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3/4/11 - Cold Friday Stuff

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:40 am
by TSPking
The Decline of U.S. Naval Power

Last week, pirates attacked and executed four Americans in the Indian Ocean. We and the Europeans
have endured literally thousands of attacks by the Somali pirates without taking the initiative
against their vulnerable boats and bases even once. Such paralysis is but a symptom of a sickness
that started some time ago.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

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Navy Looking Beyond Air Capabilities In AirSea Battle Concept
By Carlo Munoz, March 3, 2011

As Navy and Air Force leaders continue to work out the details of the services' AirSea Battle concept, the sea service
is looking to push that slate of proposed capabilities beyond just the air domain.

"When we talk about AirSea battle, we in the Navy and Marine Corps are focused on the aviation piece, but AirSea battle
for me is also surface and subsurface [warfare]," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said yesterday after a
speech at a Credit Suisse-sponsored event in Arlington, Va.

The concept, as envisioned by service leaders, would be to synch up Air Force and Navy specialties into a cohesive battle
plan designed to attack adversaries across all domains seamlessly. During the ongoing dialogue between the services,
Navy and Air Force officials "are now able to look at what capabilities do we have to move" and in what warfighting areas
should service investments be made.

To that point, the sea service is also pursuing some "submarine warfare and anti-submarine warfare capabilities that
are included" in the AirSea Battle concept, according to Roughead.

"It is not just about what is flying above," he added. "We in the Navy have to worry about mines, submarines, fast patrol
craft. So the capabilities we have been working on over the past few years gives us an ability to move that
battlespace... where and when we have to."

In addition, service leaders are also looking to invest in electronic warfare and electronic attack capabilities,
as well as cyberwarfare, and integrate them into the battle plan, Roughead said.

While the service chief declined to comment on any specific combat scenarios combining Air Force and Navy assets, or
what specific service platforms were being discussed in the battle plan, Roughead did note the same cooperative process
that prompted the Navy to combine its intelligence (N2) and communications networks (N6) shops into a single unit was
influencing its ongoing effort with the air service.
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Navy Considers Reopening FY '12 Budget To Cope With Continuing Resolution
By Carlo Munoz, March 3, 2011

Navy budget officials may be forced to reassess its fiscal year 2012 budget request if Congress continues to
extend funding for the service at FY '10 levels, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said yesterday.

"We had planned on a lot of stuff happening [in FY '12]. It has not happened, [and] how then do you rack and
stack" those overdue priorities, the service chief said after a Credit Suisse conference in Arlington, Va.

"I think we would clearly have to go in and open up the FY '12 budget."

Since the beginning of FY '11 last October, Congress has been financing Defense Department and the services
under a continuing resolution (CR) to allow lawmakers time to pass the FY '11 version of the defense spending
bill. Under the CR, military operations have been funded at FY '10 levels.

The Senate yesterday passed, and President Barack Obama later signed, another temporary budget funding the government
for two more weeks, extending the current CR for two more weeks and avoiding a government shutdown. The House passed
the two-week measure on Tuesday. The current CR expires on March 4 (Defense Daily, March 1).

But even with the proposal that passed Congress, Navy leaders are already preparing for the worst-case
scenario--a year-long CR that would prompt a worse-case response by the service, Roughead said.

Steps have already been taken to mitigate the effects of the CR, mainly in the service's operations and maintenance
accounts. A number of Navy directorates have begun compiling a list of "key contract items" to determine which industry
partnerships can be terminated, if a year-long CR is enacted.

Navy officials already submitted their lists to service procurement chief Sean Stackley before sending them to Pentagon
acquisition czar Ashton Carter for review, Rear Adm. Joseph Mulloy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget,
told Defense Daily in a Feb. 8 interview.

"There are a couple of contracts that are close to the edge," he added. "There has to be a path ahead."

The Navy has notified specific contractors of the projected four ship cancellations of four availability projects
at shipyards in Norfolk, Va., Mayport, Fla., and San Diego.

