Budget, Debt Worries Plague Troops

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – A half a world away from the Capitol Hill deadlock, the economy and debt crisis are weighing heavily on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
And the top question on their minds Saturday even as bombings rocked the city around them, was one the top U.S. military officer couldn't answer.

Will we get paid?
"I actually don't know how the answer to that question," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a group of troops, while at the same time telling them they will continue to go to work each day.
But he offered a bit more optimism than defense officials have acknowledged when those questions have come up in recent weeks.
"I have confidence that at some point in time, whatever compensation you are owed, you will be given," said Mullen, who is making his 15th trip to Afghanistan, just two months before he retires. But, he noted, "There are plenty of you living paycheck to paycheck so if paychecks were stopped it would have a devastating impact very quickly."
Questions on military spending and how the ongoing budget struggles will impact them dominated the morning meeting at the Kandahar base, and it was the first one Marines asked when he moved on to Camp Leatherneck later..
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How's This for Cool?

While most of us in Delaware are desperate to cool down during this recent heat wave, a group of Delaware Air National Guard airmen are focusing on staying warm during their annual two-week training mission.

Thirty airmen from the 166th Civil Engineer Squadron -- part of the 166th Airlift Wing -- left Sunday morning for Canadian Forces Station Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, about 500 miles from the North Pole. They will be helping the Canadian Air Force with the construction of a heated storage building during their training mission.

Their arrival comes during the warmest time of the year at Alert, a self-contained base on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island. Temperatures typically range between 35 and 40 degrees, balmy compared with the minus-40-degree temperatures in winter, said Chief Master Sgt. Ron Marandola, superintendent of the squad.

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Squadron Commander Relieved Over Alcohol Incident

The Navy says it has relieved a commanding officer of a squadron on the USS George H.W. Bush because of an alcohol-related incident.

WVEC-TV reports that Cmdr. Karl Pugh with Electronic Attack Squadron 141was relieved Tuesday following non-judicial punishment proceedings for an alcohol-related incident on July 12 during a port visit to Manama, Bahrain.

VAQ-141 Executive Officer Cmdr. Michael J. Miller has assumed command of the squadron.

The squadron is based at NAS Whidbey Island.

from the Washington Examiner / AP

Warner: Fix Military Schools

Prompted by an investigation revealing that military-base schools across the country are falling apart, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), and a bipartisan group of colleagues are asking new Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to make the issue a top priority.

According to the investigation by the Center for Public Integrity, 75 percent of Defense Department-run schools on military installations are either beyond repair or would require extensive renovation to meet minimum standards for safety, quality, accessibility and design.

The Pentagon has placed 39 percent of its 194 schools in the worst category of "failing," which means it costs more to renovate than replace them, reports to Congress show. An additional 37 percent are classified in "poor" physical shape, which could require either replacement or expensive renovations to meet standards, the study shows.

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Military Gay Couples Won't Enjoy Benefits

Gay service members from Army soldiers to Air Force officers are planning to celebrate the official end of the military's 17-year policy that forced them to hide their sexual orientation with another official act -- marriage.

A 27-year-old Air Force officer from Ohio said he can't wait to wed his partner of two years and slip on a ring that he won't have to take off or lie about when he goes to work each day once "don't ask, don't tell" is repealed. He plans to wed his boyfriend, a federal employee, in Washington D.C. where same-sex marriages are legal.

He asked not to be identified, following the advice of the Service members Legal Defense Network, a national organization representing gay troops, including the Air Force officer, that has cautioned those on active duty from coming out until the ban is off the books.

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Details of Somali Terrorist Recruitment in Minneapolis Revealed in Court Documents

A group of Minneapolis-area Somalis, including some who traveled to their homeland to allegedly take up arms against the Ethiopian army, held secret meetings in 2007 to plan the trips, created fake itineraries to fool family members and challenged one another about their commitment, prosecutors contend in a court filing.

The document was filed this week in advance of a trial for one man accused of being part of the conspiracy.

It sheds new light on how the recruiting operation worked in Minneapolis and how some of the men arrived at safehouses in Somalia, where they received AK-47s and weapons training.

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BREAKING NEWS: Four NATO Troops Killed in Afghanistan

NATO says four of its service members have been killed in two separate attacks in eastern Afghanistan.

The international coalition says three NATO troops died from an improvised roadside bomb and a fourth soldier was killed in a separate insurgent attack.

No other details about Tuesday's deaths were released.

The deaths bring to 280 the number of international troops killed so far this year and nine this month.

from MSNBC / AP

BREAKING NEWS–USAF Minotaur I Rocket Just Launched from Wallops

After a delay, the US Air Force Minotaur I rocket has just launched from the Wallops Flight Facility at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Port.

States Step Up Roles In Space

The 62-foot-tall rocket that stands on the launch pad on Wallops Island, off the Eastern Shore of Virginia, encapsulates much about the near future of space flight in the United States. It is a future where the federal government is a major player—and a paying customer—but many of the day-to-day duties are left to private companies and state agencies.

