| December 2, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. ISIS Threat at Home: FBI Warns US Military About Social Media Vulnerabilities
(ABC News) The FBI on Sunday issued the strongest warning to date about possible attacks by the ISIS terrorist group against the U.S. military inside the homeland, officials tell ABC News.
2. F-16 pilot killed in Middle East crash
(Air Force Times) A U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot was killed in a crash in the Middle East on Sunday, U.S. Central Command said Monday morning.
3. National Security Policymakers-No Experience Necessary?
(Chris Miller in Cicero Magazine) The United States possesses the most capable military in human history accompanied by the largest intelligence community in the world. The well-oiled machine that is our military-industrial complex underpins all other components of American national strength. Even with all of this power at our disposal, national security decisions with great ramifications are often made on the basis of executive summaries and PowerPoint briefings to congressional and executive branch officials-including presidents-who have little to no real national security experience of their own to draw on. Our leaders cannot properly defend America while learning about national security 45 minutes at a time. The learning curve is far too steep.
4. Pentagon Legislation Won't Include Language Allowing Guantanamo Closure
(Wall Street Journal) A deal between House and Senate negotiators on annual legislation setting Pentagon policy won't include language sought by the Obama administration and Senate Democrats allowing for the closure of the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a top Senate Democrat said.
5. Obama faces shrinking pool of Pentagon contenders
(Associated Press) On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson became the latest to tell the White House he wasn't interested in the job, according to people familiar with the process.
ISLAMIC STATE
Coalition conducts 55 airstrikes against ISIS
(The Hill) U.S.-led forces conducted 55 airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria over the weekend, according to Central Command officials.
No Agreement Reached on Syrian No-Fly Zone
(New York Times) Turkey is continuing to push the Obama administration to impose a no-fly zone or safe area along the Turkish-Syrian border, administration officials said Monday, but obstacles remain to the United States' committing to what would be a significant increase in American military engagement in the area.
In fight against IS, Iraqi PM sacks 24 officials
(Associated Press) Iraq's prime minister said Monday he retired 24 officials from the Interior Ministry as part of efforts to restructure the country's security apparatus and remove those who failed to confront the crisis caused by the Islamic State group's onslaught.
Iranian Phantom jet strikes the Islamic State in Iraq
(IHS Jane's 360) An Iranian McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet has struck Islamic State targets in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala, footage shot by regional media shows.
Islamists come out on top in new effort to unify Syrian rebel groups
(McClatchy) Seventy-two Syrian rebel groups on Saturday announced a new coalition to battle the government of President Bashar Assad. But hopes that moderate rebels would dominate the meeting were dashed when extremists gained more of the 17 executive positions than had been expected.
I/ITSEC 2014
Lockheed Develops Portable F-35 Trainer
(Defense News) The F-35 joint strike fighter is a highly advanced, stealthy fighter that requires significant amounts of training to master. If program officials have their way, it will also be used by US forces and international allies around the globe.
Rockwell Collins Selected for E-2D Trainer Upgrade
(Defense News) The US Navy has selected Rockwell Collins to upgrade its E-2D Hawkeye training system, the company announced today.
CAE Delivers First New T-44C Trainers to US Navy
(Defense News) CAE has delivered two new simulators for the Navy's T-44C, the first of six planned deliveries.
Trauma Patient Simulator Allows Medics To Practice Lifesaving Skills
(Defense News) He screams, he bleeds, he tells you where it hurts.
INDUSTRY
Pentagon May Be Forced to Release Aircraft Manufacturer's Contract Data
(Government Executive) A little-known unit at the Defense Department may have to release data considered proprietary by a major contractor under a Nov. 23 district court ruling favoring a small business advocacy group.
Navy Refines Draft Requirements for Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
(Seapower) Naval Sea Systems Command has released a refined draft of top-level requirements for a large-diameter unmanned underwater vehicle (LDUUV).
India, France Agree to Finalize Rafale Deal by Spring
(Defense News) India will fast-track the finalization of the US $12 billion plan to purchase 126 Dassault Rafale jets, according to a senior Indian Defense Ministry official, almost three years after India made Dassault its preferred bidder.
France trials new digital helicopter information systems
(IHS Jane's 360) The French army aviation (ALAT) has conducted its first exercise with its new digitised helicopter networking system.
Turkey Signs Logistical Ship Deal With Shipyard Selah
(Defense News) Local shipyard Selah Makine ve Gemicilik Endustri Ticaret AS will produce two logistical support ships for the Turkish Navy, the Turkish procurement authority announced.
CONGRESS
This Week: 'It Is All Up in the Air' With Defense Bills Still Pending
(Defense News) Will Congress start work this week on two bills for which the Pentagon and US defense sector are clamoring? It's anyone's guess.
