March 19, 2024

Pendleton Detects PFAS in Drinking Water

Camp Pendleton is the latest installation to find elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water, and is not alone in the Southern California region to discover the forever chemicals in the groundwater supply.

Clutch Issues Ground Some V-22 Ospreys

V-22 Ospreys

A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey approaches the flight deck of the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams on January 6, 2023. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Conner D. Blake/Released) 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 reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff. The US Naval Air Systems Command grounded a subset of V-22 Osprey aircraft last week due to hard clutch engagement issues with the tilt-rotor aircraft, reports…

2011 PFAS Risk Alert Triggered No Action

PFAS

An inspector general report from 2020 found DoD issued a “risk alert” regarding PFAS in 2011 without accompanying action instructions. The first risk management actions regarding the toxic chemicals used throughout the military for firefighting came in 2016. The IG report comes two years after dozens of lawmakers requested a review.

V-22 Milestone: 600,000 Flight Hours

Osprey

A milestone for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as the tiltrotor aircraft logs more than 600,000 flight hours since the count began with the first flight in 1989. The V-22 family of aircraft are designed to fly for the next 30 years and remain the only tiltrotor in production.

FEMA Asks for DoD Medical Help in TX and CA

About 740 military personnel were dispatched to Texas and California after the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested DoD assistance in tamping down the coronavirus pandemic. Soldiers are being dispatched from the Army’s Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces from the 627th Hospital Center out of Fort Carson, CO.

Cyber Worker Shortage Still Plagues Army Combat Teams

Cyber Worker Shortage

A Defense Department inspector general reports says the most common personnel shortages plaguing the US Army’s active-duty brigade combat teams are cyber network defenders and electromagnetic spectrum managers.

New Name for US Pacific Command

US Pacific Command

The US Pacific Command has a new name. It will now be called US Indo-Pacific Command in the latest move to counter Chinese economic and military pressure in the region.

Japan Struggles to Accept Osprey Role After Recent Crash

Osprey

Despite strong local concerns about the safety of the US V-22 Ospreys at Okinawa, the Japanese Defense Ministry describes the aircraft as imperative for Japan’s defense.

Pax Hosts New Round of F-35 Ski-Ramp Tests

Naval Aviation F-35B flight trials

The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force has begun a second round of F-35B ski-ramp testing at NAS Patuxent River.

DoD & White House Finally Quit Buying Russian Helos

russian helos

The purchases of Russian Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan evaded economic sanctions on Russia. The $11.6 billion supplemental defense budget reportedly includes $264 million for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.