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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Apr 2010 [PDF]
• 13th CSSB headquarters company leaves for Iraq Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- The 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion\'s Headquarters and Headquarters Company shoved off Monday for a yearlong deployment to Iraq in which the unit will "virtually complete" President Barack Obama's directive to withdraw U.S. forces and equipment, the battalion commander said.
• MPs enhance skills of border patrol police in Anbar Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Border security policemen guarding Iraq's gateway to and from Jordan attended a week-long skills course taught by U.S. military advisors.
• Army Sustainment Command Unit has Key Role in Retrograde Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Members of the 2nd Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade and its service provider, ITT, are diligently preparing for the unprecedented Responsible Drawdown from Iraq.
• HMMWVs in a Can Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- The 2nd Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade (2/401st AFSB), commanded by LTC Michael T. Wright, has well over 2,000 M1114 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) in its footprint on Camp Arifjan
• Forces Capture Militants, Evacuate Civilians, Seize Weapons AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- Afghan and international forces captured several insurgents, evacuated civilians after an explosion, and seized enemy weapons stockpiles in recent operations, military officials in Afghanistan reported.
• Berlin still committed to Afghan strategy amid rising casualties IRNA 16 Apr 2010 -- The German government remains committed to its strategy in Afghanistan amid the mounting military death toll, chancellery spokesman Christoph Steegmans told the press here Friday.
• NATO to stay in Afghanistan “as long as it takes”, says spokesman IRNA 16 Apr 2010 -- A NATO spokesman said on Friday that NATO is in short of trainers in Afghanistan to transit power to local officials and will stay there “as long as it takes to be successful”.
• NMCB 133 Works to Expand Airfield in Western Afghanistan Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- Several Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 arrived at Shindand Airfield in Afghanistan to provide general engineering support for the airfield's expansion in early March.
• Troops in Afghanistan to say goodbye to leisure concessions Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Beginning in May, service members stationed in Afghanistan will have a harder time finding a Pizza Hut - 50 Army and Air Force Exchange Service contracted concessions are slated for closure in anticipation of an additional 30,000 inbound troops.
• Expansion in the North Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- The growth and expansion of areas occupied by 1st Brigade Combat Team in Northern Afghanistan has amplified and improved since the arrival of the thousands of Warrior Brigade Soldiers.
• Soldiers Aid People of Gormach Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Dozens of piles of gravel lay in downtown Gormach untouched since construction came to a halt months ago. Crumbling to the ground are local shops amid dusty streets where vendors offer basic items including bicycle parts and naan, the local flat bread.
• Soldiers' Morale on Camp Spann Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- If you look beyond the dusty rocks and buildings there's a picturesque view of mountains almost every morning and clouds that hang like drapes. This is the scene at Camp Mike Spann where 1st Brigade Combat Team is setting up its headquarters in Afghanistan.
• Counternarcotics In Afghanistan As A Spectator Sport RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Representing the EU was Pino Arlacchi, a worthy member of the European Parliament (MEP), no doubt, and a rapporteur on Afghanistan, but one whose policy-making powers within the EU amount to nothing. His report, to be adopted in May, will be nonbinding. In compiling it, Arlacchi's ex officio access to the EU's powers-that-be does not exceed that of a well-connected correspondent.
• Military Engineers Help Haiti Build Better Future AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- Efforts to help Haiti rebuild after a devastating Jan. 12 earthquake will continue after the joint U.S. military task force there winds down at the end of May, the task force’s chief engineer said yesterday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD News: DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for March 2010 DoD 16 Apr 2010 -- The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for March 2010.
• DoD News: 2009 DOD Reserve Family Readiness Awards DoD 16 Apr 2010 -- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Dennis M. McCarthy hosted the 2009 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Awards winners in a ceremony this morning here at the Pentagon.
• Air Force space officials prepare to launch first Minotaur IV AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- The first launch of the Minotaur IV Space Launch Vehicle is scheduled to occur April 20 at noon PDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
• New unmanned spacecraft set to launch AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials are scheduled to launch the U.S.'s newest and most advanced unmanned re-entry spacecraft April 21 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla.
• Global Strike Challenge load competition kicks off at Minot AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- Members of seven bomb wings competed in Air Force Global Strike Command's first-ever load competition April 13 and 14 here.