Lawmakers reach breakthrough on defense bill
(The Hill) House and Senate lawmakers have reached a compromise on a joint fiscal year 2015 defense policy bill and hope to unveil the measure Monday night or early Tuesday morning, according to one of the chief negotiators.
SitRep: Defense hearings, final push of 2014
(Military Times) Congress returns to town this week for a final lame-duck push before the end of the year. But before the new Republican-controlled Senate is seated in January, lawmakers still have a host of unfinished business.
House passes bill to mitigate threat of EMP attacks
(The Hill) The House on Monday passed a bill to require the Department of Homeland Security to include the threat of electromagnetic pulse events in national planning scenarios.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Efforts underway to improve Pentagon's procurement system
(Washington Post) One of the first casualties was the Crusader artillery program, which was canceled after the Pentagon spent more than $2 billion on it. Then there was the Comanche helicopter debacle, which got the ax after $8 billion. More than twice that amount had been sunk into the Army's Future Combat System, but that program got killed, too.
Pentagon Blasted for Stalled Tracking of Services Contractors
(Government Executive) As the Defense Department scurries to keep up with ISIS and other changing threats from overseas, its systems for tracking spending on a variety of contractor services has drawn criticism from independent auditors and accusations of illegality from a good-government advocacy nonprofit.
Pentagon budget efforts trapped by a cycle of 'madness'
(Washington Post) Congress has 10 days to "stop the madness" - Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work's description of the legislative process that he says has prevented the construction of a coherent defense budget.
Obama's Cautious First Step Toward Demilitarizing the Police
(The Atlantic) Amid high tensions between urban communities and the officers that police them, the Obama administration on Monday made its first move toward limiting the use of heavy military equipment by local law enforcement agencies.
Free mail for troops serving in Liberia
(Military Times) Effective immediately, the government has authorized free mail for service members and Defense Department civilians who are serving in support of Operation United Assistance, the humanitarian mission in Liberia.
ARMY
About 250 Fort Bragg soldiers to deploy to support Iraq operations
(Army Times) About 250 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, officials announced Monday.
With the Troops: Kiowa pilots have been protecting soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan
(Fayetteville Observer) Two Kiowa pilots were waiting for their shift to start on Thanksgiving when, just before lunch, a group of soldiers made their way around the runway of this sprawling base in eastern Afghanistan to shake hands.
From Feeling Lost To Army Strong, With The Help Of Poetry
(National Public Radio) But Dejanique "Daisy" Armstrong, a young, gay woman from Stockton, Calif., never planned to enlist in the Army. She ultimately made that choice as a last resort.
With the Troops: Soldiers on call to move quickly
(Fayetteville Observer) Minutes before Thanksgiving dinner, a small unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near Jalalabad, leading commanders to call on a special unit of Fort Bragg soldiers.
NAVY
Exclusive: NCIS director focusing on crisis response, economic crimes
(Navy Times) Naval Criminal Investigative Service director Andrew Traver took over just weeks after the Navy Yard shooting in September 2013, with a clear mandate: Increase base security and crisis reaction time.
Authorities identify suspect in Thanksgiving shooting of sailor
(Sun Sentinel; Fort Lauderdale) The Broward Sheriff's Office on Monday identified a suspect in the Thanksgiving shooting of a sailor who was visiting his mother in North Lauderdale.
Former sailor Bill Cosby and the Navy have history together. Now it's complicated.
(Washington Post) Bill Cosby took the stage at the U.S. Navy Memorial in September 2010, wearing a tuxedo and a Navy ballcap as he received the service's prestigious Lone Sailor Award. The United States Navy Memorial Foundation presents it annually to individuals who distinguish themselves after leaving the military while exemplifying honor, courage and commitment.
Ex-handler: Israeli spy bungled '85 escape plan
(Associated Press) Pollard was a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy when he gave Israel thousands of classified documents, the extent of which has never been fully revealed. Pollard, now 60, was arrested in 1985 and later sentenced to life in prison. Several Israeli requests to have him released have been rejected. He will be eligible for parole next year.
AIR FORCE
RPA pilots are getting more respect in flying world
(Air Force Times) RPA pilots like Alves, known throughout the Air Force as the airmen who "play on video game consoles," are starting to make their way to the cool(er) kids' table. After years of wrestling with the term "real pilots" and still pushing for a medal to recognize their work, these pilots are seeing a cultural shift.
Rescue crews search for missing airman near Tarague Beach
(Pacific Daily News) Rescue crews from the Guam Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and Andersen Air Force Security Forces spent yesterday searching for a missing airman near Tarague Beach in Yigo.
Iraq native joins U.S. Air Force, earns citizenship
(Air Force Times) In early April 2003, 10-year-old Theo Shakir heard the battle for Baghdad International Airport from his home just a few miles away. Months later, U.S. tanks would roll into his neighborhood, one of the last to fall in Iraq's capital city.
