July 19 Joint Base Lewis-McChord Daily News Clips

July 19 Joint Base Lewis-McChord Daily News Clips
Local/Regional/ Pacific/Middle East:

*1MDTF News

US Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon Battery Debuts in Resolute Hunter Exercise

(Key words): The U.S. Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) Battery, part of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), made history by participating in Exercise Resolute Hunter 24-2, a joint/combined exercise on the base from June 25-27, 2024. This exercise marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time the Army's hypersonic capability was integrated into the bi-annual joint training exercise. https://www.army.mil/article/278132/us_armys_long_range_hypersonic_weapon_battery_debuts_in_resolute_hunter_exercise

Drowning of service member prompts shutdown of all Joint Base Lewis-McChord beaches

(Key words): Joint Base Lewis-McChord has shut down all of its beaches for a safety review following the drowning Monday of a service member. “We just want to make sure that we’re doing things by the numbers, and we’re concerned about the safety of all our servicemen and women, their families,” JBLM spokesperson Gary Dangerfield said Wednesday. “So we’re just going to take a step back and take a look at how we do business.”

Newsweek

Map shows U.S. and China’s aircraft carries in Pacific this week

(Key work): Four U.S. Navy aircraft carriers—all warships of the 100,000-ton, nuclear-powered Nimitz class—and two Chinese "flat-tops" are underway in the Pacific Ocean this week. One of China's aircraft carriers, the newest and most advanced in the Chinese fleet, was conducting sea trials in Chinese coastal waters. The other was operating beyond the first island chain in international waters near U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines. https://www.newsweek.com/pacific-map-us-china-aircraft-carriers-july-18-2024-1926927

The Signal

US Coast Guard detects Chinese military ships near Alaska

(Key words): A U.S. Coast Guard ship on routine patrol in the Bering Sea spotted several Chinese military ships about 124 miles from Alaska’s coast, according to officials. Three Chinese military vessels were detected north of Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, the Coast Guard said in a Wednesday news release. A helicopter crew operated by the Coast Guard spotted a fourth vessel some 84 miles north of Amukta Pass, located between the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-coast-guard-detects-chinese-military-ships-near-alaska/ar-BB1pPAbm?item=enable_random%3Afalse&ocid=ob-fb-frfr-839

AFP

Pacific islands, Japan sharpen stance on regional security

(Key words): Pacific Island states and Japan sharpened Thursday their stance on regional security, in a veiled swipe at China's growing influence and military capacity. The 18 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members and Japan said in a joint statement they "expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by the threat or use of force or coercion anywhere in the world". https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pacific-islands-japan-strongly-oppose-status-quo-change-by-force/ar-BB1qbN91?item=flightsprg-tipsubsc-v1a/

National:

Air Force Times

New VA chief of staff sworn in

(Key words): The newest chief of staff for The Department of Veterans Affairs was sworn in Wednesday to her role as the top advisor to the VA secretary and deputy secretary. Margaret “Meg” Kabat was tapped for the job guiding leadership of the cabinet department with a multi-billion dollar budget and hundreds of thousands of employees, after having served in multiple VA advisory positions, an announcement from the department said. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2024/07/18/new-va-chief-of-staff-sworn-in/

Military News

Navy clears Black sailors unjustly punished after 1944 deadly blast

(Key words): The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who were found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a horrific port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks. On July 17, 1944, munitions being loaded onto a cargo ship detonated, causing secondary blasts that ignited 5,000 tons of explosives at Port Chicago naval weapons station near San Francisco. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/07/17/navy-clears-black-sailors-unjustly-punished-after-1944-deadly-blast/

AP International

Army private who fled to North Korea is in talks to resolve military chargers, lawyer says

(Key words): A lawyer for an Army private who fled to North Korea and was later charged with desertion and possessing sexual images of a child said Wednesday that he was in negotiations with military prosecutors to resolve the case against his client. Army Pvt. Travis King had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Fort Bliss, Texas. But the hearing was canceled to give the two sides room to negotiate a resolution, King’s attorney, Franklin D. Rosenblatt, told The Associated Press. https://fox5sandiego.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-army-private-who-fled-to-north-korea-is-in-talks-to-resolve-military-charges-lawyer-says/