Ship availability cancellations at the Norfolk shipyards will net the Navy a savings of $28 million alone, according
to service sources. The project terminations at Mayport and San Diego will tack on an additional $34.4 million, they added.

While those cancellations have given the Navy some breathing room in terms of current operations, if it continues to
function under FY '10 spending levels, an entire slate of service priorities set in the FY '11 and now FY '12 budget
proposals will have to be moved to the right, Roughead said.

'The reality is that we could get to the end of this year with a set of assumptions that did not happen. How do you
then reassume and restack because something I wanted to do this year...if I didn't do it [and] because I was [planning on]
doing it this year, one could assume it would have a higher priority [over] what I was going to do next year," the admiral
said. "It is hugely disruptive."

When asked what kind of process would be needed to re-open the service's budget request to adjust the schedules on
those service needs set for FY '11 and '12, Roughead replied: "I haven't the foggiest idea."
##########

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CR Harm 'May Take Years' to Fix

While Congress averted a government shutdown this week, its current course could lead to lasting damage
to weapons programs, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs made clear today. "Some programs may take years
to recover if the continuing resolution is extended through the end of September," Adm. Mike Mullen
told the House Appropriations Committee. While the House and Senate rushed through a two-week bill
yesterday, the fundamental problem remains unsolved.
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2011/03/02/cr-ha ... rs-to-fix/

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Rep. Akin Sees Opportunity To Push New Starts If Another Continuing Resolution Is Passed
By Andrew Burt, March 2, 2011

If Congress passes another continuing resolution following a two-week extension that was approved today, the
chairman of the House seapower and projection forces subcommittee wants to ensure the Defense Department is
given the authority to reprogram its accounts and begin programs that were scheduled to start in 2011.
Speaking at a conference in Arlington, VA, yesterday, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) said he was discussing with House GOP
leaders the idea of adding "reprogramming and new starts" language into another continuing resolution if one is needed.
The language would "take some of the pressure off the poor defense people and their accounts," he said, letting
DOD proceed with its original plans for the current fiscal year.

The continuing resolution, a stopgap funding measure, keeps defense funding at fiscal year 2010 levels. It expires
March 4; Congress has passed a two-week extension. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has called Congress' inability to
pass a full appropriations bill a "crisis on my doorstep," and all of the services have echoed Gates' sentiments.
Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee March 1, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the continuing resolution
was hurting ship construction more than anything else. "It's not just transfer authority that we're lacking," said Mabus.
"It's new start authority. That's what is really going to hamper us so much on ship construction."

According to a member of Akin's staff, it was Mabus' testimony, along with meetings with other defense officials,
that spurred the congressman to push for reprogramming and new-start authority. "Based on that, he's had conversations
with Republican leadership about the potential of taking something less than a full DOD appropriations bill but something
more than a basic CR," said the staff member, adding that the language would "give the Navy and the services the ability
to go out and officially start those new programs they want to start in 2011." While Akin's push, if successful, would
help to alleviate some of the pain caused by the continuing resolution, a lot remains up in the air for DOD. When the
extension expires, Republicans eager for deeper budget cuts might not be willing to pass another.

Whether House Republicans are even willing to consider another continuing resolution remains unclear, according to
the staffer, suggesting they may "draw a line in the sand" when the extension expires. "There's so many possible
iterations out there, it's too early to know what happens next," the staff member said.
##########

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Buying less with more at the Pentagon; a guide for newcomers

After three decades covering the U.S. military, journalist Andrew Cockburn has seen it often enough to
recognize the pattern: The Air Force spends $100 million to build an EC-130H aircraft with
ground-penetrating radar to hunt for $25 homemade bombs buried along Afghan roadways -- and
after hundreds of flights, finds nothing
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?a ... dcn=e_gvet

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Pentagon Hit for Lax Oversight of $4.2 Billion Afghan Contract

Defense Department personnel overseeing a $4.2 billion food supply contract, one of the largest
in Afghanistan, failed to prevent overpayments and potentially incorrect charges, according to
the Pentagon inspector general.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-0 ... tract.html

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GAO: DOD Lacks 'Comprehensive' Approach To Rapid Acquisition
By Jason Sherman, March 1, 2011

The Defense Department lacks a comprehensive approach for responding to urgent wartime requests for new capabilities
as well as an efficient organization to manage such needs, according to government auditors.

