Beyond 'yellow flag' law, Maine commission highlights another missed opportunity before shootings
The interim report from the commission investigating Maine's deadliest mass shooting focused mostly on whether authorities should have taken shooter Robert Card into custody and seized his guns under the state's so-called yellow flag law.
In video, Maine gunman said reservists were scared because he was โcapableโ of doing something
An Army reservist responsible for Maineโs deadliest mass shooting told state police in New York before his hospitalization last summer that fellow soldiers were worried about him because he was โgonna frigginโ do something.โ.
No diploma? No problem! Navy again lowers requirements as it struggles to meet recruitment goals
The U.S. Navy is starting to enlist individuals who didnโt graduate from high school or get a GED, marking the second time in about a year that the service has opened the door to lower-performing recruits as it struggles to meet enlistment goals.
A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist
An independent report conducted for a police agency clears the agencyโs response to growing concerns about the mental health of a man who later went on to commit the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history.
Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say
As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe theyโre due compensation, too.
Senate confirms army, marines chiefs as senator's objection blocks other military nominations
The Senate has confirmed three top military leaders, filling the posts after monthslong delays and as a Republican senator is still holding up hundreds of other nominations and promotions for senior officers.
Biden awards Medal of Honor to Army helicopter pilot who rescued soldiers in a Vietnam firefight
President Joe Biden has awarded the Medal of Honor to an Army pilot from the Vietnam War who risked his life to rescue a reconnaissance team that was about to be overrun by the enemy โ facing almost certain death.
Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs
A new report and Pentagon data show that suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year.
Panel advises removal of Confederate statue at Arlington
An independent commission is recommending that the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery be dismantled and taken down, as part of its final report to Congress on the renaming of military bases and assets that commemorate the Confederacy.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Study: Texas bases lead Army posts in risk of sexual assault
A new study finds that female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018.
Senate panel likely to OK 1st female Army secretary
The woman poised to be the first female secretary of the Army told Congress Thursday that combating sexual assault and harassment is a top priority, and said greater prevention is needed, including more training to encourage soldiers to step in when they see bad behavior by others.
General: China's Africa outreach poses threat from Atlantic
The top U.S. general for Africa says a growing military threat from China may well come from Americaโs east, as Beijing looks to establish a large navy port capable of hosting submarines or aircraft carriers on the Atlantic coast of Africa.
Army under fire from Congress over Fort Hood response
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ Lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly improvements are being made to criminal investigation at Fort Hood, Texas, where rates of violent crime and sexual assaults are particularly high. More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including in multiple homicides and suicides. The review also concluded that the Army CID was understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week last year before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. AdAs a result of the independent review and other investigations, the Army earlier this year took action against 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON โ An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelliโs cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelliโs attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
The Latest: House to wrap early amid threat of violence
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on congressional testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):5 p.m. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer notified lawmakers late Wednesday of the sudden schedule change. Gibson comes to the Senate from a 33-year military career, including as a senior intelligence officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, supporting troops in the Middle East, Schumer said. The head of the National Guard for Washington, D.C., says Pentagon concerns about โopticsโ delayed the sending of troops to protect the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Walker says D.C. officials pleaded with the Army officials to quickly send the National Guard to help police guard the Capitol.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
Let down your hair: New Army rules for ponytails, nail color
Female soldiers can let their hair down and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON โ Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders announced Tuesday that they are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. Female soldiers going through Ranger or special operations training get their heads shaved, like male soldiers do.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. Biden is expected to win approval for others on his national security team in coming days, including Antony Blinken as secretary of state. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.
Congress poised for quick action on Biden's Pentagon nominee
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, confirmed that the confirmation vote on Austin would be conducted Friday. Austin, a 41-year veteran of the Army, has promised to surround himself with qualified civilians and include them in policy decisions. Many of them opposed a similar waiver in 2017 for Jim Mattis, former President Donald Trump's first secretary of defense. He emphasized on Tuesday that he will follow Bidenโs lead in giving renewed attention to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. As a career Army officer, Austin had little reason to learn the intricacies of nuclear policy, since the Army has no nuclear weapons.
The Latest: House urges Pence to remove Trump from power
__10:40 p.m.Michigan Rep. Fred Upton has become the fourth Republican to back the impeachment of President Donald Trump. ___8 p.m.Vice President Mike Pence is ruling out invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power, less than a week after the president fomented the violent insurrection at the Capitol. That word comes as GOP divisions emerge over Democratsโ plan for a House vote Wednesday. As rioters were still in the Capitol, Trump released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: โWe love you. On impeachment, Trump said itโs โa really terrible thing that theyโre doing.โ But he said, โWe want no violence.
General sorry for 'miscommunication' over vaccine shipments
I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.โThereโs a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Perna said the government now is on track to get approximately 20 million doses to states by the first week of January, a combination of the newly approved Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Perna said 2.9 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses have been delivered to states so far.
The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.
14 Fort Hood soldiers fired, suspended over violence at base
The Army says it has fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and ordered policy changes to address chronic leadership failures at the base that contributed to a widespread pattern of violence including murder, sexual assaults and harassment. He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base's Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. Mejhor Morta was found near a reservoir by Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person. Fort Hood, he said, has the highest rate of positive drug tests in the Army.
Asia Today: South Korea OKs single test for COVID-19 and flu
Army soldiers wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus arrive to board a train at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)Health officials in South Korea have approved a new test thatโs designed to detect both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza from the same samples, which would help prevent disruption at hospitals as the pandemic stretches into the flu season. The country has struggled to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which some experts say could spread more broadly during cold weather when people spend more time indoors. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. New Zealand has been largely successful in its efforts to eliminate the virus from its shores.
