GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.28.14 >>>

A scathing review of the Department of Veterans Affairs released Friday calls for a complete overhaul and warns a "corrosive culture" led veterans to have to wait longer for care.

The Iraqi military and witnesses say government helicopter gunships have conducted air strikes in the northern city of Tikrit.

Institute for the Study of War: Iraq Situation Report

Why ISIS won't take Baghdad.

Iraqi parties pursue talks that could oust Maliki over insurgency.

U.N. experts trace recent seized arms to Iran, violating embargo.

The European Union signed an historic free-trade pact with Ukraine.

Senior congressional Republicans are vowing to closely scrub President Barack Obama's new war-funding request, with one saying it "cries out for oversight."

The Air Force's removal of a squadron commander has ignited fierce debate over commander-subordinate relations.

America's floating prisons

The swift, quiet rise of Lt. Gen. Joseph Votel to SOCOM chief.

The Army, along with its sister services, allies and first responders from across the country tested lines of communications during a month-long Joint Users Interoperability Communications Exercise, or JUICE.

Army watercraft, divers, sustainment troops participating in RIMPAC 2014.

RIMPAC 2014: The ins and outs.

Transforming the B-52 into a maritime patrol plane.

Actress Amy Adams gave up her first-class seat on a flight from Detroit to Los Angeles to a soldier she saw onboard.

How the Fukushima disaster is changing the future of robotics.

What a lightning storm looks like from space.

Scientists blow up 100 tons of TNT in the middle of nowhere not just for the fun of it.

What's in your wallet?

Beer may be as old as civilization itself, but modern molecular biology could teach craft brewers some new tricks.

Old Daily Show clips mocking camera phones and texting are hilarious.

Jerry Seinfeld's series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is back.

Check out new comedic Web series Thundershorts.

What happens when you mix William Shatner, a bottle of wine and a celebrity guest? Brown Bag Wine Tasting.

Finally: Ben & Jerry's new Saturday Night Live flavors.

Hope you have more fun today than this guy. ...

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Marilyn Lowry, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6/27.14 >>>

The U.S. military began flying armed drones over Baghdad in the last 24 hours.

Orion, NASA's newest manned spaceship, is being prepared for its first mission in December. In future missions, it will journey into deep space - to Mars and beyond - farther than humans have ever gone before.

The treaty banning anti-personnel landmines was signed by 161 other nations, but not the U.S.

California Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier wants Congress to give millions in lost separation pay to service members dismissed from the military under the old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Ukraine signed an historic free-trade agreement with the European Union that has been at the heart of months of violence and upheaval in the country. 

The U.S. will urge China to resume discussions on cyber security that were abruptly suspended after the Americans charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into U.S. companies to steal trade secrets.

Obama has requested $6 billion for new military aircraft, drones, vehicles and bombs as part of his $60 billion request to fund the war in Afghanistan and other contingency operations in 2015.

The White House is asking Congress for $500 million to train and equip vetted pro-Western Syrian opposition groups.

Sen. Bernie Sanders implored House lawmakers to pay for a Veterans Affairs overhaul bill through emergency spending, not budget cuts.

New Drone Report: Three misconceptions about drones.

Marines won't take the beaches head-on any more.

The U.S. Air Force awarded Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin a $1.3 billion contract for the Combat Rescue Helicopter program.

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have halted all F-35 flights after a fire damaged an Air Force F-35A during takeoff at Eglin Air Force Base.

The stone fish is the most poisonous fish in the sea and one of the most dangerous in the world.

If you think about it, the battle for control over the lands of Westeros would totally still make sense if it were set in the 1980s.

Project Tango Hands-On: Computer vision is so much cooler than you think.

The largest movable machine in the world.

Johnny Depp is doing Chinese reality TV.

See video of Don Cheadle prepping to play Miles Davis.

Happy 25th anniversary to the B-52s' Cosmic Thing.

List: Best/worst acting performances by musicians in film.

It's Friday!

LINK: Original photo by Staff Sgt. Todd Christopherson

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.25.14 >>>

The U.S.-led international coalition in Afghanistan says one of its servicemembers has been killed in an attack in the country's south.

Militants take Iraqi gas field town, close in on Baghdad.

There is no evidence that during the five years he was held captive that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl helped the Taliban.

The White House will ask the US Congress for $60 billion to fund military operations in Afghanistan and other global contingencies.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Russia to disarm separatists in Ukraine within "the next hours" as the European Union prepared to discuss deeper sanctions against Moscow.

History's Warning: A U.S.-China war is terrifyingly possible.

More than six in 10 people believe the captured Benghazi attack suspect is an enemy combatant who should be tried by military commission. 

Veterans who suffered brain injuries while in the service were more likely to develop Alzheimer's decades later.

Two more high-ranking Veterans Affairs officials announced plans to step down from their leadership roles.

Libya has become a "magnet" for terrorists since the U.S.-led ouster of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Artic warriors summit Mount McKinley, put Army gear to test.

The commandant of the Marine Corps pushed back on criticism of the Marines' amphibious combat vehicle, calling development of the vehicle his top priority for the remainder of his tenure.