The Government Accountability Office in a recent audit found the Defense Department maintains 31 different
offices -- scattered across the four services as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense and U.S.
Special Operations Command -- staffed to respond to urgent operational needs by developing, equipping and
fielded new technologies for the fight.

"We found that fragmentation and overlap exist among urgent needs entities and processes," William Solis, GAO director
of defense capabilities and management, said in a statement summarizing the findings of the new assessment that he
presented at a hearing today of the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee. Commanders seeking
to have an urgent need fulfilled can choose among eight different processes managed by as many different offices, GAO
found. "Entities within these processes then validate the submitted urgent need request and thus allow it to proceed
through their specific process," according to Solis' statement.

GAO also found that DOD "does not have a comprehensive approach to manage and oversee the breadth of its activities
to address capability gaps identified by warfighters in theater" and that the department "has a fragmented approach
in managing all of its urgent needs submissions and validated requirements."

GAO calculated the department spent $76.9 billion fulfilling urgent requirements between fiscal years 2005 and 2010.
"Because DOD does not have visibility over all urgent needs efforts and costs, it is not fully able to identify the
need for key process improvements and adjust program and budgetary priorities accordingly," according to Solis' statement.

Thomas Dee, director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell in the Pentagon's acquisition directorate -- one of the main
DOD offices responsible for fulfilling urgent operational needs -- said the department largely concurs with GAO's
recommendations for a more comprehensive management framework in this area. He said the Pentagon would conduct a
statutorily mandated, comprehensive review of the process for fielding capabilities in response to urgent operational
needs. That review is due to be delivered to Congress in June 2012. Dee noted the Pentagon's FY-12 budget request
includes a total of $200 million that could be used to pay for urgent operational needs. Because urgent operational
needs are generated long after the Pentagon has proposed its budget request, the Defense Department seeks funding for
new capabilities by asking for congressional permission to reprogram funds appropriated for other programs. "This
lack of immediately available funds has led to eight requests for reprogramming a total of $3.4 billion" over the
past 18 months, Dee said. "While the department appreciates the support Congress has largely provided on these requests,
every day that funding authority is delayed results in a day's delay in fielding the capability."
##################

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Troops need equipment? Let 'em drink beer.

The real reason U.S. troops in Afghanistan lack the protection they need.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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U.S. Navy Seeks New Landing Craft Proposals

A solicitation for Ship-to-Shore-Connector landing craft was issued Tuesday by the U.S. Navy's
Naval Sea Systems Command. The request for proposals begins the process of building a replacement for...
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5862842

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Defense Secretary Gates Chides U.S. House Panel for Protecting AM General

Defense Secretary Robert Gates today chided a congressional panel for failing to approve a
budget shift he says is needed urgently to protect troops in Afghanistan.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-0 ... neral.html

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EADS Won't Appeal USAF Tanker Choice: Report

NEW YORK - European aerospace giant EADS is set to announce it will not appeal a U.S. Air Force
decision to award a major tanker contract to U.S. rival Boeing, a person close to the matter said March 3.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5858606

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Baby Boomers Will Upgrade U.S. Sub Fleet

With its ballistic-missile submarine replacement program anchored by milestone authority and a fiscal 2012 request
for about $1.1 billion in R&D funding, the U.S. Navy is set to develop and build SSBN(X) boats without sinking the
rest of its shipbuilding plan. While it is apparent the Navy plans to use the Virginia-class attack submarine program
as a template for the SSBN(X), there is uncertainty about whether the new boomers will resemble a modified Virginia,
improved version of the current SSBN model or a hybrid of both.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... ub%20Fleet

