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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 19 Aug 2010 [PDF]
• Last Full Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq in Convoy AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- Through the dusty driver’s side window, Army Pfc. Thomas Johnson could see the final stretch of dirt road leading to the border.
• Last U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq RFE/RL 19 Aug 2010 -- The last U.S. combat brigade has left Iraq as part of President Barack Obama's pledge to end combat operations in the country by the end of this month.
• US Combat Mission in Iraq Will Change, But Not Quite Yet VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- The Pentagon says it will be difficult to know when the last American combat soldier leaves Iraq because the troops can perform a variety of functions depending on their mission and orders. Although the last large combat unit left Iraq overnight, the combat mission continues for the remaining troops until the end of the month.
• Iraq Mission to Continue With Stability Operations AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- With the last full brigade of combat troops now out of Iraq and another 6,000 U.S. forces to leave by the month’s end, the mission in Iraq continues with the transition to stability operations, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, spokesman for U.S. Forces Iraq, told reporters today.
• LOGCAP Managers Have Key Role in Drawdown Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- The Logistics Civil Augmentation Program Forward Iraq, under the auspices of the 402d Army Field Support Brigade, executes oversight and requirements management to provide combat service support to U.S. military and Department of State personnel in the Iraq theater of operations, and at the same time continues to have a leading role in supporting United States Forces-Iraq responsible drawdown efforts.
• U.S. Mission in Iraq Officially Changes Sept. 1 AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- A fundamental shift will take place at the end of the month in the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq, a Pentagon official said today.
• Last U.S. brigade combat team conducts movement out of Iraq Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- The first wave of Soldiers with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center, departed Baghdad Aug. 13 as the last combat brigade to leave Iraq, as part of the responsible drawdown of troops in Iraq.
• Soldiers see Iraq grow during multiple deployments Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- As Soldiers depart Baghdad, part of the last combat brigade in Iraq, they are leaving a country that has gone through many stages to be where it is today.
• 42nd Medical Detachment returns after year-long deployment Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- Six Soldiers from the 42nd Medical Detachment celebrated their safe return home from Iraq Aug. 11 during a ceremony held at Army Community Service.
• 472D Military Police Company redeploys Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- The Soldiers of the 472nd Military Police Company returned home from a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on Aug. 13. The date also marks the second anniversary of the unit's reactivation at Fort Wainwright.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Target Insurgents AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- Afghan and coalition forces continued to target Taliban leaders and members of other insurgent groups in recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• 591st Medical Logistics Company Soldiers deploy to Afghanistan Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- A deployment ceremony was held Aug. 11 at Army Community Service for the Soldiers and Family members of the 591st Medical Logistics Company.
• Interview: U.S. Senator Says Visit Gives Him Better Understanding Of Afghan War RFE/RL 19 Aug 2010 -- John Kerry, the chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, says he has a better understanding of Afghanistan's war and the problems facing ordinary Afghans after visiting the country this week.
• Officials Detail Latest U.S. Support for Pakistan AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- U.S. officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, have provided updated facts and figures for the support the United States is providing to the flood-stricken country:
• U.S. Focuses on Rescue, Flood Relief in Pakistan AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- Beyond the mind-boggling personal toll of Pakistan’s monsoon floods – with 20 million people affected and 4 million made homeless – there’s also a strategic impact, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said today.
• Navy Choppers Provide Aid to Pakistani Flood Victims AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- As flooding continues to plague Pakistan, the U.S. Navy is providing helicopters from a detachment in Bahrain to carry supplies into the stricken country’s Swat valley.
• U.S. Military Continues Pakistan Relief Efforts AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- U.S. forces continue to provide aid and aerial support to millions of Pakistanis hit hard by the monsoon floods, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said here today.
• U.S. Adds $60 Million for Pakistan Flood Relief AFPS 19 Aug 2010 -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today pledged an additional $60 million in U.S. funding to help Pakistan battle record floods.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD News: Army Says Environmental Assessment Needed for Ordnance Reef Tech Demonstration DoD 19 Aug 2010 -- The Army announced today that it has considered the potential impact of technology demonstrations originally scheduled for October off the Hawaii coast and determined that an environmental assessment (EA) should be performed prior to the demonstrations.
