TODAY’S TOP 5
1. White House Withdraws Navy Nominee
(Defense News) After languishing more than a year in political purgatory, the name of Jo Ann Rooney has been quietly withdrawn to become under secretary of the US Navy.
2. Republicans Press to Save A-10 Following New Air Force Proposal
(DoDBuzz) Senate Republicans at the forefront of defending the A-10 Warthog from retirement will continue pressing their case on Thursday when they gather on Capitol Hill with veterans pushing the Air Force to keep the fleet alive.
3. China Has Now Assumed Great Power Status
(Matt Schiavenza in The Atlantic) With the commitment to climate change legislation and other cooperative deals, China no longer is taking a back seat in global diplomacy.
4. Military to curtail use of live animals in medical training
(Boston Globe) The Pentagon plans to halt the use of live animals in a variety of medical training programs, according to internal documents, putting it on a path to join the civilian medical community and most Western militaries, which have already banned such practices.
5. Soldiers' suicide risk predictable with Big Data, study says
(Military Times) Psychiatrists have long known that a patient's risk for suicide spikes after hospitalization for a mental health disorder.
CONGRESS
Issue Tracker: Lame Duck Preview
(Defense News) Both chambers return this week for a wrap-up session that will end in late-December. Here are a few things to expect during the 113th Congress' swan song.
Islamic State Fight Stymied Until Congress Votes, Pentagon Says
(Bloomberg) The U.S. can't deploy as many as 1,500 additional personnel to train, equip and assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces unless Congress approves $1.6 billion in added war funding, the Pentagon comptroller said.
Sen. Kaine: New AUMF Needed To Continue Islamic State Fight
(Defense News) If Congress declines to formally authorize US strikes against the Islamic State, one key senator predicts some members will try to end the military operations.
McSally claims victory after final votes counted
(Arizona Daily Star; Tucson) Republican Martha McSally has claimed victory in the Congressional District 2 race after tabulation of the final outstanding votes gave her an even bigger lead over Democratic incumbent Ron Barber.
Cole Wants Omnibus; Aide Says It Would Feature Full 2015 DoD Bill
(Defense News) A US House leader says lawmakers should pass a massive bill to fund the Pentagon and other agencies through the fiscal year, rather than leaving that task to the next Congress.
McCain To Target 'Fiscal Irresponsibility,' Mulls SASC Subcommittee Shake-Up
(Defense News) The incoming chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee wants to crack down on over-priced weapon programs and shake up SASC's subpanels.
ISLAMIC STATE
Sources: Obama seeks new Syria strategy review to deal with ISIS, Assad
(CNN) President Obama has asked his national security team for another review of the U.S. policy toward Syria after realizing that ISIS may not be defeated without a political transition in Syria and the removal of President Bashar al Assad, senior US officials and diplomats tell CNN.
In Shake-Up, Iraqi Premier Replaces 36 Commanders
(New York Times) The recently installed Iraqi prime minister removed 36 military commanders in a sweeping shake-up on Wednesday, in his first public attempt to put his mark on the Iraqi security forces battling to retake territory from Islamic State militants.
No Blacklist Yet for Islamic State Banks
(Foreign Policy) Why the United States isn't using its biggest financial weapon against banks in the Islamist militant group's territory.
Iraq's Kurds appeal for new U.S. arms to combat Islamic State
(Washington Post) Kurdish leaders in Iraq have quietly expanded a request to Washington for sophisticated arms and protective equipment to battle the Islamic State, but American officials have so far rebuffed the appeals out of concerns about defying the Iraqi government, according to Kurdish officials.
Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran
(Reuters) Among the thousands of militia fighters who flocked to northern Iraq to battle militant group Islamic State over the summer was Qais al-Khazali.
INDUSTRY
China's Emergency Sat Launch Vehicle Raises Eyebrows
(Defense News) The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC) displayed a model of its FT-1 solid launch vehicle for emergency satellite launches at the Airshow China here near Hong Kong.
China's NORINCO Gets Into UAV Biz
(Defense News) China North Industries Corp. (NORINCO), better known for building tanks and infantry vehicles, has developed an unmanned helicopter. The company revealed its Sharp Eyes III UAV this week at Airshow China in Zhuhai.
China Displays New Air Defense System
(Defense News) The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC) showed off its new FM-3000 air defense missile system at the Airshow China here.
China's CASIC Reveals New Stealthy WJ-500 UAV
(Defense News) The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. has unveiled a new WJ-series UAV.
China Unveils First Amphib UAV
(Defense News) The first Chinese-made amphibious UAV has been unveiled at the Airshow China in Zhuhai, in the southern province of Guangdong near Hong Kong.
