By Chris Carroll
Published: June 11, 2013
WASHINGTON — Legislators weary of the military’s inability to rein in the problem of sexual assault are mulling a radical change in the way justice is delivered in the military, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday.
Speaking during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee for defense matters, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey that some on the Judiciary Committee have discussed putting civilian state prosecutors in charge of sexual assault cases that originate on U.S. military installations.
By Leo Shane III
Published: June 6, 2013
WASHINGTON — Sweeping sexual assault reforms were the biggest news from yesterday’s House committee debate on the annual defense authorization bill, but the 16-hour legislative marathon also included a host of smaller items of note:
Common camouflage
Reps. Jon Runyan, R-N.J., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, pack care packages alongside Cookie Monster during a Capitol Hill event Wednesday.
By Leo Shane III
Published: May 23, 2013
WASHINGTON — When Cookie Monster asks for a favor, even Congress listens.
Dozens of House members stopped by a USO/Sesame Street event Wednesday morning to help fill about 2,000 care packages for troops deployed overseas. The event was a kickoff for the group’s fifth annual military family tour, which includes visits to 42 military bases worldwide in coming months.
By Chris Carroll
Published: May 22, 2013
WASHINGTON – Congress is again batting away attempts by the Pentagon to shut down domestic bases that defense officials say are underused and unneeded by a military that is being forced to shrink by a falling defense budget.
Defense budget language introduced by House lawmakers on Wednesday forbids the Defense Department from planning or initiating another round of Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC.
Army and Lockheed Martin officials cut the ribbon at a ceremony May 16, 2013, marking the launch of a new microgrid at Fort Bliss, which will help make the base more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. U.S. Army
By Megan McCloskey
Published: May 16, 2013
WASHINGTON – The Army flipped the switch on an advanced power system at Fort Bliss Thursday, taking a step towards the Pentagon's goal to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its military bases around the world.
Part of the El Paso, Texas, base now runs on what's called a microgrid, an emerging technology that makes the system more energy and cost efficient by harnessing solar power and storing energy for future use. But the microgrid, which is the first at a DOD installation, is as much about security as it is the environment and cost savings.
By Leo Shane III
Published: May 16, 2013
WASHINGTON – Blue Star Families on Thursday released its fourth annual survey of members, looking at their top stressors and successes. The online poll, which drew more than 5,100 responses, included views from both troops and their spouses.
Officials from Blue Star Families, which advocates on behalf of military spouses and dependents, said the survey helps highlight trends and concerns among troops and their families.
By Meredith Tibbettts
Published: May 8, 2013
They have invaded everything - your Facebook newsfeed, your casual daily dalliance with reddit, and maybe even your twitter account.
Maybe - just maybe - there’s one what will make you literally laugh out loud. If you’re lucky.
By Leo Shane III
Published: April 30, 2013
WASHINGTON — A horrifying video purporting to show the Monday’s civilian cargo plane crash at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan surfaced Tuesday on YouTube and a host of video sharing sites.
The clip, which looks to have been shot from a dashboard camera, shows a cargo plane climbing into the air shortly after takeoff, stalling and then erupting in a fireball as it crashes into the ground.
By Meredith Tibbetts
Published: April 25, 2013
Dashing out of the shadows, he pounces on a soldier, berating him for carelessness.
He is looking out for the men and women of Bagram, Afghanistan, protecting them when the soldiers cannot protect themselves.
He is Batman.
By Jennifer Hlad
Published: April 23, 2013
The Afghan air force will not be fully operational until the end of 2016 at the absolute earliest, the top U.S. air commander in Afghanistan told reporters Tuesday.
“Building an air force from the ground up is no easy task,” Maj. Gen. H.D. “Jake” Polumbo said via video link from Kabul, adding that the “early signs are indeed encouraging.”
