TODAY’S TOP 5
1. HASC OKs $600B in 2015 DoD Spending, Nixes A-10 Retirement Plans
(Defense News) The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) early Thursday unanimously approved a measure that would authorize just over $600 billion in 2015 US defense spending and block plans to retire the A-10 attack plane.
2. VA orders national care review as critics' frustration grows
(Military Times) Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Thursday ordered a nationwide health care access review as frustration continued to mount over VA’s response to allegations of care delays leading to patient deaths.
3. A Soldier Fights Off the Cold
(Army Maj. Damon T. Armeni in The New York Times) Though it’s hard for me to admit it, I’ve suffered from PTSD for several years. For a long time I locked the memories away in a room in my mind. I would sometimes touch the door, to make sure it was secure. It was always cold and whenever I opened it to toss in another memory, a biting wind would come roaring out. A wind that stank of diesel fuel, spent gunpowder, sand and death and carried with it my screams of pain, the voices of my soldiers struggling to save my life, and the beeps of a hospital.
4. U.S. Team To Assist Nigeria In Locating Kidnapped School Girls
(National Public Radio) Steve Inskeep talks to retired Gen. Carter Ham about U.S. assistance to Nigeria to help locate and rescue kidnapped school girls. Ham was the commander of the U.S. African Command from 2011 to 2013.
5. After U.S. helped topple Gadhafi, Congress showed little interest in Libya -- until Benghazi
(McClatchy) The new Benghazi probe is unlikely to tackle another topic that some argue is just as critical to understanding what went wrong in Libya -- Congress’ own failure to call attention to the deteriorating security situation in that country in the months after the NATO-assisted toppling of its longtime leader, Moammar Gadhafi.
INDUSTRY
ATK-Orbital Merger Could Be A Sign of Things To Come
(Defense News) ATK and Orbital Sciences’ late April announcement that they are merging could be a sign of the momentary stability caused by bipartisan agreement on the next two years of defense budgets.
Boeing touts operational QF-16 UAV
(IHS Jane's 360) Boeing is working to convert F-16 fighter aircraft into fully-fledged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for potential use by US armed forces, IHS Jane's was told on 7 May. Boeing is working to convert F-16 fighter aircraft into fully-fledged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for potential use by US armed forces, IHS Jane's was told on 7 May.
Experts: US Must Loosen Restrictions on UAV Exports
(Defense News) If the US does not change limitations on the exportability of unmanned systems, it could drive partner nations to either build platforms domestically or purchase designs from countries like China, a panel of experts said today.
Air Force Nears Award on Space Fence Contract: Air Force's Davis
(Bloomberg) Air Force is “in the end game” of deciding what contractor will build ground-based radar network to track space debris, Air Force Lieutenant General Charles Davis, Air Force’s top military acquisition official, tells Bloomberg’s Tony Capaccio in an interview.
Federal Big Data spending to increase despite sequester
(C4ISR & Networks) A new forecast predicts that federal spending on Big Data technologies will start picking up in 2016 and rise steadily through 2018.
USAF Defends Sole-Source EELV Deal
(Aviation Week) The U.S. Air Force is defending its sole-source buy of launches from United Launch Alliance (ULA) as a “good deal” for the taxpayer, amid a lawsuit from upstart Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), which claims to have been unfairly excluded from competing and potentially providing a better price.
Information Technology Remains the Bane of Pentagon Procurement
(National Defense Magazine) The Defense Department’s track record of buying new information technology systems has been abysmal, grumbled Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., during a recent hearing.
South Africa, Malaysia Ink Radar and Sensor Deal
(Defense News) Scientists from South Africa and Malaysia will collaborate on the research and development (R&D) of advanced radar and sensor technologies, and electronic and network-centric warfare systems, over 10 years starting in 2016.
Truck Manufacturers See Potential Business Partnering With Army Depots
(National Defense Magazine) Billions in procurement funding over the past decade allowed the Army to build up a fleet of tactical trucks that was more than adequate to meet its needs.
Rheinmetall: Group Sales, Orders Up; Loss in Defense Sector
(Defense News) Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group announced growth in sales and a higher order intake for the first quarter of 2014, although the group’s defense sector recorded an operating loss.
CONGRESS
Bill would help more Afghan interpreters get U.S. visas
(Military Times) Thousands more Afghans who have worked side-by-side U.S. troops as interpreters could get visas to the United States under a proposed law that is gaining support on Capitol Hill.
Boehner won't join calls for Shinseki to resign
(The Hill) Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday declined to join Republicans in demanding the resignation of Veterans Affair Secretary Eric Shinseki, saying the problems at the VA are “systemic” and won’t be solved by a change at the top.
