News of the Force: Saturday, September 23, 2017 - Page 1

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Saturday, September 23, 2017 - Today is Celebrate Bisexuality Day

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Could North Korea fire a thermonuclear missile over Japan?

    

    Will North Korea's next nuclear test involve a thermonuclear missile screaming over Japan? That's a question being asked after North Korea's foreign minister said his country may test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.

    A specter of danger is arising as sources say North Korea will soon conduct an atmospheric nuclear test explosion.

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had signed a new executive order expanding the U.S. Government's authority to target individuals, companies and financial institutions with ties to North Korea.

    Regime leader Kim Jong-un said President Donald Trump would "pay dearly" for saying the U.S. would "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary.

    China has moved to limit North Korea's oil supply and will stop buying textiles from the politically isolated nation, it said today. And North Korea learned this week that Chinese banks will no longer do business with the Hermit Kingdom in the strongest sign yet pressure from the Trump administration to choke off funding to the rogue nation is working.

    Russia's foreign minister has likened the war of words between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to "a kindergarten fight between children."

 

Nuclear warheads building up in at least four nations

    

    The global number of nuclear warheads dropped last year, but it seems China, India, North Korea and Pakistan are expanding the size of their atomic arsenals, a Swedish arms watchdog has said.

 

Iran test-fires missile

    

    Iran says it has successfully tested a new-medium range missile in defiance of U.S. President Donald Trump. The launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which has a range of 1,242 miles, was shown on state TV.

 

Thousands of Bali residents flee

    Thousands of villagers on the Indonesian resort island of Bali were sheltering today in sports centers, village halls and with relatives, fearing Mount Agung will erupt for the first time in more than half a century. Indonesian authorities raised the alert level for the Mount Agung volcano on the tourist island to the highest level, and more than 11,000 villagers left their homes.

 

U.S.-born journalist and mother found dead in Turkey

    The bodies of Syrian activist 60-year-old Orouba Barakat and her daughter, 23-year-old journalist Halla Barakat, were discovered late Thursday after friends contacted police when the reporter didn't show up for work. Police say they were both fatally stabbed.

 

UAE says Iran is main obstacle to Middle East peace

By Lisa Levine, News of the Force Tel Aviv

    

    The foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates has told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran's "hostile and expansionist policy" is the major obstacle to solving all crises in the Arab world.

 

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    Couzin Gym's Thought for the Day: A foolish husband remarked to his wife: "Honey, you stick to the washing, ironing, cooking and scrubbing. No wife of mine is going to work!"

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NOAA news

    

    The Guajataca Dam in northwestern Puerto Rico suffered structural damage by Hurricane Maria, forcing the governor to call for the immediate evacuation of the area.

    Puerto Rico is facing the possibility of months without power after Hurricane Maria slammed into the U.S. territory as a Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning. Puerto Rico grappled with damages and deaths caused by Hurricane Maria yesterday as the storm hurtled across the Caribbean and slapped the Turks and Caicos Islands.

    Veteran MLB outfielder and designated hitter Carlos Beltran is leading the efforts of several Puerto Rican athletes and institutions to raise funds to help victims of Hurricane Maria, which ravaged the island earlier this week.

    Category 3 Hurricane Maria has moved away from the Bahamas, and a tropical storm warning has been issued for the Gulf of Maine.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) installed a weather station at the Bitterroot College of the University of Montana, in Hamilton, yesterday.

    And the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on Sept. 27th in Room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Bldg. in Washington, D.C., to consider the nomination of Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet to be NOAA's deputy administrator.

 

U.S. Air Force

    

    The 2017 Aircrew Summit is part of the Air Force's Aircrew Crisis Task Force's ongoing efforts to address the service's pilot shortages.

    The U.S. Air Force is taking steps to speed up its space acquisitions as GSSAP Satellites in the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness program help the Air Force conduct its "neighborhood space watch."

