There are two types of connections that UNITE US, an emerging technology platform aimed at enabling the military community, is focused on: peer to peer and peer to organization.

"We wanted to create something that helped connect the dots - to connect the demand side with the supply side," explained UNITE US co-founder Taylor Justice.

Justice, who graduated from West Point in 2006 and served for a few years before being medically retired, created Unite US with two other veterans, Dan Brillman and Kareem Elsirafy, as well as a civilian partner, Andrew Price.

The four men began work in 2012 and after raising seed money, cultivating relationships and building their virtual platform, UNITE US went live in November 2013.

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A rocket attack by pro-Russian rebels on a border post on Ukraine's border with Russia today may have killed as many as 30 soldiers and border guards.

A fourth day of Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed 11 more Palestinians, raising the death toll in the coastal enclave to at least 96.

Demand for Air Force spy planes, fighters and bombers from Eastern Europe to the Far East is spiking.

A U.S. Army general defended his service's decision to buy 100 Airbus UH-72 Lakota helicopters for pilot training.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to help prevent veteran suicides and reform the way the Veterans Affairs Department treats those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. 

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has released a new score for a House bill to overhaul the Veterans Affairs Department that is dramatically lower than its previous estimate.

The blaze on an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that grounded the military's fleet might be an isolated incident, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer told lawmakers Thursday.

Months after the Army implemented a more stringent tattoo policy, recruiters say they are the ones feeling the pinch.

The U.S. Army conducted flight testing of an unmanned airborne electronic attack capability known as NERO, or the Networked Electronic Warfare Remotely Operated.

Air Force officials announced the Total Force Commissioning Process.

The Army has started migrating all its enterprise applications and systems to designated core data centers.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is exploring the possibility of partnering with the private sector for projects involving America's waterways and ports.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command launched a new centralized recruiting program.

Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, Army surgeon general and commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Command, hosted the first Army Medicine Virtual Town Hall on Facebook. 

World's first climate-controlled neighborhood to be built in Dubai.

Scientist find that 80 percent of all light in the Universe is missing.

171 reasons why the Matrix Reloaded was crap.

15 music videos filmed in one shot.

How many more Seinfeld 25th anniversary pieces do you need? The answer is actually: just this one, which lays out why Elaine Benes is a feminist icon.

OMG

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. Mary S. Katzenberger

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A top official at the Veterans Affairs Department says he is sorry that VA employees have suffered retaliation after making complaints about poor patient care, long wait times and other problems.

North Korea launched two projectiles this morning into the sea off its east coast.

Israel bombs more than 100 targets overnight in Gaza.

U.S. Sen. John McCain is echoing a House Democrat's warning that the Obama administration is flying blind in responding to a violent Islamic group's destabilizing advance in Iraq.

The Islamic State extremist group has taken control of a vast former chemical weapons facility northwest of Baghdad.

Iraqi officials discovered 50 bodies, many of them blindfolded and with their hands bound, in an agricultural area outside a city south of Baghdad.

If Baghdad falls: Lessons of Vietnam.

The number of Afghan civilians, including children, killed in violence rose by nearly 17 percent in the first half of this year.

The creative process of an Oscar-winning screenwriter.

Spoiler: Game of Thrones is fake!

10 movies that show how great editing can turn movies into masterpieces.

Here comes a tiny hedgehog.

Courtney Love will appear on Sons of Anarchy next season

Bring It: Universal Classic Monsters 30-film set

List: Best motion-capture characters in film.

Finally: Video shows a bunch of actors who were on The X-Files before they became famous.

Think outside the box today ...

LINK: Original photo by Cpl. Demetrius Munnerlyn

In July the Thurston County Veterans Court will mark its five-year anniversary and in order to commemorate the milestone month, the public is invited to join in the celebration each Wednesday in July during the normal, weekly Veterans Court proceedings. Special guest speakers, Veterans Court staff and Veterans Court graduates and their families will be on hand throughout the month.

When the Thurston County Veterans Court program was introduced in 2009, it was the eleventh such program in the nation and the first in Washington. Since then, veterans court programs have grown and there are now more than 160 nationwide.

"I feel we have an obligation to servicemen and veterans, to help them," said Staci Coleman, Veterans Court Program Manager. "This is our chance to give them an opportunity to heal, get back on their feet and resume being engaged and productive community members."

Thurston County Veterans Court combines rigorous treatment and accountability to veterans and active duty military personnel with legal troubles. It offers a chance at rehabilitation to veterans who, due to service-related mental health issues, find themselves facing legal charges; cases pertaining to sexual crimes or illegal use of weapons are not eligible.

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Israeli air strikes killed seven Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip following the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli youths and a Palestinian teen.

Ukraine to lay siege to rebel-held regional centers.

Ukraine's richest man pleads for city's safety after rebels vow to make stand.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel concerned over U.S. spy claims. 

The U.S. Defense Department is set to roll out a new R&D strategy this week.

The F-35 Joint Program Office has begun carrying out a game-changing plan for sustainment on a global scale.

