TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Obama Sends Advisers to Baghdad; Aides Say US Could Strike Inside Syria
(Defense News) President Obama announced Thursday that he plans to send about 300 US military advisers to Iraq to assist the government in its fight against extremists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who have taken over vast swaths of the country's Sunni-dominated west and north.
2. Marine vet Kyle Carpenter receives highest award for valor
(Marine Corps Times) He never asked for this. And by rights, he wasn't supposed to be here.
3. Cost of scramble to solve VA's waiting-time crisis: $54 billion yearly
(Tom Philpott in Stars & Stripes) Like a waiter bringing the check after a high-spirited meal in a fine restaurant, the Congressional Budget Office has dampened some good vibes among lawmakers who rushed to solve the access-to-care crisis for veterans.
4. U.S. Weighed Other Options to Free Bergdahl
(Wall Street Journal) Before the U.S. agreed to release five Taliban detainees in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, two groups of U.S. military personnel worked for more than year on alternative plans to secure his freedom-including one proposal to pay off militants and another to release an Afghan warlord.
5. A-10 backers win House vote to save plane
(Arizona Daily Star) The U.S. House on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the 2015 defense appropriation bill that would prohibit the Pentagon from spending any money to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II jet - a mainstay of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
IRAQ
What Iraq crisis foretells for Afghanistan's future
(Military Times) The debate on Capitol Hill over how to respond to the expanding crisis in Iraq isn't just about the future of that nation, but also about what happens next in Afghanistan.
After Iraq, Questions About Training Foreign Armies
(National Defense) The collapse of the Iraqi army is likely to raise new questions about U.S. military plans to train foreign allies to help fight insurgencies and terrorist groups.
ISIS photos show gains and Iraqi support
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham's media wing in Wilayat Ninewa released a series of photos yesterday to social media sites illustrating the group's staggering gains. They also demonstrate wide public support for ISIS in the northern Iraqi province. The ISIS has divided its "state" in Iraq and Syria into 16 administrative units, or wilayats.
They're not called combat troops but may see combat
(USA Today) The forces President Obama is sending to Iraq will not be conventional combat troops, but that doesn't mean they can avoid combat or risk.
U.S. Turns to Old Frenemies for New Iraq War
(The Daily Beast) President Obama isn't just sending in the Green Berets as he begins to re-enter the war in Iraq. U.S. diplomats and military officers are also reaching out to discarded tribal allies and even the Iraqi who progressives blame for tricking George W. Bush into invading Iraq in the first place.
Most Americans Oppose U.S. Intervention in Iraq
(Reuters) Fifty-five percent of those polled said they were against U.S. intervention of any kind, while only 20 percent supported it. There was little disparity in the overall response among Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Is the A-10 Right for Iraq?
(Intercepts) The fight over the A-10 may have been thrown a screwball this week, thanks to the sudden, dramatic surge from ISIL forces as they have overwhelmed whole chunks of Iraqi territory.
Airmen on standby to support operations in Iraq
(Air Force Times) The military is increasing surveillance flights over Iraq to identify possible targets for air strikes, President Obama said Thursday, while a team of airmen waits outside the country to set up and secure air operations if needed.
Petraeus calls for strikes against 'global threat' of Isis
(Times of London) General David Petraeus, the most significant American general of the Iraq war, last night pushed for the United States, Britain and their allies to launch targeted operations against the most dangerous of the extremists wreaking terror across Iraq.
Levin: Backing needed for airstrikes in Iraq
(The Hill) Levin said he "would not even consider airstrikes" unless certain conditions were met, including the backing of top sectarian and religious leaders in Iraq.
Pelosi Doesn't Want to Work With Iran to Respond to Iraq Crisis
(National Journal) "I think you have to be open where you can get support, but I don't have the confidence level," the minority leader said Thursday.
Sunni Extremists in Iraq Occupy Hussein's Chemical Weapons Facility
(Wall Street Journal) Sunni extremists in Iraq have occupied what was once Saddam Hussein's premier chemical-weapons production facility, a complex that still contains a stockpile of old weapons, State Department and other U.S. government officials said.
