Army Guard troops risk dismissal as vaccine deadline looms
Up to 40,000 Army National Guard soldiers across the country - or about 13% of the force — have not yet gotten the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, and as the deadline for shots looms, at least 14,000 of them have flatly refused and could be forced out of the service.
Details of new military aid for Ukraine from US, allies
Belgium NATO Ukraine U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. NATO defense ministers, attending a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, will discuss beefing up weapons supplies to Ukraine, and Sweden and Finland's applications to join the transatlantic military alliance. The U.S. military aid announced on Wednesday includes:— 18 howitzers and 36,000 rounds of ammunition for them. — Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that the U.S. previously agreed to send,— Four tactical vehicles to recover equipment. Austin said other countries also agreed to send more aid:— Germany will send three Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, which are very similar to the HIMARS.
wftv.comUS sending $1 billion more military aid to outgunned Ukraine
Belgium NATO Ukraine From left, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov attend the Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. NATO defense ministers, attending a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, will discuss beefing up weapons supplies to Ukraine, and Sweden and Finland's applications to join the transatlantic military alliance. All are key weapons systems that Ukrainian leaders have urgently requested as they battle to stall Russia's slow but steady march to conquer the eastern Donbas region. In his nightly address to the nation, President Zelenskyy pleaded Tuesday for more and faster deliveries of Western arms, specifically asking for anti-missile defense systems. “Allies are committed to continue providing the military equipment that Ukraine needs to prevail, including heavy weapons and long-range systems,” said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary-general.
wftv.comBiden says US will send $1 billion more in aid to Ukraine
Belgium NATO Ukraine U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, shakes hands with Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov ahead of a NATO defence ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. NATO defense ministers, attending a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, will discuss beefing up weapons supplies to Ukraine, and Sweden and Finland's applications to join the transatlantic military alliance. The stakes are too high.”Overall, since the war began in late February, the U.S. has committed about $5.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including this latest package. The remaining two-thirds would be equipment and weapons purchased from industry by the U.S. and then transferred to Ukraine. Austin's meeting, also attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, came on the opening day of a two-day gathering of NATO defense ministers at the alliance’s headquarters.
wftv.comUS expected to send $1 billion more in aid to Ukraine
Belgium NATO Ukraine U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, shakes hands with Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov ahead of a NATO defence ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The aid comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin convened a meeting in Brussels of more than 45 nations to discuss support for Ukraine. The meeting, also attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, came on the opening day of a two-day gathering of NATO defense ministers at the alliance’s headquarters. And for NATO allies to make new announcements of support to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. The defense ministers also plan to discuss moves to beef up forces along NATO’s eastern flank and elsewhere, which have gathered pace since Russia invaded Ukraine.
wftv.comChina accuses US of trying to 'hijack' support in Asia
China’s defense minister says the United States is trying to “hijack” the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to turn them against Beijing, saying Washington is seeking to advance its own interests “under the guise of multilateralism.”.
US: China's military activity around Taiwan threatens region
(AP Photo/Danial Hakim) (Danial Hakim)SINGAPORE — (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed American support for Taiwan on Saturday, suggesting at Asia's premier defense forum that recent Chinese military activity around the self-governing island threatens to change the status quo. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin noted a “steady increase in provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan,” including almost daily military flights near the island by the People's Republic of China. Austin said Washington remains committed to the “one-China policy,” which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. China has stepped up its military provocations against democratic Taiwan in recent years, aimed at intimidating it into accepting Beijing’s demands to unify with the communist mainland. “We remain focused on maintaining peace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” Austin said in his address.
wftv.comChina will 'definitely not hesitate to start a war' over Taiwan split, Beijing warns US
In a meeting between China and the U.S. on Friday, Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe warned that the country would go to war with Taiwan if the island declared independence. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave the event’s keynote speech. In a separate face-to-face meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Wei made it clear that China remained firm in its stance against Taiwanese independence.
news.yahoo.comAt first meeting, U.S., China defense chiefs call for more communication
It was the latest indication that the temperature of the U.S.-China conflict has been dialed down a few notches, even as Beijing and Washington remain strategic rivals with opposing interests across a range of issues.
washingtonpost.comUS official says diplomatic push in Asia paying dividends
US Asia U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told The Associated Press in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, June 10, 2022. Chollet said the American diplomatic push aimed at countering China's increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region appears to be paying dividends, with many nations showing a willingness to partner with the United States. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) (Sakchai Lalit)BANGKOK — (AP) — The American diplomatic push aimed at countering China's increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region appears to be paying dividends, with many nations showing a willingness to partner with the United States, a top State Department official said Friday. The push in Asia comes amid growing concerns over China’s own efforts to expand its influence in the area. The U.S. and its allies have responded with so-called freedom of navigation patrols, sometimes encountering a pushback from China’s military.
wftv.comUS official says diplomatic push in Asia paying dividends
A top State Department official says the American diplomatic push aimed at countering China’s increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region appears to be paying dividends, with many nations showing a willingness to partner with the United States.