Business Insider

Is the Osprey the most dangerous aircraft in the US military

(Key words): It can transform from helicopter to airplane in seconds, providing a vital role for the US military by ferrying troops in and out of combat zones. But the V-22 Osprey has also caused the deaths of 62 service members. A crash in Japan last year grounded the entire fleet. We compared accident data for the Osprey with that of its closest rivals to see whether it really deserves its "widow-maker" reputation. https://www.businessinsider.com/is-the-osprey-most-dangerous-aircraft-in-the-us-military-2024-7

AP News

Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira to face a military court-martial, Air Force says

(Key words): Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who pleaded guilty in March to federal criminal charges for leaking highly classified military documents, will now face a military court-martial. Teixeira admitted to illegally collecting some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets and sharing them on the social media platform Discord. He is facing military charges of disobeying orders and obstructing justice. https://apnews.com/article/air-guard-intelligence-leak-classified-teixeira-336677c401a74af87c0160bd34211d89

Space News

U.S. Space Force chief emphasizes international partnerships

(Key words): Gen, Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, in a keynote address July 17 highlighted the role of international partnerships in safeguarding space assets and operations. Saltzman’s address at the 2024 Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference in London came on the heels of the appointment of U.K. Air Marshal Paul Godfrey as Saltzman’s assistant chief of Space Operations for future concepts and partnerships. https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-chief-emphasizes-international-partnerships/

International:

The Associated Press

US Army honors Japanese American unit that liberated Tuscany in WWII

(Key words): The U.S. military is celebrating a little-known part of World War II history, honoring the Japanese American U.S. Army unit that was key to liberating parts of Italy and France even while the troops’ relatives were interned at home as enemies of the state following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Descendants of the second-generation Nisei soldiers traveled to Italy from around the United States — California, Hawaii and Colorado — to tour the sites where their relatives fought and attend a commemoration at the U.S. military base in Camp Darby ahead of the 80th anniversary Friday of the liberation of nearby Livorno in Tuscany. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2024/07/18/us-army-honors-japanese-american-unit-that-liberated-tuscany-in-wwii/

ABC News

Suspected rebels kill 5 Indian soldiers after ambushing their vehicle in Indian-controlled Kashmir

(Key words): Suspected rebels fighting against Indian rule in the disputed region of Kashmir ambushed an army vehicle on Monday in the region's south, killing five Indian soldiers and wounding other five, officials said. No insurgent group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack took place in the Kathua district of the Indian-controlled Kashmir while the military was on a routine patrol, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/suspected-rebels-kill-4-indian-soldiers-after-ambushing-111750540

Military News

Biden and Trump Accuse Each Other of Weakening America's Foreign Policy. Here Are the Facts

(Key words): In a relative rarity for presidential elections, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have long records on foreign policy and clearly stated positions on many of the world's hot spots. Trump's allies at the Republican National Convention are expected to argue that Biden has weakened America's standing abroad and permitted the outbreak of conflicts between Russia and Ukraine as well as the Israelis and Palestinians. Biden, a Democrat who ran four years ago on a message of shoring up America's foreign alliances and reversing Trump policies, argues that he has restored U.S. standing abroad. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/07/18/biden-and-trump-accuse-each-other-of-weakening-americas-foreign-policy-here-are-facts.html

U.S. News

Chile to Speed up Construction of Maximum Security Prison to Fight Organized Crime

(Key words): Chile will speed up construction of a new maximum security prison in the region that encompasses the capital city of Santiago to help fight organized crime, President Gabriel Boric announced on Thursday. The new facility will cost an estimated $95.4 million (90 billion Chilean pesos) and house around 500 maximum security inmates as part of a plan to increase the current 600 maximum security spots. Another 200 spots will be added to existing prisons in northern Chile, an area that's seen higher levels of organized crime.https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-07-18/chile-to-speed-up-construction-of-maximum-security-prison-to-fight-organized-crime

Army Times

Iranian proxies attack US base in Iraq for the first time in months

(Key words): An Iran-backed militant group attacked a U.S. base in Iraq Tuesday, the first such attack since at least April, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. Two armed air drones flew toward Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a briefing.https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/07/18/iranian-proxies-attack-us-base-in-iraq-for-the-first-time-in-months/