In Chaos, Iraq's Kurds See a Chance to Gain Ground
(New York Times) The chair Col. Imad Muhammad sat in belonged to a commander in the Iraqi Army. So did the tiny cup from which he was drinking his tea, the ashtray where he snuffed out his cigarettes and the Ping-Pong table and treadmill outside his office.
Sykes-Picot Agreement: Line in the sand still shapes Middle East
(Stars & Stripes) The stunning victories by Islamic militants in northern Iraq have drawn attention to a militant group whose goal is an Islamic state encompassing parts of Iraq, Syria and other countries of the eastern Mediterranean.
Gulf nations struggle with Iraq militant blowback
(Associated Press) Saudi Arabia and other petro-powerhouses of the Gulf for years encouraged a flow of private cash to Sunni rebels in Syria. Now an al-Qaida breakaway group that benefited from some of that funding has stormed across a wide swath of Iraq, and Gulf nations fear its extremism could be a threat to them as well.
Dempsey: Violence in Iraq does not detract from troops' successes
(Military Times) The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is assuring troops who served in Iraq that the rapid deterioration of security there does not reflect on their service and sacrifice.
INDUSTRY
Northrop Poised to Win Navy Deal for Up to $3.9 Billion
(Bloomberg) Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) is in line to get a five-year U.S. Navy contract valued at as much as $3.86 billion to build new surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, according to a Defense Department document.
Pentagon picks 12 for $3B technical services contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Twelve contractors have been selected for a Department of Defense technical services contract valued at up to $3 billion.
CAE, Caverton To Establish Flight Training Center in Lagos
(Defense News) Montreal's CAE and Nigeria-based Caverton Helicopters have signed an agreement that paves the way for the Canadian company to set up and operate sub-Saharan Africa's first full-flight training and simulation center in Lagos by mid-2015.
UK awards Typhoon-Brimstone study contract
(IHS Jane's 360) The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems a GBP5 million (USD8.5 million) study contract to evaluate integrating the MBDA Brimstone missile system onto the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft.
Nexter, Avibras to promote new artillery system
(Defense News) Nexter Systems has paired up with the Avibras Group to market the French companies' truck-mounted Caesar 155mm artillery system to the Brazilian army, the new partners announced Wednesday at Eurosatory.
Finmeccanica revamps structure, opens due diligence for AnsaldoBreda
(Reuters) Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI) said on Thursday it has opened the data room of its loss-making train unit AnsaldoBreda to potential bidders, without naming them, and also announced a revamp of its corporate structure.
BAE, Goriziane Strike Deal on Support of Italian Bv206 Vehicles
(Defense News) BAE Systems and the Goriziane Group have firmed up a memorandum of agreement to jointly provide support and services for Italian military users of the Bv206 and Bv206S all-terrain vehicles.
Defense Ministry revamps equipment procurement strategy
(Japan Times) The Defense Ministry adopted a new strategy Thursday to reform the procurement process for defense equipment, replacing a 44-year-old policy that focused on domestic development.
Northrop Grumman, Diamond team up for spy plane.
(C4ISR & Networks) Northrop Grumman and Diamond Aircraft are collaborating to deliver intelligence-gathering aircraft to Canadian and international markets.
BAE gets $20.5M to repair destroyer
(San Diego Union-Tribune) BAE Systems has been awarded $20.5 million to repair and upgrade the Decatur, a guided missile destroyer that has long operated out of San Diego.
Circuit maker pays $10 million to settle U.S. export control charges
(Reuters) California-based Intersil Corp has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $10 million to settle 339 alleged violations of U.S. export control laws that potentially harmed U.S. national security, the State Department said on Wednesday.
Elbit completes upgrade of FYROM helicopters
(IHS Jane's 360) Elbit Systems has completed the modernisation of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) air force, it has been revealed.
