JUNE 2, 2016, CANADIAN FORCES BASE WAINWRIGHT, Canada - It is one of the few hours of darkness in Alberta, leaving the big grey brute in the sky without a shadow to cast. The C-130's four turboprop engines cut through the clouds. When runway lights become visible on the horizon, he pitches his nose downward and descends. Cradled in his arms, rows of sleeping soldiers sit bathed … [Read more...]
Momentum Gathers to Overturn SCOTUS Ruling Which Keeps Troops From Suing the Government
June 2, 2016, by Jerry Nelson - Isabella Ortiz’s mom was given a medication she was allergic to. Isabella was still in the womb and was injured as a result of the medicine. Now, the family is requested the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to hear its case. If SCOTUS agrees, it would be the latest challenge to the 65-year old Feres doctrine that forbids troops from suing the … [Read more...]
DoD Ramps Up Training on Blended Retirement System
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2016 - The Defense Department’s new blended retirement system will affect some 2.2 million people who all need to get smart on what it will mean. Two subject-matter experts from the department’s personnel and readiness branch described the issues involved to DoD News: Army Sgt. Maj. Luther Thomas Jr., senior enlisted advisor to the Defense Department’s … [Read more...]
Changes to Retention Control Points Providing Increased Promotion Opportunity for Mid-Grade Soldiers
JUNE 1, 2016, WASHINGTON (Army News Service) - Sergeants first class seeking another stripe saw increased opportunity during the fiscal year 2016 master sergeant promotion board, as the selection rate jumped 35 percent, from 8.4 in FY15, to 11.8 in FY16. Those increased opportunities to serve come as a result of projected openings in the master sergeant ranks that will come … [Read more...]
CARAT 2016 Series Kicks Off in Malaysia, Aiming for Increased Complexity with Allies and Partners
JUNE 1, 2016, SANDAKAN, Malaysia (NNS) - The 22nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations began June 1 with a commemoration ceremony for the Malaysia phase in Sandakan. As the premier naval engagement in South and Southeast Asia, CARAT provides a regional … [Read more...]