• Transcript: Joint Press Conference with Secretary Gates and Barbados Prime Minister Thompson from Bridgeport, Barbados DoD 16 Apr 2010 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson
• Iceland's volcanic ash halts Europe flights on tailwind of Mildenhall exercise AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- Aircraft were grounded as volcanic ash from an Iceland volcano eruption moved closer to the base April 15 here.
• IMCOM to break ground on new headquarters building Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Groundbreaking for Installation Management Command's Fort Sam Houston headquarters is slated for Monday.
• ROK Salvage Effort Sustained by FISC Yokosuka Supply Lifeline Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- As the U.S. Navy continues on-scene efforts to assist the Republic of Korea's salvage of the ROKS Cheonan in the Yellow Sea, U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) Yokosuka, Japan, is working behind-the-scenes sustaining a precious lifeline of food, fuel, equipment and mail.
• NAVSEA Conducts Shipboard, Shore-based Workflow Application Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- Naval Sea Systems Command Regional Maintenance Centers Management Office (SEA 04Y) conducted operational and functionality testing on behalf of U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF), Fleet Readiness Division, for two key applications in Maintenance Figure of Merit (MFOM) Family of Systems at Navy Enterprise Team Ships facility in March and April.
• Truman Prepares for Deployment by Fit Testing Gas Masks Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- The crew of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) has been conducting gas mask fit tests to prepare for its upcoming deployment. Gas mask fittings are an important part of mission readiness, and are conducted regularly aboard every Navy warship.
• NETC Commander Experiences Submarine Simulator Training Firsthand Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- Rear Adm. Joseph F. Kilkenny, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), visited Submarine Learning Facility (SLF) Norfolk April 6 to get a firsthand look at how simulators are used to train submariners.
• Pottenger Passes NECC Torch to Tillotson Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- Command of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC)changed hands April 9 during a change of command ceremony on board Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Ft. Story.
• CNO Strengthens Naval Cooperation during Trip to India Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead visited the naval forces of India April 10-16.
• Enterprise Completes Fast Cruise Navy NewsStand 16 Apr 2010 -- The crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) successfully completed fast cruise April 15.
• Fort Drum will convert gate guard positions to Army civilian Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- While changes in security occur throughout the Army, Fort Drum will ensure those changes do not affect the way it secures the post.
• Fort Rucker leaders begin laying groundwork for long-term strategic change Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- Nearly 100 garrison leaders, key program managers, primary stakeholders and customers began laying the groundwork for long-term change here during a workshop April 6-8.
• SMA testifies to Congress on force stress, resilience Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- The Army's senior enlisted advisor told members of Congress Wednesday that what keeps him awake at night is stress on the force.
• 54th Eng. Bn. conducts 'Dagger Strike' training Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- The 54th Engineer Battalion spent two weeks March 31 to April 15 conducting training during an exercise here called Dagger Strike. The training, which was designed to test the engineers at the squad level, was divided into two categories - sapper training and construction.
• DoD Not Hiding Fort Hood Shooting Details, Gates Says AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today disputed claims that the Defense Department was withholding information from the Senate Homeland Security Committee about the Nov. 5 Fort Hood, Texas, shooting incident.
• Intel field training vital to mission Army News 16 Apr 2010 -- In a war where it can be hard to tell between friend and foe, the information gathered from foreign nationals can make or break a mission.
• Air Force officials announce uniform policy changes AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials here announced April 12 uniform policy updates resulting from recent Air Force Uniform Board decisions.
• Joint exercise at Osan wraps up AFNS 16 Apr 2010 -- Airmen of Osan Air Base's 25th Fighter Squadron and South Korea's 237th Tactical Fighter Squadron trained together this week during the spring Buddy Wing exercise that concluded April 15, here.
• Admiral Urges Arming of Vessels to Combat Piracy AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- A top Navy commander suggested yesterday that commercial vessels should arm themselves when traveling through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast.
• Gates: ‘United States is Reengaging’ With Caribbean AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he hopes today’s regional security summit here and President Barack Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative send a strong signal that “the United States is reengaging with this region” after drawing down its presence following the 9/11 terror attacks.
• Army Researchers Continue Fight Against Malaria AFPS 16 Apr 2010 -- Researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research here are discovering new ways to combat and prevent the spread of malaria.
• Gates Pledges More Help in Caribbean Drug Fight VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told leaders from the Eastern Caribbean Friday the United States is prepared to do more to help them fight the drug trade and tackle other regional security challenges.