US Might Tap Into Taiwan Early Warning Radar
(Defense News) A US congressman has introduced a provision directing the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to provide a report detailing any benefits, and associated costs and security requirements, of integrating Taiwan’s early warning radar (EWR) with US missile defense and sensor systems.
Ranking Democrat seeks legal status for illegal immigrants in military
(The Hill) The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee proposed a budget amendment Wednesday evening that would give some illegal immigrants serving in the military permanent legal status.
House Panel Approves Spending Extra $60 Million on Antimissile System
(Global Security Newswire) A key House panel on Thursday approved a bill that would increase funding by at least $60 million for a homeland missile defense system.
GOP senators praise House vote to save A-10
(The Hill) Republican senators on Thursday praised the House Armed Services Committee for voting to preserve the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft despite the Air Force’s push to retire the fleet.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon 'firmly behind' Obama cuts despite rejection by House
(The Hill) The Pentagon on Thursday said it stands “firmly” behind President Obama's 2015 defense budget request, much of which was rejected by the House Armed Services Committee.
Joint chiefs divide over cuts to commissary savings
(Tom Philpott) All seven members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified Tuesday on the need to slow growth in military compensation and apply dollars saved to underfunded readiness accounts for training, equipment and spare parts.
Will DoD's IT leadership exodus to lead to intellectual vacuum?
(C4ISR & Networks) The recent departure of Defense Department CIO Teri Takai is just the latest in a series of high-level executives leaving behind prominent IT-focused positions — and that’s just at the Pentagon, to say nothing of exits at other federal agencies. The trend may continue as the Obama administration draws to a close, but it happens against a backdrop of significant change in defense IT.
Troops go to doctors more than ever, new survey shows
(USA Today) The brutal legacy of more than a decade of war on the U.S. military is made plain in a study released Thursday. It shows that, on average, each service member visited a doctor more than once a month last year — the highest-ever rate for out-patient treatment.
ARMY
Fox confirms it canceled 'Enlisted'
(Army Times) Fox comedy “Enlisted” got an early discharge when the network announced recently it was axing the military sitcom even before the show’s last four episodes have run.
Motorcyclist killed In Tuesday wreck was 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper
(Fayetteville Observer) Sgt. Samuel A. Rosado, 27, of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, was the operator of a 2000 Suzuki motorcycle. He was thrown from the bike after hitting a 2014 Ford, Fayetteville police said.
Fort Drum aviation soldiers honored for rescue in Afghanistan
(Watertown Daily Times) The quick reaction of a Medevac team from post last May in Afghanistan saved the life of a Special Forces soldier shot in the back, the team risking enemy fire in broad daylight to fly him to a nearby hospital.
JBLM headquarters needs more soldiers, audit says
(The Tacoma News Tribune) An Army study on Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s new two-star infantry headquarters recommends increasing its staffing to improve oversight for the roughly 20,000 troops under its command.
MoH recipient SSgt Ty Carter can't get enough karaoke
Staff Sgt. Ty Carter's life has 'completely changed' in the eight months since he was awarded the Medal of Honor, but he still finds comfort in an old pastime.
Facebook post helps Gold Star Mother get back bracelet honoring her son
(Army Times) In January 2013, Carrie Farley was returning from visiting her parents in Wisconsin when she realized she was missing something irreplaceable: Her silver bracelet with the name of her son, Army Staff Sgt. Derek J. Farley, who was killed in Afghanistan.
NAVY
Navy pays 1 cent to scrap ex-carrier Saratoga
(Navy Times) The decommissioned aircraft carrier Saratoga is officially headed for the scrapyard after the Navy paid one penny to a Texas scrapyard to dismantle the 81,101-ton flattop that once blockaded Soviet ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
US frigate visits Georgia amid regional tensions
(Stars and Stripes) A U.S. warship pulled into the Black Sea port of Batumi, Georgia, on Thursday as part of ongoing U.S. and NATO efforts to reassure friends and allies amid regional tensions.
SEAL family's wrongful death case declined in Miss.
(Associated Press) The Mississippi Supreme Court declined Thursday to revisit its decision that a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of a Navy SEAL killed during a training exercise at a northwest Mississippi shooting range should go to trial.
Blue Ridge encounters Chinese ships near disputed isle
(Stars and Stripes) A USS Blue Ridge-embarked helicopter photographed two Chinese navy ships May 5 near the site of a heavily contested shoal that has sparked a months-long standoff between China and the Philippines in 2012.
AIR FORCE
Report that triggered lockdown at Dover AFB 'false' (With Video)
(Delaware Journal) A nearly four-hour lockdown at Dover Air Force Base caused by a report of a suspicious person spotted on the premises Thursday turned out to be based on a false report.