    The U.S. Air Force will test the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker next month to better understand a boom-scraping problem that it considers a potential hazard.

    The "Airmen of Note," part of the United States Air Force Band, performed in Point Loma, Calif., today in celebration of the Air Force's 70th birthday.

    Coming soon to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich., will be a performance by the United States Air Force's Band of Mid-America.

    The Air Force is planning a "deep dive" on its B-2 bombers as it eyes its future B-21s.

    Senior Air Force leaders from 15 countries have gathered at JB Andrews, Md., kicking off the 23rd International Air Reserves Symposium, hosted by the Air National Guard.

    More than 200 airmen from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have used their own time to volunteer at the Salt Lake City ComicCon convention.

    A C-17 Globemaster III from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., has arrived in Mexico City, bringing supplies and help following Mexico's earthquake.

    An Air National Guard unit from Maine is deploying to the U.S. Virgin Islands to provide critical communications to support in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

    A new, top secret building is ready for the North Dakota Air National Guard's intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance group in Fargo.

    Thirty-two members of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group have arrived in Puerto Rico.

    Mayor G.T. Bynum talked with Brig. Gen. Louis W. William before ground was broken for the new Air National Guard Training Center in Tulsa, Okla.

    This week, the Air Force's Chief of Staff visited the Kentucky Air National Guard.

    Air National Guard airmen have begun lining up operations for aircraft, cargo, and passengers through Savannah Air National Guard Base, Ga.

    A Niagara Falls, N.Y., couple is hosting the 37th reunion of sailors and Marines from USS Fremont. At the opening ceremonies, a color guard from the Civil Air Patrol posted the colors.

    This year’s $700 billion defense authorization bills contain a number of provisions that are likely to increase the risk of cost overruns for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and undermine the ability of Pentagon officials and Congress to assess the combat suitability of new weapon systems in the future. "This is an object lesson in why we shouldn't buy any weapons system in quantity before it is tested," said Dan Grazier of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). "If we are talking about the 108 planes bought in the earliest lot that means the most expensive aircraft that were purchased will never be fully ready for combat." 

    Aerial imagery following the recent hurricanes, provided by the Civil Air Patrol and NOAA's National Geodetic Survey, are providing needed information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    In Fort Smith, Ark., the Volunteer Fair is allowing potential helpers with ways to lend a hand. The United Way, the Van Buren Visitor Center, the Civil Air Patrol, the Crisis Intervention Center, the STEPS Family Resource Center, and the We Care Foundation, among others, are participating.

    The second annual Hickory Big Splash will be held in Hickory, N.C., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ET, on Saturday, Oct. 7th. It's hosted by the city of Hickory, the Hickory Regional Airport and Air Museum, the Seaplane Pilots' Association, the Civil Air Patrol and Lake Hickory Adventures.

    And in New Mexico today, the Socorro Municipal Airport is the setting for the 10th annual Capt. Laura S. Haines "M" Mountain Fly-in. "Join a gathering of regional aviators and the community-variety and transportation-related family activities in a relaxed family setting," said Lt. Col. Dave Finley of the Civil Air Patrol.

 

Homeland insecurity

    

    The Department of Homeland Security has informed 21 states that Russian hackers attempted to access their voting systems during the 2016 election.

    And SEC security officials took up to 14 days to notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) about its particularly critical cyber-security weaknesses.

 

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

    

    Bill Neill, the former Baltimore Colts' physical therapist and trainer, has died at the age of 90. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and became a corpsman, and after he left active duty in 1946, he remained in the Navy Reserve until 1957.

    Sgt. Ethan Mawhinney, a Marine Air Ground Task Force planner with U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, is sharing his grueling workout routines with the public.

    U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command will begin providing freeze-dried plasma next month to improve lifesaving on the battle-field.

    Rolls-Royce has received a potential $115.1 million contract to produce a total of 56 engines for the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps.

    NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) San Diego personnel assisted in the coordination and delivery of more than 50,000 pounds of humanitarian aid supplies as part of earthquake relief efforts for Mexico on Sept. 20th. The White House ordered the urgent staging and delivery of the medical, water sanitation and hygiene supplies following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Mexican nation on Sept. 19th. More than 200 people have perished as a result of the quake to date. NAVSUP FLC San Diego executed the President's request in collaboration with Project Handclasp and the U.S. Northern Command, ensuring 48 pallets of disaster relief supplies were on the ground and in the hands of the Mexican people within hours.

    The U.S. Northern Command is fully engaged with federal, state and local mission partners as the command provides support to the response efforts for Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Northcom has begun search and rescue and damage assessment flights in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with six Navy helicopters and three U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft launched from the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group. Additionally, a Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, launched from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., is conducting an assessment of the damage in Puerto Rico. Navy and Marine Corps forward ground elements also responded at first light yesterday to assist with response and recovery operations. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is inserting a forward coordination element and air control element into St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to help open the airfield and coordinate with the defense coordinating officer and the National Guard at the joint force headquarters there. The 26th MEU will also insert an air control element in the airport at St. Thomas in order to help open the airfield, as Defense Department elements are focused on airfield assessments and opening runways to facilitate commodity distribution. Lifesaving and life sustaining efforts in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico continue to be a top priority as well. The U.S. Transportation Command has postured C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on three-hour alert to support quick movement of supplies and personnel to and from the affected area. The DOD is also providing Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, as a FEMA incident support base and forward staging area.

    The Navy awarded a $5.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat for Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) of the Columbia-class submarine on Sept. 21st. The IPPD contract award is for the design, completion, component and technology development and prototyping efforts for the Columbia-class Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). This work will also include the United Kingdom's unique efforts related to the common missile compartment.

    The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) will no longer enroll new students in the CD-ROM program offered through the school's College of Distance Education (CDE) after Sept. 30th. The CD-ROM program is being phased out due to better, more interactive education delivery options and declining student enrollment.

    USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS New York (LPD 21), along with multiple embarked Navy and Marine Corps units, completed initial recovery operations in support of federal and state officials on Sept. 16h, following Hurricane Irma's devastation of Key West, Fla. The Navy-Marine Corps team, under the command of Commander Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10, partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and with state and local officials until civilian authorities so the Florida National Guard could take over long-term recovery operations. While on station, sailors and Marines worked with the people of Monroe County, along the Lower Keys, from Marathon to Key West and points between, clearing debris from roadways, distributing food and water, and repairing generators and other critical infrastructure such as water-pumping stations. Highlights included fly-away teams from both Iwo Jima and New York, sailors normally deep within the ship making it go, who formed engineering-centric teams who helicoptered in and performed rapid repairs on generators in senior living communities.

    Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT)/U.S. 5th Fleet (C5F)/Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain on Sept. 19th. Vice Adm. John C. Aquilino relieved Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan as commander of naval forces in the Central Command's area of responsibility. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, said in his remarks that during Donegan's tenure his contributions had made his team better and had made CENTCOM better, helping make that part of the world a little safer for everyone.

    Chief petty officers from across the country celebrated their advancement during the U-505 Naval History Program Fulfillment and Reception at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago on Sept 19th. The U-505 Naval History Program works with chief petty officer selectees to learn about and appreciate naval history as part of their CPO advancement training. Program participants wrote essays on their sense of heritage from the capture of U-505 by the U.S. Navy during WW II and what it means to them.

    Sailors gathered in USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)'s hangar bay for a "Tackle the DUI" tailgating event on Sept. 17th, on the Pacific Ocean. The event promoted healthier lifestyles and raised awareness of the effects of alcohol with informational booths and football-themed activities. By arming their peers with information, John C. Stennis sailors hoped to prevent their shipmates from driving under the influence (DUI).