• DoD News: Army Releases July Suicide Data DoD 19 Aug 2010 -- The Army released suicide data today for the month of July. Among active-duty soldiers, there were 12 potential suicides: three were confirmed as suicides, and nine remain under investigation. For June, the Army reported 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, 10 have been confirmed as suicides, and 11 remain under investigation.
• Bataan Successfully Completes PMA, Sea Trials, Returns to Homeport Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- Sailors and Marines aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5) returned to their homeport of Naval Station Norfolk Aug. 18 following the successful completion of a four-month maintenance availability and sea trials.
• MCPON Visits Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON) visited with Sailors assigned to various commands in the Pearl Harbor area Aug. 16-17.
• Officer Training Command to Get New Command Quarters Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic awarded a $38.2 million contract Aug. 13 to Absher Construction Company, Inc. of Puyallup, Wash., for construction of an Officer Training Command (OTC) quarters at Naval Station Newport, R.I.
• Navy's Tuition Assistance to be Distributed Quarterly Beginning in October Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- A policy change, effective Oct. 1, to the Navy's Tuition Assistance (TA) program will not only place monetary caps on the funds available to Sailors, but also affect how and when the funds are allocated.
• Pacer Goose Offloads in Norfolk Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- Thirteen Sailors from Reserve Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 12 helped unload cargo from motor vessel American Tern, as part of Operation Pacer Goose, Aug. 9-12.
• USS Makin Island to Hold Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 19 Aug 2010 -- USS Makin Island (LHD 8) is scheduled to hold a change of command ceremony Aug. 27 at 1000 at San Diego Naval Base.
• Army improving helicopter protective measures Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- The Army is now crafting an integrated approach to aircraft survivability that combines input from multiple on-board sensors and uses that information to detect, track and defeat incoming enemy fire.
• Cav Troopers receive upgraded fighting vehicles Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- Cavalry Troopers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division received their M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the Army's reset program, here, Aug. 16.
• ANAD, Honeywell build 200th Egyptian engine Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- Anniston Army Depot is known for taking used and battle-damaged vehicles and weapons and rebuilding them better than new, but in one small shop in the Nichols Industrial Complex, depot workers partner with Honeywell to create engines that are brand new.
• C-17 squadron sets new standard in deployed airdrops AFNS 19 Aug 2010 -- Members of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here dropped more than 1,192,000 pounds to 22 different drop zones, including fuel, water, food and additional supplies needed by servicemembers on the ground at forward operating bases across the area of responsibility.
• 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron Airmen participate in ISR demo AFNS 19 Aug 2010 -- Airmen have almost a month remaining to voluntarily retrain in Phase I of the 2011 NCO Retraining Program before the program's involuntary Phase II begins Sept. 20.
• Bengals touch down in Iwakuni USMC News 19 Aug 2010 -- The Bengals of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 blew in as part of the Unit Deployment Program here Aug. 6.
• HSC-25 provides support, departs Iwakuni USMC News 19 Aug 2010 -- The Navy’s first and only forward-deployed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, based at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, has resided in Iwakuni during the past few months to take part in training and maintenance of its aircraft as the squadron before heading out to Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 7.
• New pain relief methods for traumatic injuries in Afghanistan Army News 19 Aug 2010 -- New pain relief measures are being employed by anesthesiologists at three coalition hospitals in Afghanistan to help Soldiers suffering from traumatic injuries caused by improvised explosives devices.
• 2011 retraining program in full swing AFNS 19 Aug 2010 -- Airmen have almost a month remaining to voluntarily retrain in Phase I of the 2011 NCO Retraining Program before the program's involuntary Phase II begins Sept. 20.
• U.S., Sri Lankan engineers begin repairing dilapidated school AFNS 19 Aug 2010 -- A team of more than 20 U.S., Sri Lankan, and Mongolian civil engineers started repairing a dilapidated school here Aug. 16, as part of Operation Pacific Angel-Sri Lanka.