Fighter pilot will take controls as new AFA commandant
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Col. Stephen Williams, a fighter pilot and 1989 Air Force Academy graduate, will be the school's next commandant of cadets, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Ark. Air Force captain charged with child pornography
(Associated Press) The U.S. attorney's office says a captain at Little Rock Air Force Base has been indicted on counts of possession and distribution of child pornography.
Air Force officer gets jail time, dismissal in drugs case
(Stars and Stripes) An Air Force officer has been sentenced to three months’ confinement and dismissal from the service at the close of her court-martial at RAF Lakenheath on Wednesday.
MARINE CORPS
Why Facebook Kept Up Photos of a Marine's Bloody Suicide
(Gawker) When Marine veteran Daniel Rey Wolfe signed on to Facebook on Monday night and announced he was taking his own life, documenting the process in a graphic timeline of final self-portraits, his former comrades worked quickly and purposefully to save their brother-in-arms.
A video game controller flies this $14 million drone
(Battle Rattle) Look at the two pictures below. One is a controller for your average Playstation 2 machine. One flies the $14 million K-Max drone, which the Marine Corps uses to transport up to 6,000 pounds of gear and equipment at a time. Can you tell which is which?
Members of Congress call on Mexico to free jailed Marine veteran
(Los Angeles Times) A bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress has appealed to the Mexican government to free a Marine veteran of Afghanistan who is being held on weapons charges in a prison in Tijuana.
Retired Marine Admits Guilt in Reimbursement Fraud
(Associated Press) Prosecutors say a former Marine has pleaded guilty to submitting nearly $100,000 in fake rent receipts to the Marine Corps for reimbursement.
VETERANS
Veterans health care 101: Why is Obama's VA chief in the hot seat?
(Christian Science Monitor) Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki faces a House subpoena and mounting calls to step down. The concerns: that some VA hospitals are misrepresenting wait times for veterans to get doctors' appointments – and that patients are dying in the meantime.
VA scheduler in Texas claims waits for appointments were covered up (With Video)
(CNN) Clerks scheduling medical appointments for veterans were "cooking the books" at their bosses' behest to hide the fact some had to wait weeks, if not months, for appointments, a VA scheduler in San Antonio said Thursday.
Man, 90, gets 3-year prison sentence for drugs
(Associated Press) His age aside, Sharp still isn't a typical criminal. He fought Nazis in Italy during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star for it. The Michigan City, Indiana, man also is known for growing prize-winning daylilies and even contributed 5,000 plant bulbs to his community.
Does the V.A. Have More Secret, Deadly Wait Lists?
(The Daily Beast) Outrage has been building since claims emerged last week that at least 40 veterans died while waiting for treatment from a Phoenix VA hospital. A whistleblower who had worked at the Phoenix VA alleged that the facility placed veterans on a secret waiting list to hide the fact that they had even sought care. But in the furor over the latest revelations, an even larger and more serious problem may be getting lost. It’s likely that there are more secret wait lists concealing patient delays throughout the VA medical system, putting untold numbers of veterans in jeopardy.
Group asks Obama to 'clean up' Department of Veterans Affairs
(Los Angeles Times) With President Obama in San Diego for a political fundraising event Thursday, a national veterans group called for him to "clean up" the Department of Veterans Affairs, mired in scandal over alleged lapses in medical care.
Therapy dog helps troops deal with postwar stress
(Associated Press) After three deployments to Iraq and three to Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Dennis Swols is agitated, prone to bouts of anger and unable to really talk about his time on the battlefield.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
CIA, U.S. military at odds over Afghanistan pullback plan
(Los Angeles Times) Pentagon officials warn that the CIA drawdown is coming at a time when insurgent attacks normally intensify, after a winter lull. As a result, the plan has strained relations between the agency and military commanders in Kabul, the officials said.
Questions about Afghanistan as U.S. prepares exit
(San Diego Union-Tribune) It's been more than 12 years since the United States entered Afghanistan, marking the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom.
FBI agent arrested at Pakistan airport to be released on bail: police
(Reuters) A U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent arrested in Pakistan for trying to board a civilian flight with bullets and a knife in his luggage was due to be released on $10,000 bail on Thursday, Pakistani authorities said.
MIDDLE EAST
U.S. renews training of elite Iraqi forces in Jordan
(Reuters) The United States is resuming training for elite Iraqi soldiers in Jordan, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, as Washington seeks to bolster U.S. support for the Iraqi government's battle against Islamist militants. The United States is resuming training for elite Iraqi soldiers in Jordan, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, as Washington seeks to bolster U.S. support for the Iraqi government's battle against Islamist militants.
Iraqi army faces death and desertions as it struggles with Anbar offensive
(Washington Post) Iraq’s acting defense minister looks beleaguered, his face drawn, with deep bags below his eyes from a lack of sleep.
