TODAY’S TOP 5
1. 24 to receive Medal of Honor today at the White House
(Army Times) President Obama will present the awards in recognition of their actions in World War II, Vietnam and Korea. The Medal of Honor will be presented posthumously to the families of 21 soldiers who have died.
2. Analysis points to China's work on new anti-satellite weapon
(Reuters) A detailed analysis of satellite imagery published Monday provides additional evidence that a Chinese rocket launch in May 2013 billed as a research mission was actually a test of a new anti-satellite weapon based on a road-mobile ballistic missile.
3. A Broken Military Justice System
(The New York Times Editorial Board) On Monday, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair avoided prosecution on sexual assault charges that could have brought him a life sentence. In an agreement with the prosecutor, General Sinclair pleaded guilty to lesser charges, including mistreating his accuser, an Army captain and his former mistress.
4. Ex-Glenn Defense Marine Manager Will Plead Guilty: U.S.
(Bloomberg) A former government contracts manager at Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine, whose chief executive officer is accused of bribing a U.S. Navy commander with cash and prostitutes, will plead guilty, according to a court filing and a federal prosecutor.
5. New Sanctions Slapped on Russian Officials; Putin To Speak Tuesday
(Defense News) On the eve of US Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Eastern Europe to confer with NATO partners Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, American officials have turned up the heat being applied to Russia over its invasion of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.
EUROPE
Defying Sanctions, Putin Moves Swiftly to Annex Crimea
(New York Times) Moving swiftly in the face of international condemnation, President Vladimir V. Putin on Tuesday notified Russia’s Parliament of his intention to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation, defying the United States and Europe just hours after they imposed their first financial sanctions against Moscow since the crisis in Ukraine began.
Ukrainian government refuses to remove troops from Crimea, prepares for war
(Kyiv Post) In the wake of a March 16 referendum in which Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation, Ukrainian leaders refused to cede any part of the peninsula, calling on their troops to prepare for war.
Ukraine mobilizes reservists but relies on diplomacy
(Washington Post) Ukraine’s government mobilized reservists and approved an emergency military buildup a day after the disputed province of Crimea voted to secede from the country and become part of Russia.
NATO, Ukrainian minister talk closer ties in wake of Crimea referendum
(Stars and Stripes) NATO will forge closer ties with Ukraine and intensify efforts to help build up the country’s military, the alliance’s secretary general said Monday, a day after a controversial referendum in Crimea on secession.
Russia deploys combat aircraft to Belarus
(IHS Jane's 360) Russia has deployed a number of fighter and airborne early warning (AEW) platforms near to Ukraine in response to US and NATO aircraft movements in Eastern Europe, state media reported.
Report: Delays in Missile Defense for Poland, Romania
(Defense One) U.S. congressional auditors have concluded the Pentagon is likely being too optimistic in its time schedule for achieving certain antimissile capabilities in Europe.
INDUSTRY
Pentagon’s February Contracts Drop 48% in Extended Slump
(Bloomberg) Pentagon contracts dropped 48 percent in February, extending a slump that has awards near the lowest level in almost two years.
US, European Firms Compete To Buy UK's DSG
(Defense News) As many as nine companies or consortiums may have passed the first hurdle in their efforts to acquire the UK’s Defence Support Group (DSG), the state-owned military vehicle and small arms maintenance and repair company put up for sale by the British government, sources said.
Ingalls Shipbuilding Awarded $602 Million Destroyer Contract
(Seapower) Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $602 million contract modification to fund construction of the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided-missile destroyer DDG 119 for the U.S. Navy, the company announced in a March 17 release. The yet-to-be-named ship is the second of five DDG 51 destroyers the company was awarded in June 2013.
Italy Eyes Further Cuts to JSF Purchase
(Defense News) New Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has suggested Italy will cut its purchase of joint strike fighters as the government struggles to bring down state spending.
Boeing to continue support for Australia's Wedgetail program
(Australian Defence Magazine) Boeing will continue to support readiness of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) command-and-control fleet through a five-year contract extension signed for the Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) program.
Turkey Hopes Sikorsky Deal Boosts Local Industry, Exports
(Defense News) Turkey’s procurement authorities are hoping that a recently signed US $3.5 billion contract with US helicopter maker Sikorsky will not only earn the local industry critical capabilities and support the country’s indigenous helicopter program, but also bring in more than $1 billion in revenue through exports.
