TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Democrats: GOP Charges of 'Late' War-Funding Plan are 'Ridiculous'
(Defense News) Democrats are defending the Obama administration for submitting a war-funding request nearly four months after sending Congress its base military spending plan.
2. Vets struggle to register on VA burn-pit site
(USA Today) Veterans Affairs officials this week took down then relaunched a balky new website for veterans who may have been exposed to waste burn pits, but some veterans say they still can't sign up.
3. It's Time for NATO to Get Involved in Syria and Iraq
(Retired Adm. James Stavridis in The Atlantic Council) As ISIS consolidates its position across the Syrian and Iraqi divide, NATO must realize that it is only a matter of time before a wave of EU-passport-bearing jihadists will be headed back home to wreak havoc.
4. Sexual assault panel: Keep prosecutions in chain of command
(Stars & Stripes) Congress should not remove court-martial convening authority from the chain of command, a nine-member panel appointed to study how the military investigates, prosecutes and punishes sexual assault crimes said in its report.
5. Afghan presidential runoff results delayed by fraud allegations
(Los Angeles Times) Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission announced Tuesday that results of the presidential runoff election will be delayed by at least several days as votes from nearly 2,000 polling places are reviewed in response to allegations of massive fraud.
IRAQ
100 airmen ordered into Baghdad to protect airport
(Air Force Times) A team of 100 contingency response airmen have been ordered into Iraq to protect U.S. assets at Baghdad International Airport.
Sale of 4,000 U.S. Missiles to Iraq Said to Be Readied
(Bloomberg) The State Department has told lawmakers informally that the Obama administration wants to sell Iraq more than 4,000 additional Hellfire missiles for the government's fight against Islamic insurgents, according to people familiar with the plan.
Some tough questions for Iraq's ambassador to the U.S.
(CNN) Iraq is calling on the U.S. to provide air support, specifically drones and F16s, to "defeat that immediate threat of ISIL to the integrity of Iraq," says Iraq's ambassador the U.S. Lukman Faily.
Envoy says Iraq can't wait for US military aid
(Associated Press) Iraq is increasingly turning to other governments like Iran, Russia and Syria to help beat back a rampant insurgency because it cannot wait for additional American military aid, Baghdad's top envoy to the U.S. said Tuesday.
ISIS leader calls Muslims 'to take up arms' and fight for Islamic state
(The Hill) The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a Sunni militant group, urged Muslims around the world on Tuesday to pursue jihad and join in the quest for a global Islamic state.
Pentagon denies 'mission creep' in Iraq
(Stars & Stripes) The Pentagon pushed back Tuesday against the notion that there is 'mission creep' in Iraq, a day after announcing that 300 additional troops and aircraft had been deployed there.
Exclusive: Putin's Pilots Set to Fly Over Iraq
(The Daily Beast) Russia may not have boots on the ground in Iraq-yet. But it will have them in the sky; Russian pilots could be flying over Iraq within days.
Infographic: Visualizing ISIS Violence in Iraq and Syria
(War On The Rocks) This week's offering's depict violence perpetrated by ISIS, in its current and previous incarnations, in Iraq and Syria.
After Retreat, Iraqi Soldiers Fault Officers
(New York Times) The forlorn scenes in the ancient Al-Ukhaidir fortress tell of a government force in deep disarray. Flies circle beneath its high ceilings, above dozens of demoralized men who pass the day sleeping on dusty stone floors.
In Mosul, early support for militants gives way to unease
(Washington Post) When Sunni extremists swept into the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, many residents welcomed them, claiming that the masked gunmen had liberated them from oppression by Baghdad. But three weeks on, discontent is surfacing.
Not Surprised: Gen. Petraeus saw rise of ISIL, Sunni Islamists in Iraq, coming
(Washington Times) The former four-star general who led the U.S. troop surge that largely quelled the Iraqi insurgency says he is unsurprised by the return and success of a Sunni Islamist group even more extreme than al Qaeda.
A call for more involvement in Iraq by seasoned top officers
(Washington Post) The U.S. military last week selected Army Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard to lead U.S. operations in Iraq as security there continues to deteriorate. As the deputy commanding general of the Army's force based in nearby Kuwait, he was seen as a logical choice; Pittard had previously deployed to Iraq both as a brigade commander in the early part of the war and as a brigadier general who oversaw U.S. adviser teams there in 2006 and 2007.