• Blackseafor completes first stage of naval drills RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- An international task force of the Black Sea naval group completed on Friday the first stage of Blackseafor naval drills.
• Russian cruiser passes Suez Canal on mission in Indian Ocean RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- The Moskva missile cruiser has passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Indian Ocean to join other Russian warships for large-scale naval exercises, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
• Russia launches military satellite RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- Russia on Friday launched a military satellite, the Defense Ministry said.
• Russian warship escorts another convoy in Gulf of Aden RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- The Russian Udaloy class missile destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov is escorting four civilian vessels off the coast of Somalia, a Russian Navy spokesman said.
• South Korean Officials Say External Blast Sunk Navy Ship VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- South Korean investigators have all but ruled out an on-board accident or collision with rocks as the cause of a navy ship's sinking. The government is still treating the matter delicately, as suspicions remain that North Korea was involved in the sinking.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 Apr 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 16, 2010
• U.S. Air Force Chief Of Staff Delivers First Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules For Dyess AFB, Texas Lockheed Martin 16 Apr 2010 -- At ceremonies today in Abilene Texas, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz delivered the first of 28 Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-130J Super Hercules airlifters to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base. Schwartz flew the C-130J to Dyess from Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas.
• TALON Laser-Guided Rocket Completes Flight Tests, Verifies Production Configuration Raytheon 16 Apr 2010 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) completed four ground-based guided flight tests of the TALON Laser-Guided Rocket.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Apr 2010
• Key to successful peacebuilding efforts is political will, Ban tells Security Council UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the need for strong political commitment by post-conflict countries and their international partners, saying it is the key to building lasting peace in the aftermath of war.
• Darfur: UN-African Union Mission makes contact with four abducted peacekeepers UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- The joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) established contact today with four of its peacekeepers who were abducted five days ago in the western Sudanese region.
• DRC: Fighting foils exams in South Kivu IRIN 16 Apr 2010 -- Hundreds of final year secondary school students have been unable to sit all their national exams due to fighting between a faction of the Mayi-Mayi militia and the army in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territory of Fizi, South Kivu Province, say officials.
• Timor-Leste police resume control of second largest city from UN UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- The United Nations handed over formal control today of policing operations in Baucau, Timor-Leste’s second largest city, to national police as part of an ongoing strategy to lessen the Organization’s direct control over the country’s nascent security operations.
• UN agency lauds Tanzania’s move to naturalize ‘1972 Burundian refugees’ UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- The top United Nations refugee official praised today Tanzania’s decision to grant citizenship to tens of thousands of Burundian refugees who fled their homeland some 38 years ago.
• Cyprus Elections Leave Turkey's EU Bid in the Balance VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- This weekend Turkish Cypriots will go to the polls to elect a new leader. The election comes at a critical time, with ongoing UN-sponsored efforts to reunite the island. But the current Turkish Cypriot leader - who is facing a strong challenger - has warned if he is defeated those talks could fall apart. That is potentially bad news for Turkey's bid to join the European Union.
• Voters Frustrated by South Sudan Polling Stations VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- Vote counting began Friday in Sudan after the nation wrapped up five-long days of polling. Sudan's first multiparty vote in 24 years was mandated by a 2005 peace deal, but the vote has already been tarnished by opposition boycotts and allegations of electoral rigging. Starting in the village of Terekeka, our correspondent recounts the five-day voting exercise in South Sudan, where mishaps marred but did not destroy the region's new democratic hopes.

News Reports

• Press Conference on Fact-Finding Mission of Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Jan Kubis, to Kyrgyzstan United Nations 16 Apr 2010
• Kyrgyzstan needs international support after president’s ouster, UN envoy says UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan still faces a lot of challenges following the ouster of president Kurmanbek Bakiyev and the establishment of a more democratic government, and the international community should step up to the plate to help it, a United Nations special envoy said today.
• Will Too Many Cooks Spoil the Kyrgyz Soup? RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- The next six months will be a decisive period for Kyrgyzstan. That’s the amount of time the country’s provisional government -- which took power last week after President Kurmanbek Bakiev initially fled the capital following violent protests opposing his rule -- has allotted itself to write a new constitution, create an electoral code, and hold elections for a new parliament.
