September 3, 2024
SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP
On this Labor Day, we salute the commitment of our military members and civilian personnel.
Alabama National Guard | Facebook, Instagram, X
Our maintenance Guardsmen are keeping us equipped and mission-ready one repair at a time.
Alabama National Guard | Facebook, Instagram, X
Here's our tip: Don't let your 𝐺𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑 down this weekend.
Alabama National Guard | Facebook, Instagram, X
Challenge: Level Easy to Medium
Alabama National Guard | Facebook, Instagram, X
Alabama Driver’s License: Veteran Designation
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th Theater Sustainment Command | Facebook
Quick reminder about the AAFES NG Troop Store and Sam Adams Brewhouse modified hours for this weekend!
Fort McClellan Training Center | Facebook
Medical Trauma Training!
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th Air Refueling Wing | Facebook
WOCS Class 24-0A8 conducting their ACFT at Fort McClellan’s new ACFT field.
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th Regiment Regional Training Institute | Facebook
One of our National Guard Recruiters, SSG Light, presenting the AHSAA Top Prospect of the week.
Alabama National Guard Recruiting | Facebook, Instagram
ALABAMA NEWS
Former Alabama National Guard soldier pleads guilty to human smuggling
myRGV.com | August 29, 2024
Derrick Terelle Sankey, who was initially arrested while wearing his military uniform and driving a Border Patrol vehicle with around two pounds of cocaine on Sept. 13, 2021, will be sentenced on a yet to be determined date, court records show.
Army helicopter crashes in southeast Alabama during flight training; injuries reported
AL.com | August 29, 2024
Injuries were reported when an Army helicopter crashed Thursday afternoon in southeast Alabama during flight training, officials said.
The UH-72 Lakota helicopter out of Fort Novosel, formerly known as Fort Rucker, in Dale County, was conducting “routine flight training” at Highbluff Stagefiled, a helipad in Geneva County, when the crash occurred around 3:17 p.m. Thursday, according to Fort Novosel officials.
University of Alabama in Huntsville opens new AFROTC program
Maxwell Air Force Base | August 29, 2024
The Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps opened a new extension at the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Aug. 29, 2024.
This new location is one of only four AFROTC operating locations, and it is set to train and develop future U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force leaders. UAH's program is an independent element under AFROTC Detachment 012 located at Samford University.
Alabama Firm to Equip Future US Air Force Cargo Spacecraft
The Defense Post | September 2, 2024
Alabama-based defense contractor Outpost Technologies Corporation has signed a $33.2-million agreement to produce and evaluate equipment for the US Air Force’s Joint Precision Orbital Cargo (J-POC) space vehicle.
New laser tag facility opens at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex
Montgomery Advertiser | August 30, 2024
The highly anticipated laser tag facility, "The Last Stand Laser Tag," officially opened its doors at Gunter Annex on August 16.
The facility offers a thrilling new way for Airmen and their families to bond, build morale, and engage in team-building activities.
Alabama lawmakers working to expand Veterans Treatment Court statewide
Alabama Daily News | September 2, 2024
The chairman of the House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee says he is working on legislation to expand Veterans Treatment Courts statewide.
Across the state, there are currently just under 30 Veteran Treatment Court programs that offer veterans charged with a crime an alternative route through the criminal justice system that, if adhered to, allows them to avoid incarceration.
ROMANIA NEWS
Black Sea Security: Romania’s Military Modernization and Armenia’s Foreign Policy Reorientation
Middle East Institute | August 30, 2024
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pushed the Black Sea region to the forefront of international attention and forced regional countries to overhaul their own security calculations. The countries of the extended Black Sea region are now undergoing some of the most profound shifts in their foreign, security, and defense policies in decades, with Romania and Armenia at the forefront of this phenomenon.
DEFENSE WIDE NEWS
Taiwan Turns Tables on China With Russian Territories Jibe
Newsweek | September 2, 2024
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has challenged China's claim over the self-ruled island, questioning Beijing's focus on territorial integrity. Lai suggested that if China is truly concerned about this, it should also seek to reclaim the land it ceded to Russia in the 19th century. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, despite the fact that the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the island. In recent years, Beijing has increased military activity near Taiwan to exert pressure, including major drills following the inauguration of Lai, whom Beijing views as a "separatist."
Russia signals its official stance on using nuclear weapons is about to change, accusing the West of ‘escalation’
CNBC | September 3, 2024
Russia has again hinted that it’s making changes to its official stance on the use of nuclear weapons, amid Ukraine’s continuing incursion into its Kursk border region. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Sunday that Russia is in the process of amending its nuclear doctrine, which sets out the conditions in which nuclear weapons can be used, because of what Russia sees as a Western-backed “escalation” of the war with Ukraine. Russia accused the West of encouraging Ukraine’s cross-border raid that has seen its forces seize almost 500 square miles of Russian territory since it began on Aug. 6.