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Army's new radio system is wave of the future (JTRS)

Fort Bragg paratroopers this week have been testing the Army's newest radio system,
which will let them send and receive pictures and messages on the battlefield.
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/201 ... 0?sac=Home

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Military Sensors Catch The Scent Of Roadside Bombs

The American military has spent billions of dollars trying to solve the problem of roadside bombs.
They've come up with electronic jammers to block the signal that sets them off. They use dogs to
sniff out the bomb's components. The Pentagon has even set up a special office to deal with the
IED problem. Lieutenant General Michael Oates, who heads the office, says they've come up with a
new, more futuristic tool.
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134144517 ... side-bombs

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Spectrum debate sparks finger pointing among industry players

As Congress begins to weigh proposals aimed at freeing up more spectrum to meet the nation's growing
demand for wireless broadband devices, groups that could be impacted by those policies are beginning
to engage in a lot of finger pointing over which industries are making the most efficient use of their
spectrum.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110 ... ne=NGtoday

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Fix the Army, Now! (read last two paragraphs)

Ever since then-Army Chief Dennis Reimer made Doug Macgregor's book, "Breaking the Phalanx," required
reading for the general officers corps, his ideas have stirred passions in the largest US military
service. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' West Point speech spurred him to call on the next defense
secretary to remake the Army in truth, and not just to give the idea lip service.
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2011/03/02/fix-the-army-now/

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Army can't track mental health records of deployed soldiers

The service finds itself overwhelmed by paper records.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?a ... dcn=e_gvet

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Pentagon targets substandard for-profit schools

GAO report had revealed that Defense had monitored only a third of the
schools being used by personnel.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?a ... dcn=e_gvet

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Harvard, Navy to sign agreement on ROTC return

BOSTON -- The Reserve Officer Training Corps' four-decade exile from Harvard University campus ends
Friday with an agreement that was spurred by a congressional vote allowing gays to serve openly in
the military.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Florida Nuke Carrier Base Could Cost Less: GAO (% of error =?? - 10%?? 50%?? 100%?? 200%??)(We are accurate when we buy systems-right??)

A new government estimate of the cost to build a home port for a nuclear aircraft carrier
in Florida claims the facility could be built for nearly half the Navy's cost estimate.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5860882

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Norfolk takes a hit in tussle with Florida over carrier

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/03/norfolk ... er-carrier

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40 faulted in Enterprise video investigation

NORFOLK, Va. - The chief of Fleet Forces Command brought the hammer down as hard as he could
Thursday on those who helped produce or knew of the controversial "XO Movie Night" video skits
aired on the carrier Enterprise from 2005 to 2007, recommending that secretarial...
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/03/n ... n-030311w/

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Navy admiral recommends censures over lewd videos

http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/U ... 3-18-23-13

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SpecOps Soldier Wins USERRA Case (Postage going up)

A National Guard Special Forces Soldier fired by the Postal Service for "excessive absence due to
military service" has won a decision that could mean more than $1 million in back pay.
Sergeant Maj. Richard Erickson was fired 11 years ago while in training at Camp Blanding.
http://www.military.com/news/article/sp ... -case.html

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DoD: No Spousal Benefits for Gay Partners (HMMMM!!!)

Regardless of the Obama administration's decision not to defend the law defining marriage as
heterosexual union, the U.S. military won't be extending spousal benefits to same-sex couples,
the Defense Department says.
http://www.military.com/news/article/do ... tners.html

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For Richer, For Poorer

Sorting out spousal survivor annuity options.
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0311/030411rp.htm

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Military Families, Advocates Feel Betrayed By Westboro Protest Ruling

Veterans found it hard Wednesday to square the Supreme Court's ruling in Snyder v. Phelps with the
constitutional right that they swore - and for which many have given their lives - to protect.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/03/02/1 ... -feel.html

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Democratic legislators embracing tactic to gain leverage: fleeing (Party of run - For the borders??)

