TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Air Force Charges Ex-Informant With Lying About Her Rape
(The Daily Beast) Jane Neubauer says that she was raped while working as an undercover informant for the Air Force. On March 31, 2014, only weeks after The Daily Beast published her allegations, the Air Force formally accused her of lying about being raped and of using drugs. Now facing criminal charges, Neubauer could be standing before a court-martial by mid-June.
2. VA chief places hospital director on leave
(USA Today) Amid allegations by a retired doctor of up to 40 patients deaths because of delay in medical care at a Phoenix VA hospital, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki Thursday placed the hospital director and two other officials on administrative leave pending a full investigation.
3. Playing Politics With Military Readiness in a Dangerous World
(Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in The wall Street Journal) Thursday marks the third anniversary of the day when two dozen members of an elite U.S. special operations force flew 150 miles into Pakistan by helicopter and killed Osama bin Laden. As I watched the operation from the seventh floor of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., I knew we had dealt a tremendous blow to the organization that attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. But I also knew that his death did not wipe out all threats to America and our allies.
4. Special operations forces' communication needs lead to innovation
(C4ISR & Networks) Navy Seals, Army Rangers, Air Commandos, and other special operations forces (SOF) rely on network hardware and services to access fresh, accurate intelligence and situational awareness information, often under severe pressure in extreme situations and environments.
5. General: Military should've tried Benghazi rescue
(USA Today) U.S. military personnel knew early on that the Benghazi attack was a "hostile action" and not a protest gone awry, according to a retired general who served at U.S. Africa Command's headquarters in Germany during the attack.
INDUSTRY
Airbus: US Army's Extra Lakota Helicopter Buy Boosts Foreign Sale Potential
(Defense News) The US Army’s decision to purchase 100 additional Airbus UH-72 Lakota helicopters for pilot training increases the potential for international sales of the aircraft, according to company officials.
Levin Asks Pentagon Whether F-35 Engine Needs Competition
(Bloomberg) Senate Armed Services Cmte Chairman Carl Levin has asked Pentagon weapons buyer Frank Kendall to review whether United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney F-35 engines would be rising in cost if second engine competitor existed.
Judge Halts US Purchase of Russian Engines
(Defense News) A US Judge has issued an injunction against the purchase of Russian-made engines for the United Launch Alliance (ULA), citing American sanctions against the head of Russia’s space program.
Confusion Surrounds Navy’s Carrier-Based Drone
(National Defense Magazine) It’s clear that the Navy intends to buy a carrier-based unmanned aircraft able to conduct reconnaissance and, if needed, strike a target. But after years of deliberation among service officials, industry remains confused on the requirements for the system’s stealth and payload capabilities, company executives and experts said.
Turkey Extends Deadline for Disputed Air Defense Bidding
(Defense News) US and European bidders racing to snatch a controversial Turkish contract from their Chinese rival now have until June 30 to submit their renewed proposals, following two three-month extensions instituted by Turkey.
L-band SAR Satellite May Help JAXA’s New Military Job
(Aviation Week) Spacecraft developed by the civilian Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will gain an expanded defense role under revisions in Japan’s basic space law enacted last year. The ALOS-2 Earth-observation radarsat set for launch next month could be an early example, particularly if Japan’s naval forces can use its data to keep track of ship movements in the region.
CONGRESS
Rep. Smith: 'Accept' Most Proposed Cuts; Extra $26B for DoD is Unlikely
(Defense News) A key US House Democrat on Thursday urged his colleagues to embrace some of the Obama administration’s proposed weapon program cuts, arguing the savings will allow the military to buy new platforms and remain ready for war.
Lawmaker Says Sequester Could Force Navy to Drop to Eight Carriers
(Seapower) The Navy will have a huge fight on its hands to keep the current fleet of carriers at 11, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said May 1 in discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
House Dem urges military base closures
(The Hill) The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said he expects a defense bill amendment to close excess military bases will get “crushed” by his colleagues, but he intends to propose it anyway.
VA budget bill bans bonuses for senior executives
(Military Times) The House overwhelmingly approved its $217 billion Veterans Affairs Department budget plan for next fiscal year, over objections from the White House that it doesn’t go far enough.
Increase in military sexual assaults spurs new calls for reform
(The Hill) A new Pentagon report showing a 50 percent surge in sexual assault reports in the military last year is renewing a fight in Congress over whether the military justice system is in need of reform.
Bills Target Russian High-Tech Spy Planes Eyed for U.S. Overflights
(Global Security Newswire) Separate bills in the House and Senate seek to bar Russia from using updated sensors in its treaty-authorized overflights of the United States.
