Transcarpathian "Sonechko" [Sunshine] unit captures Russian tank base
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - WEDNESDAY, 17 AUGUST 2022, 18:40 Soldiers of the "Sonechko" [Sunshine] volunteer special unit from Transcarpathia have captured a Russian T-72B tank during a successful operation in the Donetsk region.
news.yahoo.comDOD ‘wiped’ phones of Trump-era leaders, erasing Jan. 6 texts
The Department of Defense (DOD) failed to retain text messages from a number of its top officials relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot because it wiped their phones during the transition, a watchdog group that sued for the records disclosed Tuesday. American Oversight filed a public records request for the communications of former…
news.yahoo.comRetired 3-star Army general suspended from adviser role for Jill Biden remark
A retired three-star Army general has been suspended from his duties as an adviser to active-duty officers, an Army spokeswoman said Saturday. The suspension followed reports that his social media account carried a comment critical of first lady Jill Biden. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky was serving as an HQE-SM, a highly qualified expert-senior mentor, when he was suspended by Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, according to a statement from Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith. Today, that right was stolen from us,” Biden said. The newspaper reported that the tweet under Volesky’s name stated: “Glad to see you finally know what a woman is.” The tweet was later deleted.
mlive.comRetired general suspended after tweet critical of Jill Biden
A retired three-star Army general has been suspended from his duties as an adviser to active-duty officers, an Army spokeswoman said Saturday. The suspension followed reports that his social media account carried a comment critical of first lady Jill Biden. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky was serving as an HQE-SM, a highly qualified expert-senior mentor, when he was suspended by Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, according to a statement from Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith.
news.yahoo.comArmy Cuts Off More Than 60K Unvaccinated Guard and Reserve Soldiers from Pay and Benefits
Some 40,000 National Guard and 22,000 Reserve soldiers who refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer allowed to participate in their military duties, also effectively cutting them off from some of their military benefits, Army officials announced Friday.
news.yahoo.comJustices say vet who lost job as Texas trooper can sue state
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a former state trooper to sue Texas over his claim that he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices ruled for Army veteran Le Roy Torres under a federal law that was enacted in 1994 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. “Text, history, and precedent show that the States, in coming together to form a Union, agreed to sacrifice their sovereign immunity for the good of the common defense,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court.
news.yahoo.comFloods in India, Bangladesh leave millions homeless, 18 dead
Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links, authorities said Saturday. In India's Assam state, at least nine people were killed in the floods and 2 million saw their homes submerged, according to the state disaster management agency. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday.
news.yahoo.comPost Politics Now Senate Republicans poised to block bill intended to combat domestic terrorism
President Biden has no public events on his schedule Thursday. He said Wednesday that he will soon travel to Uvalde, Tex., to meet families of the children killed in the mass shooting there.
washingtonpost.comSearch for Supreme Court leaker falls to former Army colonel
When Gail Curley began her job as Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court less than a year ago, she would have expected to work mostly behind the scenes: overseeing the court's police force and the operations of the marble-columned building where the justices work. Earlier this month, however, Curley was handed a bombshell of an assignment, overseeing an unprecedented breach of Supreme Court secrecy, the leak of a draft opinion and apparent votes in a major abortion case. People who know Curley described the former Army colonel and military lawyer as possessing the right temperament for a highly charged leak investigation: smart, private, apolitical and and unlikely to be intimidated.
news.yahoo.comArmy officer who reported Trump probably faced retaliation, inquiry finds
Yevgeny Vindman, a former White House adviser, "was the subject of unfavorable personnel actions" after raising alarm about President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine, the Defense Department's inspector general determined.
washingtonpost.comFormer defense secretary Mark Esper: President Trump suggested shooting protesters, missile strikes in Mexico
In his new memoir, "A Sacred Oath," Esper writes that he had to press President Trump to send aid to Ukraine, and also walked the president back from ideas such as shooting protesters and missile strikes in Mexico.
cbsnews.comFormer defense secretary Mark Esper: President Trump suggested shooting protesters, missile strikes in Mexico
In his new memoir, "A Sacred Oath," Esper writes that he had to press President Trump to send aid to Ukraine, and also walked the president back from ideas such as shooting protesters and missile strikes in Mexico.
cbsnews.comJustices cast doubt on Texas immunity claim in vet's lawsuit
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cast doubt on Texas' claim that it can't be sued by a former state trooper who says he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices heard arguments in a dispute over a federal law that was enacted in 1991 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. Over 90 minutes, the justices discussed the Vietnam War, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Hamilton and even Hamilton, the musical, as they tried to sort through whether states are shielded from lawsuits filed by veterans who complain that their jobs were not protected, in violation of the federal law.
news.yahoo.comAcross services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Study: Texas bases lead Army posts in risk of sexual assault
A new study finds that female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018.
