Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 13 Aug 2012 [PDF]
• NATO: Most 'Green on Blue' Attacks Due to Grievances, Stress VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- At least seven coalition soldiers have been killed by Afghan security forces or gunmen wearing their uniforms in the last week alone. NATO said Monday that such attacks are often the result of personal disputes and will not derail the coalition's plans to transfer security responsibilities to local forces by the end of 2014 is on track.
• K-9 teams help the fight in Afghanistan Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- Soldiers on today's modern battlefield have tools that we all know well. We often think of rifles, hand grenades and up-armored vehicles - but what about dogs? Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, known as the 'Dragons,' are changing the game when it comes to finding roadside bombs in their area of operations.
• Combined Force Arrests Senior Insurgent Leader AFPS 13 Aug 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist group leader in the Chahar Darah district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province today, military officials reported.
• Cavalrymen swap tanks for Warthogs in Helmand UK MOD 13 Aug 2012 -- A squadron of cavalrymen have swapped their Challenger 2 tanks for Warthog armoured vehicles as they support the Afghan security forces in Helmand province.
• Afghan Policeman Fires on NATO Troops VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- Officials say an Afghan police officer has opened fire on U.S.-led NATO troops, in the fifth such attack in a week.
• N.C. guardmen return to wildfire missions in Idaho AFNS 13 Aug 2012 -- The North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing will return to flying Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS)-equipped C-130s Aug. 14, six weeks after four of the unit's Airmen were killed in a C-130 crash during a fire fighting mission in South Dakota.
• Forest Service Requests More Aircraft for Firefighting Operations AFPS 13 Aug 2012 -- More forest fires in the western United States have prompted the U.S. Forest Service to call in two additional C-130s equipped with the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS.
• NATO vessel Rotterdam frees hijacked dhow NATO 13 Aug 2012 -- On 13 August 2012, the armed boarding team of the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Rotterdam freed a pirated vessel in the Gulf of Aden and detained six suspected pirates.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD to Review Meat Purchases During Drought DoD 13 Aug 2012
• New instruction puts spotlight on standards, culture AFNS 13 Aug 2012 -- When referencing fundamental standards, Airmen now have a single source: Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards.
• Alaska National Guardsmen deploy for US Army Pacific international peacekeeping exercise Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- Approximately 80 Alaska National Guardsmen are slated to participate in Khaan Quest 2012 (KQ12), a multinational partnership training exercise held at the Mongolian Armed Forces Peace Support Center near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, August 11-23, 2012.
• Army CID wants more Soldiers as special agents Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- The Army's Criminal Investigation Command - commonly known as CID - is looking for qualified applicants to become highly-trained criminal investigators.
• Rwandan Defense Force, Texas National Guardsmen exchange best practices Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- At various military-to-military exchanges hosted by the Rwandan Defense Force, U.S. Army Maj. Timothy Amerson, 1st Lt. Charles Cummings, and Staff Sgt. Corey Roder, Task Force Raptor, 3rd Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment, Texas Army National Guard, and Rwandan soldiers and policemen shared their experiences and knowledge on basic soldier skills and staff officer duties and responsibilities.
• Zero tolerance in Army for bullying, hazing Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- All service members have a personal responsibility to intervene in and stop any occurrences of hazing or bullying, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, in a recent statement.
• Disability review method changed Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- Last week, senior leaders from I Corps, the Western Regional Medical Command and Madigan Army Medical Center participated in a press conference to address questions regarding the Army's recent announcement about changes to how post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, cases are processed, the reinstatement of Col. Dallas Homas as commander of Madigan, and the way ahead for the base's medical community.
• Division West Soldiers test new technology to defeat IEDs Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- Military combat engineers and civilian technical experts gathered here recently to conduct a series of experiments aimed at providing Soldiers with new technology in the counter-improvised explosive device fight.
• SCat Gun System saves money, hastens development Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- Why would the U.S. Army want to fire a 155 mm projectile into 540 feet of steel catch tubes and then recover the projectile at the other end?