McKeon challenges retired general’s Benghazi testimony
(The Hill) House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) on Thursday challenged the testimony of a retired general who said the U.S. military could have done more to stop the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Sexual assault claims jump 50 percent
(Military Times) Reports of military sexual assaults soared by 50 percent last year, according to new data released Thursday.
TBIs MIA: An Estimated 30,000 Undocumented Bruised Brains
(Time) While the troops were waiting for that armor, the Pentagon was also neglecting to track the traumatic brain injuries caused by such blasts, a new medical study says. TBIs—the “signature wound” of the post-9/11 wars—are tough to diagnose and treat. Without a good accounting of those who experienced a TBI, those challenges multiply.
Commissary case lot sales to resume in August
(Military Times) Commissary case lot sales are returning, announced Defense Commissary Agency director Joseph Jeu.
Pentagon Offers Insufficient Data On Antimissile Test Options: Auditors
Global Security Newswire) Congressional auditors say the Pentagon is not giving Congress adequate information about its plan for testing a troubled strategic missile defense system.
ARMY
Army expands involuntary separations of problem NCOs
(Army Times) The Army is casting a wider net to identify problem soldiers and give them an unceremonious boot-kick out the door.
Pacific Pathways: Army prepares new tack for deploying forces in Pacific
(Stars and Stripes) As President Barack Obama winds up an Asia trip aimed at offering reassurances that the administration remains committed to the Pacific rebalance, U.S. Army Pacific is planning to bolster the land-based force’s relevance in the region.
Soldier who lost leg in Afghanistan vowed ‘I will return.’ This is what it took to get back
(Washington Post) When U.S. Army Lt. Joshua Pitcher woke up in a military hospital in Kandahar province, he immediately looked toward his feet.
Kentucky guardsman sues over tattoo rules
(Associated Press) A Kentucky National Guard soldier with aspirations of joining a U.S. Army special operations unit wants a federal judge to overturn the military's new regulations concerning soldiers with tattoos.
Army Sergeant Sentenced to Life for Murder of Tiffany York
(WSAV-TV; Savannah, Ga.) A 28 year old soldier who pled guilty to two counts of malice murder on Thursday has been sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Springs man arrested in brutal beating of wife, a Fort Carson soldier
(Colorado Springs Gazette) A Colorado Springs man will stand trial in June after allegedly whipping his pregnant wife, a Fort Carson solider, with a coaxial cable, choking her to the point of unconsciousness and throwing boiling water on her, according to federal court documents unsealed Tuesday.
NAVY
Navy launches new video series on preventing sex assaults (With Video)
(Stars and Stripes) The Navy on Wednesday launched a new series of videos aimed at preventing sexual assaults in the fleet.
Tougher military scrutiny leads to more access denials
(Florida Times-Union; Jacksonville) The commander of Navy Region Southeast has tightened security procedures and improved background checks after a civilian transportation worker murdered a Navy sailor aboard the USS Mahan.
Life on a Navy Sub Relies on Rules: Some Dead Serious, Others Completely Ridiculous
(Wall Street Journal) Silently cruising the ocean depths while safely operating a 130-man tin can powered by a mini nuclear-power plant doesn't leave much room for error. That is why sub culture is built around rules, some dead serious, others completely ridiculous and some that are both.
T-34C crashes off Gulf of Mexico; no injuries
(Navy Times) Two pilots aboard a training aircraft were uninjured Thursday morning after their plane crashed over the Gulf of Mexico, Naval Air Training Command said in a news release.
AIR FORCE
Lawmakers to DoD: Finish investigation of F-22 whistle-blowers
(Air Force Times) Two lawmakers are urging the Defense Department to finish the two-year investigation of two Virginia Air National Guard pilots who publicly blew the whistle on oxygen problems that were plaguing the F-22.
Sen. McCain: B-1s Really Do CAS!
(Breaking Defense) Senator McCain stopped just short Tuesday of accusing the Air Force of walking away from the Close Air Support (CAS) mission if the service retires the A-10 Warthog fleet. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh and Secretary Deborah Lee James told the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing where McCain raised the issue that many other aircraft fill the CAS role, including the B-1B bomber.
Firefighters brace for 'above normal' fire risk in West
(USA Today) Firefighters facing down a slow-starting wildfire season in most of the West are ready with more retardant-dropping aircraft than last year, and experts say drought-stricken California may need all the help they can bring to bear.
New round of separation rollbacks, early retirements begins
(Air Force Times) The Air Force on Thursday announced the launch of its second round of date-of-separation rollbacks for enlisted airmen.
Remains of Tacoma airman killed in 1969 will finally return
(Tacoma News Tribune) More than 44 years after his plane was lost in combat during the Vietnam War, U.S. Air Force Capt. Douglas David Ferguson is coming home.