NORAD launches Santa tracker. We still have questions.
(FlightLines) Each year, North American Aerospace Defense Command launches a website that allows little children to track Santa. Other media outlets may think, "Wow, what a cute story," but we at FlightLines/Air Force Times want to go deeper and ask the hard-hitting questions you've come to expect from the best Air Force news blog on the web.
MARINE CORPS
Marine sniper Rob Richards died from drug toxicity: autopsy
(Marine Corps Times) The sudden death of a Marine Corps combat veteran after his controversial exit from the military was a result of drug toxicity from one of his prescriptions, according to a newly published autopsy report.
Marine accused in Jacksonville chase appears before judge
(WITN-TV; Greenville, N.C.) A Marine accused of leading police on a chase and attempting to run down an officer made his first appearance in court Monday morning.
Barrett promotes new PME requirements in open letter
(Marine Corps Times) As enlisted Marines face more demanding education requirements for promotion, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Mike Barrett is backing the move in an open letter to the Corps.
Pendleton Marine finishes cross-country trip on horseback
(San Diego Union-Tribune) A Camp Pendleton Marine veteran finished a cross-country journey on horseback Nov. 30 to raise money for wounded comrades, especially those who suffer from PTSD.
VETERANS
VA expands access to therapy for sexual assault
(Military Times) The Veterans Affairs Department announced Monday it is expanding eligibility for veterans to access mental health treatment at VA hospitals or clinics if they were victims of rape, sexual assault or harassment while serving in the military.
Can PTSD symptoms be traced to concussion-induced pituitary damage?
(Los Angeles Times) Concussions from bomb blasts and post-traumatic stress disorder - the two signature wounds of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - can be difficult to distinguish from each other. Cognitive problems, sleep trouble and irritability are common symptoms of both.
Vietnam-era soldiers eligible for discharge upgrades
(Army Times) Vietnam-era soldiers who faced punitive discharges because they suffered from post-traumatic stress are to be given liberal consideration to requests for discharge upgrades.
Wives of War, Sisters of Hope
(Virginian-Pilot) PTSD has caused chaos in the lives of these women, but they've found a source of understanding and support in each other.
10 years after battle in Iraq, W.Va. man receives Silver Star
(Charleston Gazette; W. Va.) On Easter Sunday 10 years ago, Army Capt. James L. McCormick was part of a unit defending Baghdad International Airport when, at noon, enemy insurgents attacked his camp.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Officials: Afghan president to overhaul security
(Associated Press) Facing an intensified Taliban insurgency, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani plans to fire senior civilian and military leaders in the country's most volatile provinces to reinvigorate the battle against militants, officials have told The Associated Press.
UK retains Chinooks in Afghanistan
(IHS Jane's 360) The UK has retained a number of Boeing Chinook transport helicopters in Afghanistan to support personnel assigned to the NATO training and advisory mission in the country, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to IHS Jane's on 28 November.
International Aid Agencies Call for Temporary Exit From Afghanistan
(New York Times) A three-week-long wave of Taliban attacks in Kabul has led several aid agencies to put their staff members on higher security alert, and some have sent foreign workers out of Afghanistan earlier than usual ahead of the holidays, aid officials say.
MIDDLE EAST
Islamic State supporters advertise Sinai as jihadist destination
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot that controls large portions of Iraq and Syria, and its supporters are marketing the Sinai as a destination for young recruits seeking to wage jihad.
After joining IS, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis expands in Egypt
(Al-Monitor) The war has become more complicated in the Sinai Peninsula in the past few weeks after the Islamic State (IS), namely Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Sinai, began using traps and remote bombing in its confrontation with the Egyptian army. This has multiplied the difficulties facing the Egyptian army in fighting the terrorists who have mastered the art of hiding in the region's arid environment.
Lebanon detains 'wife and son' of Al-Baghdadi
(Al Jazeera) The Lebanese army has detained a wife and a son of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, as they crossed from Syria in recent days, security officials have said.
EUROPE
NATO chief rejects Russian veto on membership of former Soviet states
(Stars & Stripes) NATO's civilian leader said Monday that the alliance would not give Russia any guarantees that it wouldn't allow former Soviet allies to join its ranks, asserting that no country outside NATO had a "veto" over membership.
Russia announces war games; UK worried by 'extremely aggressive' probing of air space
(Reuters) Russia accused NATO on Monday of destabilizing northern Europe and the Baltics by carrying out drills there and announced new military exercises of its own, increasing tension over the Ukraine crisis.
U.K. to Relocate Two Attack Boats to Scotland by 2020
(USNI News) The U.K. Royal Navy plans to relocate two Trafalgar-class nuclear attack boats (SSN) from the Southern England to the service's primary submarine base in Scotland, the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced last week.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Japan's forces going amphibious, but no decision on the vehicles yet
(Stars & Stripes) Japan plans to buy 52 amphibious vehicles through 2018 but hasn't yet decided on a model, a Defense Ministry official said Monday.