• VP-62 Receives Safety Award NNS 13 Aug 2012 -- Patrol Squadron (VP) 62 received the Chief of Naval Operations Naval Aviation Safety Award, also known as the 'Safety S,' for 2011, during a presentation Aug. 13.
• USS Theodore Roosevelt Transitions to New Computer Network NNS 13 Aug 2012 -- Sailors from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Combat Systems Department began a computer network transfer from the Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) network to TR's integrated shipyard network system (ISNS) Aug. 3.
• Reliant Mermaid 2012 Kicks Off NNS 13 Aug 2012 -- The Navy will participate in the regularly scheduled Exercise Reliant Mermaid in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 13-16.
• Farragut Sailors Visit Tallinn, Estonia NNS 13 Aug 2012 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) departed Tallinn, Estonia, following a three-day port visit, Aug. 11.
• Indiana Guardsmen evacuate buildings during Vibrant Response 13 Army News 13 Aug 2012 -- In the aftermath of a simulated nuclear attack on a major Midwestern city, 'survivors' took up residence in abandoned buildings and started to rebuild their shattered lives.
• North Carolina ANG, Botswana defense force find common ground AFNS 13 Aug 2012 -- The C-130 Hercules is a versatile aircraft that serves several different roles depending on the need and location.
• Pacific Partnership 2012 Wraps up Visit to Cambodia NNS 13 Aug 2012 -- This year's fourth and final mission port for Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) was Cambodia, bringing an end to nearly three full months of working ports in Southeast Asia.
• Russian Warships Head to Mediterranean RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- A Russian joint naval flotilla has arrived in the Mediterranean after missing a planned visit to a Russian Black Sea port, a defense ministry source said on Monday.
• Nuclear Submarine to Serve Decade After Refit RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- The Russian Navy's submarine Novomoskovsk has been refitted and returned to service with the Northern Fleet, and will serve another ten years before being decommissioned in 2022, Fleet Spokesman Captain First Rank Vadim Serga said on Monday.
• HMS Westminster returns from successful Middle East mission UK MOD 13 Aug 2012 -- Portsmouth-based warship HMS Westminster returned home today from a deployment to the Middle East which included a £14m drugs bust.
• Ministry denies report of proposed purchase of only 24 F-16C/Ds CNA 13 Aug 2012 -- The Ministry of National Defense denied Monday local media reports that Taiwan has recently made a proposal to the United States for a procurement of 24 F-16C/D jet fighters.
• Navy official summoned in inquiry into military exercise blunder CNA 13 Aug 2012 -- Military prosecutors launched an investigation Monday into a naval exercise that went awry last month by summoning the rear admiral at the center of the affair for questioning.
• Kenya Continues Search for 2 Missing Ugandan Helicopters VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- The Kenyan military says emergency teams are searching for two Ugandan army helicopters believed to have crashed in central Kenya. Poor weather is complicating the rescue efforts.
• August 13, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Aug 2012
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 8/13/12 The White House 13 Aug 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 13, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 13 August 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Aug 2012
• Violence increasing in many parts of Syria, taking heavy toll on civilians – UN mission UN News Centre 13 Aug 2012 -- Violence and the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons by the Government as well as targeted attacks by the opposition are increasing in Syria, the head of the United Nations observer force said today, adding that this is taking a heavy toll on innocent civilians.
• Syrian Rebels Say Pilot Of Downed Fighter Captured RFE/RL 13 Aug 2012 -- Syrian rebels say they've captured the pilot of a government warplane they claimed to have shot down in eastern Syria.
• Syrian Forces Enter Aleppo District RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- Syrian government troops on Monday stormed the western neighborhood of the rebel-held city of Aleppo using tanks and armored vehicles, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
• Syrian Rebels Claim MiG Shootdown RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- Syrian rebels said on Monday they had shot down a government MiG-23 fighter jet in the east of the country.
• Syrian Rebels Claim They Shot Down Plane VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- Syrian state media say a pilot ejected Monday after suffering technical problems, while rebels claimed they shot down the government's warplane.