VETERANS
First woman to lead American Legion says military should 'stop sweeping' sexual assaults 'under the rug'
(Washington Post) When a homeless female veteran came to the first American Legion's Veterans Benefits center last month in Los Angeles with documents that said she had suffered a sexual trauma in the military, she was able to share her story with a high-ranking woman leader of the veterans group.
Veterans Affairs Regrets Process Used to Rehire Executive After Fatal Incident
(WRC TV; Washington, D.C.) The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted it made a "deeply regrettable" decision by rehiring a highly paid executive involved in a 2011 scandal.
Did f-bombs ruin The Concert for Valor?
(USA Today) "Happy Motherf---ing Veterans Day!" shouted Eminem into the microphone at Tuesday's Concert for Valor.
I'm not dead, Wisconsin veteran tells VA
(Wisconsin State Journal) Kenneth C. Brunner wants the government to know it is dead wrong, because he is alive and well in Madison, Wisconsin.
Man fights VA, says half of his father's insurance benefits went to employee
(KDVR; Denver) Wade Barton still gets emotional every time he visits his father's grave at Fort Logan National Cemetery west of Denver.
New wall at USS Arizona Memorial dedicated on Veterans Day
(Stars & Stripes) The members of AMVETS consider themselves "keepers of the wall" for this principal World War II memorial in Pearl Harbor. And on Veterans Day, they showed everyone what that means.
108-year-old veteran, former POW honored in Austin
(San Antonio Express-News) Richard Overton, the oldest living United States veteran at 108 years old, accepted a box of cigars and a standing ovation last Veteran's Day with a humble demeanor and a beaming smile.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Work: New Pentagon Innovation Strategy Coming in Days
(Defense News) US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will roll out an "innovation initiative" later this week, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said Wednesday.
New protocols at Walter Reed reduce medical errors
(Military Times) A new procedure for handing off patients during shift changes, developed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and several civilian hospitals, has been proved to reduce medical errors, according to a New England Journal of Medicine report.
Sandboxx app keeps off-the-grid service members connected
(Air Force Times) Photographs, letters and care packages have always been important to service members when they're away from home on a deployment or in training. A new mobile application brings those comforts to military members, even when they are "off the grid," with just a tap on an iPhone.
New military retirement system might be popular, study says
(Military Times) A proposal that would transform the military retirement system by promising smaller monthly checks but also giving troops a lump sum "transition pay" immediately upon retirement could turn out to be very popular among most service members, according to a new study.
Boston Market, Chick-fil-A coming to some Army, Air Force bases
(Military Times) More dining options are coming to some Army and Air Force bases, as the Army and Air Force Exchange Service brings Boston Market and Chick-fil-A restaurants on board.
ARMY
Cuts in Military Mean Job Losses for Career Staff
(New York Times) For all the insecurities of war, Capt. Elder Saintjuste always figured the one thing he could count on from the Army was job security.
Interview: Next SMA talks tattoos, leadership
(Army Times) Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey always knew he wanted to join the Army, but he never expected he would someday be named the service's top enlisted soldier.
Fort Drum battalion commander recognized during nationally broadcast concert
(Watertown Daily Times) Lt. Col. Kellie McCoy, who now commands the 41st Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, told the hundreds of thousands of people in attendance at the National Mall, Washington, D.C., to carry on the meaning of Veterans Day even after the holiday passes.
Police: Bragg soldier committed suicide
(Army Times) A Fort Bragg soldier was found dead at her off-base residence Saturday in an apparent suicide, according to Fayetteville Police
Army veteran slain in Sylmar never served in Afghanistan, military says
(Los Angeles Times) Francisco Garcia, 21, never served in Afghanistan and was discharged from the U.S. Army in July, said Julie Halpin, a spokeswoman for Fort Drum in New York, where he was stationed.
Fort Hood staff sgt. dies in crash
(Army Times) A Fort Hood soldier died Saturday of injuries sustained in an automobile crash in Arlington, Texas.
Major and lt. col. promotion lists coming Thursday
(Arny Times) Selection lists containing the names of specialty branch officers recommended for promotion to major and lieutenant colonel will be released Thursday morning.
NAVY
Three Ross sailors assaulted by protesters in Istanbul
(Navy Times) Anti-American protesters shouting "Yankee, go home!" roughed up two or three U.S. Navy sailors in Istanbul, Turkey, near where the destroyer Ross is docked on an inlet of the Bosphorus Strait in the Black Sea.
Navy's RaDER UGV succeeds in demonstration
(C4ISR & Networks) The Navy tests an unmanned ground vehicle intended to thwart explosives.
Six things we've learned about "The Man Who Killed Usama bin Laden"
(Navy Times) Former SEAL Team Six sniper Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert O'Neill told Fox News Tuesday night that he's the operator who killed Osama bin Laden. He made the assertion in the first half of a two-part interview airing this week.
