GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.11.14 >>>

2014 Quadrennial Defense Review includes more risk, less money.

Israeli military officers are crediting a shadowy C4I unit as the unsung heroes of Operation Full Disclosure, a months-long mission that led to the high-seas capture of an Iranian arms cache some 1,500 kilometers from the Israeli coast.

The Senate's VA Backlog Working Group present the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, which would provide better customer service for veterans with pending claims, offer more money to veterans who file "fully developed" claims and mandate stricter oversight of claims officials.

A flurry of defense-related Capitol Hill hearings begin today with President Obama's nominee to head the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

The Senate on Monday unanimously approved legislation that boosts protections for victims of military sexual assault.

Turns out, there is some money next year for a program to develop a replacement for the HH-60G Pave Hawk.

Interview: Outgoing Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., could be called the U.S. House's dean of Navy shipbuilding, and he is attempting to become its top Asia-Pacific strategist.

The Pentagon Channel's pilot episode of Armed with Science delves into Army Research Laboratory and Naval Research Laboratory science that shapes the future of defense.

After searching hundreds of millions of objects across our sky, NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has turned up no evidence of the hypothesized celestial body in our solar system commonly dubbed "Planet X."

There is a growing fad at Machu Picchu that officials hope to nip in the bud: tourists who pose for nude snapshots with the iconic Inca Citadel looming in the background. Warning: Video features naked tourists.

President Barack Obama sits down with Zach Galifianakis for his most memorable interview yet.

Read New York magazine's profile of Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss (but watch out for the cleavage).

Neil Young is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his high-resolution music project.

What? Hear a new track in which The Clash's Paul Simonon and Mick Jones team up with Frank Ocean and Diplo.

Serious? Love these maps of the most popular TV shows set in each state.

Finally: A list of artists whose best-known songs are covers.

Well, this is awkward...

Who's the boss, what's the plan and what should be done with the money?

Those are some of the questions that will be asked and answered at a deployment boot camp hosted by the 17th Fires Brigade Friday, March 14 at the North Fort Chapel.

To assist in their readiness for deployment, the emphasis is dealing with issues that they'll face as families who are apart. Two units of the 17th Fires Brigade are headed to the Middle East in April.

Soldiers and their spouses will be able to take four of the 20 classes offered that deal with relationships, day-to-day life, parenting and finances.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.10.14 >>>

DoD issues new threat report on North Korea.

The passage of the U.S. destroyer Truxtun into the Black Sea was seen by official Russian news outlets as a challenge to the Russian fleet and evidence that the U.S. was "ramping up its military presence in the region."

The Afghan Taliban said today next month's presidential election was being manipulated by the United States, which had already chosen the winner, and threatened to use "full force" in attacking anyone taking part.

DoD budget: Expect big changes in five-year spending priorities.

How big will the U.S. Army be in 2019? Not even the Army knows.

U.S. Air Force left with little flexibility in budget.

A Fort Hood sergeant who was a coordinator of the post's sexual assault and harassment prevention program faces multiple charges after he was accused of setting up a prostitution ring involving cash-strapped female soldiers.

Defense lawyers for an Army general facing sexual assault charges say they plan to press his primary accuser on inconsistencies in her story.

Turkey's state-owned missile specialist Roketsan has successfully tested a long-range anti-tank missile it has been developing.

The U.S. military services - including the Air Force, which flies the Global Hawk UAV - are increasing their dependence on commercial firms to supply satellite bandwidth for ISR requirements.

The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans jumped in February, nearly erasing the gains of a few months ago, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.

Some scientists are speculating that "dark matter" may have played a role in the great dinosaur die-off.

Popcorn 411: Here's a nerdy look at one of our favorite movie snacks.

True Detective Season 1 finale recap: "Form and Void."

True Detective Season 2 pairings inspired by pop culture detectives.

Look for Morrissey's new album in June or July.

Stanley Kubrick's daughter is on Twitter, and she's sharing photos from the sets of his films.

Finally: someone tracks down the actors who played the kid version of Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah in Splash.

Seventeen of the oldest man-made structures on earth still in use.

Twenty-two incredible images show what the future looked like 100 years ago.

Guess again, dawg

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.8.14 >>>

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared with 239 people on board.

China declared a "red line" on North Korea, saying that China will not permit chaos or war on the Korean peninsula, and that peace can only come through denuclearization.

Polish Minister: U.S. must show Russia it will protect Europe.

At what point does the Army become a hollow and ineffective fighting force if the drawdown and budget cuts continue?

DoD has spent $300,000 per year since 2009 to study the body language of world leaders.