Airman dies saving his 5-year-old daughter's life
(Air Force Times) Master Sgt. Dan “Bud” Wassom II’s last action in this life was using his body to shield his 5-year-old daughter Lorelai as a tornado demolished his house on Sunday, said his mother, Pamela Wassom.
MARINE CORPS
Another U.S. Marine shackled in Mexican prison on gun charges
(McClatchy) Prison authorities in Tijuana, Mexico, have shackled a decorated U.S. Marine veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan to his cot in a prison infirmary, restraining each of his limbs, on charges of introducing outlawed weapons into Mexico.
Corps doubles the number of MRAPS it will keep
(Marine Corps Times) In a move that reflects a changing Marine Corps mission increasingly focused on global crisis response, service officials have decided to double the number of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles the Corps will keep following the end of fighting in Afghanistan.
Marines singing Disney anthem “Let It Go” goes viral on Facebook
(Battle Rattle) Marines weren’t going to be outdone by a bunch of moms and their preschoolers singing the hit theme to Disney’s “Frozen.”
VETERANS
'He had the time of his life. What a way to go.'
(Billings Gazette; Mont.) For a weary, emotional and grateful Donald Buska, it was mission accomplished. The 86-year-old U.S. Navy veteran fulfilled his longtime dream of traveling to Washington, D.C., on Sunday and Monday to visit the National World War II Memorial.
Cornyn to Obama: Appoint someone to investigate VA deaths
(The Hill) Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) demanded that President Obama appoint someone to investigate a recent report that a Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix maintained a "secret waiting list" to avoid reporting on extended care delays.
Tricare for Life to push mail order over retail for drugs
(Virginian-Pilot; Norfolk) Starting this spring, more than 400,000 military retirees and senior dependents in the Tricare for Life program will owe the full amount for certain prescription refills if they use a retail pharmacy rather than a military pharmacy or a mail service.
Veteran: 'Cancer didn't kill me, but the VA almost did'
(KPHO; Phoenix) Steve Cooper said he could've easily died waiting for medical care at the Phoenix VA. The former Chandler resident, who now lives in Las Vegas, said nearly two years went by before he was seen by a doctor at the end of 2012.
Rep. Threatens VA With Subpoena Over Secret List
(Military.com) The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee is threatening to subpoena documents from the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding allegations that 40 patients died waiting for doctors' appointments at the VA medical center in Phoenix, Arizona.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Pakistani Madrasas cause of attacks inside Afghanistan: Dobbins
(Khaama Press) The US Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins criticized Islamabad for not taking appropriate measures to curb terrorism in Pakistan.
DoD extends CEASAR special mission aircraft in Afghanistan
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Army has awarded Dynamic Aviation Group Inc a USD22.4 million contract in support of the Communications Electronic Attack with Surveillance And Reconnaissance (CEASAR) programme, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced in late April.
Car Bomb Explodes at Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley Checkpoint
(Wall Street Journal) A car bomb exploded Thursday at a checkpoint that marks the entrance to Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, in a rare attack targeting the area that has been the bedrock of anti-Taliban resistance.
Militants planning to use Indus River for movement between provinces
(Dawn.com; Pakistan) Security agencies have started surveillance of the Indus River on the basis of an intelligence report that outlawed militant groups were planning to use the waterway for transporting arms and ammunition and kidnapped persons between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.
Pakistan army chief calls Kashmir 'jugular vein of Pakistan'
(Times of India) Terming Kashmir as the "jugular vein" of Pakistan, the country's army chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said the issue should be resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris and in line with UNSC resolutions for lasting peace in the region.
MIDDLE EAST
GCC Still Struggling To Develop Integrated Air Defense
(Defense News) Two years onward, American and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) air defense commanders are still calling for development of an integrated missile defense system in the region as Iran reveals a new series of ballistic missile tests.
In Iraq and Syria, a resurgence of foreign suicide bombers
(Reuters) Shortly before Abdul Waheed Majeed, a 41-year-old British truck driver, blew himself up in an attack on a Syrian prison, he brushed aside a question in Arabic.
Iraq's Displaced, from Anbar to Kurdistan
(The New Yorker) On Wednesday, as Iraqis lined up to vote in parliamentary elections—the first since the withdrawal of U.S. forces, in 2011—many were far from home, scattered across the country by a new wave of violence.
Israeli Military Officials Caught Off Guard by a ‘Digital Rebellion’
(New York Times) Thousands of photographs poured onto Facebook: uniformed Israeli soldiers in elite units, office workers on lunch break, a beachgoer in a bikini, a right-wing politician, toddlers and even puppies, all holding signs in Hebrew: “We are with David the Nahlawi.”