• US, Colombian Marines strengthen bonds through nonlethal weapons training USMC News 19 Aug 2010 -- Marines with Company A, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Ground Combat Element of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010 taught nonlethal weapons tactics to Colombian Marines at Colombian Marine Corps Base Covenas, Colombia, Aug. 14, as part of a six day subject matter expert exchange.
• Maritime Raid Force Marines train hard for upcoming deployment USMC News 19 Aug 2010 -- CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters hovered nearly 30 feet above the ground as Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force prepared to fast-rope during an MRF Raid at Kadena Training Area 1, Aug. 16.
• Russian Navy helicopter carrier tender to be announced in September RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- A tender on the purchase of a helicopter carrier for the Russian Navy will be announced in September, Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) said on Thursday.
• Russia's newest nuclear sub starts sea trials RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- Russia's newest Borey-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, on Thursday started a series of sea trials in the White Sea, the Sevmash shipyard said.
• Russia to hold tender for purchase of helicopter carrier - paper RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- The Russian Defense Ministry will hold a tender on the purchase of a helicopter carrier, alongside ongoing negotiations with France on buying a Mistral-class ship, a Russian business daily said on Thursday.
• Tax Officials Invade Russia's Defense Ministry RFE/RL 19 Aug 2010 -- Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's campaign to civilianize, bring financial accountability, and improve fiscal policy within the Defense Ministry culminated in the appointment, on August 6, of Tatyana Shevtsova as the ninth deputy defense minister (filling the final vacancy).
• Russia, Armenia To Sign Extended Defense Pact RFE/RL 19 Aug 2010 -- Moscow and Yerevan are set to sign a new defense agreement that would keep Russian troops in Armenia nearly until the middle of this century.
• Beijing refutes U.S. annual military report on China RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry has refuted a U.S. government report on the Chinese military, saying it was exaggerated, Xinhua news agency reported.
• Taiwan vigilant in face of China's military buildup: Ma CNA 19 Aug 2010 -- Taiwan has been closely monitoring China's military buildup while continuously seeking to upgrade it's defense capability, despite improved cross-strait relations, President Ma Ying-jeou told a Japanese daily Wednesday.
• President pushes for U.S. to sell Taiwan F-16 C/Ds CNA 19 Aug 2010 -- President Ma Ying-jeou urged the United States Thursday to sell F-16 C/D jet fighters to Taiwan to prevent the balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait from tilting further in China's favor.
• MND censured for illegal promotion of generals CNA 19 Aug 2010 -- The Control Yuan censured the Ministry of National Defense Thursday for promoting as many as 124 generals without following normal standards during the tenures of eight defense ministers between 1994 and 2009.
• Armenia-Bound NATO Plane 'Barred From Azerbaijani Airspace' RFE/RL 19 Aug 2010 -- An Armenian Defense Ministry official says Azerbaijan has refused to allow a German military-transport plane carrying Armenian soldiers from Afghanistan to fly over its territory on August 18, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• India to order another 59 Russian Mi-17 helicopters RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- The Indian Air Force will soon order an additional 59 Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopters on top of the 80 ordered earlier, the IAF chief said on Thursday.
• August 19, 2010 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 19 Aug 2010
• Press Gaggle by Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton aboard Air Force One en route Cape Cod, MA The White House 19 Aug 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 19, 2010
• Boeing C-130 AMP Head-Up Display Endorsed by Headquarters US Air Force Directorate of Operations Boeing 19 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that Headquarters U.S. Air Force Directorate of Operations (HQ USAF/A3O) has endorsed the company's C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) Head-Up Display (HUD) and Head-Down Primary Flight Display (HDPFD) as the aircraft's primary flight reference. The endorsement follows four years of design reviews, lab evaluations and demonstrations with the Air Force customer.
