NEWS OF THE FORCE: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - Page 1

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Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - Today is World Oceans Day

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Four arrested in Istanbul police bus bombing

    Four people have been detained in connection with a car bomb attack targeting a police bus that killed 12 people yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey's state-run Anadolu agency reported, citing police officials.

 

Police clash with students in Papua New Guinea

    Police in Papua New Guinea fired gunshots today to quell a student protest demanding the prime minister's resignation, the government said. The police opened fire on students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Several students were injured and opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) said four were killed, but this has not been independently confirmed.

 

Chinese fighter jet intercepts U.S. plane

    A Chinese fighter jet carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the East China Sea, the National Security Council has confirmed.

 

Military strikes continue against ISIL in Iraq

    

    U.S. and Coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

    Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely-piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes in Iraq: Near Beiji, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL mortar system; Near Fallujah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL vehicle bomb factory; destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL weapons cache, three ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL front end loader; damaged an ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain; Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position; Near Haditha, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit; Near Kisik, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL bed-down locations and an ISIL command and control node; Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL oil tanker storage area, an ISIL logistics facility and an ISIL vehicle bomb factory; Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed seven ISIL rocket rails; Near Rawah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle; and near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

 

'Brexit' vote puts Cameron's job in jeopardy

    When Britons vote on their nation's future with the European Union on June 23rd, they'll also likely determine the political future of British Prime Minister David Cameron and his flamboyant rival for the nation's leadership post, former London Mayor Boris Johnson.

 

A killing spree in Malawi

    A surge in killings of people with albinism, whose body parts are used in ritual practices, has exposed a systematic failure of policing in Malawi and left this vulnerable group living in fear, Amnesty International reveals in a new report published today. (Malawi is a country near the south-eastern coast of Africa).

 

Russia claims airstrikes in Syria

By Lisa Levine, News of the Force Tel Aviv

    

    The Russian Defense Ministry says its war planes have struck ISIS oil sites in Raqqa and Homs.

    And U.S. and Coalition forces attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 18 strikes in Syria yesterday: Near Manbij, 15 strikes struck 13 separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL vehicles, an ISIL cave entrance and an ISIL command and control node. And near Mara, three strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit, an ISIL command and control node and an ISIL headquarters, and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

 

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    Cuzin Gym's Thought for the Day: When I was young I was afraid of the dark. Now that I see my electric bills, I'm afraid of the light. (@Gym52592742) 

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South Texas police dog dies in hot car

By Jim Corvey, News of the Force St. Louis

    

    A South Texas police officer is accused of leaving his police dog to die in a hot vehicle as temperatures outside rose into the 90s.

    San Juan Police Officer Juan Cerrillo Jr., was charged on Friday with cruelty to non-livestock animals in the death of Rex, a Belgian Malinois. The 37-year-old officer is free on $4,000 bond.

    Cerrillo called 911 from his McAllen home last Thursday after finding Rex unresponsive in the unmarked vehicle. San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez suspended Cerrillo without pay. Gonzalez says Cerrillo is an experienced K9 handler but that the dog's death is an "unacceptable loss for the department."

    Internal and criminal investigations are underway.

 

U.S. Army

    

    Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Robbie Gaupp takes aim at the target, draws back on the bowstring of his recurve bow with his teeth and releases, scoring a nine as he hits in the ring surrounding the bullseye in the Invictus Games in Orlando, Fla., on May 9th. The medically-retired Texas Army National Guardsman, who first used a recurve bow when he competed in the novice team recurve before the Invictus Games, earned the bronze medal with his team. He also earned bronze medals in the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter in running in his disability category. Gaupp said he hopes this will help his chances at becoming the Ultimate Warrior at the Department of Defense Warrior Games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 15-21. "I only had four hours of practice on the recurve,” he said. "I'd never shot it before in my life." Gaupp usually shoots the compound bow, but he credits teamwork and the training he received from his Team Army coaches for his success at the Invictus Games. "We talked to each other on the line, and we all came in there with different disabilities," he said. "This was our first time shooting together as a team, and we went in with the mindset that we were walking away with a medal." While Gaupp appreciates earning a medal with his teammates, he said the spirit of the Invictus Games was important. "We know we have injuries and watching someone overcome something that they were given with their disability is far superior than winning a medal anytime," he said. While out on mission in 2008 with Border Support Security for the state of Texas for Operation Jump Start, Gaupp shattered his right shoulder, and tore his ligaments and tendons and his chest cavity. He was right-handed, and now has to do everything with his left after two surgeries were only able to salvage his arm. "Luckily, I’m alive. It could've been worse. I have two wonderful kids. Yeah sometimes it’s a struggle because they want to do things I can't do, but it’s all good," Gaupp said of his son, Anzel, 9, and daughter Patience, 7. His children said they were really proud of him at the Invictus Games. "I’m really proud of him," Patience said of her dad. "He shot pretty good. He’s awesome." Anzel said he’s never tried archery but "Dad’s going to teach me." When asked what they both want people to know most about their father they said in unison, "That he’s an athlete." Gaupp said he went to a dark place when he got injured but then he decided to give adaptive sports a try and learned just how resilient he is. He encourages other service members to try them as well. "Don’t give up,” he said. "Say to yourself, ‘I got this. I can do this and you know what? I can make this.’ You've got find this within yourself. No matter what, you can overcome anything. We can adapt." He said that while he can no longer do things the way he used to, "It doesn't stop me from trying," he said. "I know I’m not going to ever be able to catch a football the same. I’m not going to be able to run the same. So I just adapted to that, and I found a way to make it even better, and yes, I might not ever be able to run as fast as I could, but I’m going to get as close as I possibly can," he said. Gaupp has competed in several Warrior Games, but his first games meant a lot to him. "I had nothing. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what I was going to do. Life was all confusing to me. I was a general mess," he said. "It was like ‘Wow, I’ve got the opportunity to compete with other injured soldiers who are over-coming adversity so when I’m down, I get to watch somebody who may have a worse injury than me and say to myself, 'If they can do it, I can do it.' Watching those people succeed made me want to push harder to make myself succeed." This year, he is shooting for the Ultimate Champion title, a pentathlon-style competition that pits athletes against each other in a variety of disciplines. Points are earned in each discipline, and the athlete who collects the most points is crowned Ultimate Champion of the DOD Warrior Games. "I can't wait because the Army’s never had an Ultimate Warrior, and I think I have a great chance to do that," he said. Gaupp is also on the U.S. Paralympics track and field team. He is qualified but doesn't know if has been selected yet for the team for Rio de Janeiro in September. He also plans on going to Nationals. "I don’t know if I made the team but if not, I’m not giving up," he said. "I'll shoot for 2020 and 2024." At the DOD Warrior Games, approximately 250 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, the U.S. Special Operations Command and the United Kingdom's armed forces will participate in eight sporting events - archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball. The DOD Warrior Games highlight the resiliency and warrior spirit of service members, veterans and their families and caregivers.

    U.S. Army Reserve Sustainability Programs is hosting its first "Go Wild" Digital Photography Contest in honor of World Environment Day.

    The 1984th United States Army Hospital Pacific (USAH-P), an Army Reserve unit, has an conducted Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) mission.

    During "Exercise Maple Resolve," U.S. Army Reserve Civil Affairs soldiers are training alongside their Canadian counterparts as part of the Canadian Army's annual training.

    Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Fogarty, commanding general, Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, Ga., is being reassigned to chief of staff, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Md.

    Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, director of force development, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C., is being reassigned to commanding general, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

    Brig. Gen. Carl A. Alex, assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 (readiness), U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., is being reassigned to assistant chief of staff, G-3, U.S. Army Central/U.S. 3rd Army, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

    Brig. Gen. Daniel R. Walrath, deputy commanding general (maneuver), 1st Armored Division and commander, Combined Joint Operations Center/Army Forces-Jordan, Operation Inherent Resolve, Jordan, is being reassigned to director of force management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. He was previously announced for assignment as director of materiel, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Army night vision experts are asking electro-optical engineers at N2 Imaging Systems, LLC, in Irvine, Calif., to build the Army's first clip-on thermal weapon sight specifically developed and fielded for snipers.

    A refugee of the Vietnam War who found a new life in Roanoke and the Virginia National Guard was promoted to brigadier general on Monday during a ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va. Lapthe Flora, a native of Saigon, is the first Vietnamese boat person to be promoted to general officer in the U.S. Army, according to the Virginia Army National Guard.

    And the 155th IBCT is one of two Army National Guard fully modernized brigade combat teams in the U.S. Army, and is the largest unit in the Mississippi Army National Guard.

 

TRICARE news

    

    Summer rays and cool breezes can quickly turn into unexpected lightning and blinding rains. TRICARE makes it easy to get the care you need in the event of a natural disaster.

    In emergencies, the Department of Defense (DOD) can approve a waiver of primary care manager (PCM) referrals. Waiving the PCM referral requirement allows affected beneficiaries to get care from TRICARE-authorized providers without a PCM referral, avoiding point-of-service charges.

    Click here for the full article.

 

U.S. Coast Guard

    

    The rush hour commute in Miami, Fla.'s North Beach is expected to become a little less irritating after the U.S. Coast Guard starts to lock down the 63rd Street Bridge.

    The US Coast Guard's inactive heavy icebreaker, USCGC Polar Sea, has completed a 76-day maintenance effort to preserve the ship.

    As Tropical Storm Colin rolled ashore on Florida's West Coast this week, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people from a sinking houseboat in Bradenton Beach, Fla.