Iraqi Kurds dig frontier around disputed areas
(Associated Press) As Islamic extremists seek to sweep away borders in their advance across the Middle East, Kurds in northern Iraq appear to be in the process of digging a new one, asserting their claim to hotly disputed territory and expanding their semi-autonomous region in a bid for greater autonomy or outright independence.
Sunnis, Kurds shun Iraq parliament
(Reuters) Sunnis and Kurds walked out of the first session of Iraq's new parliament on Tuesday after Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki, dimming any prospect of an early national unity government to save Iraq from collapse.
INDUSTRY
Northrop Grumman Awarded $3.64 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Contract
(USNI News) The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a $3.64 billion contract to build 25 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. The five-year contract, which was awarded on Monday, will save the U.S. government about $369 million, according to the Navy.
Nexter, KMW Announce Joint Venture With 'Intended Unification'
(Defense News) Nexter and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) said on Tuesday their owners have agreed to set up an alliance with the creation of a 50:50 joint venture to house the French-German defense technology group, marking a major move in European cross-border consolidation in land armaments.
Boeing Awarded to $1.94 Billion Contract for F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers
(Seapower) The Navy has awarded to Boeing a production contract for 44 F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft in what may be the last run for the Super Hornet.
British F-35B Not Yet Ready for Transatlantic Crossing
(Aviation Week) The transatlantic crossing of the F-35B for its international air show debut is on hold, as one of the four Lockheed Martin fighters due to make the trip remains on the ground at Eglin AFB, Florida.
Fincantieri To Appear on Milan Stock Exchange
(Defense News) Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is due to debut on the Milan stock exchange in Italy after an IPO failed to spark the interest expected from institutional investors.
Rotorcraft's Next Great Step May Start Next Month
(Breaking Defense) By early August, the Army-run Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program is to choose which of four industry competitors will be given money to build a proof-of-concept aircraft incorporating new or exotic means of making rotorcraft fly faster and farther
Guarguaglini Under House Arrest in Kickback Probe
(Defense News) Pierfrancesco Guarguaglini, the former CEO of Italy's Finmeccanica, has been placed under house arrest as part of a probe by magistrates into suspected kickbacks at the firm.
Canada receives full complement of CH-147F Chinook helos
(IHS Jane's 360) The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has received into service the last of 15 Boeing CH-47F (CH-147F in Canadian service) Chinook medium/heavy-lift transport helicopters, the company announced on 30 June.
Russian Navy To Acquire New Minesweepers, Boost Military Presence in Arctic
(Defense News) The Russian Ministry of Defense is planning to acquire four new naval minesweepers with delivery of the first ship scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015 and the remaining three from 2016 to 2018, the ministry said in a statement.
Putin Says U.S Blackmailed France Over Warship With BNP Fine
(Bloomberg) President Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. of seeking to blackmail France into scrapping a contract to sell Mistral warships to Russia by offering to cut a record $8.97 billion fine against BNP Paribas SA. (BNP)
France's DCI buys out Vigie Aviation
(IHS Jane's 360) French defence services company DCI has acquired a 95% stake in Vigie Aviation, a company that provides maritime surveillance services to the French state.
GPS IIF completes on-orbit checkout
(C4ISR & Networks) The sixth GPS IIF satellite has successfully completed its on-orbit checkout.
India moves to deregulate defence industry licencing
(IHS Jane's 360) India's federal government has moved to deregulate the production of some defence equipment, a move that aims to increase private participation in the local military-industrial sector and boost indigenous capabilities.
Harfang UAV launches from African base
(C4ISR & Networks) Franc's Harfang medium-range UAV has been launched from an African base while being controlled by a ground station in France.
Thailand considers medium-range SAM purchase
(IHS Jane's 360) Thailand's military government is contemplating the procurement of a medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a spokesman confirmed to IHS Jane's on 1 July.
VETERANS
Combat vets' use of painkillers troubling, researchers say
(Military Times) A new study of an Army infantry brigade following an Afghanistan deployment finds that soldiers used opiate painkillers at three times the rate of civilians - even though 40 percent of the troops who took the drugs had not had any severe pain in the previous month.
I-Team: Acton Vet Finally Gets VA Doctor's Appointment - 2 Years After He Died
(WBZ-TV; Boston) "He was steadfast. He took care of us, all of these years."
Obama's VA nominee gains key endorsement
(The Hill) The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) on Tuesday endorsed President Obama's choice of former Proctor and Gamble CEO Robert McDonald to lead the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs.