NATO chief Stoltenberg has shingles, cancels Berlin visit
US NATO NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (Manuel Balce Ceneta)BRUSSELS — (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called off a series of in-person meetings in Germany and Romania because he has contracted shingles after having a coronavirus infection last month, his office said Thursday. “The Secretary General will conduct his planned visit to Germany (and Romania) remotely rather than in person. He has been diagnosed with shingles, which can occur after COVID-19, and is working from home,” a NATO official said. Stoltenberg, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, contracted the coronavirus in early May and was forced to work from home as NATO foreign ministers met in Berlin.
wftv.comUS official meets Marcos in Philippines in diplomatic push
A top State Department official met Thursday, June 9, 2022 with Marcos in Manila, part of an ongoing diplomatic outreach in the Asia-Pacific region that Washington has undertaken to try and blunt growing Chinese influence. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) (Aaron Favila)BANGKOK — (AP) — A top State Department official met Thursday with Philippine President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, part of an ongoing diplomatic outreach in the Asia-Pacific region by Washington to try and blunt growing Chinese influence. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet is also in the region, meeting with officials in Thailand, Singapore and Brunei. The State Department said the two trips highlight American commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member regional bloc known as ASEAN, as well as Washington's bilateral partnerships. Australia pushed back, sending its own foreign minister to several Pacific island nations on her own diplomatic outreach.
wftv.comNew vaccine may be option for troops with religious concerns
A COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal authorization may offer a boost for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused the other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons.
Pentagon says more high-tech weapons going to Ukraine
Russia Ukraine War Washington Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, speak with reporters after a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon, Monday, May 23, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. withdrew its few troops in Ukraine before the war and has no plans to send in combat forces. Asked if U.S. special operations forces may go into Ukraine, which officials have insisted they are not doing yet, Milley said that “any reintroduction of U.S. forces into Ukraine would require a presidential decision. So we’re a ways away from anything like that.”Speaking to Pentagon reporters, Austin declined to say if the U.S. will send Ukraine high-tech mobile rocket launchers, which it has requested. In particular, he said that Denmark has agreed to send a harpoon launcher and missiles to Ukraine to help Ukraine defend its coast.
wftv.comAir Force cadets who refused COVID-19 vaccine told they won’t get commission
U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - MAY 26: United States Air Force Academy graduates cheer as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the graduation for the Class of 2021 at Falcon Stadium on May 26, 2021 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images /Getty Images)Three U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine will graduate the school this week, but will not be commissioned as U.S. military officers, according to the Air Force. In addition, the three may be required to reimburse the U.S. government for their education, Miller said. That decision will be made by the secretary of the Air Force. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the scheduled speaker at Wednesday’s Air Force Academy graduation.
wftv.com3 Air Force cadets who refused vaccine won't be commissioned
Three cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine will not be commissioned as military officers but will graduate with bachelor's degrees, the academy said Saturday, May 21, 2022. As of Saturday, the Air Force is the only military academy, so far, where cadets are not being commissioned due to vaccine refusal. Ahead of that ceremony, the U.S. Air Force Academy Board conducted its standard review of whether this year's class had met all graduation requirements on Friday. Across the military, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have discharged as many as 4,000 active duty service members for refusing the vaccine. About 99% of the active duty Navy and 98% of the Air Force, Marine Corps and Army have gotten at least one shot.
wftv.com3 Air Force cadets who refused vaccine won't be commissioned
Three cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine will not be commissioned as military officers but will graduate with bachelor's degrees, the academy said Saturday. Academy spokesman Dean Miller said that a fourth cadet who had refused the vaccine until about a week ago, decided to be vaccinated and will graduate and become an Air Force officer. In a statement, Miller said that while the three will get a degree "they will not be commissioned into the United States Air Force as long as they remain unvaccinated."
news.yahoo.comKirby to lead Biden's national security communications team
Pentagon Kirby Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday named Pentagon press secretary John Kirby to be the new National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. Kirby "will coordinate interagency efforts to explain United States policy and will serve as a senior administration voice on related matters," the White House said in a statement. Kirby has been a fixture on cable news, particularly during the Ukraine crisis, and is valued in the administration for seeming to handle even the thorniest foreign policy questions with ease. The NSC under Biden has not previously had someone in a dedicated, high-level strategic communications role.
wftv.comLive updates | UN Chief: War in Ukraine driving world hunger
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he's in “intense contacts” with Russia and other countries to stop escalating global hunger exacerbated by the war in Ukraine by allowing the export of grain stored in Ukrainian ports and ensuring Russian food and fertilizers have unrestricted access to world markets.