The Minotaur 1 is a commercially built rocket, but it owes much to the federal government. Its payload is an Air Force satellite. Many of its components, including the initial motor that will propel the rocket from zero to 3,300 mph in less than a minute, are leftovers from decommissioned Minuteman missiles. The launching site for this mission is NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, best remembered for putting two monkeys into space in early tests for the Mercury missions in 1959 and 1960. Lately, NASA’s launches at Wallops have been modest—mostly weather balloons and research rockets.

But the state governments of Virginia and Maryland are bringing more ambitious projects back to the remote island. Since 2006, four Minotaur 1 rockets have taken off from the states’ jointly operated Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), which leases facilities from NASA. This week’s 12-minute rocket flight will launch an imaging satellite aimed at helping U.S. troops in Afghanistan and other trouble spots in the region. 

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Virginia Congressmen Criticize Senators Over Carrier Relocation to Florida

Hampton Roads' four congressmen don't think Virginia's two senators are doing enough to block the Navy's plans to move a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier to Mayport, Fla.

The four House members recently sent a letter expressing concern that while the House's approved 2012 defense budget specifically prohibits spending money to prepare the Florida naval station to base a nuclear carrier, a proposed Senate budget does not.

The Senate version, which was approved by the chamber's Armed Services Committee this month and is headed to the full body, includes $15 million for Mayport improvements in advance of the proposed 2019 carrier relocation. The total cost of a carrier move is expected to be hundreds of millions of dollars.

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NASA to Launch DOD Rocket

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (AP) — NASA is preparing to launch a Department of Defense satellite from the Wallops Flight Facility at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

The Air Force Minotaur 1 rocket is scheduled for launch on Tuesday.

The rocket will carry the first operational satellite for the Department of Defense's Operationally Responsive Space Office.

The Minotaur 1 rocket is about 70 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

It is set for launch between 8:28 p.m. and 11:28 p.m. The backup launch days are Wednesday through July 10.

The launch may be visible from southern New York to North Carolina. It may be seen as far west from the Atlantic Coast as West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.

This will be the fourth Minotaur 1 rocket launched from Wallops Flight Facility and the spaceport since December 2006.

from the Daily Press

Disabled Veteran’s House Not Good Enough for the HOA

Would you want a severely disabled war veteran for a neighbor? It's hard to say "no" to that. Homes For Our Troops The group builds mortgage-free, accessible homes to severely disabled war veterans. The group was supposed to begin construction today on a specially designed house in Georgia for an Army veteran who suffered severe brain damage in Afghanistan. After months of planning, earlier this week the homeowners' association reversed its approval, saying that the house must be multiple stories and 700 square feet larger to be part of the neighborhood, or it will affect property values.

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HP Laptop Shields Soldier from Enemy Fire

We get a lot of complaints from readers about their HP computers and the company's customer service. But one person who won't be complaining is the U.S. soldier whose HP notebook took six bullets intended for him.

The soldier who sent these images to HP was stationed in Afghanistan when he came under enemy fire. Two bullets hit his shoulder but the other six bullets that hit him were stopped by the notebook in his backpack.

HP sent the soldier a new one and, at his request, let him keep the one pictured here.

from Chris Morran @ The Consumerist

Maryland Lawmakers Split on Libya Vote

Maryland’s congressional delegation split along party lines Friday over a resolution in the House of Representatives that would have authorized President Barack Obama to continue U.S. military involvement in Libya for one year, with the state’s six Democrats in support and two Republicans opposed.

The measure, similar to one pending in the Senate that is backed by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, failed on a vote of 123-295. Seventy Democrats joined all but eight Republicans in opposition.

Lawmakers in both parties have grown increasingly restive about the administration’s approach to Libya, which began with a series of airstrikes in March to weaken forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. Obama has maintained he does not need authorization from Congress to continue the effort because the military is not engaged in full-blown hostilities.

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Parris Island Receives First Woman General

For the first time in its 96-year history, a female general will lead the famed Marine Corps training installation at South Carolina's Parris Island.

The Marine Corps says Brig. Gen. Loretta Reynolds will take charge of the depot Friday. The one-star Naval Academy graduate is taking command from Brig. Gen. Frederick Padilla, who will lead the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan.

Reynolds has been a Marine for 24 years. She's also going to be in charge of Marines' Eastern Recruiting Region, which covers the 23 states east of the Mississippi River. She has been a communications officer and commanded Marines from platoon to battalion levels.

The installation graduates more than 20,000 Marines every year.

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Maryland Congressman, Nine Others, Sue White House Over Libya

Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Wednesday in filing a lawsuit against President Barack Obama over U.S. involvement in Libya, alleging that the White House overstepped its constitutional authority when it launched the military effort in March.

Amid growing criticism in Congress of President Barack Obama's handling of airstrikes against Libya, a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett of Maryland sued the president Wednesday, saying he overstepped his authority when he committed the U.S. military to the conflict in March.

Bartlett, Republican Rep. Ron Paul, Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich and seven other House members say Obama has violated the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution by failing to seek congressional approval for the military involvement against the government of Moammar Gadhafi.

White House officials largely dismissed the lawsuit. But the effort underscored growing discontent among lawmakers of both parties, even as Obama has stressed that the continuing operation is being led by NATO and the U.S. military has "no boots on the ground" in Libya.

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USCG Gets New, $2 Million Patrol Boat

Just south of the Francis Scott Key Bridge yesterday, six members of the Coast Guard skimmed across the water at 26 mph.

It was a speed their new state-of-the-art, high-powered response boat could easily maintain.

On their port side, a 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat crashed through the dark blue water of the Patapsco River at the same clip. This boat, in operation for more than 25 years, was traveling at top speed.

With the touch of a joystick, Master Chief Petty Officer James Hines sent the new $2 million, 45-foot response boat tearing south toward the Chesapeake Bay, leaving the decades-old utility boat in its wake. Hines marveled at the power as he approached his vessel's top speed of more than 51 mph.

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Panetta Asserts Broad Presidential Power to Commit Troops

CIA Director Leon Panetta, who President Barack Obama has nominated to be secretary of Defense, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that he believes the president can unilaterally use military force, without congressional authorization to “protect our national interests.”

Panetta’s claim of broad unilateral presidential power to initiate U.S. military action absent an attack or imminent threat to the United States came in response to a question from Sen. John McCain—who said he agreed with Panetta.

The U.S. is now involved militarily in Libya even though Congress has never authorized that involvement.

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Eisenhower XO Transferred Pending Probe

The executive officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has been temporarily reassigned amid an ongoing investigation, a Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman said Thursday.

Capt. Robert Gamberg was reassigned on May 24, said Cmdr. Phil Rosi, AIRLANT spokesman. The decision was made by Capt. Marcus Hitchcock, commanding officer of the carrier.

Gamberg is with the AIRLANT staff for now. Rosi said the investigation was not related to safety, ship operations or work performance.

The Navy Times first reported the news about Gamberg.

The Eisenhower is currently undergoing maintenance at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth.

The commanding officer there was removed from his position last month pending a formal investigation by the Naval Inspector General into "command environment" issues, the Navy reported.

From Hugh Lessig @ the Daily Press

Navy Researcher Links Toxins in War-Zone Dust to Ailments

U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait have inhaled microscopic dust particles laden with toxic metals, bacteria and fungi — a toxic stew that may explain everything from the undiagnosed Gulf War Syndrome symptoms lingering from the 1991 war against Iraq to high rates of respiratory, neurological and heart ailments encountered in the current wars, scientists say.

"From my research and that of others, I really think this may be the smoking gun," says Navy Capt. Mark Lyles, chair of medical sciences and biotechnology at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. "It fits everything — symptoms, timing, everything."
Lyles and other researchers found that dust particles — up to 1,000 of which can sit on the head of a pin — gathered in Iraq and Kuwait contain 37 metals, including aluminum, lead, manganese, strontium and tin. The metals have been linked to neurological disorders, cancer, respiratory ailments, depression and heart disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers believe the metals occur both naturally and as a byproduct of pollution.
Researchers in and out of the military say the particles are smaller and easier to inhale than most dust particles, and that recent droughts in the region have killed desert shrubs that helped keep down that dust. The military's heavy vehicles have pounded the desert's protective crust into a layer of fine silt, Lyles says. Servicemembers breathe the dust — and all it carries — deeply into their lungs.
The dust contains 147 different kinds of bacteria, as well as fungi that could spread disease, Lyles found. Since the wars began in Iraq in 2003 and in Afghanistan in 2001, the military has seen a 251% increase in the rate of neurological disorders per 10,000 active-duty servicemembers, a 47% rise in the rate of respiratory issues and a 34% increase in the rate of cardiovascular disease, according to a USA TODAY analysis of military morbidity records from 2001 to 2010. Those increases have researchers seeking possible causes.
Despite the research by Lyles and others, and the documented spikes in respiratory illnesses, Defense Department officials contend there are no health issues associated with the dust.
"The (Defense Department) has examined the concerns raised by the studies accomplished by Capt. Lyles," says Craig Postlewaite, who heads up the Secretary of Defense's Force Readiness and Health Assurance Office. He said the military found the dust is "not noticeably different from samples collected in the Sahara Desert and desert regions in the U.S. and China."

Lyles initially analyzed dust samples from Iraq and Kuwait in 2003 to help determine a way to keep the grit from rendering medical equipment useless.
"When I saw the data, I said, 'Oh my God. This can't be right,'" Lyles says.
More : http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-05-11-Iraq-Afghanistan-dust-soldiers-illnesses_n.htm