Air Force One Back In Budget; Airbus Unlikely To Bid.

The Department of Defense has removed 20 areas from its list of locations that qualify for imminent danger pay starting June 1, in a move that is expected to affect approximately 50,000 service members.?

Nine soldiers who served in the Korean War will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during a March 18 ceremony at the White House.

Part of Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, which powers the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, was damaged during a ground test in December and will need a redesign.

Despite being the reigning Olympic four-man bobsled champion, former U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program driver Steven Holcomb and his "Night Train 2" crew face an uphill climb to reach the medal podium this weekend.

Army Emergency Relief has launched its annual campaign which runs from March 1 through May 15.

In preparation for the Army's Network Integration Evaluation 14.2 this spring, the 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion is training with new tactical communications equipment that is smaller in size for easy transport, yet significantly increases capability.

Preschoolers can be smarter than college students at figuring out how unusual toys and gadgets work.

No U2 album until 2015.

John C. Reilly will never have a role better than Steve Brule.

If you're gonna make a lyric video, at least be creative with it. Japanther pass with flying colors.

Finally: It's not the massive Sandcrawler Ultimate Collector Edition every Star Wars and Lego nerd in the world were claiming for, but it's pretty damn good.

Water War!

For anyone who thought last year's Soldier Show packed a punch, its song-and-dance production this year is likely to yield a big round of applause at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. While the JBLM show date hasn't been released, we do know Pfc. Kiari Mhoon - Operation Rising Star finalist from JBLM - will join the 19 cast members to deliver the "Stand Strong" theme to garrisons starting April 11.

Here are more details from a U.S. Army Installation Management Command news release. ...

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MONRING REPORT FOR 3.7.14 >>>

The Pentagon unveiled a detailed proposal for fundamental, far-reaching changes to the current military pension system.

The Senate defeated Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's bid to take military sexual assault cases outside the chain of command.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walter "Lee" Miller Jr. and British Brigadier Paul A.E. Nanson indicated that although the Afghans lost control of some southwestern checkpoints they've been successful in taking them back.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that "tough, tough choices are coming" if the Pentagon implements deep future spending cuts required by law. 

Cutting the army by about 19 percent seems severe; until one considers that the Army has actually grown by about 14 percent in the last ten years.

House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., wondered aloud how any lawmaker could criticize the 2015 portion of the Obama administration's Pentagon budget for adhering to spending caps set in a 2011 law and extended via a recent budget resolution that passed both chambers.

DoD plans no cuts to spouse tuition program.

Lawmakers criticized the Pentagon's plan to strip the National Guard of the AH-64 Apache and the A-10 Warthog.

PACAF Gen. Carlisle: Pacific needs better allied, U.S. air-missile integration.

A diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar could pose problems for U.S. foreign policy in the Arabian Gulf.

Space, once called the ‘final frontier,' is no longer a sanctuary; it's a much more developed terrain, much more congested and contested than ever before.

NASA plans on sending an unmanned vehicle to search for life in the oceans of Europa, Jupiter's sixth-closest moon.

Scientists unlock mystery of out-of-body experiences.

Getty Images has made 35 million photos available to use for free online.

AMC released the first teaser for the final season of Mad Men.

Take a look at Andre Benjamin as Jimi Hendrix in the new biopic.

Kawehi is an awesome singer and musician, capable of creating pieces like this cover of Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box.

Finally: Chocolate chip cookie shots.

Oh la la

For one group of TRICARE beneficiaries, life is getting a little easier and a little more affordable ... and they won't even have to wait in line at Madigan Army Medical Center.

A new pilot program will require TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries to use the TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery or a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) pharmacy to fill prescriptions for select maintenance medications.

The pilot, which will begin March 14, will conclude in Dec. 2017, at which time the determination of whether to make it a permanent program or not will be made. However, after the end of the first year of the pilot, beneficiaries can choose to opt out of the program.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.6.14 >>>

Crimea's parliament voted to join Russia and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum within 10 days. 

The response at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense budget was expectedly frosty, from both sides of the aisle. 

CIA Director John Brennan fired back at reports that the CIA spied on Senate staffers' computers while accusing lawmakers of making "spurious allegations."

Under the Army's fiscal year 2015 budget request, soldiers will receive a 1 percent pay increase as well as a basic allowance for housing increase of 1.5 percent and a 3.4 percent increase in basic allowance for subsistence.

Top U.S. defense officials told Congress that if the Pentagon were allowed to bust its budget caps, it would save one aircraft carrier and tens of thousands of troop billets slated for elimination.