WWII Memorial prayer inscription approved over secularist, ACLU objections
(Stars & Stripes) The World War II Memorial in Washington may soon have a new prayer inscription added, disappointing secularists and rights groups who had opposed the measure based on opposition to religion displayed in public spaces.
At least 10 C-123 veterans have died after VA denied their Agent Orange claims, groups say
(The Oregonian) At least 10 veterans exposed to Agent Orange while serving aboard aircraft contaminated by the Vietnam-era defoliant have died after being denied care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, two veterans groups charged Sunday.
CONGRESS
House legislation would rule out atheist chaplains
(Military Times) A conservative lawmaker is once again looking at ways to blunt any effort to let atheist chaplains join the military, calling it an attack on all religions.
No guarantee of quick Senate approval of VA secretary pick
(Stars & Stripes) Debate over the White House nomination of former Procter and Gamble president and CEO Bob McDonald to head the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs is likely to take weeks and will be shadowed by past presidential VA appointments left to languish in the Senate.
Sen. Walsh questions decision to send more soldiers to Iraq
(The Hill) Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont.) on Tuesday criticized President Obama's plan to deploy an additional 200 troops to Iraq to help quell the violent insurgency there.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon refutes senators' charges of wasted ammo
(USA Today) The Pentagon is disputing the contention made by the chairman and ranking member of a Senate oversight committee that it could be wasting billions of dollars through inadequate accounting of its bullets and missiles.
DoD: Curbs on pay and benefits finally taking hold
(Military Times) Despite stiff opposition in some quarters to cutting back on some military compensation programs, overall military personnel costs are in fact coming down, and the Pentagon's long battle against rising pay and benefits is showing signs of gaining momentum, the Pentagon's top money manager said.
AAFES changing pricing method, will offer refunds on tobacco
(Stars & Stripes) After pricing errors resulted in smokers being overcharged for cigarettes, AAFES has switched to an automated system, and will offer refunds for those who bought certain brands after May 1.
DoD seeks healthier food choices for troops
(Military Times) Concerns about the comparative scarcity of healthy food choices on military installations have led defense officials to launch a comprehensive study of dining facilities, fast food and vending machine options, according to Defense Department officials.
ARMY
With transplanted arms and Army grit, a quadruple amputee soldiers on
(Washington Post) Brendan Marrocco sits at a table in the occupational therapy room and with the help of his teeth straps the exercise hooks to his wrists.
Triple amputee earns Master EOD badge
(Army Times) Staff Sgt. Chris Walker lost both arms and his left leg in a blast in Afghanistan two years ago.
Many Sharp Turns in Bergdahl's Path to Army
(New York Times) In 2003, the year he turned 17, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl left his mark on the wet cement floor of the Strega Tea Bar Gallery and Cafe, a swirling design signed with a florid "B." The drawing is a lasting statement that this liberal-tinctured ski resort town, where he took ballet and fencing lessons, met artists and debated philosophy, had become his second home.
Army football breaks (arena) losing streak
(Army Times) The streak is over. Well, one of them. Thanks to a tenacious pass rush and a late-game stop that stalled a Navy comeback, the Army representatives in Saturday's Army-Navy arena football game in Philadelphia earned a 43-38 victory, avenging last year's loss and marking the first Army football victory in the rivalry series of any sort since 2001.
JBLM Stryker brigade trains with South Korean military in California desert
(Tacoma News Tribune) One of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's two Stryker brigades is in the California desert getting ready for a series of exercises that will take it across the Pacific Ocean later this year.
NAVY
Howard receives fourth star, makes history
(Navy Times) When Adm. Michelle Howard thought about who to thank first during her speech at a Tuesday ceremony marking her promotion to four-star and her assuming duties as the Navy's number two officer, the list was long.
A Hundred Years Dry: The U.S. Navy's End of Alcohol at Sea
(USNI News) As a flotilla of naval vessels from around the world participates in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) to sustain relationships in the maritime community, a century ago this week international navies converged for a remarkably different occasion-to drink the last of the U.S. Navy's supply of alcohol.
Incoming academy class files into plebe life on I-Day
(Navy Times) It was the first day of the rest of their lives Tuesday as 1,192 plebes said goodbye to their families and hello to the military on Induction Day at the Naval Academy.
Show of diplomacy at RIMPAC
(San Diego Union-Tribune) There was no mention of the Senkaku islands dispute between Japan and China.
