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Hagel Moves On
Former Senator Chuck Hagel has been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee to be the nation's defense secretary. His nomination has been sent to the full Senate where the Democrats, hold a 55-45 edge. More than a dozen Republicans oppose the nomination, and the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, is insisting that any confirmation be based on 60 votes rather than a majority of the Senate.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
Diallo dies in a plane crash
The head of Guinea's armed forces, was killed on Monday in a plane crash near the Liberian capital Monrovia. Investigators and United Nations peacekeepers found the wreckage in a grove of palm trees near Charlesville, about 25 miles southeast of the Liberian capital Monrovia. There were no survivors. General Souleymane Kelefa Diallo, who was on a security mission to Liberia.
Tags: J.J. Green , DoD
Obama warns about Sequester
President Barack Obama draconian government spending cuts that will go into effect on March 1 unless Congress stops them, could have a "severe impact" on U.S. military preparedness. "There is no reason, no reason for that to happen," Obama said. He made the remarks at a farewell ceremony for outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. "Putting our fiscal house in order calls for a balanced approach, not massive indiscriminate cuts that could have a severe impact on our military preparedness," he said.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
US helps France in Mali
The U.S. continues to support French operations in Mali. The Pentagon says since French operations began on January 11th, the U.S. has been sharing intelligence with the French., providing airlift support to the French Army. As of Feb. 6th the U.S. Air Force had flown 36 C-17 sorties, moving French personnel, supplies and equipment into Bamako. So far, they have carried more than 912 tons of equipment and supplies and 665 passengers.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
Carriers in Persian Gulf Delayed
In one of the biggest moves yet in the battle against sequestration, the Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has approved the plan to just keep one carrier there. The U.S. has maintained two aircraft carrier groups in the Gulf for most of the last two years. Pentagon Press secretary George Little said in a statement the deployments of the USS Harry S Truman and the USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser, have been delayed because of budget uncertainty.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
Same-Sex benefits to be extended
A little more than 15 months after the Pentagon repealed its ban on openly gay service members, the military is on the brink of extending some benefits to the same-sex partners of service members, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta hasn't made a final decision on which benefits will be included, but the Pentagon is expected to allow same-sex partners to have access to the on-base commissary and other military subsidized stores.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
US Navy sends message to North Korea
The Associated Press is reporting, South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon follow through on a threat to conduct its third atomic test. The region has also seen a boost in diplomatic activity since last month, when North Korea announced it would conduct a nuclear test to protest U.N. Security Council sanctions toughened after a satellite launch in December that the U.S. and others say was a disguised test of banned missile technology.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
AFRICOM stays put
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has decided against moving the U.S. military's headquarters overseeing Africa from Germany to the United States, concluding the benefits of staying in Europe closer to African hot spots - are worth the extra cost, officials say. Reuters is reporting, the Pentagon notified Congress of its decision this week. Some lawmakers had been pushing for Africa Command to move stateside, with South Carolina and Georgia promoted as possible locations.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
Hagel defends himself
Senator Chuck Hagel on himself. "No one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me." He made the statement during a day of tough questions in his quest to be the next Secretary of Defense. He was challenged over his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Sen. Lindsey Graham was harshly critical of Hagel for failing to sign letters in past years designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization and backing Israel.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
Afghan troops progressing faster
The top commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan believes government security forces have improved faster than expected and will be ready to take the lead in the 11-year- old war against the Taliban when foreign combat forces take a back seat this spring. Marine Gen. John Allen told The Associated Press that the main job over the next two years for the International Assistance Force - as the NATO-led troops in Afghanistan are called - will be to advise, train and build the capabilities needed for Afghan forces to go it completely alone.
Tags: DoD , J.J. Green