Iraqis will soon have F-16s with which to strike al-Qaida
(Flightlines) Starting this fall, Iraq will start receiving F-16 fighters, giving the Iraqi military the capability to attack al-Qaida militants who have proven to be too well armed for Iraq’s fleet of helicopters.
ISIS video shows Zarqawi training camp in Syria
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, the former al Qaeda branch that was disowned by Al Qaeda General Command, has announced the existence of the "Zarqawi Camp" on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Syrian Rebels Block Chemical Weapons Removal
(Wall Street Journal) The remaining 8% of Syria's chemical weapons stock is trapped on a government air base near Damascus behind rebel-held roads, preventing international inspectors charged with eliminating the chemical weapons from reaching it, a top U.N. official said Thursday.
Syrian rebels' video shows hotel-blast preparations
(Los Angeles Times) Anti-government media activists in Syria have released a video purporting to show rebel fighters preparing the massive bomb attack Thursday that obliterated a historic building in the embattled city of Aleppo in which Syrian army soldiers were billeted.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Two Koreas, Three Navies
(U.S. Naval Institute) The balance of naval power on the Korean peninsula has decisively—and permanently—shifted to South Korea and her ally the United States. South Korea’s postwar industrialization has made it possible to take on successively large shipbuilding projects. At the same time, North Korea’s long economic decline has made it seemingly incapable of building warships larger than 200 tons.
Suspect Killed, Another Captured After Clash With Police in Xinjiang
(Wall Street Journal) A was killed and another captured after a clash with police in northwest China's Xinjiang region on Thursday, state media said. An officer was severely injured.
India Taps Domestic Firms for Portable Sonar
(Defense News) The Indian Navy plans to buy 78 portable diver detection sonar (PDDS) systems to improve littoral defenses, but only from domestic sources.
Japan city seeks UN recognition for kamikaze pilot letters
(Stars and Stripes) If a Japanese city has its way, the last letters home from World War II kamikaze pilots could be listed on a U.N. registry that seeks to recognize and preserve culturally important film, art and historical documents.
EUROPE
US commandos head to Baltics, Europe for training
(Associated Press) About 200 U.S. special operations forces and support staff will be participating in training exercises across Europe, including in the three Baltic nations, in the coming months as part of America's ongoing effort to reassure allies in the region.
Georgia Seeks to Secure NATO Membership Plan
(Wall Street Journal) Georgia's defense minister said his country is stepping up efforts to formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as part of a broader strategy to deter Russian aggression against former Soviet states.
In Odessa, Home-Grown Combatants Keep Pro-Russia Forces in Check
(New York Times) In a basement headquarters behind a home electronics store, Ruslan Forostyak pored over a map of the city’s defenses against pro-Russian militants: roadblocks, zones of responsibility, strategic sites to defend.
Putin Supervises Strategic Nuclear Drill
(Global Security Newswire) Russia on Thursday conducted a nuclear response drill involving the launches of land- and sea-based missiles, amid continuing tensions with the West.
Crimea Annexation Adds More Fervor to Russia's World War II Victory Parade
(Wall Street Journal) Russia's Ministry of Defense geared up for Victory Day by opening kiosks stocked with a new item: T-shirts featuring a soldier and the tagline "Polite People."
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Consequences of NATO's Good war in Libya
(Daveed Gartenstein-Ross in War on the Rocks) Last week, it seemed we were seeing rare good news out of Libya. Oil exports were set to resume from the Zuetina port after rebels holding it reached an agreement with the government. On another optimistic note, the interim parliament convened to select a new prime minister. (The previous prime minister resigned after six days after rebels attacked his family, while the prime minister before him was actually kidnapped by rebels.)
No other country comes close to America’s hard power, but its lead is slipping
(The Economist) Despite falling spending, America’s military pre-eminence is vast. A budget of $600 billion for 2014, including $84 billion for “overseas contingency operations” such as Afghanistan, buys a weighty punch.
Obama Administration: No Lethal Military Aid For Ukraine
(John Bennett in Intercepts) To borrow one of President Obama’s favorite phrases, let me be clear: The United States government will not be sending offensive, or lethal, military equipment to Ukraine to assist in its standoff with Russia. That much became crystal clear on Tuesday.
A Clear and Present Danger
(Keith Johnson in Foreign Policy) Barack Obama's administration says that climate change poses a clear and present danger to the United States that will only grow worse over time as droughts, floods, and storms become part of everyday life throughout the country. Unfortunately for the White House, the politics of tackling climate change are dismal: Republicans have grown even more hostile to the issue in recent years, it barely registers in public opinion polls, and this year's midterm elections make dramatic action a virtual impossibility.
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