AIR FORCE
Staff sergeant promotions hit 16-year low
(Air Force Times) The selection rate for promotion to staff sergeant plunged this year to 25.59 percent - the lowest rate in 16 years.
See the Air Force secretary's jaw-dropping reaction to flight with Thunderbirds
(Washington Times) Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James became "violently ill" during a ride with the storied Thunderbirds aerial acrobatic team this week.
Air Force retiree accused of stealing at military bases
(San Diego Union-Tribune) A retired Air Force senior master sergeant is accused in a federal court indictment with stealing military-issued credit and debit cards from service members while they worked out at base gyms in the San Diego area.
Price drop! New PT gear to cost less than $100
(Air Force Times) The new PT warmup uniform is going to cost you less than $100, the lowest price for PT gear since 2009.
MARINE CORPS
From uniforms to boot camp, Colombian marines mirror their U.S. Marine mentors
(Marine Corps Times) When members of the naval infantry here discovered a secret runway used by narcotics traffickers to fly drugs across the border, engineers with the Colombian marines showed them how to blow it up.
Marine jailed in Mexico gets new court hearing for weapons charges
(Los Angeles Times) Andrew Tahmooressi, the Marine reservist jailed in Mexico since April 1 on weapons charges, has a court hearing set for next week but is resigned to the possibility that it could take months to win his freedom, his mother said.
Marines in East Coast, Europe see change of command
(Virginian-Pilot) A new leader has taken over command for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe.
Re-up bonuses see big increase for FY15
(Marine Corps Times) Beginning Tuesday, first-term Marines who re-enlist in one of 106 military jobs can take home thousands of dollars in bonuses, with top payouts reaching $51,000.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Will Leave Post
(New York Times) James F. Dobbins, the veteran diplomat who has served as the United States special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is leaving government this month, following a tumultuous year in which the Obama administration settled on a plan for withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan but ran into a roadblock in trying to pursue peace talks with the Taliban.
Afghan War Pulls Growing Number of Child Fighters Into Battle
(Wall Street Journal) Abdul Qayum and Habib were toddlers at the time of the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Now, they are active players in a conflict that is increasingly pitting one Afghan child against another.
McChrystal: Taliban must get political or face irrelevance
(Reuters) Former Army General Stanley McChrystal discusses Afghanistan's elections, Iraq turmoil, and the future of the Middle East with Reuters Political Correspondent Andy Sullivan.
German Tigers Leave Afghanistan Without Using Their Claws
(Aviation Week) The Bundeswehr's Tiger mission ended June 30 with none of the four combat helicopters firing a shot.
MIDDLE EAST
Hamas member killed after Israeli teens found dead
(Associated Press) A Palestinian from the militant group Hamas was shot dead when he threw a grenade at forces carrying out an arrest raid in the West Bank hours after the discovery of the bodies of three Israeli teenagers who were abducted over two weeks ago, Israel's military said Tuesday.
Possible revenge killing of Palestinian teen raises tension in Israel
(Los Angeles Times) Tensions mounted in Jerusalem as a local Palestinian teenager was found dead early Wednesday in what some fear may have been a reprisal attack for the death of three Jewish Israeli teenagers abducted and killed in the West Bank.
The Islamic State's rivals in Syria reject announced Caliphate
(Long War Journal) Nine leading rebel groups in Syria have rejected the Islamic State's claim that it has established a Caliphate stretching across parts of Iraq and Syria.
New Saudi spy chief confronts 'Islamic State'
(Al-Monitor) With the al-Qaeda spin-off Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) now virtually on its northern border, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has appointed a new spy master and a new special envoy for the kingdom. The appointments also strengthen the king's hand in the succession process.
Gulf Nations' Sway Rises in Egypt
(Wall Street Journal) Persian Gulf nations, which are pumping billions of dollars into Egypt during its rocky political transition, appear set to exert a stronger influence on the country following President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi's rise to power.
Bombing the Tracks: U.S. Power and the Future of Arab Democracy
(The Atlantic) George Mitchell, Marwan Muasher, and Anne-Marie Slaughter on American intervention and the prospects for democratic self-governance in the Middle East
EUROPE
As Ukraine cease-fire expires, violence escalates
(Washington Post) Violence in Ukraine escalated sharply Tuesday, as artillery shells and airstrikes pierced the relative calm of a 10-day cease-fire hours after President Petro Poroshenko allowed it to expire.
German Defense Minister Favors Armed Drones
(Defense News) German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen supports the procurement of UAVs that have the capability of being armed, according to statements in the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Steregushchiy frigate programme makes progress, but faces obstacles
(IHS Jane's 360) St Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard delivered the fourth Steregushchiy-class multipurpose frigate, the Project 20381 variant Stoiky , to the Russian Navy in late May. Four additional units are in build, at Severnaya Verf and at the Amur shipyard on the Pacific coast.
U.K. Independent Panel: Retain Trident Subs, But Explore Delay Options
(Global Security Newswire) An independent British panel led by former defense and foreign-affairs leaders from each of the nation's three major political parties agrees in a new report that the United Kingdom should keep its arsenal of nuclear-armed Trident submarines, but consider postponing a 2016 decision on modernization options.
Anatoly Kornukov, Who Led Russian Air Force, Dies at 72
(New York Times) Gen. Anatoly Kornukov, a retired commander in chief of the Russian Air Force who in 1983 relayed the order to shoot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 as it strayed into Soviet airspace, killing all 269 aboard, died on Tuesday in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. He was 72.
ASIA-PACIFIC
North Korea fires more rockets off coast
(USA Today) As China's president prepared to fly to South Korea, North Korea offered Northeast Asia yet another reminder Wednesday of why it continues to dominate all discussions of security in the region.
Japan Loosens Guidelines for Defensive Operations
(Defense News) Following an extraordinary meeting Tuesday, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a constitutional reinterpretation allowing Japan a limited right of collective self-defense, overturning a 67-year ban on allowing the Japanese self-defense forces to assist close allies such as the United States if they come under attack.
Aboard the Philippine Navy's Newest Old Frigate
(Wall Street Journal) The Philippine Navy's newest warship, BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is more like a middle-aged transfer than a fresh recruit.
Police arrest 511 after Hong Kong democracy rally
(Los Angeles Times) Police in Hong Kong arrested at least 511 demonstrators Wednesday who refused to leave city streets following one of the largest pro-democracy protests in the former British territory since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
AFRICA
Ugandan Troops Clash With Rebels in Central African Republic
(Wall Street Journal) Ugandan troops hunting for fighters loyal to Joseph Kony in the jungles of Central African Republic on Tuesday clashed with Seleka rebels for a third consecutive day, in the latest distraction to U.S.-backed efforts to apprehend the fugitive warlord.
Djibouti parades new armour
(IHS Jane's 360) The Djibouti Armed Forces (FAD) displayed its newly acquired M109 self-propelled howitzers and Puma armoured personnel carriers (APCs) for the first time during the country's Independence Day celebrations on 27 June.
Daily life in Tripoli hampered by Libya's political mayhem
(Washington Post) None of the dozens of drivers lined up at this gas station in central Tripoli could buy fuel until the big guns arrived.
Civilian group: 56 dead in Nigeria market blast
(Associated Press) A car bomb in a marketplace in Maiduguri, the northeast Nigerian city that is the birthplace of Boko Haram extremism, killed at least 56 people on Tuesday, the leader of a civilian group that recovered the bodies said.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Rogers: In defense of killing a U.S. citizen
(Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich.) Throughout its history, America has used force against anyone who waged war against it, even in the rare example when a U.S. citizen wages war against us. For example, Abraham Lincoln showed that American citizens who took up arms against the Union enjoyed no special immunity from the use of military force.
No Strategic Success Without 21st Century Seapower: Forward Partnering
(Frank Hoffman in War on the Rocks) Thinking strategically also means deciding about priorities and making tradeoffs, a competence that former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen suggested we lost a while ago when resources were seemingly limitless.
Evolution of the Immortals: The Future of Iranian Military Power
(Michael McBride in Small Wars Journal) Iran has a long, proud tradition of military might dating back to the armies of the Achaemenid Empire under Darius the Great and Xerxes.
The Real Red Line in the Middle East
(David Rothkopf in Foreign Policy) There is a Sarajevo somewhere in Jordan. It lies well outside Amman, somewhere in the hostile terrain to the east or the north. Were the armed ISIS extremists -- who now call themselves representatives of the Islamic State and soldiers of the new caliphate -- to cross this line, the current conflict that engulfs Syria and Iraq would likely explode and grow more complex and costly by quantum degrees.
Iranian nuclear deal still is possible, but time is running out
(Secretary of State John Kerry in The Washington Post) July 20, the deadline to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear program, is fast approaching.
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