Lawmaking can be a frustrating business, especially when you're outnumbered. But some Democratic
state legislators have recently embraced a simple tool to gain leverage: the empty chair.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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White House proposes $6.5 billion more in spending cuts

The White House proposed Thursday to trim an additional $6.5 billion from federal programs this year
as Vice President Biden opened talks with congressional leaders aimed at funding the government through
Sept. 30 and averting a shutdown.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Lawmakers agree on getting rid of overlapping programs

But committee members differ on exactly where to begin responding to detailed report from GAO.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?a ... dcn=e_gvet

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Drop in jobless claims buoys stock market (One week or one month does not make a trend)

Wall Street rejoiced in an unexpected drop in weekly jobless claims Thursday that spurred hopes of a turning
point in the labor market recovery. Investors were betting that the decline signaled good news for the monthly
unemployment figure to be released on Friday. Meanwhile, strong retail sales dat
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Calls Mount to Tap U.S. Oil Reserves

The administration has said that excess oil production capacity remains well above the
amount whose flow has been disrupted by unrest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/busin ... l?emc=eta1

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Downturn cost state fewer jobs than thought

Revised figures suggest recovery may be weaker
http://www.boston.com/business/articles ... n_thought/

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Broke Town, U.S.A.

Everybody's suddenly petrified about municipal debt. But the fate of
bondholders ought to be the least of our worries.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/magaz ... l?emc=eta1

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State, local pension funds understate shortfall by $1.5 trillion or more

The pension funds for state and local workers in the United States are understating the amount they will
owe workers by $1.5 trillion or more, according to some economists who have studied the issue, meaning that
the benefits are much costlier than many governments and taxpayers thought.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Without Loan Giants, 30-Year Mortgage May Fade Away

If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shut down, interest rates would rise for most borrowers,
but urban and rural residents could see sharper increases than customers in the suburbs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/busin ... l?emc=eta1

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In Price of Farmland, Echoes of Another Boom

Regulators are warning that a new real estate bubble may be forming as
farmland prices surge across the Midwest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/busin ... l?emc=eta1

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Fight over future of Saturday mail delivery continues

Resolution calls on USPS to preserve current schedule as agency faces
growing financial crisis.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?a ... dcn=e_gvet

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Storing Your Files Inside the Cloud

Backing up computer files with remote, or cloud-based computers, offers protection from
disasters like fires or tornadoes that could destroy an external hard drive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/techn ... l?emc=eta1

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An app for that? iPads can replace paper maps in the cockpit, FAA says (Paper doesn't need a battery)

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved Apple's iPad as an alternative to paper
aeronautical charts for all phases of a flight.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110 ... ne=NGtoday

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Drilling Down: Pressure Limits Efforts to Police Drilling for Gas

Amid pressure, regulators are divided over the scope of their powers,
leading to limited enforcement and narrowed research.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/us/04 ... l?emc=eta1

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NASA: Observation satellite fails to reach orbit ($424 Million lost)

http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/U ... TE=DEFAULT

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Immigrant's Health Crisis Leaves Her Family on Sideline

A court-appointed guardian's decision to remove the feeding tube of a Rwandan immigrant,
Rachel Nyirahabiyambere, exposes the debate over caring for patients in persistent vegetative
states.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/us/04 ... l?emc=eta1

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U.S. expects Afghan Taliban will launch spring campaign to regain lost ground

IN KABUL American military officials in Afghanistan expect that the Taliban will mount a spring campaign
to regain ground lost to U.S. troops last year and use suicide bombing teams to strike at those associated
with the Afghan government or coalition forces.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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About That Pakistani Anvil

Ever since the Afghan surge began there's been considerable behind the scenes talk of a hammer and anvil
strategy toward Al Qaeda, its friends in the Haqqani network and the Pakistani Taliban. Much of that anvil
has appeared to take the form of drone strikes and special forces actions inside far northern Pakistan or along
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2011/03/03/about ... ani-anvil/