• Currently, Boeing has 85 employees in New York and works with nearly 732 suppliers/vendors, delivering a total $871 million in annual economic impact. Boeing 19 Aug 2010 -- The NewGen Tanker is a widebody, multi-mission aircraft based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial airplane and updated with the latest and most advanced technology. Capable of fulfilling the Air Force's needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients, the combat-ready NewGen Tanker will meet or exceed the 372 mandatory requirements described in the service's final KC-X Request for Proposal released Feb. 24.
• CACI Awarded $19 Million Prime Contract to Support Comprehensive U.S. Air Force Financial System CACI 19 Aug 2010 -- CACI International Inc (NYSE:CACI) announced today that it has been awarded a $19 million prime contract to sustain and enhance the Air Force's Job Order Cost Accounting System (JOCAS II) for the 554th Electronic Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. The new work on the five-year contract (one base, four option years) will enhance management financial tracking for major range and test facility bases and Air Force research laboratories. The award increases both the size and scope of CACI's financial management system support and strengthens the company's functional core competency in business system solutions.
• Lockheed Martin Delivers First Two Upgraded Light Armored Vehicle Command and Control Platforms Lockheed Martin 19 Aug 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has delivered the first two of 52 upgraded Command and Control variants of the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) to the U.S. Marine Corps. The upgraded platforms were signed over to the customer in an acceptance ceremony on August 10.
• Northrop Grumman Awarded $42 Million for Fleet Support Work Northrop Grumman 19 Aug 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a $42.4 million cost plus fixed fee contract from the U.S. Navy for support services on new and commissioned submarines and surface ships of the U.S. Navy and other foreign navies. The company's Shipbuilding sector is the prime contractor.
• Northrop Grumman to Supply High Accuracy Inertial Measurement Units for Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A Northrop Grumman 19 Aug 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a contract by EADS Defence & Security, through its Military Air Systems business unit, to deliver 88 inertial measurement units (IMU) for Tranche 3A of the Eurofighter Typhoon.
• U.S. Coast Guard Accepts Rescue 21 Search-and-Rescue System for Baltimore-Washington Region General Dynamics 19 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Coast Guard today officially accepted the installation of the Rescue 21 search-and-rescue system that will provide enhanced life-saving communications capabilities to the entire Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River, reaching as far as Washington, D.C. Rescue 21 enables the Coast Guard to quickly respond to and assist distressed mariners, saving lives and property. It also provides a wireless communications network that the Coast Guard can use to communicate with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and other emergency first responders.
• SAIC Awarded Contract by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency SAIC 19 Aug 2010 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has been awarded the Total Application Services for Enterprise Requirements (TASER) contract by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to research and implement innovative solutions to emerging critical geospatial intelligence requirements. The multiple award, indefinite-deliver/indefinite-quantity contract has a five-year base period and a total value of $1 billion for all awardees.

Other Conflicts

• 19 August 2010 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Aug 2010
• Gaza: UN urges lifting of Israeli restrictions on access to land and sea UN News Centre 19 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations is calling for the urgent lifting of Israeli military restrictions on civilian access to Gaza’s land and sea, which has eroded the livelihoods of Palestinian residents and worsened the plight of a population already under an economic blockade.
• US: Deal for Direct Middle East Talks Very Close VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- The State Department said Thursday an agreement for the start of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians is close to completion. The deal will apparently be sealed by statements from the United States and the International Middle East Quartet.
• South Africa: Troop request for Somalia is likely to fall on deaf ears IRIN 19 Aug 2010 -- South Africa is unlikely to deploy soldiers in support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as it did "not believe" in the political direction being followed to resolve the conflict, and there was no exit strategy, an analyst said.
• SUDAN: Referendum will "increase humanitarian needs" IRIN 19 Aug 2010 -- Humanitarian needs in Southern Sudan, where some 4.3m people already need food assistance and fewer than one in 10 earns more than US$1 a day, are likely to escalate after next year’s referendum on secession, says a government minister.
• Pak troops fire at Indian posts, violate ceasefire IRNA 19 Aug 2010 -- Violating the ceasefire again, Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts along the Line of Control with rockets, mortars and resorted to heavy firing in Poonch district in Jammu in the wee hours Thursday.
