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The Military Report
The Military Report By Rick Rogers Hello, everybody and welcome to The Military Report, where I rundown stories on the military, defense and veterans fronts. Let’s for a moment consider stories other than the almost daily military sex scandals that are rocking the military. Dear Lord, make the bad men stop! Senior defense officials recently voiced an obvious truth recently by saying the United States would likely be fighting al-Qaida for the next decade or two. …or until it either become a legitimate political player – yes, it is could happen faster than you think – or its money dries up. But the heart of the Associated Press story is the military’s plea for Congress not to meddle with 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, the law that authorized not only the U.S. invasion of … Read entire article »
Featured
Petition: Change Medal’s ‘Order of Precedence’
Do you disagree with the Pentagon’s decision to put a new medal honoring drone pilots above some traditional combat valor medals in the military’s “order of precedence”? This is your chance to let … Read more »
Warrior & Family Support News
COMMUNITIES IN ACTION Army Reserve gives a Texas-sized show of support to soldiers’ family members DVIDS Army Reserve Maj. Montrese Love addresses family members of deployed soldiers Jan. 13 during the Yellow Ribbon Reintegrationprogram at the Houston … Read more »
Popular
A Joyful Noise for Wounded Warriors
By Rick Rogers DefenseTracker.com “Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” -- Author Unknown The music of … Read more »
Govenor Proposes Brown Out for Vets
There’s an irony in Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to knock the stuffing out of state spending on veterans despite 2.1 million of them living in California and another 30,000 arriving yearly. Ironic because … Read more »
Is Another Round of Base Closures Coming?
By Rick Rogers DefenseTracker.com San Diego County needs to organize now to beat back another round of military base closures that San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio sees looming on the horizon. New England is … Read more »
Latest
Military Headline News: Recruiters & Sexual Assaults, VA Sitting on $765M Meant for Vets
Military Headline News More controversy surrounding sexual assaults in the ranks. Now military recruiters are under scrutiny after scandals nationwide. Though military-wide figures are unavailable, the Army alone has averaged 65 sexual misconduct cases by its recruiters for each of the last five years. The Department of Veterans Affairs is under fire again. This time for not buying equipment to treat veterans. Critics fault the VA for sitting on more $765 million in budgeted funds. A VA spokesman said the agency just wants to ensure the money is spent properly. Army Sgt. John Russell has been found guilty by a military judge of premeditated murder. Russell was accused of killing five fellow soldiers at an Iraq combat stress clinic in 2009. He faces … Read entire article »
Women Veterans Hotline
VA Launches Hotline to Answer Questions on VA Health Care and Benefits for Women Veterans WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new hotline – 1-855-VA-WOMEN – to receive and respond to questions from Veterans, their families and caregivers about the many VA services and resources available to women Veterans. The service began accepting calls on April 23, 2013. “Some women Veterans may not know about high-quality VA care and services available to them,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The hotline will allow us to field their questions and provide critical information about the latest enhancements in VA services.” The hotline is staffed by knowledgeable VA employees who can provide information about benefits … Read entire article »
Military Headline News: Afghan IG Feeling Heat, Missing in America Project Finds 2,000
Military Headline News The man responsible for tracking billions in U.S. taxpayer money paying for projects in Afghanistan claims he’s under pressure to be quiet about his findings. John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said American officials have told him to stop running audits that expose fraud, waste and abuse. An organization is searching the nation’s funeral homes to find the unclaimed remains of veterans in order to give them a fitting burial. Since 2006 the Missing In America Project has discovered the ashes of more than 2,000 veterans — including six from the Civil War – left unclaimed. Veterans applauded when President Obama signed a bill in January creating a registry to follow the health of … Read entire article »
Military Week In Review: Sexual Assaults Military’s Top Story
By Rick Rogers Military Headline News Another tough week for the service branches on the military sexual assaults front. First the commander of the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention program, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, was charged with groping woman in a Virginia park. Next came a scathing Pentagon report on surging sexual assaults in the military. Now President Obama is saying no more. He’s ordered the Pentagon to ramp up efforts to stop such assaults and to punish attackers. The Defense Department estimates more than 70 sex crimes are committed daily in the military – up 37 percent from last year. The figures are based on an anonymous survey. * U.S. News and World Report has published its rankings of best online degree programs … Read entire article »
MHN: U.S. Wants Afghan Bases, Soldier Pulled for ‘Stoning’ Karzai, Ban on VA Bonuses?