    The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbus (SSN 762) held a change of command ceremony at the submarine piers on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Sept. 21st. Cmdr. Peter French relieved Capt. Albert Alarcon as the commanding officer of Columbus. Retired Navy Capt. William Drake was the honored guest speaker for the ceremony, and commended Alarcon for Columbus' numerous accomplishments and leadership during his three-year tour aboard Columbus.

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) held a change of command ceremony at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, on Aug. 25th. Cmdr. Garrett Miller relieved Cmdr. John "Jack" Fay as the commanding officer of Fitzgerald and her crew. Fay was appointed as the interim commanding officer in July. The crew of Fitzgerald, currently in Yokosuka, is preparing for a heavy lift to Pascagoula, Miss., where repairs will take place to restore the ship after it was involved in a collision at sea.

    The "Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 departed Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, for the final time on Sunday, Sept. 10th. The squadron's F/A-18E Super Hornets launched from Atsugi to begin a regularly scheduled patrol aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. At the conclusion of the patrol, the Eagles will disembark Reagan for their new home at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

    Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Fla., commanding officer Capt. Bobby Baker has authorized the return of all personnel and family members effective at 8 a.m., ET, yesterday. Evacuation entitlements will end for all personnel and families at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 25th. Personnel and families were evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irma and temporarily located in safe haven in Atlanta, Ga., before shifting safe haven to Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 18th.

    The Navy published the final entry, End of the Saga: The Maritime Evacuation of South Vietnam and Cambodia, in its nine-book series titled The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War, officials announced on Sept. 21st. Interested readers can download a free digital copy from the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC's website at: www.history.navy.mil/vietnambooks or may purchase a hard copy from the Government Printing Office (GPO).

    Turning 20 marks leaving the teenage years behind and taking a first step into adulthood. In some cultures turning 20 is a big deal; in Japan, they have "Coming of Age" festivals, marking individuals becoming official adults in their society. Twenty years ago, on Sept. 20, 1997, the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), was commissioned. Linda Sloan Mundy, the wife of former Marine Corps Commandant General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., sponsored the ship and christened the new ship "in the name of the United States and in honor of the heroic defenders of Bataan" in Pascagoula, Miss. Now, twenty years later, the crew celebrates this milestone with a birthday celebration.

    The U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy completed U.K./U.S. Mine Counter-measures Exercise (MCMEX) 17-3, a quarterly bilateral exercise, in the central Arabian Gulf on Sept. 21st. Naval forces from the U.S. and U.K. execute a series of MCM exercises in the Arabian Gulf throughout the year that demonstrate the shared commitment of ensuring unfettered operations of naval and support vessels, as well as commercial shipping movements, throughout the maritime domain. The exercise consisted of mine counter-measures training and a variety of supporting at-sea events. A key portion of the exercise involved the integration of surface and airborne MCM assets. MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 and the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Sentry (MCM 3) conducted mine hunting and minesweeping operations, locating exercise mines alongside the Royal Navy's RFA Cardigan Bay, HMS Bangor, HMS Blyth and HMS Ledbury.

    A USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) sailor will have the opportunity to heat things up and show off his culinary skills during the annual Exercise Joint Caterer competition, Oct. 10th-12th in Shrivenham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom (UK). Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Noah Reed was one of 16 U.S. Navy sailors chosen to join their U.K. companions for the three-day event where personnel can develop and demonstrate their professional culinary skills.

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Rota, Spain, after conducting preparations for Exercise Formidable Shield, on Sept. 18th. The U.S. 6th Fleet will lead Exercise Formidable Shield, Sept. 24th-Oct. 18th, at the U.K. Ministry of Defense's Hebrides Range, located on the Western Isles of Scotland. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States are scheduled to participate in this exercise.

    Explosive Ordnance Disposal 1st Class Jeffrey Thomas was awarded the Silver Star Medal during an awards ceremony on Sept. 20th at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three (EODMU 3) on board Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Calif. The Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Bill Moran, recognized Thomas for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

    Capt. Jack L. Killman relieved Capt. Kirk A. Weatherly as commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4 during a change of command ceremony in the chapel aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), on Sept. 20th.

    Despite claims made in a viral video, purported unidentified flying objects were actually identifiable as U.S. Navy paratroopers over Salt Lake City, Utah.

    And Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Ray James has been buried with full military honors in Sylvarena, Miss. He was 21 when he died during World War II.

 

U.S. Public Health Service

    

    Florida Gov. Rick Scott made an unannounced visit to a shelter for special needs victims at Florida International University (FIU), which came as a surprise to many of them, and to some staff members with the U.S. Public Health Service in charge of the shelter's operations.

 

American Red Cross

    

    Yesterday, WBKO presented a $43,000 donation check to the South Central Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross.

    The American Red Cross promised $400 to hurricane flooding victims, but many are telling us they've yet to see any money.

    Two teams from the American Red Cross' Greater Chesapeake Region in Baltimore, Md., will head to Puerto Rico in the next several days.

    Yesterday, singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes announced he is partnering with the American Red Cross to raise funds and bring awareness to those in earthquake ravaged areas, and donated $100,000 to the Red Cross.

    Chicago's NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago are teaming up with the Red Cross to help the victims of natural disasters, and $3.6 million has been donated so far to their fund-raising drive.

    Delta Airlines will contribute $250,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

    And students in the Wyoming Seminary's Lower and Upper School community recently organized a dress-down day to collect funds for the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

 

U.S. Coast Guard

    

    The HC-144 aircraft, manufactured by Airbus Defense & Space and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as the "Ocean Sentry" has reached a flight milestone with 100,000 hours of flying.

    A new building for the Corpus Christi (Texas) Sector of the U.S. Coast Guard is now up and running.

    Actor Nicolas Cage took time out of his movie schedule to deliver an emotional, in-person thank you to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard.

    The Coast Guard has used rough seas from Hurricane Jose to train for man overboard drills in Cape Cod Bay, Mass.

    Since August, the U.S. Coast Guard has seized 50,000 lbs. of cocaine and heroin on the high seas worth an estimated $679.3 million.

    Smithfield, N.Y.'s Flotilla 59 was selected as this year's National Flotilla of the Year out of more than 1,500 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas.

    And a bodyboard and a cooler have been found adrift near Olowalu Beach on Maui, Hawaii, and the Coast Guard is looking for its possibly missing owner(s).

 

U.S. Army

    

    The U.S. Army is investigating fake evacuation orders sent to U.S. military members and their families in South Korea.

    The U.S. Army has published a handbook on how to defeat Russia's hybrid-warfare strategy: The Russian New Generation Warfare Handbook.

    With the Zapad 2017 military exercise, Russia "overplayed their hand" and the country's "credibility is in tatters," U.S. Army Europe's commander has said. 

    Yesterday morning, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), did its first "blue roof" installations in Dade County, Fla.

    The ongoing Indo-U.S. joint military training exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2017" that started on Sept. 14th has met "all the desired objectives," the U.S. Army says.

    U.S. Army dentists have provided dental care and treatment to 200 children in Honduras.

    U.S. Sen. David Purdue has met with Secretary of the Army nominee Dr. Mark Esper. Serving as the top civilian in the U.S. Army, Dr. Esper will over-see the over one million Army active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers.

    The United States Army Reserve has received two National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) Department of Defense Legacy Grants.

    Independent Boyd Melson - a champion boxer and captain in the U.S. Army Reserve - is running for Congress from Staten Island, N.Y.

    The Mississippi Army National Guard has played a vital role in what has been called the state's largest marijuana bust in recent memory.

    Members of the Idaho Army National Guard are building bridges with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

    Specialists from the Vermont Army National Guard was headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands late last night to aid in Hurricane Irma relief efforts.

    Young men and women of the Army National Guard came from nine different states to attend the first ever Air Assault School.

    And members of the Nebraska Army National Guard have traveled to Sweden to participate in military exercises there.

 

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