Russian missile attack rocks Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine
Reuters | September 2, 2024
Loud explosions rocked Ukraine's capital Kyiv early on Monday as Russia launched a barrage of missiles, sparking fires and damaging homes and infrastructure, officials said. Residents across the city were awoken by a quick succession of bangs and the sound of air defence missiles blasting off skyward to intercept targets. The air force said it had destroyed 22 out of 35 missiles and 20 of 23 attack drones. It listed several types of cruise and ballistic missiles used by Russia.
US captures ISIS leader who helped terror group escapees, military says
CNN | September 2, 2024
The US captured an ISIS leader who helped escapees of the terror group after they fled a detention facility in Syria, according to US Central Command. Working with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal early Sunday morning. Al-Dandal helped ISIS fighters who had escaped from detention facilities in Syria, including recently escaped fighters, CENTCOM said. Last week, five ISIS detainees escaped from the Raqqa detention facility in Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces recaptured two of the escapees, but the other three remain at large, CENTCOM said.
The U.S. has seized Venezuelan President Maduro's plane
NPR | September 2, 2024
The United States has seized an airplane belonging to Venezuela's hard-line president, Nicolás Maduro, in the Dominican Republic and taken it to Florida, the Justice Department said Monday. The Justice Department alleges that the Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft was purchased from a company in Florida for about $13 million by people affiliated with Maduro, through a Caribbean-based shell company, and smuggled out of the U.S.
Turkey detains 15 members of anti-American youth group for assaulting 2 U.S. servicemen
Associated Press | September 2, 2024
Turkish authorities on Monday detained 15 members of an anti-American youth organization who physically assaulted two U.S. military personnel in the city of Izmir, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The agency said members of the Turkish Youth Union, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Party — a small, nationalist political party without parliament seats — were detained on the orders of a prosecutor. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the incident, saying service members on board the USS Wasp were “now safe.”
Biden says Netanyahu is not doing enough to get a hostage deal
NBC News | September 2, 2024
President Joe Biden on Monday said he did not think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a comment that comes amid massive protests in Israel. Biden made the remark to reporters after a weekend during which the bodies of six hostages executed by Hamas were found in a Gaza tunnel. Among those discovered was the body of 23-year-old American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents had publicly pleaded for the return of their son. The pair had brought their personal appeal to the Democratic National Convention, where they were received with a standing ovation.
NATIONAL GUARD NEWS
US Air National Guard Trains in Austria with F-35 Lightning II Multirole Combat Aircraft.
Army Recognition | September 3, 2024
The Vermont Air National Guard (VTANG) is preparing to deploy a contingent of Airmen and F-35 Lightning II aircraft to Austria. The deployment, scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, September 4, 2024, will see VTANG participating in the prestigious Airpower Air Show, followed by a multinational training exercise. Colonel Michael Blair of the U.S. Air Force, commander of the 158th Operations Group, emphasized the importance of the mission, acknowledging the potential disruption to the local community due to the early departure.
First Poland-Bound Lockheed Martin F-35 Aircraft Celebrated
The Dallas Express | September 2, 2024
A ceremony in Fort Worth was held last Wednesday to commemorate the delivery of the first of 32 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II aircraft to Poland by Lockheed Martin. The event was attended by company executives and officials from both Poland and the United States, reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Poland, which is part of NATO and the European Union, made a multi-billion-dollar deal with the United States for the aircraft in early January.
Two Ukrainian Top Guns Lobbied for F-16s. They Won’t Get to See If the Jets Help Fend Off Russia.
MSN.com | September 2, 2024
In a meeting with U.S. senators in June 2022, two of Ukraine’s most prominent military pilots were making a pitch for F-16 jet fighters when one of the senators spoke up to temper their hopes. “I told them it’d be a hard sell,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said later. But he was impressed with the two pilots’ passion and charisma and pledged to help persuade the Biden administration to green light the jets. Juice and Moonfish stood out for their talent when they rode in F-15 jet fighters for the first time the following year during an exchange program in California, said now-retired Col. Robert Swertfager, a fighter pilot with the California Air National Guard.
Military Officer Removed From Command Over Opposition to Transgenderism, School Drag Shows
Todd Starnes | September 2, 2024
An officer in the Idaho Army National Guard was removed from command and pressured to resign after a gay subordinate objected to his views on transgenderism and whether children should have access to pornographic books. Liberty Counsel, a well-known religious liberty law firm, is represented in the unnamed military officer. They say the man’s First Amendment rights were violated. They also allege the National Guard violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Idaho state constitution.
New details on man accused of killing Gaudreau brothers
Yahoo! News | September 1, 2024
FOX 29 has learned new information about 43-year-old Sean Higgins, the man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau in a Salem County collision last week. Higgins is a field artillery officer assigned to the New Jersey Army National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters. He is a part-time traditional Drill Status Guardsman and was not on duty at the time of the incident.
