEKey Targeting Tech for Future U.S. Nuclear Missile Has Gone Unfunded(NextGov) A lapse in funding is potentially delaying by two years the development of a new U.S. nuclear missile, according to budget documents provided to Congress and interviews with defense sources. Sailor, allegedly strangled to death by airman, remembered as caring (Air Force Times) Shortly before his death, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dmitry Chepusov received a medal for helping save a soldier's life. In scandal's wake, Air Force recruiters get a message (San Antonio Express-News) More than a year has passed since Tech. Sgt. Jaime Rodriguez got one of the longest prison sentences in the history of the Air Force's training command. Now, his case is being used as a training tool for recruits at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Security Forces Museum, closed Friday, is already missed (Air Force Times) A plan to shutter the Security Forces Museum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland this month - and reopen it as early as 2017 as part of a sprawling enlisted heritage and character development center - has left members of the Air Force's largest career field feeling shafted. Family members retrace grandfather's WWII journey (Stars & Stripes) Seventy years later, his daughter Bonnie Schmitz and granddaughter, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tamera Hall, retraced his steps using a map he kept on his wartime travels. MARINE CORPSInvestigative hearing set for alleged Marine deserter(Marine Corps Times) Marine officials have scheduled an Article 32 investigative hearing for Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, suspected of deserting his post twice, once in Iraq. Amusement Park Apologizes for Gun Shirt Error (Associated Press) A former Marine who wasn't allowed into an amusement park because he was wearing a shirt with a red, white and blue rifle pictured on it has been given an apology. Marines stand guard over comrade at funeral home (Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Never leave a Marine behind. That was the sentiment for the Marines and individuals who stood watch over the body of Cpl. Robert Richards at Jones Funeral Home on Monday. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANObama Holds to Afghanistan Withdrawal Deadline(New York Times) President Obama may have ordered American warplanes back to Iraq, but he has not changed his mind about his other big military withdrawal. Mr. Obama told advisers this week that delaying the pullout of American troops from Afghanistan would make no difference there as long as the country did not overcome its political rifts. Hundreds of Taliban fighters battle Afghan forces near Kabul: officials (Reuters) As many as 700 heavily armed Taliban insurgents are battling Afghan security forces in Logar, a key province near the capital Kabul, local officials said on Tuesday, in a test of the Afghan military's strength as foreign forces pull out of the country. Nervous Afghans near political deadline (Washington Post) With a crucial deadline soon approaching to inaugurate a new president and an election ballot recount in a critical stage, fears are growing that Afghanistan's fragile transition process could collapse into violence. Reports: Afghan special forces negotiating with Taliban in Sangin (Marine Corps Times) Reports about peace talks between Taliban leaders and Afghan special forces troops in Afghanistan's Helmand province have raised questions about security as coalition forces prepare to withdraw troops this year. For middle-class Kabul district, the insurgency comes home (Washington Post) Nestled at the base of the craggy mountaintops that loom over north Kabul, the middle-class neighborhood of Qasaba seems an unlikely place to be infiltrated by Afghanistan's Taliban-led insurgents. Military Secures Sensitive Sites in Pakistan Capital; Political Instability Grows (Defense News) The Army has assumed security responsibility of the sensitive "Red Zone" in Pakistan's capital as opposition forces camped out in the capital enter it demanding the government's resignation. Pakistani envoy defends meeting Kashmiri leaders (Associated Press) Pakistan's ambassador to India defended his recent talks with Kashmiri separatists on Wednesday, saying that including them in the dialogue is the only way to find a lasting peace between the South Asian rivals. MIDDLE EASTGaza cease-fire broken as militants' rocket attacks spark retaliatory Israeli airstrikes(Washington Post) Militants in Gaza broke a temporary cease-fire by launching rockets at Israel on Tuesday, and Israel responded with airstrikes. The resumption of hostilities shut down talks in Cairo that seek a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas after more than a month of war. Israeli Strike in Gaza Hits Family of Hamas Military Commander (New York Times) A Hamas leader said early Wednesday that an Israeli airstrike had killed the wife and young child of the movement's top military commander, Mohammed Deif, hours after Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip broke an agreed cease-fire with Israel and talks aimed at ending the six-week conflict collapsed in Cairo. Hamas threatens to aim further attacks at Israel's airport (Reuters) The armed wing of the Hamas Islamist militant group that dominates Gaza threatened on Wednesday to aim more rocket fire at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and cautioned international airlines to avoid it. Secretive Army of Hamas Emerges From Shadows in Gaza (Wall Street Journal) When the shrapnel-torn body of Ahmed Abu Thoraya returned to this city in the Gaza Strip, only one