African al Qaeda leader sides with Zawahiri in Syrian dispute
(Long War Journal) Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior leader in the al-Murabitoon Brigade, an al Qaeda-linked jihadist group that operates in West Africa, has recently sided with Ayman al Zawahiri in his dispute over Syria with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. Additionally, Belmokhtar called Zawahiri his "emir," or leader.
Al-Qaeda fighters killed in Yemen
(Al Jazeera) Yemeni troops have killed at least 13 suspected al-Qaeda fighters, including a local leader, according to the country's defence ministry and the army.
EUROPE
NATO To Urge Members to Boost Defense Spending
(Defense News) NATO leaders plan to push European countries to increase defense spending at September’s meeting of alliance members in Wales, amid Russia’s military buildup on its border with Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.
NATO diplomat: Russia now more an ‘adversary’ than an ally
(The Hill) In the wake of its continued aggression against Ukraine and bellicose rhetoric toward the West, NATO and its allies must begin to consider Russia as an adversary, the alliance’s top diplomat said on Thursday.
Ukraine Launches Offensive to Regain Slovyansk
(Wall Street Journal) Ukraine launched a military operation Friday to regain control of the pro-Russian separatist stronghold of Slovyansk, overrunning numerous roadblocks and surrounding the city, officials said, but meeting stiff resistance from militants who managed to shoot down at least one helicopter.
Sweden opens airspace to NATO AWACS aircraft
(IHS Jane's 360) Sweden is to open up its airspace to Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft operated by NATO as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine continues, national media disclosed on 30 April.
Romania Hikes Defense Spending Following Ukraine Crisis
(Defense News) Romania is planning to increase its defense budget by 700 million lei (US $218 million) in 2014 in reaction to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
NATO's tripled Baltic Air Policing Mission begins
(IHS Jane's 360) Typically involving just four aircraft from one nation, with responsibility for conducting air policing in Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian airspace, this multi-national rotation involves 12 aircraft - following the mission's strength being increased in response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
ASIA-PACIFIC
China, Russia to Hold Naval Drills in East China Sea
(Voice of America) China says it will hold joint naval exercises with Russia later this month in the East China Sea, where Beijing is involved in a territorial dispute with Japan.
China President Xi Vows to Crush Separatists After Xinjiang Attack
(Wall Street Journal) Two people identified by state media as religious extremists are suspected of bombing a train station in China's Xinjiang region in an attack that marked a higher level of organization for separatists from the region.
Lippert Nominated for South Korea Ambassador Post
(Defense News) US President Barack Obama has nominated Mark Lippert, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s chief of staff, to become the US ambassador to South Korea.
N. Korea may delay nuke test to get maximum exposure, analysts say
(Stars and Stripes) When North Korea starts acting up, it clearly likes to have the spotlight all to itself. So while Pyongyang reportedly could carry out another nuclear test at any time, it may be waiting for just the right moment to make another big splash.
Taiwan holds biggest Spratly islands drill in 15 years
(IHS Jane's 360) The Republic of China Marine Corps (RoCMC) conducted an amphibious landing drill on the South China Sea island of Taiping (Itu Aba) on 10 April, a Taiwanese lawmaker revealed on 28 April.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Editorial: Appreciating veterans - the right way
(Military Times) Today marks Day One of the 15th annual celebration of Military Appreciation Month. Yet much of the nation still has no clue about how to truly appreciate the military that makes great sacrifices to keep them safe.
How the Iraq War Crippled U.S. Military Power
(Nathan Freier in Defense One) If you want to appreciate risk today, just surf the web for five minutes. Dramatic and dangerous change is happening everywhere in the international security environment. In some cases, the use of United States military forces or even the credible promise to act would help prevent hostilities, reduce and limit hazards, or mitigate greater harm. Increasingly, however, we appear unwilling to consider military tools to secure common goals — except under the most benign circumstances. To understand why, look no further than the Iraq War.
Without U.S. troops, Afghanistan, like Iraq, could descend into chaos
(Max Boot in The Los Angeles Times) Afghanistan had an election a few weeks ago. Iraq had one Wednesday. But that is about all that these two countries, both invaded by the United States in the last decade, have in common right now. Afghanistan is moving forward just as rapidly as Iraq is moving backward. It is a telling contrast, and one that should inform the looming decision about a U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan after 2014.
President Obama’s Second Chance in Afghanistan
(Neil Joeck in Foreign Policy) With the president perhaps buoyed by Malaysia's cheering crowds, he now has an opportunity to prove the critics wrong and score an important foreign policy success -- this time, in Afghanistan.
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