• Reporter's Notebook: The People Bakiev Left Behind RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Deposed Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev hastily departed his native region on April 15, leaving behind a hand-scrawled letter of resignation. By the next morning, it was clear in Jalal-Abad that he left behind lots of problems for area residents.
• Kyrgyzstan Confirms President's Resignation VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- The deposed president of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiev, has resigned and left the country. But the interim government says it wants to see him put on trial either inside the Central Asian nation or by an international court.
• Bakiyev faxed resignation letter to Kyrgyzstan - interim govt. RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- Interim Kyrgyz Prime Minister Roza Otunbayeva showed journalists on Friday a copy of a fax that she claimed was ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's resignation letter.
• Interim Kyrgyz Government Pledges Inquiry Into Bloodshed RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's interim government says it wants a UN-led international commission to be set up to probe former President Kurmanbek Bakiev's responsibility for the bloody events last week that left more than 80 people dead.
• New Kyrgyz Authorities Claim Legitimacy After Departure Of Bakiev RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Barack Obama, Dmitry Medvedev, and Nursultan Nazarbaev -- had discussed the departure of Bakiev during the nuclear security summit earlier this week in Washington.
• Former Blackwater President Indicted on Weapons Charges VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- The former president of the U.S. private security firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide has been indicted on federal weapons charges.
• Thai Anti-Government Leaders Escape Capture VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- The Thai government's new offensive against anti-government protesters got off to a bad start when efforts to arrest their leaders failed. An investigation is under way into the failed operation.
• Former Israeli PM Implicated in Bribery Scandal VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- A former Israeli leader is embroiled in a new corruption scandal.
• Is 'Personal Chemistry' At Work Between Obama And Medvedev? RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- During his visit to the United States this week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that he and U.S. President Barack Obama have so many issues on their agenda that maybe they should consider conducting diplomacy via text message.
• US Space Plan May Boost Private Space Firms VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- Space experts say the White House's new plan for space exploration is a boost to private companies that are developing cutting-edge technologies needed in coming years. New funding may propel research and create thousands of new jobs.
• UK sued for refusing to indentify prisoners rendered to Bagram IRNA 16 Apr 2010 -- A legal charity is suing Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) for refusing officially to identify two men, who ended up in the "dark prison" at Bagram in Afghanistan after being handed to US by members of the UK’s elite SAS force.
• Police Chief Says Kyrgyz Scenario 'Impossible In Armenia' RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Armenia's police chief warned the country's opposition leaders against staging the kind of revolt that brought down the government in Kyrgyzstan, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• India to return to Russian boosters after failed rocket launch RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2010 -- India will temporarily go back to using Russian-produced space equipment after its indigenous GSLV rocket failed, a spokesman for Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said on Friday.
• India calls for comprehensive UN convention on int’l terrorism IRNA 16 Apr 2010 -- India has called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations.
• Bird flu, though largely contained, still poses global threat – UN health expert UN News Centre 16 Apr 2010 -- Although concerted international action has successfully eliminated the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus from poultry in nearly all 63 countries infected by the world outbreak in 2006, it persists in five nations, posing a continuing threat to global animal and human health, a senior United Nations official warned today.
• Despite Success Against Avian Flu, H5N1 Virus Remains Entrenched in 5 Countries VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- U.N. officials say over the past four years, great strides have been made in many countries in eliminating the H5N1 virus, or avian flu. Nevertheless, the threat remains.
• Ex-president to remain jailed two more months CNA 16 Apr 2010 -- A Taiwan High Court panel ruled Friday that former President Chen Shui-bian will remain at the Taipei Detention Center for another two months.
• Pakistani Senate approves province name change IRNA 16 Apr 2010 -- Pakistani Senate Thursday approved with a majority vote renaming of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), despite violent protest against the name change which killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 100 more.
• UN Blames Pakistan For Failing To Protect Benazir Bhutto RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- In a scathing report, a United Nations fact-finding commission has concluded that the Pakistani authorities failed on all levels to protect former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she was assassinated in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi in December 2007.
• Suicide Bomber Kills 10 at Pakistani Hospital VOA 16 Apr 2010 -- Pakistani police say a suicide bomber has attacked a hospital emergency room in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing at least 10 people, including two police officers and a television cameraman.
• Russia's North Caucasus Envoy 'Lacks Power' For Reforms RFE/RL 16 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's envoy to the recently created North Caucasus Federal District has returned to Moscow after a series of visits to the republics in the volatile district, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.