Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs
A new report and Pentagon data show that suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year.
Panel advises removal of Confederate statue at Arlington
An independent commission is recommending that the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery be dismantled and taken down, as part of its final report to Congress on the renaming of military bases and assets that commemorate the Confederacy.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Study: Texas bases lead Army posts in risk of sexual assault
A new study finds that female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018.
Army under fire from Congress over Fort Hood response
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – Lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly improvements are being made to criminal investigation at Fort Hood, Texas, where rates of violent crime and sexual assaults are particularly high. More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including in multiple homicides and suicides. The review also concluded that the Army CID was understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week last year before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. AdAs a result of the independent review and other investigations, the Army earlier this year took action against 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelli’s cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelli’s attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
Let down your hair: New Army rules for ponytails, nail color
Female soldiers can let their hair down and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON – Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders announced Tuesday that they are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. Female soldiers going through Ranger or special operations training get their heads shaved, like male soldiers do.
The Latest: Colgate-Army men's basketball games postponed
(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Colgate men’s basketball games this weekend at Army have been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test result within Army’s Tier 1 personnel. ___The Tennessee Tech men’s basketball team has its first schedule change of the season because of COVID-19 issues. ___Michigan State is planning to resume competing later this week after postponing three straight games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the men’s basketball program. Staal said he was “the first guy to test positive” and said he was “as surprised as anyone else – really in shock” after finding out. He said he was trying to be safe and follow health protocols before testing positive.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. Biden is expected to win approval for others on his national security team in coming days, including Antony Blinken as secretary of state. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.
Congress poised for quick action on Biden's Pentagon nominee
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, confirmed that the confirmation vote on Austin would be conducted Friday. Austin, a 41-year veteran of the Army, has promised to surround himself with qualified civilians and include them in policy decisions. Many of them opposed a similar waiver in 2017 for Jim Mattis, former President Donald Trump's first secretary of defense. He emphasized on Tuesday that he will follow Biden’s lead in giving renewed attention to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. As a career Army officer, Austin had little reason to learn the intricacies of nuclear policy, since the Army has no nuclear weapons.
Florida won’t host U.S. Space Command after Air Force taps Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal
(AP Photo/David Goldman)Florida won’t be home to the U.S. Space Command after the Air Force plans to announce the Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Alabama will host the 11th unified combatant command over the favored base in Colorado. The U.S. Space Command was previously established in 1985 to coordinate the use of outer space by the branches of the U.S. military but later disbanded. In the meantime, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, thought to be the frontrunner candidate, will remain the temporary home of USSSPACECOM until the permanent headquarters is ready. Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska were also among the six finalists. During the final phase, the Air Force conducted both virtual and in person site visits at all six locations late last year.
The Latest: House urges Pence to remove Trump from power
__10:40 p.m.Michigan Rep. Fred Upton has become the fourth Republican to back the impeachment of President Donald Trump. ___8 p.m.Vice President Mike Pence is ruling out invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power, less than a week after the president fomented the violent insurrection at the Capitol. That word comes as GOP divisions emerge over Democrats’ plan for a House vote Wednesday. As rioters were still in the Capitol, Trump released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: “We love you. On impeachment, Trump said it’s “a really terrible thing that they’re doing.” But he said, “We want no violence.
General sorry for ‘miscommunication’ over vaccine shipments
I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.”There’s a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Perna said the government now is on track to get approximately 20 million doses to states by the first week of January, a combination of the newly approved Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday accused the White House of “slow-walking the process.” Michigan is due 60,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its second allotment, down from an anticipated 84,825.
The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.
14 Fort Hood soldiers fired, suspended over violence at base
The Army says it has fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and ordered policy changes to address chronic leadership failures at the base that contributed to a widespread pattern of violence including murder, sexual assaults and harassment. He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base's Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. Mejhor Morta was found near a reservoir by Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person. Fort Hood, he said, has the highest rate of positive drug tests in the Army.
National museum dedicated to Army debuts on Veterans Day
The Sherman tank that first broke through enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Those are just a few of the artifacts that tell the 245-year story of the nation's largest and oldest military branch at the new National Museum of the United States Army. Morando said the museum does not shy away from discussing painful aspects of Army history. The museum was built with private funds raised by the Army Historical Foundation. The Army provided the land and $230 million for site preparation, infrastructure, exhibits and the interior work that turns a building into a museum, officials said.