Veteran resource center in Ann Arbor hopes to reach as many vets as possible
ANN ARBOR – The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 423 in south Ann Arbor recently began operating as a veteran resource center in order to connect with vets in Washtenaw County. AdVeterans sit and talk at VFW Post 423 in south Ann Arbor on March 20, 2021. A veteran takes a pamphlet from a booth during the veteran resource center's open house on March 20, 2021. AdHe said the resource center provides a safe space to share stories and receive guidance and support. Vietnam veteran St. Larry Antoine attends an open house at VFW Post 423 in Ann Arbor.
Army under fire from Congress over Fort Hood response
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – Lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly improvements are being made to criminal investigation at Fort Hood, Texas, where rates of violent crime and sexual assaults are particularly high. More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including in multiple homicides and suicides. The review also concluded that the Army CID was understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week last year before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. AdAs a result of the independent review and other investigations, the Army earlier this year took action against 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelli’s cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelli’s attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
Let down your hair: New Army rules for ponytails, nail color
Female soldiers can let their hair down and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON – Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders announced Tuesday that they are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. Female soldiers going through Ranger or special operations training get their heads shaved, like male soldiers do.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. Biden is expected to win approval for others on his national security team in coming days, including Antony Blinken as secretary of state. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.
Congress poised for quick action on Biden's Pentagon nominee
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, confirmed that the confirmation vote on Austin would be conducted Friday. Austin, a 41-year veteran of the Army, has promised to surround himself with qualified civilians and include them in policy decisions. Many of them opposed a similar waiver in 2017 for Jim Mattis, former President Donald Trump's first secretary of defense. He emphasized on Tuesday that he will follow Biden’s lead in giving renewed attention to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. As a career Army officer, Austin had little reason to learn the intricacies of nuclear policy, since the Army has no nuclear weapons.
The Latest: House urges Pence to remove Trump from power
__10:40 p.m.Michigan Rep. Fred Upton has become the fourth Republican to back the impeachment of President Donald Trump. ___8 p.m.Vice President Mike Pence is ruling out invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power, less than a week after the president fomented the violent insurrection at the Capitol. That word comes as GOP divisions emerge over Democrats’ plan for a House vote Wednesday. As rioters were still in the Capitol, Trump released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: “We love you. On impeachment, Trump said it’s “a really terrible thing that they’re doing.” But he said, “We want no violence.
Army left out in Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs
When that bowl game was called off because there was not another team available, it suddenly left Army looking for a postseason opponent. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)At a time when team after team had opted out of bowl games, Army found itself in a different sort of situation — left out. “It was a difficult day for all of college football,” said Nick Carparelli, the executive director of Bowl Season, the renamed Football Bowl Association. For the Hokies, the decision ended a 27 straight bowl game run. Some of the canceled bowl games — 15 in all, including three on Sunday alone — included the Bahamas Bowl, Celebration Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl, Redbox Bowl and Sun Bowl.
General sorry for ‘miscommunication’ over vaccine shipments
I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.”There’s a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Perna said the government now is on track to get approximately 20 million doses to states by the first week of January, a combination of the newly approved Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday accused the White House of “slow-walking the process.” Michigan is due 60,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its second allotment, down from an anticipated 84,825.
Michigan football signs No. 12 recruiting class despite 2-4 record, coaching uncertainty
RECRUITING: Michigan football’s depleted defense loses 2 of top commits on National Signing DayOn-field performance was the most obvious reason to believe Michigan could lose some of its top committed players. The Wolverines lost four of six games this season, including to in-state rival Michigan State and then-winless Penn State. Other than the Michigan State game, the losses weren’t even competitive. Michigan football recruiting: 4 victories, 2 major blows for 2021 class on National Signing DayEven Ja’Den McBurrows stuck with Michigan despite a full-court press from his hometown Miami Hurricanes, who enjoyed an 8-2 season. For Michigan to beat out those schools and sign Worthy, Edwards, Hood and McBurrows is a testament to the coaching staff’s ability to overcome enormous recruiting obstacles and keep the class together.
US says COVID-19 vaccine to start arriving in states Monday
DETROIT – U.S. officials say the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine will begin arriving in states Monday morning. On Friday, the United States granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. According to CNN, Pfizer has told reporters covering its rollout that it expects the first shipments of its COVID-19 vaccine to leave the Michigan facility Sunday morning. On Saturday, the US Food and Drug Administration held a press conference on the first COVID-19 vaccine authorization. New COVID-19 cases are slowing but deaths continue to rise in Michigan.
Bill passes to rename Ann Arbor VA facility after Lt. Colonel Charles S. Kettles
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Legislation passed to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Ann Arbor after Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)Decades ago, Lieutenant Colonel Kettles courageously went back into enemy territory to save the lives of 44 of his fellow servicemen. It is a fitting tribute to rename the Ann Arbor VA hospital for a hometown hero. In 2015, Dingell led legislation to waive time limitations that deemed Lieutenant Colonel Kettles ineligible for consideration of the Medal of Honor. After the bill was enacted, President Obama awarded Kettles the Medal of Honor on July 18, 2016, nearly 50 years after his heroic actions.
The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.