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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Mar 2011 [PDF]
• 5th Signal Command Soldiers Deploy to Afghanistan Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- More than 80 Soldiers with 5th Signal Command's A Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, were given a noble farewell as they started their journey to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Gates Warns Coalition Not to Abandon Afghanistan VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called on NATO allies and other nations with troops in Afghanistan not to make what he called "ill-timed, precipitous, or uncoordinated" withdrawals after the United States begins its gradual drawdown in July. Gates met with representatives of the 47 other contributing nations and the Afghan defense minister Friday morning.
• Afghan Mission ‘At Critical Juncture,’ Gates Tells NATO AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates challenged a gathering of 48 NATO defense ministers here today to commit money and people, at what he called “a critical juncture for our mission in Afghanistan.”
• Airstrike in Afghanistan Kills Terrorist Leaders AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- International Security Assistance Forces conducted a precision airstrike yesterday targeting two Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist organization leaders in the Dara Soof Payan district of Afghanistan’s Samangan province yesterday, military officials reported.
• Patrols get 1/3 ready to work with ANA soldiers USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, put their last three weeks’ worth of training to the test with a patrol accompanied by Afghan role players March 8, 2011. Their actions were assessed by members of the Advisor Training Group.
• Pakistan army chief says 'terrorists disrupt regional peace' IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- Pakistan Army Chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, said on Friday that ‘terrorists have disrupted peace and stability in the region and threatened our way of life’.
• Pakistan Says Drone Strikes Have Been Effective VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- A top Pakistani military commander acknowledged this week that the U.S drone strikes against militant hideouts have been an effective weapon in the anti-militancy fight.
• Marines Airlift 45 Egyptians Home From Tunisia AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- A Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft has airlifted 45 Egyptians from Djerba, Tunisia, to Cairo in the latest transport of refugees from Libya, Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD News: Statement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Japan Earthquake and Tsunami DoD 11 Mar 2011
• Gates Pledges U.S. Help for Japan AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The United States is prepared to help Japan deal with the aftermath of the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck today “in any way we possibly can,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in Bahrain.
• Military Gears Up to Help Japan AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. forces are swinging into action to assist Japan in the wake of a magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck early this morning.
• Navy Units Prepare to Support Tsunami-Damaged Areas NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. Pacific Fleet ships in the Western Pacific were converging on Japan to be in the best position to help those in areas damaged by the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
• News Conference by the President The White House 11 Mar 2011
• Gates Pledges U.S. Help for Japan AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The United States is prepared to help Japan deal with the aftermath of the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck today “in any way we possibly can,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in Bahrain.
• Mullen Discusses Libya, Middle East, Pakistan AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. and international pressure has “raised the ante significantly” against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, but it’s yet to be seen if they’ll have an effect, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday in Phoenix.
• Department Makes 'Great Strides' in Brain-injury Care AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The Defense Department is making great strides in the field of traumatic brain injury that will benefit not only the department, but also its global and civilian partners, a TBI expert said today.
• Mullen Calls Leadership Most Important NCO Contribution AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told students at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy yesterday that of all their talents and capabilities, leadership is the most important value they bring to the force.
• DoD News: Statement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Japan Earthquake and Tsunami DoD 11 Mar 2011
• Joint Firepower Course provides training for trainers at Fort Rucker Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- Imagine being an Army captain who's just returned from Afghanistan.
• 54th Signal Battalion Celebrates 20 Years in Southwest Asia Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- The 54th Signal Battalion commemorated 20 years of service in Southwest Asia during two days of activities Mar. 1-2 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
• Stryker Vehicles Decontaminated at Osan Air Base Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- Most businesses are closed and most of the service members occupying Osan Air Base are asleep at 1 a.m., but at Building 1332 the lights are being truned on, the bay doors are being opened, and Soldiers of the U.S. Army are preparing to complete a task that is an important part of their job.
• BRAC will increase local educational needs, APG leaders say Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- Base Realignment and Closure will significantly increase the need for higher-education programs near APG, Army and Maryland state officials said here March 8.
• Fort McCoy ready to support large-scale training exercises Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- Seven scheduled exercises and other extended combat training are on tap for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 at Fort McCoy.
