TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Sources: DoD 5-Year Spending Plan $115 Billion Over Budget Caps, Ignores Sequestration
(Defense News) The US Defense Department on March 4 will propose a five-year plan that boosts Pentagon spending by a total of $115 billion over sequestration spending caps, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the plan.
2. U.S. examines Afghanistan option that would leave behind 3,000 troops
(Washington Post) One of the four options President Obama is considering for a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan beyond this year would leave behind 3,000 troops, based in Kabul and at the American installation at Bagram, U.S. officials said.
3. Why the Army should fire generals and promote captains
(Adrian Bonenberger in the Washington Post) As Army leadership ponders who and what to cut from its budget, the first groups in the crosshairs are the junior and mid-level officers. This is a logical step.
4. Taliban say they're suspending talks on captive U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl
(CNN) The Taliban say they are suspending talks with the United States to exchange Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl -- the only American soldier held as a captive -- for five Taliban prisoners.
5. Eyewitnesses respond to claims challenging Peralta's MoH account
(Marine Corps Times) Explosive new claims that challenge the truth of the accounts that made fallen Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta a candidate for the military’s highest honor are sending shock waves through the Marine Corps community, and some eyewitnesses are firing back.
MEDAL OF HONOR
White House: 24 soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor
(Army Times) Congress, through the Defense Authorization Act, called for a review in 2002 of Jewish American and Hispanic American veteran war records from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, to ensure those deserving the Medal of Honor were not denied because of prejudice.
Two S.A. veterans get Medal of Honor (With Video)
(San Antonio Express-News) Jose Rodela and Santiago Erevia are among two-dozen war veterans to be awarded the medal, the nation's highest award for valor, and just three who are still living. They'll receive the medal from President Obama on March 18.
MoH candidate thrilled at honor for Vietnam actions
(Army Times) Former Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Morris, one of the three living Medal of Honor candidates who will soon receive the award, is getting the honor for taking out enemy bunkers with grenades and rescuing wounded teammates, despite his own injuries, in Vietnam.
Hagel: No Medal of Honor for Peralta
(Marine Corps Times) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will not reopen the Medal of Honor case for Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta, his office announced Friday.
Walter Ehlers, last living Medal of Honor recipient from D-Day, dies
(Army Times) Staff Sgt. Walter Ehlers, the last Medal of Honor recipient from the D-Day invasion in 1944, has died at the age of 92, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
INDUSTRY
Pentagon moving ahead with new vertical lift aircraft
(Reuters) The Pentagon is committed to early design work on a new aircraft that will replace thousands of helicopters now used by the U.S. military, its first "clean sheet design" program in years, the Army official heading the effort said on Friday.
Lockheed F-35 for Marines Delayed as Test Exposes Cracks
(Bloomberg) On-the-ground stress testing for the U.S. Marine Corps version of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet may be halted for as long as a year after cracks were found in the aircraft’s bulkheads, Pentagon officials said.
DOD to lead two new manufacturing institutes
(The Hill) President Obama on Tuesday will announce two innovation institutes, lead by the Department of Defense, as part of an effort to revitalize U.S. manufacturing.
New Logistics System Could Help Military Keep Tabs on Volatile Munitions
(National Defense Magazine) Tracking items in warehouses is a big problem for the military, which cannot use radio frequency identification systems on explosives and munitions. A product jointly created by Lockheed Martin and Visible Assets Inc. could fix that problem by using magnetic tags to identify items.
Turkey, Sikorsky Sign $3.5 Billion Helicopter Deal
(Defense News) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday that his government and US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft had signed a long-dormant contract to co-produce an initial batch of 109 utility helicopters.
Singapore could ultimately decide SABR/RACR showdown in SE Asia
(IHS Jane's 360) An industry source who spoke with IHS Jane's claimed that the reason there would be no appreciable impact on the unit cost for the upgrade offered to Taiwan if the USAF ditched CAPES is because "in reality the Taiwanese were always paying for the entire NRE; they just do not know it".
Time Running Out on Europe's Typhoon Orders
(Defense News) Governments and industry are in discussions over the fate of the final order of Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets for the four partner nations involved in the program amid Germany’s plan to end its purchases early.
CONGRESS
Rep. Thornberry Leads Bipartisan Push to Fix Pentagon Procurement
(National Defense Magazine) In the age of deeply divided government, everyone still agrees that there are fundamental flaws in how the Pentagon buys weapons systems.
Lawmakers to grill Pentagon on deadly attack that killed 30 Americans
(The Hill) A congressional panel on Thursday will hold a hearing on a mysterious helicopter crash in Afghanistan that killed members of the Navy's elite SEAL Team 6 unit.
Reported ICBM study riles Montana lawmakers
(Great Falls Tribune; Mont.)Members of Montana’s congressional delegation sent letters to the Pentagon on Thursday asking the Department of Defense to immediately cease what it perceived as renewed efforts to do an environmental assessment on the intercontinental ballistic missile force, which includes the 150 ICBMs at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Lamborn touted military record during Business Alliance luncheon Thursday (With Video)
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Congressman Doug Lamborn touted his work to spare the defense budget from sequestration cuts during a luncheon where he told constituents about the state of the 5th Congressional District.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Military to Unveil Plan to Cut Personnel Costs
(Wall Street Journal) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is set Monday to recommend a limit on military pay raises, higher fees for health-care benefits and less generous housing allowances to prune billions of dollars in benefits from the defense budget, setting up an election-year confrontation with veterans groups and lawmakers.
U.S. flags at military bases must be 100% American-made
(USA Today) Here's a Stars and Stripes shocker: Prior to Friday, flags bought by the Department of Defense weren't necessarily 100% American-made.
A Year on the Job, Hagel's Team Finally Taking Shape
(Defense News) Hagel has surrounded himself with a team of experienced managers tasked with reshaping the Pentagon as defense spending declines following more than a decade of war, experts say.
The Pentagon Has a Massive Leak Problem. Why Can’t It Close the Floodgates?
(Foreign Policy) The release of the Pentagon's massive-yet-smaller budget is just weeks away, but budget decisions like the number of ships the Navy will buy or the size of the National Guard have been dribbling out in the media for months. That has pleased reporters looking for scoops and those defense officials who seek to shape the debate about weapons programs in a budget cycle that has produced much anxiety before it has even begun. But one man is not pleased: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Sources: Obama Administration To Slow Special Ops Funding
(Defense News) The Obama administration is poised to scale back funding for the US military’s most elite forces, which spearheaded the fight against al-Qaida and embodied the Pentagon’s rapid post-9/11 budget growth.
What's on the Chopping Block—and What's Safe—in the Pentagon's Shrinking Budget?
(National Journal) This year's scramble in Washington over the budget request will start Monday, when Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to preview the fiscal 2015 Defense Department budget—a week before the official request goes to Congress.
Quadrennial Review To Emphasize Middle East
(Defense News) The US Defense Department’s latest military strategy review will stress the Pentagon’s commitment to the Middle East, a region that has felt jilted by numerous US actions in recent years.
Leadership program opens for new, recent separating troops
(Military Times) Troops who plan to leave the military within the next three to six months, or have recently left, may be eligible to apply for a leadership program aimed at helping them make the transition to the corporate world.
ARMY
Cover-up? Army historian says report on deadly Afghan battle was altered to absolve faulty gun
(Washington Times) A former Army historian who chronicled the infamous Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, where nine U.S. soldiers died after their M4 carbines jammed, tells The Washington Times that his official account was altered by higher-ups to absolve the weapons and senior officers.
Retirement Medal moves forward
(Army Times) Sgt. 1st Class Steven Janotta never imagined his idea for an Army retirement medal would garner so much attention.
US Army Focuses on Boosting Tech
(Defense News) At this year’s annual US Army symposium, the doom and gloom of last year has been replaced by a new message.
Army ID's Bragg paratrooper killed in training exercise
(Army Times) The Army on Saturday identified the paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division who was killed in a training accident on Fort Bragg, N.C.
Ex-Fort Carson sergeant remaking Army training plan
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Command Sgt. Maj. Dan Dailey, the top enlisted man at the Army's Training and Doctrine Command in Virginia, is putting the finishing touches on a new system to train sergeants and turn soldiers into leaders, with a heavy emphasis on Internet delivery.
Fixing Strykers falls to soldiers as Army ends repair contract
(The News Tribune; Tacoma, wash.) Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Allen got a tongue-in-cheek warning from fellow Army mechanics when he told them he wanted to work on Stryker infantry vehicles at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Fort Leonard Wood to lose 1,000 troops; changes at Scott AFB less clear
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch) As part of budget cuts throughout the U.S. military, the largest base in Missouri is expected to lose about 1,000 soldiers by October 2015.
NAVY
Navy develops 'world's smallest guided missile'
(Navy Times) As the military relies more and more on unmanned aerial vehicles to carry out pinpoint strikes, the services need smaller munitions to arm them.
Sea Dragon helicopter: Troubled past, uncertain future
(The Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk, Va.) The Navy started making plans in the late 1990s to retire the most powerful and crash-prone helicopters in its fleet.
Judge denies two motions in Naval Academy assault case
(Baltimore Sun) The criminal case against a Naval Academy midshipman accused of sexually assaulting a classmate is expected to move forward to a March 14 court-martial after a military judge denied two motions this week related to the case.
Catching Z's at sea is getting easier for sailors
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk, Va.) For sailors aboard deployed Navy ships, little sleep has long come with the territory.
Can the carrier Ranger be saved?
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Supporters of the decommissioned carrier Ranger have launched a petition drive on Change.org to try to persuade the Navy not to scrap the ship, which spent part of its career operating out of San Diego Bay.
Navy Seabees combating invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles at Pearl Harbor
(Honolulu Star-Advertiser) Navy Seabees have been called in to combat a growing number of invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles discovered on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Navy said Thursday.
AIR FORCE
Air Force Reluctantly Upgrades A-10s After Congress Complains
(War is Boring) On Feb. 12, the Air Force’s top civilian official directed the service’s Air Combat Command to continue developing a new software upgrade for the A-10 after a complaint from Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican.
Nuke test scores fell flat during alleged cheating
(Associated Press) Last summer, when dozens of nuclear missile officers allegedly cheated on exams, test scores were among the lowest of the year, according to Air Force records obtained by The Associated Press. That is the opposite of what might be expected if answers were being shared as widely as officials allege.
Lackland trainee collapses and dies (With Video)
(Fox 29; San Antonio) An Air Force trainee died during physical training at Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland Thursday night.
USAF To Launch a Previously Classified Satellite System This Year
(Defense News) The Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSAP) system will have electro-optical sensors and be based in near-geosynchronous orbit, drifting below and above the geo belt. The US Air Force will be able to control the movement of the constellation, made up of two satellites, in order to position its “neighborhood watch” surveillance.
Air Force Begins Massive B-1B Overhaul
(Defense Tech) The Air Force is in the early phases of a multi-year technological overhaul and upgrade of its B1-B Lancer long-range bomber fleet which will outfit all 62 aircraft with a wide-ranging suite of new displays, computer technology and avionics, service officials said.
Welsh throws down gauntlet: Air Force-wide Mustache March
(Flightlines) Mustache March is right around the corner. And this year, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh is issuing a challenge to the entire service.
MARINE CORPS
Emails reveal Marine Corps commandant's early attempt to ban independent newspaper
(Marine Corps Times) The initiative to ban or bury the independent newspaper Marine Corps Times originated in May “on a rather tight timeline” at the behest of Gen. Jim Amos, the service’s commandant, newly obtained emails show. The exchange occurred just days before Marine Corps Times published an investigative report spotlighting allegations Amos abused his authority.
Lejeune water contamination dated to 1950s
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) The study, released Wednesday, found that drinking water aboard Camp Lejeune was contaminated with chemicals from a drycleaning facility and a leaking fuel depot from the 1950s until 1985 — which is earlier than previous estimates.
Marines in Helmand help Georgians become fighting force
(Stars and Stripes) As dozens of Marines across Helmand province advise and assist Afghan forces, a small group of Marines is focused on a different group: a Georgian light infantry battalion.
Marines' new unmanned vehicle could patrol bases in Afghanistan
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps is experimenting with a new unmanned ground vehicle that can patrol installations and detect intruders or potential enemy forces nearly a mile away.
$20 million needed to make Museum of the Marine reality
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) The Museum of the Marine isn’t giving up the fight, organizers say, but another $20 million will be needed to make the museum a reality.
VETERANS
Olympia man suing Veterans Administration after he contracted MRSA
(The News Tribune; Tacoma, Wash.) A Vietnam veteran living in Olympia is suing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs two years after a severe bacterial infection he developed while receiving care at the system’s Seattle hospital led to the amputation of his right leg.
Former general: Forget the sword; Jesus will return with an AR-15
(Stars and Stripes) Retired Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin, now the Family Research Council’s executive vice president, says the Son of God will be armed with an AR-15 assault rifle when he returns, in a speech at the Pro-Family Legislators Conference in Dallas.
Seeking a man left behind: Aberdeen war hero enlisted to help find Vietnam-era pilot’s remains
(Idaho State Journal) It’s been 45 years since Aberdeen’s Leland Sorensen clung to a thin steel cable as he was lowered into the jungle canopy of Southeast Asia. As a member of the elite U.S. Air Force para-rescue jump team, it was his job to drop from a helicopter into hostile territory to rescue downed pilots during the Vietnam War.
Remains of Bragg soldier shot down in Vietnam to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery
(Fayetteville Observer) Staff Sgt. Lawrence Woods was on a Fairchild C123 Provider near the border of South Vietnam and Cambodia when it was shot down in late 1964.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
How not to repeat the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan
(USA Today) Over the years, U.S. commanders in Afghanistan have paid close attention to the failed Soviet Union experience in that country as they developed their own campaign plans.
Obama putting Afghan elections at risk?
(The Hill) The Obama administration is putting the success of Afghanistan’s presidential election at risk with its policy of not getting too involved, according to an outside group.
Afghan Taliban denounces former senior official, denies involvement in peace talks
(The Long War Journal) The Afghan Taliban denied that a former senior official who was dismissed in 2010 represented the group in peace talks with the Afghan government. Additionally, the Taliban denied that it is currently conducting peace talks with the Afghan government in Dubai.
Iraq repeat: US pullout in Afghanistan?
(The Hill) Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Friday the latest resurgence of al Qaeda in Iraq should be considered a “warning” if the United States pulls all troops out of Afghanistan later this year.
Attack on Afghan army checkpoint kills 21 soldiers
(Stars and Stripes) An early morning attack by insurgents on two Afghan army checkpoints Sunday in Kunar province left 21 Afghan soldiers dead and six missing in a battle that lasted about four hours, the Afghan Defense Ministry said.
Pakistani military launches more airstrikes in the northwest
(The Long War Journal) The Pakistani military continued to launch airstrikes against the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan over the weekend. Today, Air Force fighters carried out airstrikes against IED factories and arms and ammunition caches in the Tirah Valley, a known safe haven for al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the contested tribal agency of Khyber. Military officials told Dawn that 35 "militants" were killed and 15 more were wounded.
EUROPE
NATO Praises Ukraine Army for Staying Out of Crisis
(Defense News) NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Sunday praised Ukraine’s army for staying out of the political crisis rocking the “close partner” of the Western alliance.
Arrest warrant issued for Ukraine's ex-president
(USA Today) With questions lingering over the direction of the Ukraine even as it starts rebuilding its government, the nation's acting interior minister on Monday issued an arrest warrant for former President Viktor Yanukovych, last seen in the pro-Russian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
Obama Official Warns on Russia Sending Troops to Ukraine
(Wall Street Journal) A senior Obama administration official warned Russian leaders Sunday not to send armed forces into Ukraine to restore what they see as a compliant government, urging them to reject a Cold War view of the tumult in Ukraine as a struggle between East and West.
