Veterans Honored Here, Everywhere
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.
As with celebrations around the nation, Leonardtown, MD, commemorates Veterans Day with a full parade and a host of dignitaries, including Congressman Steny Hoyer, whose remarks this year included a call to make “sure our veterans have the health care, educational opportunities, job training, and affordable housing they need when they come home.” That was also a theme of President Obama who used Veterans Day to announce ongoing veterans programs and initiatives to improve veterans’ quality of life, reports UPI.
Don’t forget the Merchant Marines on Veterans Day, says Maritime Executive. Merchant mariners have transported government cargoes since WWII including supporting combat forces in Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, and Iraq. Today more than 7,000 US merchant mariners work on Ready Reserve Force ships.
Defense One says Veterans Day only highlights how little the public understands about the military. The article details misinformation given in the prior evening’s Republican presidential debates and notes the lack of military experience across the field of contenders, except for veteran Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who didn’t even rank a spot in the debates,
Veterans Day grew from Armistice Day created to celebrate the minute all arms were laid down ending World War I on the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The Economist provides a synopsis of how World War I changed the world.
The accusation that ISIS shot down the Russian jet that crashed in Egypt last week came from Israeli, the result of ongoing US and Israeli war games at the same place and same time of the crash, reports YourNewsWire.com.
Russia plans to resume selling weapons to Syria, Defense Tech reports on news from a Paris news agency indicating Russia will sell three or four advanced surface-to-air missile systems to the Islamic republic for an unspecified price.
The Air Force will have to reduce its F-35 buy to come up with the $100 billion needed for the 80 to 100 Long Range Strike-Bombers planned to replace its fleet of B-1s and B-52s, reports the Air Force Times citing assessments from defense and economic analysts.
Defense analysts continue to argue about the vulnerabilities of US aircraft carriers — the short range of its strike aircraft and its limited anti-submarine warfare capabilities — so The Diplomat suggests the Navy bring back the S-3 Viking, 87 of them in storage in Arizona. The aircraft, described as possessing a diverse operational portfolio was retired too soon.
Where do countries get their money to buy weapons? Banks. The big banks need to be broken up, so the war machines will be quieted down. Money is driving the wars, just as Pope Francis said. Meanwhile, our service men get the occasional parade and acknowdgement. What the U.S. needs is a return to respect for our national armed services and proper funding for them. While they are gutted, the groups of mercenaries and war profiteers proliferate. We don’t take care for our servicemen. Many in the Navy, right here, can’t afford housing and must get food stamps to survive. Our servicemen go to war, but return to joblessness, homelessness and physical and mental dispair, but our congress provides extremely little comfort to them and their families.