Review finds US troops didn't violate law in Syria airstrike
WASHINGTON — (AP) — A U.S. military investigation found that American troops did not violate the law of war or deliberately cause civilian casualties in a 2019 airstrike in Syria that killed dozens of people, including women and children. He also ordered Army Gen. Michael Garrett, currently the head of U.S. Army Forces Command, to do an independent review of the Baghuz strike. The strike killed a longtime employee of an American humanitarian organization and nine of his family members, including seven children. The initial investigation into the attack concluded that the strike constituted legitimate self-defense in support of Syrian partner forces under fire from the Islamic State group. Of the civilians, one female and three children were killed, and 11 women and four children were wounded.
wftv.comReview finds US troops didn't violate law in Syria airstrike
The U.S. military committed a number of procedural mistakes in the aftermath of a 2019 airstrike in Syria that killed dozens, including women and children, but a new investigation has concluded that U.S. troops did not violate the law of war or deliberately cause civilian casualties.
US, Russian defense chiefs speak for 1st time since invasion
House Defense Budget Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense during a hearing for the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday after months of refusing direct contact with his American counterpart. The call — initiated by Austin —- marked the highest level American contact with a Russian official since the war began in late February. This is the first conversation between Austin and Shoygu since Feb. 18, a week before the war started. The defense official said that the U.S. hopes it will serve as a springboard for future conversation and that it appeared that Austin's request for future communication was received.
wftv.comBiden reaffirms Jordan's role overseeing Temple Mount
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday reaffirmed his administration's support for Jordan's long-running role as the custodian of Muslim holy sites at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem following a meeting with King Abdullah II at the White House. Biden met with Jordan's Abdullah after several rounds of clashes in recent weeks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site for Muslims. It is built on a hilltop that is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. “The President also recognized the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s crucial role as the custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem,” the White House added in statement. It was believed to be the largest Palestinian funeral in Jerusalem since Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian leader and scion of a prominent family, died in 2001.
wftv.comAustralia says Chinese spy ship has been hugging west coast
Dutton said Friday, May 13, 2022, that a Chinese warship with spying capabilities had been hugging the western coastline in what amounted to an "aggressive act." “Its intention, of course, is to collect intelligence right along the coastline," Dutton said. “I think it is an aggressive act, and I think particularly because it has come so far south,” Dutton said. Tensions between China and Australia have been heightened recently after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. Australia's Defence Force identified the ship as a Dongdiao Class Auxiliary Intelligence ship named Haiwangxing.
wftv.comThe Army Is Preparing for the End of Nationwide Abortion Rights as Senators Press to Keep Access
The Army is weighing new policies in response to the Supreme Court's expected decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and eliminate protections on abortion rights across the country, the service's senior enlisted leader told Congress.
news.yahoo.comAs war grinds on, the definition of victory remains murky
The contours of a Russian loss remain as murky as a Ukrainian win. And as the conflict heads into what is likely to be a protracted fight, the need to manage NATO unity and public opinion here and abroad — balancing the probable with the possible — has become as much a priority as what is happening on the battlefield.
washingtonpost.comDefense leaders say Russia learning from mistakes in Ukraine
Senate Defense Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, right, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testify to the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, Tuesday, May 3, 2022 on Capitol Hill in Washington. But they warned that Moscow is learning from its mistakes as the war shifts to a new phase, and that will shape the artillery and other weapons systems the U.S. will provide. Austin said it's difficult to know since there are no U.S. personnel on the ground in Ukraine to monitor the weapons flow. But he said they talk to their counterparts in Ukraine regularly, and stress the need for accountability in weapons distribution. Austin pointed to early failures by Russia, including almost immediate struggles with logistics, and difficulties getting food, water and supplies to troops.
wftv.comDefense leaders say Russia learning from mistakes in Ukraine
The U.S. has learned a great deal about Russian military shortfalls and capabilities in the first two months of the war in Ukraine, top Pentagon leaders told Congress Tuesday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that if Congress approves funding, the most critical things that Ukraine needs are anti-tank, anti-aircraft and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. Milley added that with the fighting now concentrated in the eastern Donbas region, Ukrainian forces also need more tanks and other mechanized vehicles, which the U.S. and other nations are providing.
news.yahoo.comPutin tells Erdogan that hostilities have ended in Mariupol
Olena Roshchina - Tuesday, 26 April 2022, 15:48 Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Mariupol city in southern Ukraine has already been seized by the Russian army and hostilities have ended there.
news.yahoo.comRussia pounds eastern Ukraine as West promises Kyiv new arms
Russia Ukraine War A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid the rubble of a building heavily damaged by multiple Russian bombardments near a frontline in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022. Two months into the devastating conflict, Western arms have already helped Ukraine stall Russia's invasion — but its leaders have said they need more support fast. Germany announced it cleared the way for delivery of Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. Britain said it believes 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began — far above the 1,351 deaths acknowledged by Moscow. Associated Press journalist Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, and David Keyton in Kyiv, Ukraine, and AP staff around the world contributed to this report.
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