Army: No requests made for use of troops around election
Army leaders said Tuesday that they have not received any requests to use active-duty or National Guard troops for possible civil unrest surrounding the presidential election next month, but are ready to do so if called on. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said no government agencies have asked for military troops. Thousands of National Guard troops, however, were used in Washington and in states across the nation to help law enforcement. The Army leaders on Tuesday also addressed other issues surrounding possible unrest. He and other Army leaders sat socially distant during the event and wore masks whenever they were not speaking.
'He healed peopleโ: Lynchburg honors veteran 75 years after he received Medal of Honor
LYNCHBURG, Va. โ Lynchburg honored a hometown hero with a ceremony Monday. World War II veteran Desmond Doss received the Medal of Honor, the countryโs most-prestigious military award, from President Harry Truman 75 years ago. I canโt even express the appreciation that I have,โ said Desmond Doss Jr. during the tribute outside his fatherโs childhood home. Organized by the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, the ceremony included the proclamation reading recognizing the cityโs second-annual Desmond Doss Day. Desmond Doss, an American patriot continuing to impact others 75 years later -- and counting.
Judge to sentence Army veteran who shot 2 sheriffโs deputies
LEESBURG, Va. โ A Virginia judge will decide this week whether to impose a 74-year prison sentence that a jury set for a retired Army major who shot and wounded two sheriffโs deputies. Several jurors who convicted Douglas Vernon Johnson Jr., 54, told the Washington Post that they either believed they were giving him a lower sentence or wish they had the power to do so. The Loudoun County Circuit Court judge who is scheduled to sentence Johnson on Wednesday can reduce the juryโs punishment. Defense attorney Edward Ungvarsky is asking for a 20-year prison term. Five jurors signed affidavits for the defense saying they thought Johnson deserved a chance to be released earlier.
The Latest: Army football schedule includes Navy, Air Force
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Army has finalized its football schedule and the Black Knights will play 11 games, eight at home. The rest of the home slate includes Louisiana-Monroe, BYU, Abilene Christian, The Citadel, Mercer, Air Force and Georgia Southern. ___Duke will open its season for football and other fall sports with no fans at home games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The school will contact football fans who have purchased season or single-game tickets or have seating and suite contracts in Blue Devil Tower regarding potential options. The school will allow fans to purchase a fan cutout of a person or pet to be placed in seats for football games.
Lord Botetourtโs Hunter Rice verbally commits to Army
ROANOKE, Va. โ Coach Jamie Harless continues to churn out Division One talent from Lord Botetourtโs football program. The most recent commit being star running back and linebacker Hunter Rice, who has verbally committed to play for Army. In 2019 Rice rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns in juts 8 games of action. Rice becomes the 5th Lord Botetourt prospect in the class of 2021 to commit to a D-1 FBS or FCS program. Youโll recall the trio of Cavaliers that committed to Appalachian State-- Colston Powers, Kyle Arnholt and Troy Everett.
Program allows some Alaska Native Vietnam vets to get land
Stewy would be an Alaska Native leader today if he had hadnt been killed in a head-on collision while driving the Maserati in 1975, his brother said. Alaska Natives were allowed to apply for 160 acres (65 hectares) of land under the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act. The BLM and other federal partners have identified about 1,000 Alaska Native service members or their descendants who might be eligible for the program and is in the process of notifying them. There could be more since the BLM estimates 40% of the Alaska Native veterans or their surviving family members have moved out of Alaska and may not know the window will reopen to apply. Even if they cant get that preferred land, Carlo cant imagine trying to sell it back for cash to the government.
More military bases increase health protections due to virus
The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.
Feds give 65 acres of land for border wall infrastructure
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2019, file photo government contractors erect a section of Pentagon-funded border wall along the Colorado River, in Yuma, Ariz. The federal Bureau of Land Management said on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, it's transferred over 65 acres of public land in Arizona and New Mexico to the Army for construction of border wall infrastructure. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)PHOENIX The federal Bureau of Land Management said on Tuesday that it has transferred over 65 acres of public land in Arizona and New Mexico to the Army for construction of border wall infrastructure. The agency says its now handing over 53 acres in Yuma County, Arizona, that is needed to install power and other utilities around the border wall there. This marks the second time in the past year that the agency has transferred public land to the military for border wall-related construction.
Milley: Confederate names on Army bases divide the military
WASHINGTON Confederate Army symbols within the military, including prominent Army bases named for rebel generals, are divisive and can be offensive to Blacks in uniform, the nation's top officer said Thursday. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that some see it differently. The House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for the budget year starting Oct. 1 include provisions for changing the names of 10 Army bases named for Confederate generals. President Donald Trump says he would veto the defense bill if the version that reaches his desk includes a requirement to change the names. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.
Remains of missing Texas soldier identified
AP Army investigators have identified the body of a soldier who vanished more than two months ago from a base in Texas, according to a lawyer for the soldiers family. Remains found last week buried near Fort Hood belong to Spc. Human remains were found Tuesday near the Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Fort Hood, during a the search for Guilln. Cecily Aguilar, a 22-year-old civilian from a community near near Fort Hood, was arrested and charged with one count for allegedly helping hide the body of 20-year-old solider, according to a criminal complaint. From their text conversations, Mayra Guillen said she believed her sister was afraid during her time at Fort Hood.