U.S. Navy's cruiser problem.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy wants every sailor to have a tablet.

Opinion: deck stacked again women in experimental task force.

The Air Force says putting "juicy bars" off-limits has helped shut many involved with prostitution and human trafficking.

Army publishes SHARP campaign plan.

Installations to open SHARP Resource Centers.

Army moving education content to cloud for better access.

Natick investigates shelter lighting effects on soldier thinking, mood.

Veterans turning to American Legion in wake of VA scandal.

Fury, scheduled for release Nov. 14, is writer/director David Ayer's new movie about a U.S. Sherman tank mission behind German lines in April 1945.

A tantalizing brief glimpse inside Fabien Cousteau's underwater lab.

Scientists have located the brain's on/off switch for consciousness.

Neil deGrasse Tyson gives a detailed breakdown of NASCAR physics.

The science behind barbecuing.

The new Star Wars movie has picked two new actors from its open casting call.

See Kevin Smith talk about his visit to the Star Wars set.

A new book counts down Bruce Springsteen's 100 best songs.

Dude, you don't ban a kid from a restaurant for wearing a Ninja Turtles shirt.

Finally: Seinfeld breakups

No words can describe this ...

LINK: Original photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger

GRAB A COFFEE AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 7.5.14 >>>

Taliban insurgents set fire to about 200 oil tanker trucks supplying fuel for NATO forces in an attack just outside the Afghan capital Kabul.

Government forces recaptured a flashpoint area of eastern Ukraine from pro-Russian rebels.

Why Putin turned against the U.S.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey: Iraqi military can't regain lost territory on its own.

The Navy and Air Force have grounded the entire fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Crunch time for VA deal.

Quarantine the Middle East.

Faced with a newly aggressive Russia, NATO has been mulling how to react, but it is ruling out one option: rapid expansion.

Custody case highlights a dilemma of deployment.

Queen Elizabeth II smashed a bottle of whisky against Britain's biggest warship on Friday as she gave her name to the new aircraft carrier at a ceremony in Scotland.

The eight presidents with the most badass military records.

Drone captures beautiful film flying through fireworks.

An emoji-only social network: Ridiculous or brilliant?

Breaking ground on the world's largest shopping mall.

City of Wolfsburg - in Germany - is currently hosting the worst Star Wars exhibition ever.

Endless flood of people in Hong Kong is like real life World War Z.

Here's a Burger King video that makes us want to puke ...

LINK: Original photo by Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo

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Iraq chases Baghdad sleeper cells as "Zero Hour" looms over capital.

Israel said today it was beefing up its forces along its frontier with the Gaza Strip.

Iran has reduced demands for the size of its future nuclear enrichment program in talks with world powers.

The latest delivery of Russian-made Su-25 Frogfoot aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force originated from Iran.

The White House is expected to nominate Lt. Gen. Lori Robinson to head up Pacific Air Forces and receive a fourth star, making her the first U.S. female four-star commander of combat forces.

Top U.S. officials return to Farnborough as F-35 debuts.

How the Pentagon could save $108 billion over the next decade.

Will U.S. switch sides and back Assad?

There hasn't been a real adjustment in the U.S. definition of national security since the end of the Cold War and the extension of business as usual has simply diminished the U.S. in its role as a world leader.

Forget terrorism. The Pentagon's best chance to field the best military with the smaller budget imposed by sequestration may just lie in preparing for nuclear war with Russia and China.

China: Leap-frogging U.S. deterrence in the Pacific.

VA medical inspector retires after scathing report.

The U.S. Army wants to replace its Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol with a more powerful handgun.

Army: Bergdahl venturing out in public.

The Army-led Future Vertical Lift program is being developed to replace the service's aging helicopter fleet, and the aircraft of other services, at some point in the future.

94th Infantry Division vets reunite to remember World War II.

25th Transportation Battalion carries out certification exercise below DMZ.

The www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/07/military-already-using-facebook-track-moods/87793/?oref=d-topstory" target="_blank">military is using Facebook to track your mood.

Top five misconceptions about evolution according to scientists.

Cool demonstration of self-driving cars.

Too Much Free Time: Watch how American cities grow through thousands of historic maps.

Variety has a piece about John Oliver's show and how it has "shattered TV's comedy-news format."

Tour buses for Styx and Foreignercaught on fire yesterday.

LIST: 50 greatest summer blockbusters

What?

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. Avila

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.

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

Two veterans worked hard to make a difference for other veterans.

"We veterans have a unique relationship," explained Army veteran Scot Pondelick. 

"It's a kind of love that we have."

Pondelick and Navy veteran Tito Medina organized the first annual Veterans Resource Fair at the Tacoma Dome's Exhibition Hall June 21.

"I knew there were plenty of resources in the area, but it was a matter of publicizing them and gathering them at one time in one place," explained Medina.

He emphasized that some of the service providers don't have a large network, so the fair would help them get to know each other.

"This event is for veterans, but it will also allow providers to get to know each other in order to better help veterans."

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