Raid author unhappy being linked with self-proclaimed bin Laden killer
(Tampa Tribune) Though the two men were on the same team infiltrating Osama Bin Laden's Abbottabad compound, the former SEAL who wrote "No Easy Day" is not happy being linked with Rob O'Neill, who says he killed the al-Qaida leader.
AIR FORCE
MacDill hosts conference of 30-plus nations to plan Islamic State defeat
(Tampa Tribune) Nearly 200 military planners from more than 30 nations are meeting at MacDill Air Force Base to plot the demise of the Sunni insurgent group Islamic State.
AFA cadets join national pledge not to rape
(Colorado Springs Gazette) It's part of a national movement on college campuses pushed by the Obama administration that has students pledge to intervene to stop sexual assaults and support victims. The "It's on Us" campaign has included an advertising blitz to coincide with football season.
Raytheon wins $175 million DCGS-A contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Raytheon-led team will provide global field services, including maintenance, training, mission support, and post-mission problem analysis.
MARINE CORPS
Marine: 'Surreal' to have combat story told onstage
(Marine Corps Times) Marine veteran AJ Czubai didn't fully understand how bad his life had gotten after his 2010 deployment until he saw it acted out in front of hundreds of people.
Suspect in Philippines deaths: Extradition coming
(Associated Press) A former U.S. Marine accused of killing a couple in the Philippines said Wednesday his extradition is looming and he looks forward to finally fighting the charges.
New US runway, large military presence focal point of Okinawa election
(Stars & Stripes) Okinawa's gubernatorial election on Sunday is widely seen as a referendum on a new U.S. military runway and Tokyo's policies about the U.S. military presence on the tiny island prefecture.
NavWeek: Riders Of The Storm
(Aviation Week) As U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Simcock acknowledges, when anyone mentions the number-one-country of concern in the Asia Pacific, everyone knows which one it is.
COAST GUARD
Computer tech for U.S. Coast Guard guilty of stealing personal info
(The Day; New London, Conn.) A computer technician working for the U.S. Coast Guard pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges he stole personal information from hundreds of computers and personal electronic devices he was paid to repair.
Nation's last big icebreaker endures despite age
(Associated Press) The last U.S. icebreaker capable of crushing through the thickest ice of the Antarctic and Arctic resumed its mission after the latest repairs to postpone its already past-due retirement.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
President Ghani to visit Pakistan on Friday
(Khaama Press) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani leaves for Pakistan on a two-day state visit on Friday to meet with the Pakistani officials.
Obama's Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan
(The Daily Beast) Identifying targets for the lethal American drone attacks in Pakistan was always dangerous. Then al Qaeda created its own strike force to target the informants.
Pakistan Seeks Dissidents' Arrest
(New York Times) A Pakistani court has issued warrants for the arrest of the opposition leaders Imran Khan and Muhammad Tahir-ul Qadri for their part in a protest movement that paralyzed the Pakistani capital last summer, state television reported late Wednesday.
MIDDLE EAST
Pentagon Says Iranian Drone Does Not Match U.S. Technology
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) The U.S. military says an Iranian drone that Tehran described as an improved replica of an unarmed U.S. aircraft captured in 2011 is an inferior copy.
US drone strike kills 7 terrorists in southern Yemen
(Long War Journal) The US reportedly killed seven al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighters in a drone strike early this morning in the southern Yemeni province of Shabwa. The strike took place in the Azzan region of the province, located about 80 kilometers from the coast and long considered an AQAP stronghold in the country.
Israeli officer arrested in fatal shooting of Palestinian teen caught on camera
(Washington Post) A preliminary investigation by Israel suggests that its security forces fired live ammunition during a violent demonstration in May in which two Palestinian teenagers died, according to Israeli media reports Wednesday.
Eight sailors missing, five injured in attack on Egyptian naval vessel
(Los Angeles Times) Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir said on his official Facebook page that an Egyptian naval vessel was attacked Wednesday and set ablaze by "terrorist elements" about 40 miles off the port of Damietta.
EUROPE
Russian Troops Crossing Into Ukraine, NATO Says
(New York Times) Tanks and other military vehicles towing heavy weapons pouring over the border from Russia into eastern Ukraine. Nightly artillery battles in the region's biggest city, Donetsk, and reports of fighting around another regional capital.
Russia to Expand Military Presence Further From Its Borders
(Wall Street Journal) Russia will expand its long-distance air patrols farther out from its borders, reaching into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean basin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.
U.S. Concerned About Downing Of Nagorno-Karabakh Helicopter
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Washington has expressed concern about the downing by Azerbaijani forces of a military helicopter from the self-proclaimed "self-defense forces" of Nagorno-Karabakh -- a breakaway region of Azerbaijan that is controlled by ethnic Armenians.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Beijing Summit: Xi Changes Tactics, Not Strategy
(Breaking Defense) New agreements between the US and China will reduce the risks of accidental war in the western Pacific. That's good news - but don't imagine for a minute that it changes the fundamentals of the competition.
China Commissions New Sub Hunting Corvette
(USNI News) China has commissioned a corvette variant focused on anti submarine warfare (ASW), expanding the capability of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to find and hunt submarines in the South China Sea, according to Tuesday local press reports via Jane's Defence Weekly.
Russia sends warships towards Australia before G20 meeting
(Sydney Morning Herald) Russia has sent a fleet of warships towards Australia in an apparent display of muscle-flexing ahead of the G20 meeting amid tensions between the two countries over the MH17 crash.
AFRICA
Pentagon reduces Ebola deployment estimates
(Military Times) The number of troops needed to support U.S. military efforts to help contain the Ebola epidemic in West Africa will be less than first estimated, about 3,000 service members instead of the initial 4,000, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.
As Ebola takes lives in Liberia, it leaves hunger in its wake
(Washington Post) The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 2,830 Liberians and collapsed the country's health-care system, is also attacking Liberia's food supply, bringing intermittent hunger to a wide swath of this country even as its 4.1 million people try to survive the epidemic.
Burkina Faso general goes to France for treatment
(Associated Press) A general who attempted to declare himself president of Burkina Faso amid that country's chaos has flown to France for medical treatment.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Backing Into Yet Another Losing War
(Retired Marine Col. Gary Anderson in Small Wars Journal) A day after leading his party into an election debacle that was at least partially enabled by his strategic ineptitude in foreign affairs, President Obama trumpeted his success in getting American troops out of Iraq; two days later, he announced that he was sending 1500 more troops into Iraq. American strategy is beginning to more resemble ALICE IN WONDERLAND than ON WAR.
Healthy Maritime Industry Vital to National Security
(Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., in National Defense) The old saying of "he who rules the seas rules the world" is still relevant. Throughout history, the strength and power of navies and commercial maritime fleets have made nations great. America is no different.
America Needs Economic Statecraft in Asia
(Patrick Cronin in War on the Rocks) Few U.S. national security officials pay much attention to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum or economic statecraft in general. But they should. The APEC meeting just completed in Beijing is fraught with strategic implications. In a region where economics is synonymous with security, the impact of the quarter-century-old institution to promote trade liberalization may change the course of tomorrow's security framework.
What The Civil War Teaches Us About Women In Combat
(Anna Granville in Task & Purpose) Lyons Wakeman was as common a soldier as any as could be found in the ranks of the American Civil War armies. Born in upstate New York, he grew up working alongside his siblings on the family farm. Prompted by a family feud, he left home in August 1862, and supported himself by working as a coal handler on a canal barge until he was approached by Union Army recruiters and chose to enlist in the 153rd New York State volunteer infantry. Though he'd only had a rudimentary education and his grammar and spelling were poor, Wakeman wrote numerous letters home to his family. He expressed his love for army life, how exhilarating it was to fight in battle, and of some scuffles he'd had with other members of his mess.
The 'Brass Ceiling' Is Still Alive and Well in the US Military
(Greg Jacob in Defense One) As a Marine Corps veteran, the month of November carries a great deal of significance for me. Nov. 10 is the celebration of the Marine Corps birthday. Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, of course. And Nov 14 marks the day I stepped off the bus and onto the iconic yellow footprints at Parris Island in 1994. It was my first day of Boot Camp and the beginning of my journey as a United States Marine.
VA reform in a word: Underwhelming
(Arizona Republic) The man tapped last summer to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs in the wake of its worst-ever patient-care scandal finally has come up with a plan. The words "insufficient" and "underwhelming" leap to mind.
Why I Was Conflicted on Veterans Day
(Skylar Gerrond in War on the Rocks) I'm proud of my time in the military and it is certainly a part of who I am, but that's all it is, a part. I think this is probably still the way the majority of vets feel, but lately, there seem to be more and more people, both within the veteran community and American society as a whole, that want to isolate and extract the "veteran" portion of the identity and treat that as if it is the only aspect that matters.
A New and Personal Narrative of Who Lost Vietnam
(Arnold R. Isaacs in Cicero Magazine) Over the decades that have passed since the Vietnam War, there has been a growing movement to turn that history into a more comforting narrative. The revisionist histories come in different versions, but broadly speaking they present the American war in Vietnam as honorable and well fought, rather than a great national mistake. In this view, blame for the South Vietnam's ultimate defeat falls on faint-hearted politicians, or the antiwar movement, or Congress, or journalists, or all of the above - just about anywhere, in fact, except on U.S. policy, the military leadership that carried it out, or the ally we sought to support.
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