member of his family knew for sure he had been a fighter in Al Qassam Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas. Syria enhances T-72 protection (IHS Jane's 360) Syria has developed a new passive armour package to enhance the survivability of its Russian-supplied T-72M1 main battle tanks (MBT) against RPG-7 rocket propelled grenades. EUROPENATO to shun substantial eastern footprint in nod to Russia(Stars & Stripes) NATO will stop short of basing substantial combat forces in eastern Europe to avoid a complete rupture in relations with Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. Plenty of Room at the Top of Ukraine's Fading Rebellion (New York Times) To outward appearances, Fyodor D. Berezin is the picture of a senior military commander. He wears camouflage, has bodyguards and confidently gives orders as the newly named deputy defense minister of the separatist Donetsk People's Republic. Yet, just four months ago he was an obscure author of 18 science fiction novels, one play and a dozen or so short stories. Italian Air Force Jets Collide (Defense News) Two Italian Air Force Tornado aircraft reportedly collided during a training mission in central Italy on Tuesday, crashing and sparking a large forest fire. Targeting Turkey: How Germany Spies on Its Friends (Der Spiegel) For more than a year now, German officials have criticized the US for the NSA's mass spying on Europeans and even Chancellor Angela Merkel. Now, embarrassing revelations show that Germany has inadvertently spied on Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and has also deliberately targeted Turkey. German Leader Emerges as Key Figure in Ukraine Talks (New York Times) With President Obama facing a host of other problems around the world and at home, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is emerging more and more as a pivotal leader on the Ukraine conflict. ASIA-PACIFICPLAN commissions Jiangdao-class corvette into East Sea Fleet(IHS Jane's 360) The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned the Type 056 Jiangdao-class corvette Quanzhou into its East Sea Fleet on 8 August, according to Chinese state-backed media outlets. Chinese Survey Ships Spotted in Philippine Waters, Aquino Says (Bloomberg) Two Chinese survey ships were spotted inside Philippine waters near the site of a confrontation between the countries in 2012 and threaten to further strain ties between the countries, President Benigno Aquino said. Japan landslides kill 27 in Hiroshima (BBC) At least 27 people have been killed in landslides that struck Japan's Hiroshima prefecture, officials say. AFRICAEbola Death Toll in West Africa Tops 1,200(New York Times) As West African nations grappled with the worst-ever outbreak of the Ebola virus, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the death toll had exceeded 1,200 and announced increased efforts to forestall severe food shortages in areas isolated by quarantines. Haftar loyalists claim Su-24s carried out Tripoli airstrike (IHS Jane's 360) The Libyan faction led by retired general Khalifah Haftar has claimed responsibility for an airstrike carried out against militias in Tripoli on the night of 17-18 August. Libya calls for regional security alliance (Magharebia) Libya's authorities are looking to form joint forces with Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia to secure the border, curb illegal immigration, and stop arms smuggling and drug trafficking. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS8 Unique Values: Why America Needs The Army(Loren B. Thompson in ARMY Magazine) The business world has a term to describe core missions to customers and investors-value proposition-and it is considered crucial to every company's business strategy. If you can't distill what makes your organization valuable down to a few compelling points, then maybe it doesn't have a good reason for existing. Or, maybe you're in the wrong job. A Model for Multinational Cooperation? Three C-17s, Twelve Nations, and the Strategic Airlift Capability Program (Janine Davidson in the Council on Foreign Relations) One promising, little-known example is the Strategic Airlift Capability program. This program, founded in 2008 between twelve NATO and NATO "Partnership for Peace" nations, allows countries without the individual means to purchase their own expensive jets, the ability to share the logistical and financial burden of rapid-response airlift - kind of like a multinational military version of "Netjets." Is American foreign policy for sale to the highest-bidding hawk? (Daniel W. Drezner in The Washington Post) Last week Peter Beinart threw down a pretty provocative argument about the hawkish foreign policy rhetoric coming from the crop of potential 2016 presidential candidates, particularly Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). According to Beinart, they're in it for the money, and the money wants a more hawkish foreign policy: Israel and the Demise of 'Mowing the Grass' (T.X. Hammes in War on the Rocks) Unable to find a political solution to its protracted conflict with Hamas, Israel employs restrained military force to disrupt Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens. But, over time, Hamas capabilities inevitably increase and its attacks become more effective. Editorial: Bolster UK's Fleet (Defense News) Britain's GBP384 million contract last week to buy three new patrol boats for the Royal Navy was no surprise. | |||||
You are receiving this correspondence because you provided us with your email address as a part of your subscription. If you are receiving this in error, please go here to let us know. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment