TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Senate blocks huge vets benefits bill
(Military Times) A massive veterans legislative package that would have expanded a host of post-military benefits was sidelined Thursday after Senate Democratic backers failed to find enough support among their Republican colleagues.
2. US exit from Afghanistan could bolster Qaeda: commander
(Agence France Presse) Al-Qaeda's core leadership in Pakistan has been seriously weakened, but the potential withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan could trigger a resurgence of the terror network, a top US commander said Thursday.
3. Benefits threaten Pentagon mission: Our view
(USA Today Editorial Board) The government is underfunding a lot of things these days — infrastructure and science, to name just a couple.
4. Americans Remain Divided on Military Spending
(Gallup) As the Obama administration announces plans for further decreases in military spending, Gallup surveys show no broad consensus among Americans that the U.S. is spending too much or too little on the military. Americans' views of the money spent on national defense and the military have held fairly steady in recent years, with 37% now saying the nation spends too much and 28% saying it spends too little. The rest say spending is about right.
5. U.S. Militant, Hidden, Spurs Drone Debate
(New York Times) He is known as Abdullah al-Shami, an Arabic name meaning Abdullah the Syrian. But his nom de guerre masks a reality: He was born in the United States, and the United States is now deciding whether to kill him.
EUROPE
Russian gunmen patrol airports in tense Crimean standoff
(Los Angeles Times) Armed Russian men in unmarked military uniforms early Friday took up positions at Crimea's main airport in Simferopol and there were reports that Russian naval forces had taken control of the military airport in Sevastopol, Moscow's leased base for its Black Sea fleet.
Putin Pledges Aid to Ukraine but Leaves Steps Unclear
(New York Times) President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia broke his silence on the crisis in Ukraine on Friday morning with a statement instructing his government to “continue contacts with partners in Kiev” and to work with international bodies to provide financial assistance for the country.
Putin’s Bluff: U.S. Spies Say Russia Won't Invade Ukraine
(The Daily Beast) U.S. intelligence estimates conclude that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine. This, despite the launch of a massive, new Russian military exercise near Ukraine’s border – and despite a series of public warnings from top American and NATO officials, suggesting serious concern about possible Russian military action.
Russia Says Its Building Naval Bases in Asia, Latin America
(The Diplomat) A senior Russian defense official has announced that Moscow is looking to build military bases throughout different countries in Asia and the Western Hemisphere.
EU Sees Central African Force Reaching 800-1,000
(Wall Street Journal) The European Union is set to send up to 1,000 people to the Central African Republic as part of its military mission by the end of April, the operation's commander said Thursday.
INDUSTRY
Air Force reviewing whether it can afford Sikorsky's $6.8 billion copter deal
(Bloomberg) U.S. Air Force Secretary Debra James says she’s reviewing whether the service can afford a contract for combat-rescue helicopters that drew only one bid, raising questions about whether a unit of United Technologies Corp. will receive a multibillion-dollar award this year.
Boeing to sell phone that can self-destruct
(CNN) Boeing is set to debut a new secure phone for government agencies and defense contractors that will self-destruct if it's tampered with. It just won't be won't be quite as dramatic as the old television show. There won't be any smoke or explosions, but the contents of the device will be completely erased.
India Looking Abroad For Intermediate Jet Trainers
(Aviation Week) Saddled with obsolete training aircraft, the Indian air force (IAF) has decided to snub the long-delayed, indigenous HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer (IJT) and purchase new trainers from abroad.
Poland signs M-346 AJT contract
(IHS Jane's 360) Poland signed a contract for eight Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master jet trainer aircraft on 27 February for the country's Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) programme.
Thales To Support French Aircraft, Helo Optronics
(Defense News) hales and the Defense Ministry’s technical support office announced Feb. 27 they have signed a six-year, €164 million (US $225 million) service contract, dubbed Amadeos, for the electronics company to maintain and service electro-optical equipment on fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters.
CONGRESS
Key lawmaker: Don't try to hash out pay reform this year
(Military Times) The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants to delay any major military retirement and compensation debate until next year, instead focusing on other areas of potential savings for the fiscal 2015 defense budget.
McKeon sees little hope of overturning sequestration
(The Hill) The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday that he does not see “any possibility of overturning” defense budget cuts known as sequestration.
Forbes Begins Push For HASC Chair; Calls For New ‘Leadership’
(Breaking Defense) Rep. Randy Forbes will, for now, deny that he is positioning himself for the coming battle for chairman of the biggest committee in Congress, House Armed Services, fondly known as the HASC.
Bickering Over Defense Budget on Horizon, Republican Lawmakers Say
(National Defense Magazine) When the cuts that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced as part of his Pentagon budget preview come to Congress, expect a battle, said the two top Republicans on the House and Senate armed service committees.
Lawmakers hold hearing on deadly ‘Extortion 17’ helicopter crash in Afghanistan
(Stars and Stripes) Was the mission doomed from the start? Were Taliban fighters tipped off? Were fallen servicemembers treated with dignity and respect?
Outgoing NSA chief Keith Alexander signals openness to surveillance reform
(The Guardian) General Keith Alexander, testifying before the Senate armed services committee for what could be the final time as head of the NSA, told senators that one option under consideration in the Obama administration’s deliberations about revamping the NSA’s surveillance programs was to “get only that data” relating to terrorist communications.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Senior defense official: 'We don't want to cut.' Blame Congress
(Army Times) A senior defense official says the Army and Defense Department are being unfairly vilified in the media over military budget cuts when Congress is really to blame.
Retired Marine Reveals Secret Suffering of Male Military Rape Victims
(The Daily Beast)Twenty-two veterans commit suicide everyday. Jeremiah Arbogast was almost one of them.
Commissaries move to stem 'bulk buying,' coupon abuse
(Military Times) A policy update posted Wednesday on Facebook by the Defense Commissary Agency is aimed at preventing abuse of the system through bulk buying and coupon redemption.
DOD voids some debts in LQA dispute
(Stars and Stripes) The Defense Department will not impose new debts on nearly 700 overseas civilian workers who the department says received housing allowances “erroneously,” the Pentagon’s top personnel official said this week.
GAO: New health agency staffing in flux, savings unclear
(Military Times) Staffing at the Defense Health Agency has grown by roughly 80 percent since the organization began coming together, but the Defense Department still expects zero growth — or even a decline — in employees once duplicate services are eliminated, Pentagon officials told Congress on Wednesday.
Pentagon wants contractor to pick propaganda audiences
(USA Today) Military officials are moving ahead with a plan to pick potential target audiences for U.S. propaganda and see if the messages work, according to a newly released Pentagon document.
ARMY
Online copycats take advantage of Pfc.'s flag salute outrage
(Army Times) Don’t believe everything you’re seeing online about Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey, the soldier who hid in her car to avoid saluting the flag and then bragged about it on social media.
US Army Seeks To Purchase 100 Lakota Helicopters
(Defense News) The US Army will request money to buy 100 new UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters beginning in the fiscal 2015 budget, Army and civilian officials say. The helicopters will eventually replace the training aircraft used at Fort Rucker, Ala., which the service plans on deactivating as part of a larger restructuring of its rotary aviation fleet.
Court-martial of Brig. Gen. Jeff Sinclair to begin March 4 at Fort Bragg
(Fayetteville Observer) The sexual-assault court-martial of Brig. Gen. Jeff Sinclair starts Tuesday at the Fort Bragg Courthouse, Fort Bragg announced in a release today.
How the Army Plans to Fight a War Across the Electromagnetic Spectrum
(Defense One) The Pentagon long has made a big effort to showcase its budding cyberwarfare capabilities. But the military has been less forthcoming about a key, more tangible component of cyber — electronic warfare – until now.
173rd trading Afghanistan for Africa in upcoming exercise
(Stars and Stripes) For the last decade, the go-to place for the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team was Afghanistan. The brigade deployed there four times, after a 2003 tour in Iraq.
NAVY
Navy Commander's death ruled a homicide (With Video)
(First Coast News; Jacksonville, Fla.) The death of a Navy Commander found in a room at the Astoria Hotel on Feb. 12 was ruled a homicide, the Orange Park Police Department announced Wednesday.
'Scary' tattoo ban passed at popular beach for servicemembers in Japan
(Stars and Stripes) The party is about to slow down for patrons of one of Japan’s most popular beaches, and it may be over altogether for servicemembers here displaying “scary” tattoos.
Midshipman's funeral set for Friday at Naval Academy
(Baltimore Sun) The Naval Academy will hold a funeral Friday for Midshipman Max Allen, who was found dead in College Creek on Feb. 16 after his SUV crashed into the water. Allen's funeral will be held at noon in the Main Chapel, followed by an on-foot procession to his burial at the Naval Academy Cemetery.
Navy civilian facing fraud charges for accepting Italy housing payments
(Stars and Stripes) A Navy civilian accused of accepting more than $360,000 in illegal housing benefits and forging documents during a 10-year tour in southern Italy was arraigned on theft and perjury charges in a U.S. federal court Wednesday.
AIR FORCE
Welsh: Master's degree required soon for colonels
(Air Force Times) Officers hoping to make major, lieutenant colonel or colonel may soon have to head back to school.
How the A-10 Warthog became ‘the most survivable plane ever built’ (Video)
(PBS NewsHour) The PBS NewsHour recently interviewed one of the designers of the A-10, Pierre Sprey, about the unique characteristics of the aircraft.
Investigators probe death of JBER sergeant at off-base residence
(Anchorage Daily News) A U.S. Air Force staff sergeant stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was found dead at his Eagle River residence Sunday, the base announced Wednesday. Read more here:
Technology led to decision to cut Menwith Hill personnel
(Stars and Stripes) A technological streamlining of operations at RAF Menwith Hill is behind the decision to cut some 500 servicemembers and civilians at the base in central Britain.
Part of Air Force Academy blocked off after suspicious package found
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A suspicious package shut down administrative offices at the Air Force academy for two hours on Thursday before workers were allowed to return.
MARINE CORPS
Tarnished Brass
(Foreign Policy) The top Marine Corps general is unpopular with his troops, damaged on Capitol Hill, and under investigation in the Pentagon. Can he really still lead?
This new Marine Corps project looks like a cross between a tank and a giant paddle boat
(Battle Rattle) Meet the Ultra Heavy-lift Amphibious Connector, or UHAC, currently being developed by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab as a potential replacement for the Navy’s current ship-to-shore hovercraft. The photo above is just a half-scale model: a full-scale version will sit some 34 feet high and 84 feet long.
New Marine Corps uniform order spurs dialogue
(The Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) In reaction to an announcement made by Marine Gen. James Amos, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Camp Lejeune Marines on Wednesday expressed elation, ambivalence and a sense of concern when discussing the reversal of an order preventing them from rolling the sleeves of their desert utilities — a uniform regulation approved by Amos in 2011.
Marine paralympic game trials start
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Several hundred injured Marines are set to compete in the annual Marine Corps Trials, starting Sunday at Camp Pendleton. The trials help determine who will represent the Marine Corps at the military paralympics, known as the Warrior Games, to be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., this fall.
VETERANS
VA’s time to resolve disability appeals shoots up, lagging department’s goals
(McClatchy) The average time for a denied claim to work its way through the cumbersome Department of Veterans Affairs appeals process shot up to more than 900 days last year, double the department’s long-term target.
Vet group: Coast Guard wrongly discharged members
(Associated Press) The U.S. Coast Guard routinely violates its procedures and regulations intended to protect service members from erroneous discharges for personality or adjustment disorders, a veterans group and Yale Law School students alleged Thursday.
Executives responsible for Augusta VA consult delays likely won't face punishment
(The Augusta Chronicle, Ga.) The senior-level executives responsible for delays in care at veterans affairs medical centers in Augusta and Columbia probably won’t face punishment because they retired before they could be disciplined, VA leadership testified before Congress Wednesday.
AFGHANISTAN
Karzai Blasts Dempsey Over ‘Zero Option’ During Visit
(Defense One) During a trip to Afghanistan this week, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said President Hamid Karzai’s decision not to sign a post-2014 troop deal – and President Barack Obama’s subsequent decision to begin planning a full withdrawal – is emboldening the enemy and making it more likely that skeptical Afghan troops will side with the Taliban in some areas.
Coalition Agrees To Delay Afghan Decision
(Wall Street Journal) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the U.S. military are prepared to wait until Afghan President Hamid Karzai exits office later this year before making decisions on a troop presence, according to a planning process described by officials Thursday.
Afghanistan security at risk in U.S. pullout, official says
(Los Angeles Times) Security in Afghanistan would decrease steadily if all U.S. troops are withdrawn this year, a senior U.S. military official warned Thursday, two days after President Obama ordered the Pentagon to begin contingency planning for such a pullout.
Afghanistan ‘Zero Option’ Creates Challenges for Military Logisticians
(National Defense Magazine) If U.S. troops must completely withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of this year, the scramble to move people and cargo will test the military’s vaunted logistics capabilities.
Afghanistan Mineral Riches Won’t Go Anywhere Without Rail
(Bloomberg) Supervisor Atta Mohammad watches the cranes swivel and workers at the Naibabad freight terminal rush to unload wheat and construction material from Uzbekistan that’s just arrived on Afghanistan’s only railroad.
MIDDLE EAST
Iraq: Suicide Bomber Kills Prominent Tribal Sheik
(Associated Press) Iraqi police say a suicide bomber in western Iraq has killed a prominent pro-government tribal sheik as well as six of his militiamen.
Pentagon: Syrian request for chemical weapons extension ‘unacceptable’
(Washington Times) The Pentagon on Thursday dismissed the Syrian government’s recent request for a 100-day extension to meet a U.N.-backed deadline for destroying the nation’s chemical weapons stocks, asserting that any further delays by Damascus would be “unacceptable.”
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia deputy leader reportedly in Syria
(The Long War Journal)The deputy emir of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia is reported to have left his home country and traveled to Syria to wage jihad alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham.
Jet Trainer Crash in UAE Kills 2
(Defense News) A military training aircraft crashed during an exercise in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, killing both pilots, a UAE armed forces statement said.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Chinese President Xi Jinping takes charge of new cybersecurity group
(Washington Post) Chinese President Xi Jinping personally took charge of a new government body overseeing China’s cybersecurity and vowed Thursday to turn China into a “cyber power,” according to state-run media.
North Korea fires short-range missiles in apparent exercise
(Reuters) North Korea fired four short-range missiles over the sea off its eastern coast on Thursday, a media official at South Korea's Defence Ministry said, but provided no information as to the purpose of the firing.
Troop levels in South Korea not affected by Pentagon cuts, official says
(Stars and Stripes) Sweeping proposed cuts to military spending and troop levels will not impact U.S. military operations in South Korea, and the U.S. military rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region will be preserved, a top U.S. defense official said Wednesday.
India submarine INS Sindhuratna: Navy says missing sailors are dead
(BBC) Two sailors who went missing after an accident on board a submarine off the coast of Mumbai on Wednesday are dead, India's navy confirms.
Thai minister rejects proposal for talks from protest leader
(Reuters) A senior Thai minister rejected a proposal for talks from the leader of an anti-government protest movement on Friday as demonstrators rallied at ministries to put pressure on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Congress harms veterans’ medical access
(Rep. Charles W. Boustany in The Hill) As a physician, I find it unacceptable to see brave military veterans going without needed care within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In south Louisiana, veterans stand for hours in overcrowded waiting rooms, while others face privacy issues within a temporary mobile clinic. Meanwhile, the VA forces thousands of Louisiana veterans to travel more than three hours for basic tests and procedures that should be delivered locally.
Wanted: A Mahan for Cyberspace
(Christopher Fitzpatrick in Real Clear Defense) This year marks an important but likely overlooked anniversary – 100 years since the death of Alfred Thayer Mahan. A notable military officer and scholar, Mahan revolutionized military strategy and security policy with his 1890 book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History.
To Save on Defense, Hire Rivals
(Jacques Ganzler in the New York Times) Recent proposals to slash the troop levels of the regular Army illustrate how much pressure the United States government is under to shrink its military budget, even as it revamps and re-equips its forces for future conflicts. To meet all of those goals at the same time, we need to turn to one of the commercial world’s most basic cost-control weapons — competition.
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