• Puerto Rico-based unit tackles snow, trains, prepares for deployment at Fort McCoy Army News 11 Mar 2011 -- Soldiers from the 475th Engineer Company trudged through 15-inches of snow and shivered in minus-26 degree temperatures as they trained to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Tsunami Impact to U.S. Pacific Fleet Commands Minimal NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- Sailors around the Pacific today were preparing for the tsunami to reach their homeports while at the same time joining a worldwide chorus in expressing their concern for those in Japan.
• USS Essex Arrives in Malaysia NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- USS Essex (LHD 2) arrived in Sepengar, Malaysia, for a port visit, March 11.
• Abraham Lincoln Arrives at Pearl Harbor NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit, March 10.
• Oklahoma City Holds Change of Command NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) held a change of command ceremony aboard U.S. Naval Base Guam, March 8.
• USS Blue Ridge Arrives in Singapore NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) arrived in Singapore, March 11, for the ship's first port visit to the city since October 2009.
• HSV 2 Gold Crew Paints SEA Hut in Honduras NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- Sailors assigned to High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) "gold" crew, conducted a community relations (COMREL) project at an elementary school in San Lorenzo, Honduras, March 11.
• USS Stout Holds Change of Command NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- Cmdr. Sylvester Steele relieved Capt. Dan Shaffer as commanding officer, USS Stout (DDG 55) commanding officer during an at-sea change of command ceremony March 6.
• NAVSEA Terminates Contracts with Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus directed that all active contracts and task orders with Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow, Inc. (ASFT), a Georgia firm whose president has been charged with fraud against the government, be discontinued, March 11.
• Carrier Strike Group 9 Commander Relieves VFA-137 CO NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- The commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137, was relieved Wednesday, March 9, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.
• U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and Branch Clinics Resume Normal Operations NNS 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and its Branch Health Clinics in Atsugi, Sasebo, Iwakuni, Yokohama, and Camp Fuji have resumed normal operations. Hospital services will be available during their normal hours of operations.
• 2/7 Marines seize Twentynine Palms Airport USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Sand swirling around the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters provided light concealment for the Marines as they touched down to seize the airfield. Weapon-toting enemy fighters milled about the area and watched as the unit systematically closed in from across the tarmac toward the airport’s facilities. Like cats waiting for their prey, they waited patiently for just the right moment to attack.
• DOD Releases Military Intelligence Program Top Line Budget for Fiscal 2007, 2008, 2009 DoD 11 Mar 2011 -- The Department of Defense released today the military intelligence program (MIP) appropriated top line budgets for fiscal 2007, 2008, and 2009.
• DOD Takes Steps to Secure Classified Data AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The Defense Department has taken steps to prevent another massive leak of its classified information, a senior official told a Senate committee yesterday.
• Donilon Lays Out U.S. Strategy on Libya AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- National Security Advisor Tom Donilon laid out the administration’s strategy on Libya during a conference call from the White House yesterday.
• Chief Roy: Global strike is a mission we can't forget AFNS 11 Mar 2011 -- The Air Force's highest-ranking enlisted Airman discussed the future of the Air Force, education, training issues, professional military education and resiliency with more than 1,400 Airmen here.
• People’s Movements Reject Repressive Ideologies AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The tremendous change occurring across the Middle East and North Africa provides tremendous opportunities for democracy and demonstrates the rejection of violent, repressive ideologies possessed by al-Qaida and the current Libyan and Iranian regimes, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said here yesterday.
• DOD, Governors Bridge Gaps in Disaster Response AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The Defense Department has partnered with the nation’s governors, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Homeland Security Department to strengthen support to governors when they request military assistance for disaster response.
• Marines in Okinawa use new equipment for combat operations USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, trained with a new Combat Operations Center here March 1. The COC uses equipment standardized across the Marine Corps.
• Intelligence Chiefs Cite Greatest Security Threats AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- Two high-level intelligence chiefs described their top concerns for U.S. national security during their testimony on Capitol Hill yesterday.
• Biometrics becomes next battlefield in War on Terror USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Terrorists concealed within a civilian population are a prevalent enemy of Operation Enduring Freedom. Veiled behind a cloak of anonymity, they strike and then recede back into the shadows disappearing once more into the local populace.
