Blue Angels Return to Maryland Skies
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.
After a three year absence, the Blue Angels will be performing in the skies over Annapolis this week, according to the Washington Post. The elite acrobatic team returns to the Naval Academy for a Wednesday air show and for Friday’s Naval Academy commencement. Last year’s federal sequestration budget cuts, a scheduling conflict in 2012 that cut their commencement appearance to a simple flyover, and a safety issue in 2011 kept the Blue Angels from performing a full show in Annapolis for the past three years.
NavSec Ray Mabus, asked, ” how would the Navy handle Godzilla?” replied, “Successfully!” according to U.S. News & World Report. The Navy cooperated with filmmakers of the new “Godzilla” movie, providing access to aircraft carriers and real soldiers and sailors who played extras in the film. In the movie “Godzilla” takes on a number of American cities. Mr. Mabus said the Navy had no “plans for that. But we can handle whatever comes over the horizon and I think that’s one of the messages of this movie.”
Bloomberg reports, DefSec Chuck Hagel, after almost 15 months on the job, has failed to build a strong relationship with the House panel that funds the Pentagon according to House Appropriations defense subcommittee chairman, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ). The chairman has had only infrequent contact with Mr. Hagel since taking over the panel in November and further said, “If one committee controlled your entire budget, I think you might make some effort to build up personal relationships. I think it is a no-brainer.” A DoD spokesman responded that Mr. Hagel, “has great respect for Representative Frelinghuysen and for the important work of his committee.” He said Mr. Hagel and Rep. Frelinghuysen met within the past 10 days.
The Senate advanced legislation this week to address a scandal surrounding allegations that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) used falsified data to hide delays in care for veterans, reports The Hill. The measure placed language in the 2015 spending bill that suspends bonuses for VA officials until an investigation is completed.
Defense One takes a look at four DARPA projects that, “could be bigger than the Internet.” The agency that funded the Internet splits a budget of nearly $3 billion across 250 programs that have national security implications but also can change civilian life in unforeseen ways. Current DARPA projects include Atomic GPS, which could replace expensive satellite-based GPS, and comprehensive Internet virus shields. DARPA’s biggest challenge is keeping up with rapid technology advances. “We move at a pace measured in decades in an environment that changes every year,” said DARPA director Arati Prabhakar.
Adm. Bill McRaven, head of the US Special Operations Command, and who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, offered 10 life lessons to graduates speaking at the University of Texas at Austin commencement, reports the Navy Times. Adm. McRaven believes that if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.” He closed the speech with the classic SEAL metaphor for failure: ringing the bell. “Don’t ever, ever ring the bell,” he said.
The Navy Band Northeast Pops Ensemble and the US Fleet Forces Band kicked-off Fleet Week New York with a free concert, according to America’s Navy. In addition to the musical performances, the general public will have an opportunity to tour Navy and Coast Guard ships and meet the men and women who serve aboard them. Fleet Week New York events run from May 21-27.
