News of the Force: Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - Page 1

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - Today is Union Dissolution Day in Norway

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Gunman kill one guard and injure two inside Iran's Parliament

    

    Two shooting incidents have been reported this morning inside Iran's Parliament, killing one. Three armed men charged at security officers guarding the front gate of Iranian Parliament this morning. Armed men also opened fire at the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini in the capital city of Tehran.

 

Family says Australian nanny killed in London terror attack

    Relatives of Australian Sara Zelenak have confirmed she was killed in the London attacks over the weekend.

    The British police have identified the three men behind Saturday night's terror attack in London as Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane. And the third terrorist behind the London Bridge attack has been named and identified as Moroccan-Italian Youssef Zaghba.

    London's Mayor Sadiq Khan is calling on the British government to cancel a state visit from President Trump after Trump criticized his response to this weekend's terror attacks in London.

    And British Prime Minister Teresa May says human rights laws will be changed "if they get in the way" of the country's fight against terror.

 

Police attacked at Notre Dame Cathedral

    

    A hammer-wielding assailant shouting, "This is for Syria!" attacked police outside Notre Dame Cathedral yesterday, setting off a security scramble at one of Paris' best-known landmarks.

 

Strikes continue against ISIS in Iraq

     

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

    In Iraq, Coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 35 engagements against ISIS targets. Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three ISIS staging areas and two vehicles; Near Mosul, four strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units, destroyed 20 fighting positions, two heavy machine guns, a supply cache, a mortar system, a vehicle and a rocket-propelled grenade system, damaged a command-and-control node, an ISIS supply route and a fighting position, and suppressed a mortar team; and near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed four ISIS staging areas, an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS ware-house.

 

U.S. Department of Defense releases report on military and security developments in China

    

    The U.S. Department of Defense's annual report, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China, is now available here . This report informs Congress of the Department of Defense's assessment of military and security developments involving China.

    As stipulated by law, the report is a DOD product and is transmitted to Congress by the secretary of defense. It is coordinated with other agencies and departments across the U.S. Government, and it is the authoritative assessment from the United States Government on military and security developments involving China.

 

The body in the river

    

    London's Metropolitan Police have confirmed they have found the body of a man in the Thames River, believed to be that of missing Frenchman Xavier Thomas, who has become the eighth victim of the London Bridge terror attack.

 

Japan has its home-built F-35

    

    Mitsubishi has rolled out its first Japanese-made F-35 stealth jet fighter plane.

 

Kuwait steps in to mediate in Qatar

    Kuwait tried to mediate a resumption of diplomatic and commercial ties between Qatar and several of its Arab neighbors yesterday, while President Trump appeared to back those isolating the energy-rich nation.

 

Obama says Paris accord will succeed

    Former U.S. President Obama yesterday praised public and private entities for vowing to press ahead with the goals of the Paris accord on climate change, despite his successor's decision to abandon the landmark global agreement. But the momentum of climate change efforts and the affordability of cleaner fuels will keep the United States moving toward its goals of cutting emissions despite the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris global accord, U.S. business leaders say.

    And David Rank, the top-ranking diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, has abruptly resigned, telling colleagues he is leaving the foreign service over disagreements with Trump administration's climate change policy.

 

Syrian Democratic Forces launch battle to liberate Raqqa

By Lisa Levine, News of the Force Tel Aviv

    

    The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the help of Coalition forces airstrikes, have launched the battle to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

    Coalition forces destroyed additional pro-Syrian regime forces that advanced inside the well-established deconfliction zone in southern Syria yesterday. Despite previous warnings, pro-regime forces entered the agreed-upon deconfliction zone with a tank, artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, armed technical vehicles and more than 60 soldiers posing a threat to Coalition and partner forces based at the At Tanf Garrison.

    In Syria yesterday, Coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 35 engagements against ISIS targets: Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed three vehicles and a front-end loader. Near Raqqa, 17 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, two ISIS bridges, two vehicles, an ISIS boat and an ISIS communications tower. Near Tabqah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit. And near Tanf, a strike engaged a pro-Syrian regime tactical unit, destroyed two artillery systems and an anti-air artillery system, and damaged a tank.

    A Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot dead by a private security officer in the town of Kafr Qasim late on Monday night amid clashes between police and Palestinian citizens.

    And Israel has enthusiastically welcomed America's ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, to the country. She's the most outspoken supporter of Israel in a Trump administration that boasts many friends of the Jewish state.

 

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    Couzin Gym's Thought for the Day: I am becoming increasingly worried that there isn't enough anxiety in my life.

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U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

    

    After eight days of bilateral training events ashore and at sea, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) concluded the 23rd-annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise, at Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand, yesterday.

    The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) recently completed the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) assessment and received an overall assessment score of 92% - well above the class average.

    Rear Adm. Paul D. Pearigen, commander, Navy Medicine West (NMW), and chief of the Navy Medical Corps, paid an official visit to the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, Calif., on June 2nd, to learn more about the command's medical research initiatives.

    Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Keithley was presented with the U.S. Navy League's Scroll of Honor, on June 2nd, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, recognizing his efforts in developing a pair of concepts to use unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles in innovative ways at sea and in port. Jeff Brown, president of the U.S. Navy League Pacific Region, presented the award during the Commander, Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) Commander's Conference. This was the first time the Navy League has presented the award for innovation.

    The new Submarine Bridge Trainer (SBT) officially opened at the Trident Training Facility (TRITRAFAC) in Bangor, Wash., during a ribbon cutting ceremony, on June 5th. Rear Adm. John Tammen, commander, Submarine Group 9, Capt. John Fancher, commanding officer of TRITRAFAC Bangor, and Rear Adm. Moises DelToro, commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, cut the ribbon to officially open the new trainer.

    The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) earned its Flight Deck Carrier (FDC) qualifications while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, June 1st-12th. The certification ensures that Abraham Lincoln's flight deck as well as the Sailors who conduct flight operations is capable of safely launching and recovering aircraft. The last jet landing aboard Abraham Lincoln occurred on Aug. 6, 2012, just prior to the ship entering a four-year Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH). The certification is a major milestone on the ship's way to becoming fully mission ready.

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) has departed Palma de Mallorca, Spain, after a three-day scheduled port visit. The ship's presence in the Mediterranean Sea is a demonstration of the U.S.' continued commitment to the collective security of the European region.

    The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) arrived at Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK) yesterday for a routine visit during a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific.

    Six Navy veterans from the Battle of Midway, along with more than 200 active duty service members, veterans and civilians, attended the 75th Anniversary Battle of Midway Celebration on June 5th, held at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Rear Adm. Charles "Chip" Rock, commandant, Naval District Washington (NDW), began the official ceremony by placing a wreath in remembrance of the sailors and Marines who fought and died in the battle.

    The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) resumed strike missions in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, yesterday. The GHWBCSG entered the Mediterranean Sea on June 5th after conducting operations in support of OIR and maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet's area of operations. The GHWBCSG previously operated in the U.S. 6th Fleet's area of operations and last conducted strikes in from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of OIR from March 6th-8th. The GHWBCSG operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of OIR demonstrate the capability of the U.S. Navy to conduct precision strikes on ISIS targets from multiple theaters, highlighting the flexibility of the Navy's globally deployed force.

    A U.S. Marine's emotional support dog has bitten a passenger aboard a Delta Airlines flight. A police report said that the dog's owner, Ronald Kevin Mundy, Jr., of North Carolina, was a military service member with the U.S. Marine Corps.

    Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan has been nominated for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as director, the Navy Staff, N09B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Donegan is currently serving as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and commander, 5th Fleet, Bahrain.

    Rear Adm. Matthew J. Kohler has been nominated for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as commander, Naval Information Forces, Suffolk, Va.

    Rear Adm. Andrew L. Lewis has been for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, and strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Lewis is currently serving as vice director for operations, J3, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

    Rear Adm. (lower half) Ann M. Burkhardt has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral. Burkhardt is currently serving as director, Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, Arlington, Va. 

    The story of the Wake Island defenders in December 1941 has inspired generations of Americans, but the island is so remote that few ever get the chance to see the site of their courage. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff remedied that for his staff on his way back from the Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultation in Sydney today. "We had to have a fuel stop for the plane, so I thought 'Why not at Wake?'" Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford told reporters traveling with him. Dunford had been to the island before when serving as the senior aide to Gen. Carl Mundy, the commandant of the Marine Corps from 1991 to 1995 - the period covering the 50th anniversary of World War II. "General Mundy used to say that the defense of Wake and the story of Jimmy Devereux was what really inspired him to join the Marine Corps," the general said. The then-six-year-old future commandant was not the only one inspired by the defense of Wake Island - Americans everywhere were electrified by the efforts of the service members there. Then-Marine Corps Major James Devereux was the commander of the 1st Defense Battalion on the island when Japanese forces attacked just a few hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese destroyed eight of 12 Marine Corps Grumman Wildcat fighters on the island and raided several more times. Civilian contractors joined with the 450 Marines to hold off any attempt to take the island. On Dec. 11, 1941, they did just that, holding fire with their coastal artillery until the Japanese approached the island. The gunners sank a Japanese destroyer and a submarine and the four Wildcats sank another Japanese destroyer. Japan's South Seas Fleet beat a hasty retreat.  But the Japanese came back on Dec. 23rd with many more ships, including two of the aircraft carriers that attacked Pearl Harbor. They stayed outside the range of Devereux’s guns and hammered their positions as more than 1,500 Japanese Marines stormed the beaches. The Wake Island defenders had no choice but to surrender. "I thought it would be a great place to stop and share the history of Wake Island with the rest of the team," Dunford said. Dunford and his staff donned exercise gear and ran the four-mile course, stopping at various World War II sites along the way. Air Force personnel based on the island accompanied the party, pointing out the sites of interest. "What affected all of us was the rock with the 98 carved into it," the general said. The rock is a boulder of coral with "98 PW 5-10-43" carved into it. The Japanese killed 98 prisoners of war on the island on Oct. 10, 1943. One of the prisoners escaped, swam the mile-and-a-half channel and carved the inscription. He was later captured and beheaded by the Japanese admiral commanding the captured base. The general’s run began at the 98 Rock and ended at the Marine Memorial near the airport terminal. "For me, whenever I go back to those World War II battlefields, you see what 400 Marines did with some sailors, some soldiers, some contractors," he said. "They killed 700 enemy, they sank a submarine, they sank a couple of ships, they held out under unbelievable conditions. They endured being held as POWs. My commitment as we're leaving here is we are not going to soil the colors on our watch," he continued. "We’re proud to follow in your footsteps, we're not going to let you down and we're going to do you proud."

    U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) experts are adding towed-array sonar systems to the fleet to enable surface warships to hunt and attack quiet enemy submarines lurking at a variety of ocean depths.

    Smart munitions experts at the Raytheon Co. are making plans to flight-test a powered and extended-range version of the data-linked AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) to attack moving maritime targets like enemy surface warships.

    U.S. Navy radio communications experts are making plans to upgrade existing VHF-UHF radios with 721S fixed-site VHF-UHF radio transceivers from Rockwell Collins, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    There are currently not enough Marines for a permanent Marine Corps presence in South Korea, their commander says.

    And two people in North Carolina have been sentenced after targeting Marines and their wallets in online dating scam.

 

DOD launches Blended Retirement System Comparison Calculator

     

    The Defense Department has launched a comparison calculator for eligible service members to analyze their estimated retirement benefits under the legacy system and the new Blended Retirement System.

    The tool walks members through five screens, allowing users to adjust 12 data fields and compare benefit scenarios under both systems, Air Force Major Michael Odle, the Defense Department's assistant director of military compensation policy, explained. The calculator is aimed at helping eligible members make the best decision about whether to remain in the current retirement plan, known as the High-3 System, or opt into the Blended Retirement System, which goes into effect on Jan. 1st, he said. Eligible service members have until Dec. 31, 2018, to enroll in the new system. Military members who enter service on or after Jan. 1st will automatically be enrolled in the BRS.

    The tool is meant to provide flexibility so members can compare estimated benefits under a variety of situations, said Steve Galing, the lead analyst in the Defense Military Personnel Policy Analytical Directorate. Members are advised to consult with a financial professional, he said. "This is a personal decision," he added. "There are a lot of various resources available to our members, but ultimately it is up to the member."

    The calculator is a comprehensive tool designed to take into account the unique financial situations of all who serve - active duty, National Guard members and reservists, Odle said, and it's designed to be used in conjunction with the mandatory BRS opt-in course. This comparison calculator is the only comparison tool endorsed by the DOD, he added.

    The opt-in BRS course is available with a common access card through Joint Knowledge Online or through a service's learning management system. Military OneSource offers the course without a CAC. Military OneSource is hosting a Blended Retirement System question-and-answer session on June 8th at 1 p.m., EDT, on its Facebook page. Additionally, an optional training course for the calculator will be available in the next weeks, Odle said.

    An information box will pop up when users hover over underlined text in the calculator, providing further information on that topic, Odle explained. Further information is available through the links in the "more info" section under each page of the calculator. After a user inputs all the information, the calculator will generate a results page. Service members are encouraged to go through the process several times to see how their projected benefits change under various situations, Odle said.

    The comparison calculator does not take into account optional Thrift Savings Plan service member contributions under the legacy plan, and it does not account for optional monthly automatic Treasury Direct Government Savings Bonds purchased under the legacy retirement plan, he explained.

    All currently serving members are grandfathered under their legacy retirement plans. Active component service members with fewer than 12 years of service as of Dec. 31, 2017, and reservists in a pay status with fewer than 4,320 retirement points as of Dec. 31, 2017, are covered under the existing system, but are eligible to opt into the Blended Retirement System.

 

A moment for remembrance

By Doug Abruzzo, NOTF Staff Writer

    

    Here's a little history most people will never know: Interesting veterans statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall:

    There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe how long it's been since the last casualties.

    The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, Mass., listed by the U.S Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon, III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall. Thirty-one sets of brothers are on the Wall. Thirty-one sets of parents lost two of their sons. Eight women are on the Wall, who were nursing the wounded.

    997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968: 245 deaths. The most casualty deaths for a single month was in May 1968: 2,415 deaths.

    39,996 persons named on the Wall were just 22 or younger. 8,283 were just 19 years old. The largest age group, 33,103, were 18 years old. Twelve soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. Five soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old. One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock, was just 15 years old.

    Two hundred and forty-four soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.

    West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

    Beallsville, Ohio, with a population of 475, lost 6 of her sons. Fifty-four soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia, Pa.

    The Marines of Morenci led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest, and in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.

    The Buddies of Midvale, Le Roy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, and Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on 5th, 6th and 7th avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. Le Roy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22nd, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanks-giving Day. And Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

    For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we, too, pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.
    According to DOD and VA records and census data, of the 2,709,981 service members who actually served "in country" (the combat zone) estimates are that roughly 850,000 were still alive (as of April 2016). That is about 31 percent; meaning about two -thirds of us are already gone. Enjoy life while you still have it in you.

 

Homeland insecurity

    

    For the small fraternity of people who make their living coaxing musical notes out of vulnerable pieces of wood and metal, few things are more terrifying than seeing an expensive, defenseless instrument disappear on that little conveyor belt at the airport. Horror stories abound. A musician checked his $45,000, 75-year-old cello, which airport workers promptly placed beneath somebody's golf clubs, snapping its neck. A noted German soloist said airport workers roughed up his cello case. After his flight, he found his $20,000 bow broken in half. A Florida State University music student on a flight to Tallahassee found splinters of wood where her cello used to be. Those stories and many, many more have converged into an unwritten musician's rule: Never trust an airline with your instrument. So when a Houston-based gate agent at United Airlines told Yennifer Correia that she would have to check her 17th-century violin, which costs more than her car, the first words out of her mouth were: "What are my other options?" The situation soured from there, her attorney says, resulting in what is becoming another black eye for an airline industry that dragged a bleeding man off an overbooked flight this spring and allegedly booted a family from a flight over a birthday cake. Correia, a classical violinist on her way to Columbia, Mo., to play in the summer season at the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, asked for an airport supervisor. But the supervisor said there were no other options. The violin had to be checked. Her attorney, Phil MacNaughton, recounted what happened from there. Correia told the supervisor, "I can't not take my violin on board. I'll pay the money. I'll take another flight. Just tell me what I can do." As the altercation intensified, Correia told the agents that she would appeal to their bosses and asked the supervisor for her name, MacNaughton said. The supervisor said she wanted Correia's name and reached for the tag on her luggage. "Without provocation, the supervisor for the Chicago-based carrier then lunged for Ms. Correia's case and, incredibly, tried to wrestle it away from the musician," said a statement written by MacNaughton. "I start screaming, 'Help, help, help, can somebody record what's happening because this lady's trying to take my personal suitcase from me,'" Correia told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC. The supervisor said she was going to call security, and Correia apparently responded, "Please do." Then the supervisor dashed off. That was the last Correia saw of her. During the scuffle, MacNaughton said, Correia's hand was injured. She doesn't believe there is permanent damage, but she went to see a hand specialist "because the stakes are high." United Airlines didn't offer an account of what happened. Charles Hobart, a spokesman, emailed a statement to The Washington Post: "We're dis-appointed anytime a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation. We are reaching out to Ms. Correia to gain a better understanding of what occurred and to offer assistance."

    For the first time in the city's history, Buffalo, N.Y., is hosting the National Homeland Security Conference.

    An investigation has been launched by the DHS into reported attempts of compromising electronic poll software on Election Day in North Carolina.

    What was in two "suspicious" duffel bags that prompted the evacuation of a St. Louis, Mo., police station overnight? A man's personal items, apparently dumped outside after he had an argument with his girlfriend. Someone may have found them by a trash bin and taken them to the North Patrol Division, where they prompted the evacuation. They were left there at about 12:30 a.m. yesterday. The police station is at 4014 Union Boulevard, south of Interstate 70. The bags were first deemed suspicious, and Police Major John Hayden told reporters that bomb and arson technicians disposed of the bags without incident. Authorities later determined the bags contained a man's personal papers and items. The man told police he had an argument with his girlfriend, and that she put his belongings near a trash bin outside an apartment they shared. He told police he suspects someone found the bags and dropped them off at the police station. Police shut down Union Boulevard for about two blocks while they investigated. The road was reopened by 5 a.m. No charges are pending, police said.

    President Trump yesterday nominated David P. Pekoske, the former vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to be the next administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

    And the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a REAL ID enforcement grace period through July 10, 2017.

 

U.S. Coast Guard

    

 USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621)

    With the rising opioids epidemic in Western New York State, the U.S. Coast Guard's Buffalo Sector is worried about boaters using them.

    The U.S. Coast Guard has admitted losing track of a catamaran from the last place Florida mother-of-one Isabella Hellmann was seen before she vanished.

    The USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621)'s crew returned home to Naval Station Jacksonville, Fla., yesterday after a successful 63-day patrol. The crew seized approximately $147 million worth of cocaine.

    A 18-year-old man is missing after attempting to rescue a swimmer near Frisco, Va., and the Coast Guard is searching for him.

    One person is missing and one has been rescued after their boat capsized on the Merrimack River, near Boston, Mass.

    The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for information about a sailboat found off Chincoteague, Va. The boat was found completely submerged about 12 miles off the coast.

    The U.S. Coast Guard says it has called off the search for a possible person in the water off Dauphin Island, Ala., after the man was found safe.

    The city of Astoria, Oregon, has "re-upped" with the Coast Guard. Astoria is home to more than 1,000 members of Team Coast Guard, including active duty, reserve, civilian and Auxiliary members, and their families.

    The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is reminding boaters to make safety "Priority One" on the water. Drinking and inattention are the two major causes of boating accidents.  

    And the Coast Guard is searching for a man reported missing off North Carolina's Outer Banks.

 

Pentagon's spending levels to reach highest amount since 2012

    

    Leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) are seeking an overall increase of nearly 9 percent to the fiscal 2018 Pentagon spending for next year. The proposed DOD budget, submitted to Congress late last month, is for $639.1 billion, which represents an 8.9 percent increase over this year's request of $586.7 billion, and is the largest DOD topline budget request since 2012.

    Meanwhile however, U.S. military spending in substantial electronics accounts is set for slight reductions next year as trims are expected for pro-curement and research in military communications, electronics, tele-communications and intelligence (CET&I) technologies.

 

News from the U.S. Marshals Service

    

    Deputy U.S. Marshals have found and recovered a 5-year-old kidnapped child in Darlington County, S.C. A press release from the U.S. Marshals task force states Willard Thomas, 49, was wanted by the Harrisburg (Pa.) Police Department for kidnapping and was arrested.

    Shani Laine Nichols, 32, was arrested by the United States Marshals yesterday in Muleshoe, Texas, on a felony warrant in connection with a deadly Feb. 25th car crash in Lubbock, Texas.

    The U.S. Marshals arrested Margarito Lopez, 33  early this morning in Wilmington, N.C., on two sex crimes charges.

    Local charges have been drooped, but federal charges have been filed against Nicholas Olsen, of Ammon, and Chanel Bistodeau, of Blackfoot, in Idaho, who were arrested on April 15th following a U.S. Marshals manhunt.

    U.S. Marshals in bulletproof vests raided a building down the block from the shooting scene on Washington Ave. near E. 167th St. in Morrisania, N.Y., where the suspected shooter of a 5-year-old Bronx, N.Y., boy was arrested.

    And Roger Arechiga, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a retired chief in the U.S. Marshals Service, has a mug shot of  Panamanian dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega displayed in his home office. Arechiga was involved in Noriega's 1990 capture.

 

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