• Units join forces, put rounds on target USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Marines from Marine Attack Squadron 211, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, along with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, and sailors with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 1 and Strike Fighter Squadron 102, combined forces for an exercise here March 1-4.
• Marines expand intelligence gathering in joint exercise USMC News 11 Mar 2011 -- Marines with 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, recently returned from U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, Republic of Korea, where they participated in Operation Winter Surge 2011, a combined, joint event conducted by the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and ROK and U.S. Marines.
• India test fires Ship-based Dhanush missile IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- India on Friday test fired its nuclear-capable ballistic missile 'Dhanush', with a range of 350 kms, from a naval ship at Balasore off the Orissa coast, defence sources said.
• After "Dhanush" India successfully tests fire Prithvi-II missile IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- Indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Prithvi-II, was on Friday test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from Balasore off Orissa coast, in less than an hour of flight testing of 'Dhanush' from a naval ship.
• Russia to prioritize modern weaponry in new arms acquisition program RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- Russia will focus on purchases of advanced weaponry in a new state arms procurement program until 2020, First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said.
• Russia set to buy 500 combat vehicles from France RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- Russia is in talks with French military manufacturer Panhard on the purchase of 500 light armored vehicles for its border guards, a Russian military think-tank said on Friday.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2011
• Northrop Grumman and Boeing Submit Proposal for Missile Defense Agency Simulation Architecture Proposal Northrop Grumman 11 Mar 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and industry partner The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) today submitted a joint proposal for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Objective Simulation Framework (OSF) program.

Other Conflicts

• 11 March 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Mar 2011
• U.S. Continues Pressure on Gadhafi, Obama Says AFPS 11 Mar 2011 -- The United States will continue to apply pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and has not taken any options off the table, President Barack Obama said here today.
• UN envoy expected in Libya next week to discuss humanitarian, political issues UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- A special United Nations envoy to Libya is expected to arrive in Tripoli, the capital, early next week for humanitarian and political talks amid growing concern at the death toll from fighting between and Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s forces and opponents seeking his ouster.
• Libya's Opposition Faces Fierce Counter-Offensive from Pro-Gadhafi Forces VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- Libya’s opposition forces faced an intense counter-offensive from pro-Gadhafi forces on Friday. Our correspondent reports from Benghazi.
• Germany sees no need for NATO intervention in Libya IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- German Defense Minister, Thomas de Maziere, stressed there was no need for a NATO military intervention in Libya amid the escalating conflict in the North African country, media reports said on Friday.
• EU Leaders Pile On Pressure As Pro-Qaddafi Forces Advance RFE/RL 11 Mar 2011 -- European Union leaders gathered for a crisis summit in Brussels today are increasing pressure on Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi's regime, with calls for him to step down and threats to impose possible further sanctions.
• Gaddafi threatens to stop cooperation with EU unless pressure eased RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi threatened to break off cooperation with the European Union on combating terrorism and illegal migration in an address to an emergency EU summit on Friday.
• Sarkozy says France, U.K. ready to hit Libya RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said France and Britain are ready to launch "targeted air strikes" on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces if they use chemical weapons or warplanes against civilians.
• UN: Not Enough Planes to Transport People Fleeing Libyan Crisis VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- The United Nations refugee agency reports evacuation flights from Tunisia and Egypt are not keeping pace with the number of new arrivals from Libya. The UNHCR says about 2,500 people are arriving at the Tunisian border every day.
• Côte d'Ivoire: UN scaling up aid delivery as post-election unrest worsens UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today it will scale up efforts to provide food aid to the increasing number of people fleeing from escalating post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire, amid concerns that the international community has not given adequate attention to the humanitarian crisis sparked by the fighting.
• Incumbent Ivory Coast Government Criticizes AU For Recognizing Ouattara VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- The incumbent government of Ivory Coast is rejecting the African Union's endorsement of the United Nations certified winner of November's presidential election, saying African leaders are making the situation worse and will be held accountable for a possible return to civil war.
• Côte d'Ivoire: UN scaling up aid delivery as post-election unrest worsens UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today it will scale up efforts to provide food aid to the increasing number of people fleeing from escalating post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire, amid concerns that the international community has not given adequate attention to the humanitarian crisis sparked by the fighting.