CONGRESS
On Ukraine, HASC's Turner More Outspoken Than Rivals for Gavel
(Defense News) Rep. Mike Turner is striking a more aggressive public tone on the Ukraine crisis than the other frontrunners for the House Armed Services Committee gavel, hammering the president in Moscow — and the one in Washington.
Republicans target civilian DOD personnel
(The Hill) Six House Republicans have proposed legislation that would cut the civilian defense workforce by 15 percent in six years.
Gillibrand, McCaskill Rekindle Debate After High-Profile Military Sexual-Assault Case
(National Journal) That's the story on Capitol Hill on Monday after sexual-assault charges in a high-profile case against an Army general were thrown out in military court under a plea deal for lesser violations.
Rep. Jackie Speier doesn't mince words
(Los Angeles Times) Uneasiness filled the room at an otherwise routine congressional budget hearing last week as Rep. Jackie Speier took the microphone and lit into the nation's top military commanders about a crude chain of emails.
McCain: 'Incredibly,' no military help for Ukraine
(The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday criticized President Obama for not offering military assistance to Ukraine.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Some fast food outlets closing on military bases
(Military Times) Four restaurants, including three McDonald’s outlets, will close within the next three weeks on Navy installations, according to Navy Exchange Service Command officials.
Pentagon Pegs Cost of New Electronic Health Record at $1.5 Billion
(Nextgov) The Pentagon plans to spend $1.5 billion procuring a new, commercial electronic health record system from 2017 through 2019, new budget documents disclosed.
Concerns grow over funding for professional military education
(Medill News Service) A year after the mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration took hold in the Defense Department, many professional military educators and their students worry that military colleges across the country will not be spared from the impact of the across-the-board cuts.
Inconsistent policies overseas causing confusion, hardship for same-sex couples
(Stars and Stripes) Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, although homosexual relationships are widely accepted there.
ARMY
Captain at center of Sinclair court-martial testifies
(Fayetteville Observer) The captain at the center of the court-martial of Army Brig. Gen. Jeff Sinclair took the stand during the sentencing phase Monday afternoon to testify as to how the case has affected her.
Thousands of NCOs eligible for new instructor badges
(Army Times) Soldiers competing for advancement to sergeant and staff sergeant can earn promotion points by serving in positions that lead to the award of the new Army Instructor Badges.
Fort Detrick's $10 million fire
(The Frederick News-Post; Md.) A welder’s torch may have sparked a fire that caused $10 million in damage at the world’s largest high-security research lab, still under construction at Fort Detrick, according to a report prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Active-force sees sharp manpower drop
(Army Times) Regular Army end strength in January took a sharp drop and hit 523,000 by the end of the month, after hovering around 530,000 early in the fiscal year.
NAVY
2nd San Diego destroyer ends jet search
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The San Diego destroyer Kidd has been called off the search for the Malaysia Airlines jet missing since March 8.
Report: USS Reagan exposed to radiation levels exceeding what Japanese government said
(Stars and Stripes) When the USS Ronald Reagan arrived off the coast of Japan’s main Honshu Island on March 13, 2011, it was greeted by radiation levels that far exceeded what Navy leadership had been told to expect by the Japanese government, according to a new report in the Asia-Pacific Journal.
New rules allow officials to extend sea, shorten shore tours
(Navy Times) “Sailors belong on ships, and ships belong at sea” — it’s an oft-heard adage chiefs use to convince sailors why they should return to the fleet.
Purser convicted of stealing $350,000 from ship safe
(Virginian-Pilot) A federal court jury today convicted a former Military Sealift Command purser of embezzlement for stealing $350,000 from a ship’s safe.
Snow postpones Naval Academy sexual assault case
(Baltimore Sun) Opening statements in the case of a Naval Academy midshipman charged with sexually assaulting a classmate were delayed by Monday's snowstorm.
Sea pay boost: First raise in 13 years to start this summer
(Navy Times) The Navy is hiking most career sea pay rates by 25 percent this summer, the first such boost in more than a decade — and only the second in nearly 30 years.
AIR FORCE
Processing to resume for some early retirement, voluntary separation applications
(Air Force Times) Air Force officials announced a decision Saturday to resume processing applications for voluntary separations and early retirement for airmen with 15 or more years of service, with the exception of some categories that require waivers such as for service commitments, time in grade or years of commissioned service.