VETERANS
Healing warriors by making a census of combat wounds' microbiota
(Los Angeles Times) New research suggests that physicians treating future U.S. troops (and perhaps those treating some of today's wounded warriors) may be able to take a fast and thorough census of the microorganisms living in a combat wound and tailor their treatment accordingly.
IAVA Hits VA Over Watchdog Subpoena
(DoDBuzz) Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is backing a government watchdog's refusal to hand over documents from potential whistleblowers to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
WATCH: 79-year-old Army veteran fights off would-be thief
(WTVT-TV; Tampa Bay) Surveillance video released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office shows a brazen would-be robber attack a senior citizen as he was pumping gasoline at a 7-Eleven on Lee Road in Orlando.
Hospitals in state will be asking patients if they are veterans
(The Day; New London, Conn.) Connecticut hospitals will be required to ask all patients if they are veterans, under a new state law that takes effect Oct. 1.
Veterans groups: No more troops in Iraq
(Stars & Stripes) As President Barack Obama announced Thursday that military advisers would be sent to Iraq, some veterans of the Iraq War railed against more military intervention in the country, warning that it would add to the violence and destruction.
CONGRESS
House votes to block Gitmo transfers to Yemen
(The Hill) The House on Thursday adopted a proposal to ban transfers of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison to Yemen.
Daines pushes legislation to maintain full ICBM force
(Great Falls Tribune; Mont.) The House of Representatives approved an amendment Wednesday night to the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2015, which begins Oct. 1, that blocks the Pentagon from using any funding to decommission silos that currently house intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Senators fear plan will muzzle whistleblowers
(The Hill) A bipartisan pair of senators fear that new Obama administration intelligence policies could crack down too hard on whistleblowers.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon cyber unit wants to 'get inside the bad guy's head'
(Washington Post) After several years of planning, the Pentagon's Cyber Command is finally beginning to conduct operations such as tracking adversaries overseas to detect attacks against critical computer networks in the United States, according to a senior defense official.
Study finds lower alcohol use among troops with combat kills
(Military Times) New research by Army scientists appears to confirm what has been long-recognized as an unfortunate consequence of combat deployment: that troops drink more after going to war.
GAO faults Pentagon, not contractor, for Tricare West Region problems
(Military Times) The blame for the rough transition last year between health management companies in the Tricare West Region falls squarely on the Defense Department, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Joint basing works, but does it save money?
(Tacoma News Tribune) The Army and Air Force got hitched in the South Sound four years ago; now officials are trying to figure out if the marriage that is Joint Base Lewis-McChord can help them save money.
Hillary Clinton weighs in on key military issues: sex assaults, extending U.S. forces in Afghanistan
(Military Times) Former Secretary of State and possible presidential contender Hillary Clinton is supporting a proposal to have military prosecutors, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute sexual assault and other felony crimes.
ARMY
33,000 more jobs open to female soldiers
(Army Times) The Army is opening about 33,000 more jobs to women, according to a newly released memo signed by Army Secretary John McHugh.
At Fort Eustis, leaders discuss futuristic training
(Daily Press; Newport News, Va.) With a shrinking force and tighter budgets, Army leaders must revise how they prepare soldiers to fight future wars. It won't involve a famous video game franchise like 'Mortal Kombat,' but it might mean taking a page or two from that book - and a lot of other books. At the forum, Army leaders spoke directly to defense contractors in the audience on what the future held and where gaps now exist.
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit alleging JBLM "spy" violated Olympia protesters' civil rights
(The Olympian; Wash.) A federal judge in Tacoma has dismissed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that former Joint Base Lewis-McChord employee John Towery violated the civil rights of Olympia anti-war protesters when he infiltrated the group under an assumed name in 2007 and reported on their activities to his superiors.
NAVY
Former SEALs take aim at each other in court
(Virginian-Pilot) How do a couple of former Navy SEALs settle a dispute over guns and money? The same way most people do: They hire lawyers and sue.