The military is about to get new spy glasses.

Moto 360 Hands-On: This smartwatch will make you swoon.

Read a paper's lengthy apology to David Bowie.

The A.V. Club is holding a "Tournament of Episodes" where, say, Breaking Bad goes up against Community.

Amazon is launching a food takeout service.

Finally: An anatomical chocolate skull for sweet-toothed cannibals.

Greet every personwho walks into your office today with the Red Tail Hawk Scream!

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Kimberly Hackbarth

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.25.14 >>>

Sen. Tom Coburn: 1,000 vets may have died over VA misconduct.

Militants attacked one of Iraq's largest air bases and seized control of several small oilfields as U.S. military experts arrived to set up an operations centre to help Iraqi security forces counter a mounting Sunni insurgency.

In Iraq, former militia program eyed for new fight.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected calls to create a new national unity government that the Obama administration has been pushing.   

Questions rebels use to tell Sunni from Shiite.

The White House will soon send the Pentagon's 2015 war spending request to the US Congress.

Air Force generals will face off over difficult budget, job cuts.

By not letting the Air Force retire the A-10 aircraft, however, Congress is going to instead force the retirement of bigger fleets of F-16 fighter and B-1 bomber aircraft.

The Air Force's B-2 Spirit is receiving a technological upgrade to allow the service's bat-winged, nuclear capable bomber keep flying through 2058.

The proliferation of armed drones could lower the threshold for conflict.

New leaders tapped for ISAF, SOCOM and NORAD.

North Korea calls new movie The Interview, which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, an act of war.

10 hidden details in your city and what they mean.

Learn how OK Go made their new video.

The Knack's "My Sharona" is 35 years old.

Quiz: Can you match the cereal milk with the cereal?

Finally: Joan Jett is starring in a Lifetime movie.

New awesome tech trend ...

More Office Workers Switching To Fetal Position Desks

LINK: Original photo by Spc. Jacob Warren

A military ID gets you in. Without it, you're stuck outside the gate, watching Northwest outdoors expert after expert drive through the gate with their sports utility vehicles loaded with the latest outdoor toys. Clutching cups of scalding coffee in camouflage travel mugs and shouldering backpacks better suited for navigating trails than city traffic, they'll set up booths at Joint Base Lewis McChord's Main Exchange. Indeed, Saturday, June 28, hunting and fishing guides, vendors and outdoor experts - including representatives from Twisted Horn Outfitters, Heroes on the Water and JBLM Northwest Adventure Center - will be on hand in the Exchange parking lot as part of the JBLM Outdoor Expo. Included will be 10 Northwest hunting and fishing experts on hand to answer your questions and offers tips. Let's read a press release from Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affairs. ...

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.24.14 >>>

The White House announced former Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts will receive the Medal of Honor for his combat actions during an enemy engagement in Wanat in the Waygal Valley of northeastern Afghanistan, July 13, 2008.

Iraq: Residents of farming villages describe being gunned down by Sunni militants and fleeing their homes amid shelling.

The al Qaeda-splinter group, Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant, has bragged about its capture of Iraqi army equipment, including Humvees, blast-resistant trucks and tanks.

U.S. teams of special forces going into Iraq after a three-year gap will face an aggressive insurgency, a splintering military and a precarious political situation as they help Iraqi security forces improve their ability to battle Sunni militants.

Iraq has offered legal guarantees to shield U.S. special operations forces sent to the country as advisers to help its forces battle Sunni radicals who have seized tracts of territory.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that two-thirds of Americans oppose sending U.S. troops to Iraq.

Jordan has reinforced its border with Iraq after Sunni Arab militants overran a crossing with Syria.

The last consignment of declared chemical weapons has been handed over by the Syrian government.

The U.S. military is expected to significantly increase the number of troops, ships and watercraft rotating through Australia.

President Vladimir Putin asked Russia's upper house on Tuesday to revoke the right it had granted him to order a military intervention in Ukraine.

VA hid deaths, whistleblowers says.

Report: VA overlooked whistleblowers.

House lawmakers expressed displeasure that the VA has not been more transparent in its efforts to improve patient wait times and pressed the agency's senior leaders to move faster to solve the crisis.

A Scary Scenario: Fewer nukes, lots of missiles.

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighter caught fire when attempting to take off from a Florida Air Force base Monday morning.

GI Bill benefit unlikely to be cut, acting VA secretary says.

Army looking for new ways to provide training and education materials.

Too Much Free Time: The biggest companies from each state in the U.S.

Cooking eggs Benedict according to science.

This city from another world is right here on earth.

Video: Is this the most offensive red-carpet interview of all time?

Some early Talking Heads recordings have surfaced.

AMC has renewed Turn.

Mental Floss explains obscure references in classic rock songs.

Finally: Guided by Voices beer!

Finally: Every national anthem in the world mixed into one single song.

He's Batman ...

LINK: Original photo by Lance Cpl. Santiago G. Colon Jr.

Get ready to mark your calendars and save the date: an innovative and robust military career fair will be back again this summer to help transitioning and retired military personnel who are seeking employment.