Terrorists attack China's Xinjiang region, despite stronger security
(McClatchy) Fifteen more people have died in a terrorist attack in China's rebellious Xinjiang region, state media reported Saturday, despite Beijing's recent efforts to beef up security in this far-west part of the country.
Hong Kong Protests: Occupy Central Founders to Surrender to Police
(Wall Street Journal) Three founders of Hong Kong pro-democracy movement Occupy Central with Love and Peace said they would surrender to the police on Wednesday, hoping the student protesters who have been leading the street occupations will retreat.
AFRICA
Nigeria ends U.S. mission to counter Boko Haram
(Military Times) The Nigerian government has ended a U.S. effort to train a battalion of its troops to fight Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group that is responsible for abducting hundreds of schoolgirls earlier this year, according to the State Department.
Boko Haram Attacks With Ease, Causing Death and Mayhem in Nigeria's Provinces
(New York Times) A wave of attacks across northern Nigeria, including two on Monday - a suicide bombing at a market and an assault on security facilities - showed that the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram remained able to strike at will in the region, especially against civilian targets.
Somali al Shabaab gunmen kill 36 workers in Kenya quarry
(Reuters) Somali al Shabaab militants killed at least 36 non-Muslim workers at a quarry in northeast Kenya on Tuesday, beheading at least two of them in the same area that they hijacked a bus and killed 28 passengers just over a week ago.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
COIN Is a Proven Failure
(Army Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis in American Conservative) America risks shoveling more troops into Iraq to replicate a strategy that never worked in the first place.
Back to Night Raids: Counterinsurgency or Counterbureaucracy?
(Army Reserve Lt. Col. Michael G. Waltz in War on the Rocks) The cell phone rang in my corner of my tactical operations center. "Where are you?" the Afghan elder asked urgently. A commander from the al Qaeda-aligned Haqqani network was drinking tea one compound away, he said. The Haqqani commander was notorious for forcibly recruiting young Afghan villagers to fight for him and for executing anyone who stood in his way.
The Perversion of Military Ideas: How Innovative Thinking is Inadvertently Destroyed
(Aaron P. Jackson in Small Wars Journal) Have you ever read a military concept or doctrine publication, or an academic or professional paper about warfare or military operations, and wondered how it came to include such an ill-conceived idea? Odds are that the idea you read is a perversion of an earlier, better idea that in its original incarnation was actually quite innovative and insightful. This article explains the process by which such innovative and insightful military ideas are inadvertently oversimplified and/or distorted into intellectually questionable caricatures of their former selves.
The Long Gray Online
(Majors Matt Cavanaugh, Nathan Finney and Major John McRae in Cicero Magazine) A core group of mid-grade officers are changing the way professional discussions, doctrinal analysis, and institutional innovations take place in the Army. Like the famous interwar dialogue between Patton and Eisenhower that later found battlefield application during WWII, this group is attempting to foster a smarter, more relevant Army. Unlike those dialogues, they are using the internet and military blogging to drive change and new ideas, aligning with the culture of innovation that defense leaders hope will ensure advantage over potential future adversaries. Initially born of tactical-level information sharing on junior-officer message boards during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this movement is comprised of officers now working at the field-grade officer level-Major through Colonel-having traded tactical discussions for institutional ones.
Letting Them Scrape a Knee: Advising for Third Order Effects
(Thomas Doherty in Small Wars Journal) If you just give the Host Nation (HN) stuff or do stuff for them you become their system. The US military has done this for over a decade in Afghanistan and until about a year or so ago no one paid serious attention to what happens when that system suddenly retrogrades back home. Even Afghan leadership does not want to face this directly.
Why Does the Navy Still Not Have Enough Money for New Submarines?
(Jerry Hendrix in Defense One) The Navy is beginning to increase the tempo of its drumbeat calling for additional shipbuilding money to pay for the long planned replacement for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine. The ship is not unexpected, which is why the plea for more money is surprising- or at least it should be. How has the sea service arrived at this strategic juncture without enough money already inside of its budget to pay for one of its most critical assets?
Opinion: North Korea's Sea-Based Deterrent
(Debalina Ghoshal in USNI News) Recent reports that North Korea is developing submarines based on obsolete Golf-II class Soviet-era submarines has gained worldwide attention. However obsolete, it is reported that North Korea had invested its time in "examining and replicating" the missile-launch system of the Soviet-era subs.
Opinion: China's Radar and Missile Work Means More Than Fighters
(Bill Sweetman in Aviation Week) Once, no magic act was complete without the magician's revealingly dressed assistant. Her job was not merely to be sawed in half, but to dominate the mostly male audience's attention at moments when a focus on the whereabouts of the rabbit might blow the gaff.
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