• UN Official Hears Tales of Rebel Terror in DRC VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- The U.N. under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs has completed a visit to the DRC with a trip to a province that’s been terrorized by LRA rebels.
• DRC: Security deteriorates in Uelé districts IRIN 11 Mar 2011 -- The presence of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has led to deteriorating security conditions for aid workers and civilians in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo’s two Uelé districts, where 31 attacks took place in January alone – as many as in the last three months of 2010.
• Peacebuilding and impunity on the agenda for Ban visit to Guatemala UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Guatemala next week for a three-day visit that will focus on peacebuilding issues and the Central American country’s efforts to combat impunity.
• UN rights expert condemns sharp increase in Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- An independent United Nations expert has called on Israel to stop illegally demolishing Palestinian homes in the West Bank, including two apartment buildings in East Jerusalem where 150 people are about to be evicted, citing a recent surge in such actions.
• KENYA-SOMALIA: Aid critical as calm returns to border region IRIN 11 Mar 2011 -- Thousands of Somalis displaced by fighting along the Kenya-Ethiopia-Somalia border urgently need water and food, local officials say, as humanitarian workers in Kenya's northeastern town of Mandera continue to register refugees.

News Reports

• Obama Offers Aid, Condolences to Japan VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says Americans are sending their thoughts and prayers to the Japanese people after Friday’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. The president says the United States is ready to help.
• Japan's Tsunami Death Toll Seen Reaching 1,000 VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- Japan's central island of Honshu is waking up to scenes of widespread death and devastation from a massive earthquake and tsunami that hit its Pacific coast Friday, with local media saying as many as 1,000 people may have been killed.
• Fire break out at nuclear power plant after Japanese quake IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- A fire has broken out at one of Japan's nuclear power plants after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday, according to news agency reports.
• Hundreds Feared Dead After Quake, Tsunami Hit Northeastern Japan RFE/RL 11 Mar 2011 -- Hundreds of people are feared dead after a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Japan today, triggering a tsunami that swept away houses, vehicles, boats, and buildings.
• Japan evacuates 2,000 people near nuclear plant RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- Some 2,000 people living near northeast Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant were told to evacuate on Friday following a massive earthquake.
• Earthquake, tsunami wreak havoc in Japan RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on Friday left thousands without drinking water and provoked panic buying.
• US Offers Japan 'Immediate' Earthquake Aid VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- The United States says it is prepared to immediately offer Japan whatever assistance it might need in the wake of Friday’s massive earthquake. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States has flown coolant to a threatened Japanese nuclear power plant.
• Saudi Arabian police tighten security ahead of new riots RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2011 -- Police in Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh have tightened security measures ahead of expected anti-government riots, a local policeman told RIA Novosti on Friday.
• US Defense Secretary in Bahrain to Discuss Reforms VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has traveled to Bahrain for talks with the kingdom's leaders about calls for reforms in Bahrain and elsewhere in the Middle East.
• Soltanieh asks Amano to report US, Europe non-compliances to Board IRNA 11 Mar 2011 -- Iran’s IAEA envoy, Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, on Friday urged the IAEA Chief Yukia Amano to report the non-compliance of the US and the European countries hosting nuclear weapons, with their obligations undertaken under the NPT to IAEA Board of Governors.
• Battered And Bruised, Rafsanjani May Have Fought His Last Battle RFE/RL 11 Mar 2011 -- In the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film "Jaws," the shark's death was meant to convey an air of finality -- only for the man-eating fish to reappear in ever-more lethal forms in a series of increasingly desultory sequels.
• Biden Backs Moldovan Reforms, Territorial Integrity RFE/RL 11 Mar 2011 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in Moldova today for a brief visit to encourage reform in the impoverished nation and push for a peaceful settlement of its separatist conflict.
• UN voices sorrow and pledges assistance after deadly quake and tsunami strike Japan UN News Centre 11 Mar 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep sorrow today and offered the full support of the United Nations after a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan, killing dozens of people and destroying towns, villages and large swathes of infrastructure.
• Libyan Crisis Threatens Regional Food Security VOA 11 Mar 2011 -- The crisis in Libya could put food security at risk, not only in Libya, but in neighboring countries as well.