WorkForce Central, in partnership with the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, is pleased to present the 2014 Annual Boots2Work Military Career Fair Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at historic Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.  Last year's event provided more than 600 transitioning and retired military personnel and their spouses access to a number of military friendly businesses. This year's career fair will continue to feature employer exhibitors that are ready to hire, as well as provide expert help to assist job seekers obtain tools, resources and support in their employment journey.  

Aug. 26, the day prior to the event, there will be a variety of workshops to help participants prepare for the career fair. The workshops will also be held at Cheney Stadium.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 6.23.14 >>>

The militants' capture of Turabil late Sunday followed the fall of three more towns in Iraq's western Anbar province.

U.S. advisers sent to Iraq will likely find an army so lacking that it may not be able to win back significant chunks of territory from militants.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Baghdad to press Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to form a more inclusive government in response to the Sunni insurgency that is sweeping Iraq.  

Obama: Only Iraqi political leadership, and not U.S. military force, could help solve sectarian divisions threatening to plunge the country into a civil war.

Obama: Afghanistan could be gripped by Iraq-style sectarian violence after the full withdrawal of American troops by the end of 2016.

Fighting flared between Ukrainian and pro-Moscow separatist forces.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been moved to outpatient care at a Texas military base.

The U.S. missile defense system managed by Boeing Co. on Sunday hit a simulated enemy missile over the Pacific in the first successful intercept test of the program since 2008.

Military now has X-ray guns.

Special Forces conducts naval training as Army emphasizes amphibious.

The Army is evolving its current Integrated Training Environment into a single synthetic training environment that combines constructive, gaming and virtual systems.?

New horsepower for war zones: Special Forces saddle up.

5 revolutionary American weapons of war that never happened.

One handcrafted soda, please, barista. Venti. Light on the fizz. Iced, with a touch of anise.

A haunting look at some of America's abandoned shopping malls.

Slingshot is Facebook's second attempt at trying to jump onto the ephemeral messaging bandwagon.

Cool: YouTuber The Unusual Suspect has released a GotG-style trailer... for Star Wars!

Astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this Vine a few days ago from the International Space Station.

See what the women in Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video look like today.

John Landis talks about the Close Encounters trailer on the latest ep of Trailers From Hell.

Watch Pearl Jam cover Let It Go from Frozen.

Finally: Interviews the voice actors for the classic Peanuts specials.

Ouch!

LINK: Original Photo by Seaman Martin Carey

The 7th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office has sad news to report:

A 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division Soldier was killed during a training exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., June 21.

The Soldier has been identified as Pfc. Andrew J. Sass, 23, of Fremont, N.C.

Sass was an infantryman assigned to Company C, 2^nd Battalion, 1^st Infantry Regiment.

Sass entered military service in May 2013 and attended One Station Unit Training in Military Occupational Specialty 11B (Infantryman) at Fort Benning, Ga.  He arrived to 2-2 SBCT at JBLM in Oct. 2013.  He had not served on an overseas deployment.

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

"[This is] a true loss to the Lancer team. He was a husband, warrior, and true friend to all. He will be missed, but we will not forget him," said Col. Louis A. Zeisman, commander of the 2-2 SBCT. 

The incident is currently under investigation.

The 2-2 SBCT deployed to the NTC in early June to conduct a month-long training exercise.

Retired Maj. Gen. John Hemphill captured the mood of the moment when he said, "Old soldiers may fade away, but we haven't done that."

He made the remark during the 64th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration held on the campus of the State Capitol in Olympia June 21.

Often referred to as the Forgotten War, approximately 400 veterans, family members and friends attended the event.

The Washington Korean War Meritorious Veterans League, the Washington-Tacoma Korean American Association and the Seattle Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council sponsored the event.

The Korean War was a war between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). 

The war began in June 1950 when communist forces from North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States intervened in support of South Korea. Fighting ended in July 1953.

>>> Honor Guard soldiers assigned to 17th Field Artillery Brigade don ascots just prior to the beginning of the 64th Korean War Commemoration in Olympia. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

"Sixty-four years ago the attack marked one of the first actions of the Cold War," said Col. Paul Bontrager, deputy commanding general, 7^th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"We have a heritage of respect; we have forged an alliance that continues today."

Reminiscences amongst Korean War veterans, speeches of remembrance and renewed friendship and numerous wreath layings characterized the hour-long ceremony.

>>> Retired Col. Don Roberts, who served two tours of duty in Korea and 26 years in the Army.  Note the two stars on his Combat Infantry Badge. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

"It's really good to be here," commented Col. Don Roberts, a 26-year Army veteran who served two tours during the Korean War.

Above his ribbons was a rare Combat Infantry Badge with two stars.  He said only 400 have been awarded and that only 100 awardees are still alive.

Korean War veterans will fade away, but they will not be forgotten for the bravery and sacrifice they demonstrated that created today's free South Korea.

>>> Korean War veterans placed white chrysanthemums and saluted at the Korean War Memorial during the 64th  Korean War Commemoration. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson