NEWS OF THE FORCE: Friday, March 18, 2016 - Page 1

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             Friday, March 18, 2016 - Today is Gallipoli Memorial Day in Turkey

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North Korea ignores U.N. ban, fires missile into the sea

    North Korea ignored U.N. resolutions by firing a medium-range ballistic missile into the sea today, Seoul and Washington officials said, days after its leader Kim Jong Un ordered weapons tests linked to its pursuit of a long-range nuclear-capable weapon.

 

Musharraf leaves Pakistan

    

    Pakistan`s former military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, who faces charges of treason and murder, left the country early today for what his lawyers said was urgent spinal care after a three-year travel ban was lifted.

 

U.S. and Coalition forces continue to pound ISIL terrorists in Iraq

    

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

    Rocket artillery and fighter aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government: Near Albu Hayat, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit; Near Fallujah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit; Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle; Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL headquarters and a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL tunnel and an ISIL rocket position; Near Kisik, three strikes destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL supply cache, and an ISIL command and control node; Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL rocket rail, an ISIL used bridge section, and three ISIL vehicles; and near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine gun positions.

 

Brazil's political crisis deepens

    Brazil's political crisis deepened as a judge blocked the appointment of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as chief of staff to his successor just moments after his tumultuous swearing-in ceremony was held amid heated protests.

 

U.S. sees new activity in the South China Sea

    The United States has seen Chinese activity around a reef that China seized from the Philippines nearly four years ago.

 

Saudis to end 'major combat operations' in Yemen

    Saudi Arabia says it is ending its "major combat operations" in Yemen, one year after launching Arab coalition airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

 

Sweden adopts Cold War military strategy

    Stockholm is moving to expand defense with established military strategy contemplating multilateral attack capabilities against Russia following months of growing anti-Russia escalation by NATO.

 

European migrant crisis continues

    Refugees and migrants - mainly from Afghanistan and Syria - have warmed themselves after arriving on an inflatable boat with other refugees, crossing the sea from Turkey to Lesbos.

    The European Council president, Donald Tusk, said he was "more cautious than optimistic" about prospects of reaching a deal with Turkey on the migrant crisis. European Union leaders will try to convince Turkey's prime minister to help end Europe's migration crisis in return for financial and political concessions, but they remain unsure if today's Brussels summit can clinch a deal.

 

Russia isn't really withdrawing from Syria

By Lisa Levine, News of the Force Tel Aviv

    

    Russian President Vladimir Putin caught nearly everyone by surprise with his Syria draw-down announcement. Little wonder: the Syria-led Coalition forces had momentum behind them; they were on a roll, gaining ground sometimes even without a shot being fired.

    U.S. and Coalition forces ground attack, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Syria today: Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb; Near Hawl, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, damaged an ISIL fighting position and suppressed a second fighting position; and near Mara, five strikes struck five separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions and damaged an ISIL fighting position.

    U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has determined that atrocities committed by the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria constitute genocide.

    An incredible archeological find is providing firm evidence of Jesus' ministry in Galilee.

    And despite terror, wars and instability, Israelis remain among the happiest people on Earth. A new survey shows that Israel is the world's 11th "most happy" nation.

 

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    Cuzin Jim's Thought for the Day: Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.

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President Obama wants a raise

    He's got less than a year left in office - but it looks like President Obama plans to live off taxpayers for a long, long time with a massive pay hike he's trying to give himself on the way out the door.

 

The Hillary Chronicles

    It's the worst news Hillary Clinton could get - and it could be enough to cost her the presidency. A third of Bernie Sanders voters say they'll never vote for her.

    A shocking new report proves that the Obama administration has quietly made millions of sensitive documents disappear, including e-mails from Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state.

    "Her biggest problem right now is the FBI. They’re not going away. They have reached a critical mass in their investigation of the Secretary and all of her senior staff. And, it’s going to come to a head, I would suggest, in the next sixty days. And, I predict that Hillary will not make it to the finish line. She’s not going to be able to complete her campaign," former D.C. U.S. Attorney Joe DiGenova says. "This criminal investigation must, of necessity, focus on her and all the people around her. And, if Jim Comey, the FBI director, is doing his job - which I expect him to do as an honorable man - she cannot be the nominee of the Democratic Party," he said. "She’s going to have to be charged with a crime. It’s going to be a very complex matter for the Department of Justice, but they're not going to be able to walk away from it. She and her staff have committed numerous federal crimes involving negligent and improper handling of classified information. They are now at over 1,200 classified e-mails, and those are just for the ones we know about from the State Department. That doesn't include the ones that the FBI is, in fact, recovering from her hard drives," he adds. "She has definitely made false statements, under oath, both in interviews and on Capitol Hill. She has not yet been interviewed by the FBI in their investigation. That will be the final step in their investigation. The Bureau has so much information about criminal conduct by her and her staff that there is no way that they walk away from this. They’re going to make a recommendation that people be charged, and then Loretta Lynch is going to have the decision of a lifetime. I believe that the evidence that the FBI is compiling will be so compelling that unless she agrees to the charges, there will be a massive revolt inside the FBI, which she (Lynch) will not be able to survive as an attorney general. It will be like Watergate. It will be unbelievable. The evidence against the Clinton staff and the Secretary is so overwhelming at this point that if, in fact, she chooses not to charge Hillary, they will never be able to charge another federal employee with the negligent handling of classified information," he said. "The intelligence community will not stand for that - they will fight for an indictment, and they are already in the process of girding themselves to, basically, revolt against the attorney general if she refuses to bring charges. There is a massive breach between the intelligence community, the military community, at the Department of State, and the national security superstructure inside the intelligence community. There is vitriol of an intense amount developing - you can hear it in your conversations with people in the intelligence community. They will fight to the death if the Attorney General attempts to bury this case. It’s going to be very, very ugly for her, and it’s going to be an awful ending to the Obama administration, but one which they richly deserve."

 

Today in the Department of Defense

    

    Secretary of Defense Ash Carter took part in a Politico playbook breakfast with Mike Allen and Bryan Bender on defense issues and issues of the day this morning at the Hyatt Regency, 400 New Jersey Ave NW, in Washington, D.C. The event was streamed live at the Politico web site.

    The United States is facing five global strategic challenges, while at home sequestration poses a great risk to the funding of critical investments, Defense Secretary Carter has told lawmakers.

    Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., have no public or media events on their schedules.

 

Homeland insecurity

    

    The FBI and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a bulletin yesterday warning that motor vehicles are “increasingly vulnerable” to hacking.The FBI and NHTSA are warning the general public and manufacturers of vehicles, vehicle components, and "aftermarket devices to maintain awareness of potential issues and cybersecurity threats related to connected vehicle technologies in modern vehicles," the agencies said in the bulletin. In July 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV, recalled 1.4 million U.S. vehicles to install software after a magazine report raised concerns about hacking, the first action of its kind for the auto industry. Also last year, the General Motors Co. issued a security update for a smartphone app that could have allowed a hacker to take control of some functions of a plug-in hybrid electric Chevrolet Volt, like starting the engine and unlocking the doors. And in January 2015, BMW AG said it had fixed a security flaw that could have allowed up to 2.2 million vehicles to have doors remotely opened by hackers. "While not all hacking incidents may result in a risk to safety such as an attacker taking control of a vehicle, it is important that consumers take appropriate steps to minimize risk,” the FBI bulletin said yesterday. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind told reporters in July 2015 that automakers must move fast to address hacking issues. The Fiat Chrysler recall came after Wired magazine reported hackers could remotely take control of some functions of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, including steering, transmission and brakes. NHTSA has said there has never been a real-world example of a hacker taking control of a vehicle. Two major U.S. auto trade associations - the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers - late last year opened an Information Sharing and Analysis Center. The groups share cyber-threat information and potential vulnerabilities in vehicles. The FBI bulletin yesterday warned that criminals could exploit online vehicle software updates by sending fake "e-mail messages to vehicle owners who are looking to obtain legitimate software updates. Instead, the recipients could be tricked into clicking links to malicious Web sites or opening attachments containing malicious software."

    The U.S. Homeland Security Department yesterday formally began sharing details of new digital threats with private businesses and other government agencies.

    DHS special agents have raided a home in Patchogue, N.Y. Officials say the raid was at the Old North Ocean Avenue home of Matthew Barone. The 43-year-old was previously convicted of abusing a 9-year-old girl several years ago.

    And the United States Department of Homeland Security has targeted the offshore, U.S.-facing online sports betting site 5Dimes with seizure actions. Officials say the website was using Amazon gift cards for money-laundering.

 

U.S. Air Force

    

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter has named the new commander for the U.S. Northern Command, to be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, the new Northcom chief will be the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command. Carter made the announcement this morning during an interview by Politico journalists Mike Allen and Bryan Bender. President Barack Obama has approved the choice and will nominate her to the Senate, the secretary said. Air Force Gen. Lori J. Robinson now commands the Pacific Air Forces and is the air component commander for the U.S. Pacific Command. She’s also executive director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations staff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. Pacaf is responsible for Air Force activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports more than 46,000 airmen serving mainly in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam. Robinson also is a senior air battle manager with more than 900 flight hours in the E-3B/C airborne warning and control system aircraft and the E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system aircraft. The general, Carter said, “has very deep operational experience, is now running the air forces in the Pacific, which is a very challenging place for the Air Force and a very intense operational tempo.” Naming the first female combatant commander, Carter added, demonstrates “that we have coming along now a lot of female officers who are exceptionally strong. Lori certainly fits into that category.”

    U.S. Air Force airborne weapons experts are ordering several hundred of the nation's most sophisticated radar-guided air-to-air (AMRAAM) missiles under terms of a contract modification announced on Wednesday.

    Lt. Gen. John Hesterman, the Air Force's assistant vice chief of staff, has been fired following an inspector general's report found that he had been carrying on an "unprofessional relationship" with a female lieutenant colonel.

    The U.S. Air Force is working to keep its stealth aircraft ready to deploy, train and upgrade as often as necessary. One of those fighters of the future is the F-22.

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of the Air Combat Command, addressed plans to improve the health of the Air Force remotely piloted aircraft enterprise on March 16 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony on Air Force RPAs and Army unmanned aerial vehicles as part of the committee’s review of the 2017 defense budget.

    Readiness and continued development of multilateral interoperability remains a key priority for Indo-Asia-Pacific partners participating in the 22nd year of exercise Cope Tiger, a joint multilateral field training exercise that began on March 7 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. During the two-week exercise, more than 1,200 combined service members and civilians from the U.S., Thailand and the Republic of Singapore aim to enhance cooperative relationships and improve procedures in airpower.

    The U.S. Air Force is committed to fully manning the reactivated 815th Airlift Squadron, at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., the Air Force Reserve chief says. Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson is the chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command.

    More than a dozen airman who provide security for a nuclear missile base in Wyoming are under investigation for “illegal drug activity,” The Air Force Times reported today. The full story is at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/crime/2016/03/18/drug-use-nuclear-base-fe-warren-air-force/81963078/ .

    The Air Force Reserve plans to increase its number of cyber units from 13 to 17.

    Serving in the Air National Guard means something different to everyone. For some, it adds meaning to life. To others, it is a source of honor. For one sheet metal fabrication mechanic assigned to the 161st Air Refueling Wing in Phoenix, Ariz., serving provides a sense of purpose outside of normal daily activities. "Being a stay-at-home mom is a huge responsibility, and it greatly contributes to our family, but serving in the Guard gives me another way to contribute - not just to my family, but the nation as well," Air Force Tech. Sgt. Billiesue Deegan said. Prior to joining the 161st, Deegan served on active duty with the U.S. Army. She said when her family decided to move from Georgia to Arizona for her husband's job, she looked to the Air Guard. "Serving in the military was something I wasn't willing to give up," she said. "It is very important for me to stay in the military. It is something I want in my life. I still serve, but just not on a daily basis." Deegan said military service is something she also wants in her children's lives, especially because it is a family tradition. Her husband, Air Force 1st Lt. Jeremiah Deegan, is also a member of the wing, and her father and sister both served in the military as well. She said her father's military service was influential in his life and therefore in hers. His service gave him a strong appreciation for attention to detail and instilled that in her as a young child, she added. "As a military member, I appreciate my father's lessons so much more - high standards and attention to detail are second nature to me," Deegan said. "I now find myself holding pretty high standards for my boys. I'd like for them to have more self-discipline and have great attention to det.ail. I would love for them to have the privilege to serve their country. While it is ultimately their choice, I hope they have the chance." Attention to detail is one of many skills she passes down to her kids. As a sheet metal expert, Deegan imparts military-learned technical skills as well. "I build a lot of stuff at home," she said. "We have a lot of rabbits, and I build all of their cages and feeders. The military has given me the knowledge, skills and experience to do a lot of the things I do around the house, and my boys see that." As a mother, Deegan said she employs family-learned skills in her military career.