New UK Army Chief Appointed
(Defense News) The new head of the British Army is to be Lt. Gen. Sir Nick Carter, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
After the Hype, It's Showtime for Italy's Renzi
(The Wall Street Journal) For years, admirers of the newly installed Italian prime minister have gushed about his energy, his ability and his supreme political skills. Despite his age—at 39, he is Italy's youngest-ever leader—they were convinced it was only a matter of time before Mr. Renzi swept to power on a tide of popular support to revitalize the economy and public life.
Germany Plans Procurement Overhaul After Program Missteps
(Defense News) Germany is expected to overhaul its defense procurement policy using external reviews to create greater transparency, experts say, after the defense minister sacked two senior ministry officials last week over mismanagement of numerous procurement programs.
MIDDLE EAST
Militants shoot down Iraqi helicopter and occupy northern town
(Reuters) Militants shot down a helicopter on Saturday and briefly occupied a town, in an escalating turf war with Iraq's government that has killed at least 25 people in two days, police said.
Al Qaeda's chief representative in Syria reportedly killed
(The Long War Journal) Abu Khalid al Suri, whose real name is Mohamed Bahaiah, has been reportedly killed in a suicide attack in Aleppo. Al Suri's death has been confirmed on several Twitter feeds managed by Ahrar al Sham and the Islamic Front.
Top Military Body Against Syria’s Assad Is in Chaos, Undermining Fight
(New York Times) It appeared to be a huge step forward for the scattered rebel groups fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria: the creation of a central body of top insurgent commanders who would coordinate military campaigns, direct foreign support and serve as a unifying force for their diverse movement.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Pentagon plays down intelligence officer's provocative China assessment
(Reuters) The Pentagon on Thursday played down remarks by a senior Navy intelligence officer who told a public forum that he believed China was training its forces to be capable of carrying out a "short, sharp" war with Japan in the East China Sea.
Thai Army Chief Says Military Has No Plans to Intervene
(Wall Street Journal) Thailand's army chief warned that the country's political conflict was getting worse after four people were killed in shootings and bomb attacks over the weekend, but said the military has no plans to intervene.
US Army Chief: China, Japan Need Dialogue to Avoid 'Miscalculations'
(Defense News) US Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno on Saturday said Beijing and Tokyo must enhance communication to avoid “miscalculations” amid a simmering territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea.
South Korea-US military drills begin
(BBC) Joint military drills between South Korea and the US have begun, amid rare family reunions between North and South Korean relatives separated for decades.
AFRICA
Peterson airman gain experience through deployment to Africa
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A group of Peterson Air Force Base airmen became the first airlift troops assigned to Africa on a recent deployment.
France risks long stay after misjudging Central African Republic
(Reuters) When France sent troops to halt violence between Christians and Muslims in Central African Republic, commanders named the mission Sangaris after a local butterfly to reflect its short life. Three months later, it is clear they badly miscalculated.
Despite Stroke, Algerian Leader Says He’ll Run for Re-Election
(New York Times) Algeria’s ailing president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been largely incapacitated since a stroke last year, intends to run for a fourth term in an election scheduled for April 17, Algerian officials announced Sunday.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
U.S. troops are equipped with inferior, antiquated weapons
(Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Scales) A two-part expose by The Washington Times’ national security reporter, Rowan Scarborough, on the shortcomings of the M4 carbine is a story of institutional ineptitude that has cost soldiers’ lives.
Applying the Manwaring Paradigm to the Soviet-Afghan War
(Michael McBride in Small Wars Journal) Afghanistan, one of the last battlefields of the Cold War, was of strategic interest to the Soviets not only because of its geographic location on the southern border of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and because it was a step closer to the oft sought access to a warm water port, but equally as important because it was another sovereignty and people that the Soviets could include in their bloc as a part of the global competition for ideological acceptance.
An Escalation in Tunisia: How the state went to war with Ansar al-Sharia
(Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Bridget Moreng in War on the Rocks) Since the fall of Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, the country has been challenged by the aggressive growth of a domestic salafi jihadist movement. The most significant organization in this movement is Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST), which has now been designated a terrorist group by the governments of Tunisia and the United States, and against which the Tunisian state has launched a vigorous crackdown.
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