    Arthur Velasco, 78, fell overboard into the Gulf of Mexico northwest of Anclote Key, Fla., and the Coast Guard is searching for him.

    Security and rescue operations on Great Lakes waters are changing. The U.S. Coast Guard is planning to temporarily shut down 8 Coast Guard stations.

    The United States Coast Guard has awarded Piedmont Propulsion Systems, LLC (PPS) a five-year contract to provide repair and overhaul for its vessels.

    And the U.S. Coast Guard says Tropical Storm Colin did not halt its search for a couple missing off the Georgia coast after a weekend boating trip. The body of the man who went missing during a boating trip off the Georgia coast was recovered yesterday while crews continue to search for his wife.

 

Illinois owes the FBI millions

    Illinois, on the cusp of a second year without a state budget, counts among its many unpaid bills one that threatens to provoke a dispute with the nation’s top crime-fighting force.

    Documents obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that the state owes $3 million to the FBI for processing fingerprints and conducting background checks for professional licenses and permits. The debt is old enough that it could be turned over to the federal government’s collection agency - the Treasury Department.

    The delinquent payment is just the latest unexpected consequence of a stalemate between the Republican governor and Democrats controlling the Legislature. The gridlock has left Illinois without a budget since July 1st and exacerbated a long-standing backlog of debt. As of yesterday, the state had more than $7 billion in unpaid bills.

    "The breadth of the issues covered by the budget impasse never ceases to amaze me," said Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Democrat from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee on Civil Matters.

    Gov. Bruce Rauner, a millionaire businessman in his first term, is holding out for changes in law to cut business costs and restrict the power of labor unions. Democrats say consideration of Rauner’s business and political agenda should take a back seat to taming a multibillion-dollar deficit through spending cuts and tax increases.

    The fingerprinting money has already been set aside. There’s nearly $19 million in an account used to pay for FBI fingerprint expertise. But without a legislative appropriation, no one has any authority to spend the money.

    The FBI says states rarely fall more than four months behind in payments, but it has never cut services, and it has not stopped examining Illinois' fingerprints. A spokesman for the agency’s Criminal Justice Information Service, Stephen Fischer, said the agency was exploring "alternative collection and processing options" to continue serving Illinois without additional expense. He did not elaborate.

    Ken Zercie, who retired as laboratory director for the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, said the importance of verifying identity and criminal backgrounds means it was a safe bet that the Justice Department wouldn't shut the door on Illinois. "That would be kind of illogical given the state of everything," said Zercie, a vice president of the International Association of Identification. “It’s a public safety issue.”

    This isn't the first time the budget crisis has caused headaches for law enforcement. The AP reported in April that the secretary of state’s police force had to carry cash from driver’s license facilities for four months after an armored-truck company stopped work until it got paid.

    Rep. Robert Pritchard, from the small town of Hinckley, about 50 miles west of Chicago, said he was more worried about unpaid human services agencies shutting their doors. Pritchard, the ranking Republican on the House State Government Administration Committee, urged Democrats to accept a short-term budget pitched by Gov. Rauner.

    The FBI processes 260,000 sets of Illinois fingerprints annually in criminal background checks for those seeking jobs such as school bus driver or private detective or applying for permits to carry concealed firearms or cultivate medicinal marijuana. Illinois’ last fingerprint payment to the FBI was for $313,000 on July 23rd to cover costs for June - the final month of the previous fiscal year, according to state records.

    One of the oldest forms of scientific identification, fingerprinting remains the most reliable, and the FBI has 90 million sets of prints on file, said Charles Walsh, a New Hampshire private forensic consultant who began a 30-year FBI career as a fingerprint technician in 1968. Today, the agency processes 3 million fingerprints a day, Walsh said.

    But even with ever-improving technology, examination is still a costly, labor-intensive process. While it takes just 3.4 seconds to electronically scan fingerprints and match them to those on file with a 98 percent degree of accuracy, the results could still produce as many as 20 potential matches, Walsh said. "It’s still a human technician who has to make the identification," he said. "That’s where your money is going."

 

Homeland insecurity

    

    An immigration official stopped Homeland Security agents from arresting the alleged gun supplier of the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorists the day after the attack, sources say.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service ave executed a federal search warrant at the H & M Citgo gas station in Ypsilanti, Mich. And officials with Homeland Security are leading raids on eight gas stations in Metro Detroit, but the reason why remains a mystery. 

    The Department of Homeland Security is planning more covert security checks of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

    And the U.S. Government has returned more than 200 stolen artifacts to India. The items were found during an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

 

UFO news

    

    Footage captured during NASA's broadcast of the International Space Station (ISS)' live feed on May 31st showed an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) passing behind - and apparently following - the ISS.

 

             

 

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