Asia Today: South Korea OKs single test for COVID-19 and flu
Even as India's overall coronavirus cases continue to fall, health officials say that New Delhi is in the grip of its third and worst wave of infections yet. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:— India’s capital reported a record high 6,725 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, hit by its worst wave of coronavirus infections since March. New Delhi has averaged more than 5,200 cases a day this past week, a spike the Health Ministry attributes to the festival season. Authorities have also closed schools and key public offices, banned public gatherings and restricted public transport.
Army: No requests made for use of troops around election
Army leaders said Tuesday that they have not received any requests to use active-duty or National Guard troops for possible civil unrest surrounding the presidential election next month, but are ready to do so if called on. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said no government agencies have asked for military troops. Thousands of National Guard troops, however, were used in Washington and in states across the nation to help law enforcement. The Army leaders on Tuesday also addressed other issues surrounding possible unrest. He and other Army leaders sat socially distant during the event and wore masks whenever they were not speaking.
The Latest: Army football schedule includes Navy, Air Force
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Army has finalized its football schedule and the Black Knights will play 11 games, eight at home. The rest of the home slate includes Louisiana-Monroe, BYU, Abilene Christian, The Citadel, Mercer, Air Force and Georgia Southern. ___Duke will open its season for football and other fall sports with no fans at home games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The school will contact football fans who have purchased season or single-game tickets or have seating and suite contracts in Blue Devil Tower regarding potential options. The school will allow fans to purchase a fan cutout of a person or pet to be placed in seats for football games.
Program allows some Alaska Native Vietnam vets to get land
Stewy would be an Alaska Native leader today if he had hadnt been killed in a head-on collision while driving the Maserati in 1975, his brother said. Alaska Natives were allowed to apply for 160 acres (65 hectares) of land under the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act. The BLM and other federal partners have identified about 1,000 Alaska Native service members or their descendants who might be eligible for the program and is in the process of notifying them. There could be more since the BLM estimates 40% of the Alaska Native veterans or their surviving family members have moved out of Alaska and may not know the window will reopen to apply. Even if they cant get that preferred land, Carlo cant imagine trying to sell it back for cash to the government.
More military bases increase health protections due to virus
The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.
Feds give 65 acres of land for border wall infrastructure
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2019, file photo government contractors erect a section of Pentagon-funded border wall along the Colorado River, in Yuma, Ariz. The federal Bureau of Land Management said on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, it's transferred over 65 acres of public land in Arizona and New Mexico to the Army for construction of border wall infrastructure. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)PHOENIX The federal Bureau of Land Management said on Tuesday that it has transferred over 65 acres of public land in Arizona and New Mexico to the Army for construction of border wall infrastructure. The agency says its now handing over 53 acres in Yuma County, Arizona, that is needed to install power and other utilities around the border wall there. This marks the second time in the past year that the agency has transferred public land to the military for border wall-related construction.
Milley: Confederate names on Army bases divide the military
WASHINGTON Confederate Army symbols within the military, including prominent Army bases named for rebel generals, are divisive and can be offensive to Blacks in uniform, the nation's top officer said Thursday. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that some see it differently. The House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for the budget year starting Oct. 1 include provisions for changing the names of 10 Army bases named for Confederate generals. President Donald Trump says he would veto the defense bill if the version that reaches his desk includes a requirement to change the names. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.
Lawyer: Remains of missing Texas soldier identified
Army investigators believe Guillen, a Texas soldier missing since April, was killed by another soldier on the Texas base where they served, the attorney for the missing soldier's family said Thursday. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)DALLAS Army investigators have identified the body of a soldier who vanished more than two months ago from a base in Texas, according to a lawyer for the soldiers family. Vanessa Guilln and Army officials informed her family in Houston Sunday, attorney Natalie Khawam told The Associated Press. Guilln, who had been missing since April, was killed and dismembered by a fellow soldier who took his own life last week, federal and military investigators have said. Army officials identified the soldier suspected in Guillns disappearance as Aaron David Robinson.
Changes in military recruiting may endure after pandemic
WASHINGTON – With his Army recruiting office shuttered due to the coronavirus, Staff Sgt. “We’re going to empower the recruiters to allow for more autonomous recruiting,” said Maj. Gen. Frank Muth, head of the Army’s recruiting command. But first the Army has to determine how successful virtual recruiting can be. But, he said, online recruiting has improved. 1st Class Eric Nordin, who is making virtual recruiting a career.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.