Marines Halt All AAV Training in Wake of Fatal Accident
The Marine Corps will suspend all waterborne amphibious assault vehicle training until the cause of Thursday’s AAV accident is known. On July 30, 15 Marines and one sailor were participating in a training exercise off the coast of Southern California when the vehicle they were riding in, began to take on water and sank. One confirmed dead, eight others missing.
Marines Enter the Red Sea, Join Growing Force
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit moves into the Red Sea. The 2,500 Marines join thousands of other US forces deploying to the region amid high tensions between the US and Iran.
Judge Halts Transfer of Milcon Funds to Border Wall
A federal judge halts $3.6 billion diverted from military construction projects for 175 miles of a border wall, but leaves in place $2.5 billion transferred to the wall from DoD counter-drug operations.
Border Wall Gets $3.6B MILCON from DoD
DoD will move $3.6 billion out of 127 projects next year to build 175 miles of border wall. Pentagon officials began identifying potential projects to cut earlier this year.
Border Wall Savings Add 20 Miles of Barrier
Pentagon chief approves 20 more miles of barriers between Mexico and the United States after seven other border wall projects came in under budget.
Nebraska’s Flooding Overwhelms Offutt Air Force Base
Floodwaters overwhelm one-third of Offutt Air Force Base, swamping dozens of buildings, much of the flight line, and prompted the evacuation of nine aircraft.
Navy & Partners Under ‘Dire’ Cyber Attacks
National security secrets are spilling out from the Navy and its industry and academic partners from ongoing cyber attacks from Chinese and other hackers. An internal Navy review uncovered what officials call a “cyber siege” and equivalent to a deadly virus.
Shutdown Pain Keeps Growing
A quarter of the federal government has been partially closed for more than two weeks. Check out the growing list of shutdown-affected agencies here and on the Eastern Shore.
VA Leaves Millions Unspent for Suicide Outreach
Veterans Administration has spent only $57,000 out of $6.2 million set aside for suicide prevention and suicide outreach in the media in fiscal 2018, less than 1 percent, while a respected, retired Marine colonel becomes the fifth suicide since 2013 at the same Florida VA complex.
Retired Marine Col. Jim Turner became the fifth veteran at Bay Pines Department of Veterans Affairs in Florida to take his life, reports Military.com. He put on his dress uniform and medals and drove to the complex. He got out of his truck, sat down on top of his military records and took his own life with a rifle. He left a suicide note blasting the VA for failing to help him. He was remembered as a professional and a leader.
More Remains Could Be Returned from No. Korea
DefSec Jim Mattis said that relations between the US and North Korea may be warming to the point that US forces could be allowed to return there to find more war remains of US servicemembers.