Destroyers Shuffled to Align with Optimized Fleet Response Plan
(Seapower) The Navy is changing some assignments of U.S. Pacific Fleet destroyers to destroyer squadrons as part of the new Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP).
Sailor pleads guilty to mishandling documents
(Virginian-Pilot) On paper, the charges read like an intricate espionage case - top-secret documents containing information about military movements and bomb-making methods, smuggled off Navy computers, potentially putting national security and U.S. forces in harm's way.
AIR FORCE
SecAF Defends A-10 Retirement Strategy
(DoDBuzz) The U.S. Air Force's top civilian defended the strategy to retire the A-10 aircraft, as House lawmakers gear up for a key vote that may determine the fate of the Cold War-era gunship.
C-130Js record a first with landing at Latvian base
(Air Force Times) U.S. Army Europe-led Exercise Saber Strike 2014 comes to a close this week, with at least one "first" on its record.
Airmen in Korea banned from drinking this weekend
(Stars & Stripes) A weekend ban on drinking has been placed on airmen stationed in South Korea.
Air Force: Defense budget would cause cuts to JBLM reservists, C-17 fleet
(Tacoma News Tribune) Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Reserve Airlift Wing stands to lose a total of 172 part- and full-time positions to budget cuts called for in this year's proposed defense budget, according to an announcement from its commander released this week.
MARINE CORPS
Newly commissioned Marine officer visits sick grandpa for first salute
(Marine Corps Times) Retired Army Sgt. Maj. David Teufel was too sick to travel to his granddaughter's graduation at the U.S. Naval Academy to offer the new Marine officer her first salute. So she drove 16 hours, surprising him on Father's Day, so the two could share the special moment.
Marcent gets new commander in MacDill ceremony
(Tampa Tribune) On his first day at his new job as commander of Marine Corps Forces Central Command, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie has a lot on his plate.
Corps recruits Marines for lateral move to intel jobs
(Battle Rattle) The Corps is once again looking for a few good Marines willing to make a lateral move into a community that sometimes allows them to grow out a beard, ditch the high-and-tight and work undercover.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Anti-terrorism cooperation: Islamabad asks Kabul to extradite Fazlullah
(The Express Tribune; Pakistan) Islamabad has sought the extradition of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah from Afghanistan and the dismantlement of the militant group's hideouts in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Pakistan army North Waziristan offensive: Thousands flee
(BBC) Tens of thousands of people are fleeing North Waziristan tribal region in north-west Pakistan after the army began an offensive against militants.
Pakistan commits to greater defence industrial funding
(IHS Jane's 360) The Pakistan government is to provide additional funding to support the continuing modernisation of the country's state-owned defence industrial base.
MIDDLE EAST
Gaza: Tunnel Blast Kills 5 Militants
(New York Times) Five militants affiliated with the Hamas movement were killed Thursday in what appeared to be an accident when an explosion ripped through a tunnel they had dug on the east side of Gaza City.
Hamas summer camps for kids include military training
(Al-Monitor) In the streets surrounding the Saraya neighborhood in central Gaza City, boys are lined up in groups like military battalions, wearing paramilitary clothes and surrounded by supervisors in full uniform and carrying weapons, while loudspeakers chant fiery Hamas anthems calling for jihad.
Uncontrolled arms plague communities despite security crackdown
(The Daily Star; Lebanon) Hajjeh Nawal is reminded of the biggest threat to her family's safety every time she steps into her bathroom.
Turkey updates terror list, shifts al-Nusra Front's place
(Hurriyet Daily News) The Turkish government has updated its official terrorist organization list, removing the al-Nusra Front from the group listed under the title "al-Qaeda in Iraq." However, the changes published in the Official Gazette on June 18 kept al-Nusra listed as a "terrorist organization."
EUROPE
Minister: German Defense Budget Will Rise
(Defense News) Germany plans to increase its defense budget in the coming years, however it is still expected to fall short of NATO spending guidelines.