Air Force sacks two commanders in Europe
(Stars and Stripes) Two U.S. Air Force commanders in the 422nd Air Base Group at RAF Croughton have been relieved over a loss of confidence in their abilities.
Aggressor squadrons feel the pinch of DoD cuts
(IHS Jane's 360) Ongoing Department of Defense (DoD) defence cuts are impacting on the ability of the Aggressor units to deliver up-to-date training to US Air Force (USAF) and allied squadrons, a senior officer told IHS Jane's in early March.
Some are leery of Air Force proposal to train in state forests
(Northwest Florida Daily News; Fort Walton Beach) Judy Russell is alarmed by a military proposal to conduct training on the state forest land she treasures.
Readying for F-35s, Hill AFB says goodbye to F-16s
(Standard-Examiner; Ogden, Utah) For at least a little while, the jet that has defined Hill Air Force Base's past and the one that will define its future will live under the same roof.
MARINE CORPS
Gender mixed MAGTF has huge hurdles
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps’ experimental infantry unit comprised of at least 25 percent women has its fair share of challenges, observers say.
Women in the military tackle changing fitness standards
(Pensacola News Journal) The Marine Corps intends to make the pull-up a rite of passage for women into the combat roles that some have long sought. Gen. James Amos, the branch’s commandant, ordered in November 2012 that women Marines will eventually have to be able to do at least three pull-ups, the same minimum as men. His directive came three months before a Department of Defense ruling that the military must open previously closed front-line combat jobs to female candidates.
Re-enlistment resurgence: Encouraging news on available boat spaces
(Marine Corps Times) Following a chill in re-enlistment opportunities this year, those vying to remain in uniform can expect a resurgence for fiscal 2015, with significantly more boat spaces on the horizon for first- and subsequent-term Marines.
How the US Marine Corps Jazz Ensemble recruits with music
(Public Radio International) US Marine Corps bands perform hundreds of public performances across the nation and overseas each year.
VETERANS
Flag meant to honor fallen son is barred from memorial
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Amy and Patrick Moore didn't expect any trouble, not after the loss they suffered.
Marijuana study in veterans wins federal backing
(Associated Press) The federal government has signed off on a long-delayed study looking at marijuana as a treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, a development that drug researchers are hailing as a major shift in U.S. policy.
More veterans taking advantage of Post-9/11 GI Bill
(McClatchy) In the year since Clemson University launched its Student Veterans Success Center, its volunteer staff has worked to transform the small alcove in the School of Computing into a place where those transitioning from military to civilian life can connect with their peers.
Collateral damage: The mental health issues facing children of veterans (With Video)
(CBS News) Not all our casualties of war served overseas in combat. Some are children who never left our shores. Collateral damage, some might call it. Our Cover Story from Martha Teichner.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Suicide bombing kills at least 15 in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) A suicide bomber in Afghanistan killed at least 15 people in a crowded market on Tuesday as the country prepares for a historical presidential election.
Afghan Presidential Candidates Raise Vote-Fraud Fears
(Wall Street Journal) Potential fraud has become a key theme of Afghanistan's presidential race, with two of the three main contenders warning against attempts to rig the April 5 vote to benefit President Hamid Karzai's favored candidate, who firmly rejected such accusations.
How Al Qaeda Escaped Afghanistan and Lived to Fight Another Day
(The Daily Beast) As American and Afghan forces closed in, bin Laden escaped. Much has been written about the operational failure of outsourcing the bulk of the warfighting to a ragtag and untrustworthy coalition of Afghan rebels and absent Pakistani border guards. Less known but recently explored in my book, 102 Days of War—How Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda & the Taliban Survived 2001, is how policy decisions and leadership failures in the White House and the Pentagon combined with duplicitous Pakistani actions allowed America’s enemies to survive 2001.
Upgrades Slated for Pakistani Hercules Aircraft
(Defense News) An upgrade package for Pakistan’s aging C-130 Hercules transport aircraft fleet has been welcomed, with analysts saying it will allow the venerable transports to function until eventual replacement.
MIDDLE EAST
CIA suspends chief of Iran operations over workplace issues
(Los Angeles Times) The CIA's chief of Iran operations was placed on paid administrative leave and sent home from agency headquarters after an internal investigation found he had created an abusive and hostile work environment that put a crucial division in disarray, according to current and former officials.