• Activists ready to depart for disputed Tiaoyutai Islands CNA 13 Aug 2012 -- A group of six or seven Taiwanese activists will depart for the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands Tuesday at the earliest and will join forces with Hong Kong activists to protest Japan's claim of sovereignty over the islands, one of the activists said Monday.
• As Somali Election Nears, Candidates Accused of Corruption VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- As the process for ending Somalia's political transition gathers momentum, some presidential candidates have been accused of both interfering with the process of electing new parliamentarians and vote-buying ahead of the presidential election, which is due to take place on August 20.
• Somalia: Ban seriously concerned over delays in selection of new parliament UN News Centre 13 Aug 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is seriously concerned about delays in the selection of the new Somali Parliament, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson today.
• UN envoy calls for end of impunity in Somalia after killings of two media workers UN News Centre 13 Aug 2012 -- Strongly condemning the killings of a Government information official and a journalist in Somalia in separate incidents, the top United Nations political envoy for the East African nation today called for the end of the 'culture of impunity' that threatens the country's free press as it struggles to emerge from two decades of lawlessness.
• UN-African Union official stresses need to protect displaced persons in North Darfur UN News Centre 13 Aug 2012 -- The military commander of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known by the acronym UNAMID, today stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Sudanese state of North Darfur, after recent violence in the area resulted in the deaths of four people and injured six others.

News Reports

• Change Atop Egyptian Military 'No Surprise' to US VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- The Obama administration says it is not surprised by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's move to change his country's top military leaders. The United States says what is important now is for Egypt's civilian and military leaders to complete the country's democratic transition.
• Egypt Reshuffle Puts New Defense Chief, Vice President in Spotlight VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's surprise Sunday reshuffle of senior government positions has put the spotlight on two officials who were little known outside of Egypt: his new defense minister and new vice president.
• U.S. Hopes Egyptian Civilian, Military Leaders Work Together AFPS 13 Aug 2012 -- U.S. defense officials were expecting Egypt’s new president to name his own defense team and hope civilian and military leaders can work together to address the country’s problems, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.
• Egyptian President Morsi Defends Army Chief Sacking RFE/RL 13 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi has said his move to order the retirement of two of the country's top generals was for "the benefit of this nation."
• Morsi Says Top Military Dismissals are in Egypt's Interests RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said on Monday that the dismissal of the country's powerful defense minister and a top military general was done in the interests of his country.
• Egyptian Media: Military Shakeup 'Revolutionary' VOA 13 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian media outlets are hailing as 'revolutionary' a decision by President Mohamed Morsi to dismiss the once-powerful defense minister and curtail the military's authority.
• Iranian Lawmakers Slam Earthquake-Relief Efforts RFE/RL 13 Aug 2012 -- Iranian parliament members from regions hit by the twin earthquakes on August 11 have harshly criticized the authorities' relief efforts.
• U.S. Iran Sanctions Threaten Ties With Russia – Official RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- Relations between the United States and Russia may suffer as a result of new, wide-ranging U.S. sanctions introduced against Iran, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday.
• Belarusian Detained for Espionage RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- The Belarusian KGB detained a resident of Brest in the southwest of the country for attempted espionage, according to a statement released on Monday by the KGB's Center for Information and Public Relations.
• Ramstein Spy Linked to Russia RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- A NATO civilian worker arrested last week on suspicion of espionage in western Germany has been linked to Russian intelligence, The Times reported on Monday.
• YEMEN: Time running out for solution to water crisis IRIN 13 Aug 2012 -- Under a staircase, clinging to a wall of Sana'a's Grand Mosque, groups of women and children lug plastic canisters to the leaky spigots of a public fountain. Some small children struggle with canisters nearly their size as they weave slowly between the fountain and the pushcarts used to wheel the water back home.
• Signal Found From Lost Indonesian Satellite RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2012 -- Contact has been made with an Indonesian telecommunications satellite that went missing following a failed launch last week, a Russian rocket firm said on Monday.