    More than 150 members of the Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing have participated in Exercise Combat Archer 16-05, at Tyndall AFB, Fla.

    And the Air Force Research Laboratory is spending $6.8 million on a facility that will produce electricity from trash, for the Hawaii Air National Guard.

 

Officials announce 30 finalists for the 2016 Employer Support awards

    

    Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Defense Department office, has selected 30 employers as finalists for the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest DOD recognition of employers for their support of National Guard and reserve service members.

    On behalf of the secretary of defense, ESGR organizes the annual award program, which has presented the honor to 220 employers since 1996. Each year, up to 15 awards are presented to employers in the program’s three categories: large (500 or more employees), small (fewer than 500 employees), and public sector. This year's finalist group includes 11 large employers, 10 small employers and nine public-sector employers.

    "The 2016 Freedom Award finalists reflect the diversity in size and location of employers that provide outstanding support for Guard and reserve members," said ESGR Executive Director Alex Baird. "These 30 finalists span the diversity of America's workforce and prove every employer, whether large, small, public, or private, can go above and beyond for our citizen warriors."

    Almost half of the U.S. military is made up of National Guard and reserve members, many of whom also hold jobs with civilian employers. The Freedom Award recognizes employers who provide the most outstanding support for these citizen-warriors. This year's recipients will be honored at the Pentagon in August.

    ESGR received 2,424 nominations for employers in all 50 states, Guam-Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. This year's Freedom Award recipients will be announced in late June.

    This year’s finalists, listed in alphabetic order of their states, are: Alaska Airlines (Alaska); Qualcomm, Inc. (California); Pneudraulics, Inc. (California); Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District (Colorado); Accordia Urgent Care and Family Practice (Georgia); The Idaho State Police (Idaho); The Prairie Grove Consolidated School District 46 (Illinois); Lexmark International (Kentucky); The Entergy Corp. (Louisiana); Clark Construction Group LLC (Maryland); The Maryland State Police (Maryland); Delmarva Veteran Builders (Maryland); The Centralia Police Department (Missouri); Benjamin Franklin Plumbing (Missouri); The Nebraska State Patrol (Nebraska); The Albuquerque Police Department (New Mexico); Lowe's (North Carolina); The Carolinas Healthcare System (North Carolina); Tactegra (North Carolina); The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (Ohio); The Burford Corp. (Oklahoma); The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon); Comcast (Pennsylvania); Hope Valley Industries (Rhode Island); Iberdrola Renewables - Buffalo Ridge II Wind Farm (South Dakota); Young Touchstone (Tennessee); Fastsigns International, Inc. (Texas); T-Mobile US (Washington); The Seattle Fire Department (Washington); and Mesa Natural Gas Solutions (Wyoming).

    Related site: Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve .

 

U.S. Coast Guard

    

    The United States has removed entry conditions for vessels arriving from Cuba, the U.S. Coast Guard announced in a press release yesterday.

    In honor of college basketball's March Madness tournament, the U.S. Coast Guard is conducting its own competition in "Shutter Shootout 2016."

    The U.S. Coast Guard yesterday brought a little red, white and blue to the sea of St. Patrick's Day green on River Street, in Savannah, Ga., with the arrival of its tall ship, USCGC Eagle.

    Three young men were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday night after their kayaks capsized on the Necanicum River, near Astoria, Oregon.

    In a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Congress increased funding for the U.S. Coast Guard's acquisition needs.

    And the U.S. Coast Guard has commissioned its 16th fast response cutter, USCGC Winslow Griesser, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

President Obama signs new legislation into law

    Today, President Obama signed into law:

    - H.R. 1755, which amends the Federal charter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to state the specific purposes of the corporation and add a plan for transfer of assets upon dissolution;

    - S. 1172, the “Edward "Ted" Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015,” which authorizes the President to facilitate an efficient transfer of power to a successor President by establishing and operating: a White House Transition Coordinating Council; and an Agency Transition Directors Council;

    - S. 1580, the “Competitive Service Act of 2015,” which provides agencies with the ability to share lists of eligible prospective employees with other agencies when filling competitive service vacancies in the same occupational series and at a similar grade level;

    - S. 1826, which designates the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 99 West 2nd Street in Fond du Lac, Wis., as the Lieutenant Colonel James "Maggie" Megellas Post Office; and,

    - S. 2426, which directs the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and other related meetings, activities, and mechanisms.

 

Carter testifies on defense budget posture

    

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Pentagon's chief financial officer, Michael J. McCord, testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the FY-2017 budget proposal, yesterday.

 

 

U.S. Army

    

    Lt. Col. J. Frank, USA (Ret.) of St. Charles, Mo., died on Tuesday, at the age of 79. Frank was a retired colonel with the United States Army. He was in the Army Military Police and the ROTC. Frank was also member of the American Society Industrial Security and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). He was dearly loved, and will be missed by all who knew him.

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter today named Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, if confirmed by the Senate, to be commander of U.S. Forces-Korea. Brooks now is the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, Pacom’s Army component. The command has administrative control over all U.S. Army forces in the Pacom area of responsibility and provides forces and performs theater security programs with 36 countries from the Asia-Pacific regions of Alaska, Japan and Korea. Carter said U.S. Forces-Korea “is part of the U.S. Pacific Command, but is a major political military command, a place where we need our very best, and Vince is that, and also an officer with tremendous operational and managerial experience.” Most recently, Carter added, Brooks “has been shepherding what the Army calls 'Pacific Pathways,' the Army's ingredient in the so-called rebalance to the Asia Pacific, which is our intention and determination to keep the pivotal role of American military power in the Asia-Pacific region going, because that is what's brought peace and prosperity to that region for decades.” The command is home-based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, with portions of the command forward deployed throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Carter called the Asia-Pacific “the single most consequential region of the world for America's future."

    Mr. James Balocki, the United States Army Reserve Command's executive officer and director (services and installations), has addressed soldiers and civilians during a "town hall' meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

    An expo will be held to educate ages 12-25 on the effects of drugs and alcohol from 1 to 4 p.m., EST, on March 19 at the Army National Guard Armory in Dover, Del.

    U.S. Army fire-support experts are choosing the Raytheon Co. as one of two or more companies to begin developing a new long-range artillery rocket with a maximum range of 300 miles to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The Raytheon Missile Systems segment in Huntsville, Ala., will offer a new missile design for the Army's Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) program, Raytheon officials announced today.

    U.S. Army aviation experts are ordering 12 new and 27 rebuilt Boeing CH-47F Chinook multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopters under terms of a $896.9 million contract announced on Tuesday.

    U.S. Army researchers are asking for industry's help in designing an unmanned aerial drone about the weight of a baseball to enable forward-deployed infantry to conduct 15-minute reconnaissance missions on the battlefield.

    Texas Army National Guard soldiers are working alongside emergency first responders to rescue flood-stranded Texans in East Texas.

    A North Dakota Army National Guard unit based in Devil's Lake has received an alert notification order for an overseas deployment.

    Soldiers with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 213th Regional Support Group are supporting the U.S. 8th Army at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea.

    Ant troops from Lincolnton's detachment of the North Carolina Army National Guard returned home on Tuesday from a security mission in Bahrain.

 

UFO news

    

    New interesting video footage of a daytime UFO sighting was recorded above the Popocatepetl Volcano, in Mexico, on March 12th.

    New video footage of a UFO sighting was recorded between the Sun and Earth on March 14th.

    New video footage of a UFO sighting was recorded near the Sun on March 14th.

    And the "Swamp Gas UFO Conference" will be held tomorrow in Ann Arbor, Mich,, and anyone who wants to learn about the strange sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects is welcome to attend.

 

                       

 

 

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