• U.S. continues pushing for restart of Israeli-Palestinian direct talks RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- The United States is continuing its efforts to restart direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the U.S. Department of State said.
• Saint Lucia joins growing list of States parties to International Criminal Court UN News Centre 19 Aug 2010 -- Saint Lucia has joined the growing list of nations that have ratified the pact establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s first permanent court tasked with trying people accused of the most serious offences, such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

News Reports

• Operating Bushehr power plant, great success for Iran: MP IRNA 19 Aug 2010 -- Operating the Bushehr power plant after several decades is a great success for Iran, Member of Parliament said on Wednesday.
• Iranian counter-attack will spread to other regions in case of war IRNA 19 Aug 2010 -- Senior Iranian lawmaker said on Thursday that if military threats to Iran were materialized, the nation’s counter-attacks will spread to other regions.
• Iran says U.S. State Department's report on terrorism biased RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday the U.S. Department of State's report, which labels Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, was biased, Iranian media reported.
• PAKISTAN: The flood, and the response IRIN 19 Aug 2010 -- On a tour of water-logged and rain-weary Pakistan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the floods were the worst disaster he had ever seen. The response to the crisis has been less enthusiastic - only about half the US$459.7 million requested by the United Nations has materialized.
• Press Conference by Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan United Nations 19 Aug 2010
• General Assembly hears calls for global solidarity to help flood-hit Pakistan UN News Centre 19 Aug 2010 -- Speaker after speaker took the floor at a special meeting of the United Nations General Assembly today to call for global solidarity to help flood-hit Pakistan in the wake of the country’s worst disaster in living memory and for generous support for vital relief operations.
• UNICEF: Emergency Appeal For Pakistan Outdated VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations Children's Fund says last week's U.N. $460 million appeal for Pakistan is outdated because the numbers of people needing emergency assistance has grown considerably. In addition, the U.N. now says more than 4 million people in Pakistan have been left homeless by the floods.
• US, Pakistan Warn Extremists Could Exploit Flood VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- Pakistani and U.S. officials are urging the international community to respond swiftly to Pakistan's devastating floods to counter the possibility of extremists exploiting the disaster.
• Niger Increasing Security Following Al-Qaida Threats Against Aid Workers VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- Niger's military government says it is increasing security for international aid workers threatened by groups affiliated with the al-Qaida terrorist network. Relief officials say those threats could undermine efforts to feed eight million people who do not have enough food.
• Medvedev instructs more work on controversial FSB powers amendment RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday to make sure that the recently adopted amendments expanding FSB powers contain clear definitions.
• US Presses Thailand on Extradition Case VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- The State Department said Thursday that the extradition by Thailand of an alleged international arms trafficker is a matter of the highest priority to the United States. A Thai appeals court is expected to issue a final decision in the case of Russian businessman Viktor Bout on Friday.
• Russia's Mission Control readjusts ISS orbit RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- Russia's Mission Control has readjusted the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) by raising it by 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles), a Mission Control spokesman said.
• Mexican Governor Seeks More National Troops VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- Nuevo Leon Governor Rodrigo Medina has called on Mexican President Felipe Calderón to send additional military troops to his state.
• AIT affirms 'solid' U.S.-Taiwan relations CNA 19 Aug 2010 -- The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) reaffirmed the "solid" relationship between the United States and Taiwan Thursday in response to a question regarding a domestic political controversy about current bilateral relations.
• Haiti: UN reconstruction and recovery projects win approval UN News Centre 19 Aug 2010 -- United Nations projects in health, education, job creation, rubble removal, reproductive health and improving access to food have been approved for Haiti as the poor Caribbean country continues its effort to rebuild after January’s catastrophic earthquake.
• Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Tribunal Legacy Found in Communities Around Country VOA 19 Aug 2010 -- A nearby stupa holds the skulls of some of more than 10,000 people who were murdered at Wat Samruong Knong. Around its base are a series of murals that show what happened here - in this mural, Khmer Rouge soldiers cut open their victims and cook body parts like their livers.