Ohio National Guard soldier climbs new heights with goal to preserve Mount Everest
WCPO-TV | September 2, 2024
Serving in the Ohio Army National Guard for nearly 20 years, Quincy Stang has risen to new heights. But it’s what he’s doing out of uniform that he hopes will bring more awareness to an ongoing problem on Mount Everest. “There's that no quit mentality that you're going to kind of go after something, whether it's big or small, and you're going to kind of give it all you have,” Stang said. During his recent attempt this year to summit Mount Everest, Stang's perseverance and adaptability — skills harnessed from his military service — were stopped by Mother Nature when the weather window closed early.
ARMY NEWS
US prioritizes deterrence over denuclearization on North Korea, experts say
Voice of America (VOA) | September 2, 2024
As North Korea's nuclear and missile programs become increasingly sophisticated, U.S.-based experts see the United States shifting the focus of its diplomacy from the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to one of deterrence. Officially, the U.S. State Department insists that denuclearization remains the primary goal of the United States and South Korea, a policy that is unlikely to change regardless of the outcome of the November U.S. presidential election.
US Army hypersonic weapon debuts in Air Force-led exercise
Defence Blog | September 1, 2024
The U.S. Army has revealed that this is the first integration of land-based fires into a predominantly Air Force-led exercise. Held at locations spanning the United States, Bamboo Eagle brought together over 3,000 service members from four military branches, alongside participants from the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force. This exercise aimed to enhance readiness across all domains—land, air, and sea—while fostering cooperation among U.S. military branches and international allies.
China’s Anti-Aircraft Weapons Register Low Success Rate Against Drone Swarm
The Defense Post | September 2, 2024
In a rare admission, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said its anti-aircraft weapons had a low success rate against a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The assessment was made during a recent training exercise that aimed to test the country’s counter-drone capabilities and identify air defense issues that need to be addressed. Duan Xiaolong, a member of an unnamed PLA regiment, told state broadcaster CCTV that his unit only achieved a 40-percent hit rate during the first round of artillery strikes against multiple drone targets.
Army could have stopped soldier who abused young girls, lawsuit alleges
Washington Post, The (Print Content) | September 3, 2024
The mothers of two teen girls filed a lawsuit last month against the U.S. government, accusing the Army of failing to investigate allegations that a soldier was abusing young girls near one of the service's largest bases. Army Spec. Rashad Parkinson was arrested by local law enforcement and pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three underage girls while he was stationed at Fort Cavazos in Texas from 2017 to 2021. Investigators testified at a sentencing hearing that they believed Parkinson had abused dozens more young girls, citing images recovered from his phone.
What is ‘rucking’? Low-impact exercise trend has a wild military link
New York Post | September 2, 2024
“Rucking” is on the rise. It’s well established that Americans need to move more, and for many, walking is the most accessible form of exercise. “Walking reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), and strengthens the heart,” according to Dalia McCoy, family medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. “Walking helps the heart be more efficient. As your fitness improves, your heart becomes more effective with each pump you perform for that type of exercise.”
AIR FORCE NEWS
Russia, China threats push U.S. to brink of arms race in space | Vince Bzdek
The Denver Gazette | September 1, 2024
Are we ready for offensive weapons in space? “We need space fires to enable us to establish space superiority,” the head of Colorado Springs-based U.S. Space Command, Gen. Stephen Whiting, announced at the Army Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., on Aug. 6. Though Whiting didn’t explain exactly what “space fires” means, a recent military document defines “fires” as “available weapons and other systems to create a specific lethal or nonlethal effect on a target.” In space, that means offensive weapons that could either destroy or disable enemy satellites.
Virginia Company to Support Inaugural US Space Force Officer Training Course
The Defense Post | September 2, 2024
The US Space Force has awarded Virginia-based Aleut Federal a $63-million contract to directly support the service’s introductory Officer Training Course (OCT). The 12-month agreement will encompass detailed training in space, intelligence, and cyber tasks starting this September. Each trainee will receive training in these primary disciplines according to the individual’s preferences, aptitude, and potential functions in the space force. Work for the proficiency program will be conducted by Aleut’s Management Services segment at the Peterson Base in Colorado Springs.
7,000 gallons of PFAS-contaminated water sparks investigation at Cannon Air Force Base
KRQE News | September 2, 2024
The United States Department of the Air Force is investigating the release of thousands of gallons of contaminated water at Cannon Air Force Base. According to the Air Force base, about 7,000 gallons of water containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were dumped into a lined retention pond on the base between July 9 and July 15. The contaminated water ended up in the pond after being removed from emergency vehicles while the Air Force was trying to “eliminate legacy PFAS-containing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) from its inventory,” according to the base.
US transfers ‘some aircraft’ used by former Afghan army to Uzbekistan
Voice of America (VOA) | September 1, 2024
The United States has handed over to the Uzbek government possession of aircraft that former Afghan air force personnel flew to Uzbekistan after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told VOA on Thursday that the ownership of “some aircraft” was transferred to Uzbekistan as part of the Department of Defense’s Excess Defense Articles program. “This transfer was agreed in the context of our strong bilateral cooperation on counterterrorism, counternarcotics and enhanced border security,” the spokesperson said, without saying how many aircraft were transferred to the Uzbek government.
News Compilation by Sgt. Adena Belle McCluskey