Russia again beefing up forces on Ukraine border, NATO says
(Stars & Stripes) Thousands of Russian troops are back near the Ukrainian border marking an escalation in tensions only weeks after Moscow began pulling back troops from the area, NATO's top official said on Thursday.
Ukraine rebels speak of heavy losses in battle against government troops
(Reuters) Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists were locked in fierce fighting in the east of Ukraine on Thursday and a rebel commander acknowledged big losses among separatists heavily outgunned by government forces.
Russian Navy Accepts First in New Class of Nuclear Attack Submarine
(USNI News) Russian television has reported that the Russian Federation Navy has accepted its first Project 855 Yasen-class nuclear-powered attack submarine into this week.
NATO approves new military cyber warfare training centre in Estonia
(IHS Jane's 360) Estonian Defence Forces Commander Major General Riho Terras announced on 11 June that the country's bid to create a NATO military cyber training centre has been approved by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Jean Paul Palomeros.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Obama to Overrule Military on Landmines?
(Real Clear Defense) The Obama administration may be moving closer to banning landmines that U.S. military officials have said are critical to deterring aggression from North Korea.
Deal likely to bring more U.S. military assets to Australia
(Stars & Stripes) The U.S. military is expected to significantly increase the number of troops, ships and watercraft rotating through Australia as a result of the beefed-up Force Posture Agreement announced last week.
China Hands Out Harsh Sentences to Anticorruption Activists
(Wall Street Journal) Three Chinese anticorruption activists became the latest victims of the Communist Party's crackdown on dissent after they were handed harsh prison sentences on Thursday.
Indian Coast Guard commissions two more patrol boats
(IHS Jane's 360) The Indian Coast Guard has inducted the next two hulls in its Aadesh-class patrol ship programme.
AFRICA
In Africa Counterterror Pivot, a Focus on ISR
(Defense News) As the US pivots the counterterrorism mission toward Africa, Pentagon leaders are quick to point out that the size and scope of the continent provide significant challenges that will require a commitment to intelligence and surveillance technologies to give them, and their fledgling allies, a better picture of what lies over the next hill.
Uganda: Anti-Gay Law Draws Sanctions
(New York Times) The Obama administration announced additional punitive steps against Uganda on Thursday in response to the country's new law criminalizing homosexuality.
Equatorial Guinea inducts new frigate
(IHS Jane's 360) Equatorial Guinea took another step towards becoming a major naval power in the Gulf of Guinea on 3 June when it inaugurated a new frigate in the capital Malabo.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
What Bosnia Can Tell Us About Iraq
(Nick Dowling in Defense One) In the fall of 1995 Bosnia was on the edge, forced into a ceasefire after 3 years of some of the most vicious and inhumane sectarian warfare in history.
Welcome to the White House's Nightmare
(James Oliphant in The National Journal) Of all the things to rise up and bedevil President Obama again, Iraq seemed to be low on the list. But now the White House must live with the reality that, almost three years after the war was declared over, American blood could be spilled anew in a conflict that could readily escalate.
Pakistan's Offensive, America's Withdrawal
(Steve Coll in The New Yorker) For five years or more, the United States has been urging Pakistan to clear North Waziristan, a semi-autonomous tribal agency along the Afghan border, of foreign fighters and Taliban. North Waziristan has been a deep haven for Arab, Central Asian, Punjabi, Taliban, and sectarian militants, and the headquarters of the Haqqani network, an Afghan Taliban faction that has repeatedly bombed and gunned down civilians in Kabul.
Why the Persian Gulf Isn't Ready for Joint Security
(Bilal Y. Saab in Defense One) Defense cooperation in the Persian Gulf region will remain an illusion without greater trust and closer political relations among the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC.
The New Great Power Triangle Tilt: China, Russia Vs. U.S.
(James Kitfield in Breaking Defense) The careful diplomatic stagecraft behind President Barack Obama's recent European visit to celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day and to rally the Western alliance against Russia's aggression in Ukraine was all but swept aside by strong new currents in geopolitics.
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