Military Headline News * The second boot has drooped concerning U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan. The United States is requesting nine bases be kept open after the general pullout date of 2014, according to the Afghan government. Up to 12,000 U.S. and NATO troops could remain there for years. * A congressional committee wants to cutoff Veterans Affairs officials from getting bonuses for five years. The action follows outrage over how the VA makes the awards. In fiscal 2011, nearly $3 million in bonuses were handed out. * Better stash those pinups. The Pentagon is inspecting military offices worldwide to ferret out materials deemed degrading or offensive. The Air Force conducted a similar search last year. * How many combat uniforms do the military … Read entire article »
Military Headline News: Military Sex Assaults Get White House Attention
Military Headline News * Sexual assaults in the military has grabbed the attention of White House — big time. First, the commander of the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention program was charged with a sex crime. Next came a scathing Pentagon report on surging sexual assaults in the military. Now President Obama is saying no more. He’s ordered the Pentagon to ramp up efforts to stop sexual assaults and to punish attackers. An estimated 70 sex crimes are committed daily in the military – up 37 percent from last year, according to the new Pentagon report. * Rankings for the best online degree programs for veterans are out. The topping the list in the under graduate degree category is: Pace University of … Read entire article »
Military Headline News: Another Sex Scandal for AF, Navy Ship Deficient
Military Headline News * The chief of the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention program has been arrested and charged with sexual battery. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski is accused of groping a woman in a park. * Days after the Air Force flew a drone at more than 3,000 M.P.H., the Navy accomplished a milestone in its own unmanned aerial program. The Navy’s X-47B drone successfully landed on a simulated deck of an aircraft carrier. Next month the drone goes to sea to tested on a real carrier. * More bad news for warship. Its $37 billion Littoral Combat Ship program faces failure because the boats are simply too lightly armed for its mission, according to a Navy report obtained by Bloomberg. In the … Read entire article »
Military Headline News: Vet Employment Rises, Crashes Taking More Vets
Military Headline News * A good sign for veterans looking for work. Unemployment for younger vets dropped to its lowest level since 2009. Joblessness for Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans now stands at 7.5 percent – the same as for civilians. Nearly 2.1 million of these veterans are now working. However, about 860,000 are still unable to find jobs. * Nearly a third of all veterans deemed suicide risks are not getting the follow-up care they are supposed to under Department of Veterans Affairs guidelines. Law-makers are pushing to find out why. * Iraq and Afghanistan veterans leaving the service are facing another danger on the home front: driving. The veterans are 75 percent more likely to die in a fatal car accident than … Read entire article »
MHN: FBI Foils Terror Plot, Spielberg Directing Sniper Flick
Military Headline News * The FBI claims it derailed a terror plot by arresting a Minnesota man allegedly planning an attack. Twenty-four-year-old Buford Rogers was reportedly arrested in the case. * Tensions are heating up across Asia and the Middle East. Afghan and Pakistani troops are clashing along contested borderland that both countries claim. *An Australian frigate has joined the American fleet in Japan as tensions in the Asia-Pacific grow. The Aussie warship is attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet. * A recent Israeli airstrike on a Syrian military complex has killed dozens of government troops, according to a non-government report. So far, Israel has launched three airstrikes against Syria this year. The strikes are aimed at stopping Iranian weapons from reaching the … Read entire article »