The U.S. Defense Department's proposed budget for fiscal 2015 would significantly boost funding for certain types of drones, helicopters and ships.

The Pentagon's fiscal 2015 budget request funds new projects aimed at making U.S. ballistic missile defenses more accurate and reliable, a senior official said.

The U.S. Air Force's top military acquisition officer expects the cost of the new long-range strike bomber to exceed an expected per-unit cost limit.

Progress remains steady in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter's operational testing, reprogramming, fueling, and stand-up training.

If U.S. and NATO forces are required to leave Afghanistan at the end of the year in the absence of a security agreement, the Afghan government's long-term viability "is likely to be at high risk," the commander of U.S. Central Command told Congress yesterday.

William Kyle Carpenter, a Marine Corps veteran who was severely wounded during a November 2010 grenade attack in Afghanistan, will receive the nation's highest combat valor award.

Digital Training Management System is the Army's future for training.

The Army is fielding a major software upgrade to its electronic medical record system.

Twenty percent of U.S. soldiers had mental illness before enlisting.

Frozen World War I soldiers appear in the Alps.

You're a 16th century German prince plotting to crush a peasant rebellion, or perhaps you're leading an army against the Ottoman Empire or looking to settle the score with a rival nobleman. What's a guy looking for a tactical edge to do? Bring on the rocket cats!

It's legal in Massachusetts to secretly photograph a person's undergarments - without them knowing.

Pee-wee Herman's bike is on eBay.

The comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates is coming to IFC this summer.

Finally: a True Detective/Twin Peaks mashup.

A Game of Thrones mixtape is on the way.

Speaking of Games of Thrones ...

Game of thrones Opening Titles from Mathilde Loubes on Vimeo.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 3.5.14 >>>

The Kremlin is threatening to hit back if Western nations impose sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

Defense leaders are telling Congress it has to tackle sequestration again.

The Pentagon started off the 2015 budget season Tuesday with a $496 billion budget that's sure to face a chorus of critics on Capitol Hill. Republican hawks say President Barack Obama's latest military spending request will embolden America's foes to take aggressive acts, while his Democratic mates offered only tepid support.

U.S. Army Plans to Cut 3 of 13 Aviation Brigades by 2019.

Army's budget plan also cuts readiness, kills the Ground Combat Vehicle and places a new priority on replacing obsolete vehicles such as the Humvee and the M113 armored personnel carrier.

Promises kept: Few surprises in U.S. Air Force budget.

How the 2015 budget cuts affect pay, BAH, per diem and Tricare.

The $22.8 billion Marine Corps budget request included funding for a major buildup of embassy security and quick reaction forces.

The Pentagon's latest Quadrennial Defense Review (has emphasized the need to protect science, technology, research and development, specifically cyber capabilities.

A senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday that, due to cuts to the defense budget, the Pentagon's plans to pivot to Asia "can't happen."

Russia has shocked the world by sendingtroops into Ukraine, and a new Defense Department long-term threat assessment proves that the U.S. military was no exception.

Fighting Afghan terrorism, without troops.

Less than a month before an Army general's trial on sexual assault charges was set to begin, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears as he told a superior he believed the primary accuser in the case had lied under oath.

The Air Force Academy to cut 99 jobs and 10 majors, including a third of the sergeants who oversee military training and cadet discipline, and 29 positions in academics.

A U.S. Navy ocean tug on Tuesday was towing a Canadian navy ship with nearly 300 crew members on board to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor after an engine fire left 20 sailors with minor injuries.

Longtime music journalist Michael Azerrad talks to Pitchfork about his influences.

See a cool model of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment.

Read Norm Macdonald's great story about Harold Ramis, which he shared on Twitter.

This is cool

Congratulations 8th Brigade ROTC at Pacific Lutheran University for winning another MacArthur Award, this time for the school year 2012-2013.

Let's read the U.S. Army Cadet Command's news release:

Fort Knox, Ky. (Feb. 28, 2014) - The U.S. Army Cadet Command announced today the eight winners of the MacArthur Awards for the school year 2012-2013.

The award recognizes the eight schools, selected from among the 275 senior Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units nationwide, as the top programs in the country.

The awards, presented by Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation, recognize the ideals of "duty, honor and country" as advocated by MacArthur.

The award is based on a combination of the achievement of the school's commissioning mission, its cadets' performance and standing on the command's National Order of Merit List and its cadet retention rate.

Cadet Command and the MacArthur Foundation have given the awards each year since 1989.

This year's eight winners are:

Read more...

Comment On This Post