Israeli System Fuses Surveillance, Memory for Persistent Intelligence
(Defense News) From Israel’s Golan Heights border with war-torn Syria to Brazil’s Bahia carnival capital on the Atlantic coast, a new system that mates forensic memory and target detection with numerous sensor-fused video streams is demonstrating persistent, broad-area surveillance for military and policing missions.
Obama urges hard work for Mideast peace
(Washington Post) With Mideast peace talks at a crisis point, President Obama on Monday urged a noncommittal Palestinian leader to make what he called “very hard” decisions to keep the U.S.-backed negotiations moving toward an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
Egyptian report blames both Islamists, security forces for violence
(Los Angeles Times) A state-appointed human rights panel on Monday blamed both sides for the deadly violence seven months ago when security forces broke up protest camps set up by supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
Kerry Announces U.S. Representative to Syrian Opposition
(New York Times) Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday named Daniel Rubinstein, a senior foreign service official with long experience in the Middle East, as a new special envoy for Syria.
Lebanon sends army to Syria border as rebels flee
(Associated Press) The Lebanese army sent commandos to the tense border with Syria on Monday, as fears rose that the ongoing flight of rebels from one of their fallen strongholds into a flashpoint region of Lebanon would trigger the latest spillover of the Syrian civil war into its neighbor.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Indian Naval Incidents Spur Calls To Boost Private Industry's Role in Defense
(Defense News) Even as Indian authorities claim a fatal March 8 incident at a submarine-building facility was “an industrial accident,” a Navy source said the facility lacked clear administrative lines of command that contributed to poor monitoring of work performed there.
Thailand to Lift State of Emergency
(Voice of America) Thailand is lifting a state of emergency put in place two months ago to deal with anti-government protests that are now dwindling.
As search for Malaysian plane continues, Pentagon showcases presence in the Pacific
(Washington Post) The expanding search for a missing Malaysian passenger plane has provided the Pentagon with an opportunity to showcase its presence in the Pacific region, where its planned expansion has been stymied by shrinking budgets and pushback from China.
Lack of Useful Radar Exposes Defense Weakness
(Wall Street Journal) A dearth of useful radar data in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU +4.35% Flight 370 has exposed both the weaknesses of regional air-defense systems and also a deep-seated reluctance to share military information.
Indonesia Orders Armored Personnel Carriers From Ukraine
(Defense News) Indonesia has signed a contract for five BTR-4 armored personnel carriers with Ukraine’s Ukrspetsexport, a subsidiary of state-owned defense giant Ukroboronprom, the company said in a statement.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
How Women Are Reshaping the Defense Industry
(Rep. Kay Granger in Time) Women currently hold a little over four percent of the Fortune 500 CEO positions. However, in the defense industry, women are at the helm of 50 percent of the largest firms. Although women are hardly new to the industry, they are moving rapidly into the top jobs, and in the process melting away the defense industry’s male-dominated image.
For Pentagon, it’s always a tough battle to get Congress to close military bases, facilities
(Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) The third time may be the charm for the Defense Department in getting Congress to start the procedure that ultimately could close more excess military bases.
Vladimir Putin and the Lessons of 1938
(Garry Kasparov in Politico Magazine) If Putin wanted to do a better imitation of Adolf Hitler circa 1936-1938, he would have to grow a little mustache. Equally troubling is that the leaders of Europe and the United States have been doing a similarly good impersonation of the weak-kneed and risk-averse leaders who enabled Hitler’s rise in the 1930s.
Global Crises Put Obama’s Strategy of Caution to the Test
(David Sanger in the New York Times) For five years, President Obama has consciously recast how America engages with the world’s toughest customers. But with Russia poised to annex Crimea after Sunday’s referendum, with a mounting threat to the rest of Ukraine and with the carnage in Syria accelerating, Mr. Obama’s strategy is now under greater stress than at any time in his presidency.
Obama’s Middle East fallacy
(Jackson Diehl in The Washington Post) Two weeks ago President Obama took time off from the crisis in Ukraine to pursue the foreign policy cause that, together with nuclear disarmament, has been closest to his heart: Israeli-Palestinian peace. Having invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, Obama welcomed him by publicly declaring to Bloomberg View’s Jeffrey Goldberg that Israel “could face a bleak future — one of international isolation and demographic disaster — if [Netanyahu] refuses to endorse a U.S. drafted framework agreement for peace,” as Goldberg summed it up.
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