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Court: No Immunity for Yank Held in Pakistan

A Pakistani court ruled Thursday that a US national held for killing two people had failed to
provide evidence that he had diplomatic immunity, lawyers said.
http://www.military.com/news/article/co ... istan.html

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Longer Iraq Stay to Crimp Savings

U.S. officials are beginning to talk about the possibility of keeping some troops in Iraq beyond 2011,
complicating the Pentagon's plans to rein in military spending.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

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Protesters say Maliki is using special security forces to shut down demonstrations in Iraq

BAGHDAD - Among the revolts sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, Iraq's has been an
exception: Here, protesters are seeking to reform a democratically elected government, not
to topple an autocrat.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Egypt's Generals Struggle in New Role

The military council tried to head off another demonstration on Tahrir Square
by naming a new prime minister.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world ... l?emc=eta1

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Obama administration prepares for possibility of new post-revolt Islamist regimes

The Obama administration is preparing for the prospect that Islamist governments will take hold in
North Africa and the Middle East, acknowledging that the popular revolutions there will bring a more
religious cast to the region's politics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Terror Quiets Libyan Capital as Rebels Battle in the East

Tripoli residents say they are living in fear, while rebels celebrated a victory
over Qaddafi's forces in a strategic oil town.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world ... l?emc=eta1

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Obama Tells Qaddafi to Quit and Authorizes Refugee Airlifts

In his strongest statement yet, President Obama called for the immediate resignation of
the Libyan leader and authorized military airlifts to help refugees who fled Libya.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world ... l?emc=eta1

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European Central Bank signals interest rate hike over inflation fears

The European Central Bank is poised to raise interest rates next month as concerns about inflation touch
off a new and potentially tricky challenge for policymakers trying to sustain the global recovery: how to
temper rising prices without discouraging growth in countries with weaker economies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Russia-France Mistral Talks Hit Snag On Price

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5857956

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U.S. let guns fall into Mexican drug cartels' hands, files show (DUH!!!)

A federal operation that allowed U.S. weapons to pass into the hands of suspected gun smugglers so they
could be traced to the higher echelons of Mexican drug cartels has lost track of hundreds of firearms,
many of which have been linked to crimes, including indirectly to the fatal shooting of a Bor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... ailarticle

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Maehara orders review, possibly a cut, in Japan aid to China (Sending Aid to China?? You got to be kidding!!)

Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Friday he had instructed his ministry to review Japan's official
development assistance, possibly including a sharp cut in aid to China, which last year overtook
Japan as the world's second-biggest economy.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business ... 6000c.html

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China Defense Budget To Increase By 12.7%

China expects to spend 601.1 billion yuan ($91.4 billion) on defense in 2011, up from 533.4 billion yuan last year,
Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the National People's Congress, said early Friday in Beijing ahead of the start of the
legislature's annual session on Saturday. Mr. Li said the defense spending will be used for purposes including
"appropriate armament development" as well as training and human resources development.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1 ... DQyWj.html

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Re: 3/4/11 - Cold Friday Stuff

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:47 pm
by Navig8tor
The decline of the U.S. Navy? How about the U.S. Coast Guard?

The U.S. Navy has ONE main mission, and routinely decommissions ships that are half the age of Coast Guard ships while citing the high cost to repair, replace and/or maintain electronics and avionics platforms. Wish we could use that excuse!

My scraggly little service has, by federal law, 11 missions encompassing the entire planet, and I read someplace that as a naval service we currently have the 32nd oldest naval fleet IN THE WORLD.

We routinely operate blue-water ships that are over 40 years old, and some over 50! They break down; we fix them. They break down hard; we send them to a dry dock and rebuild them while another 40-year old ship picks up the slack on station.

We put modern radar and other electronics platforms on 40-year old ships...we don't get new vessels. We live in berthing areas that were built 40+ years ago: cramped, hot, and with head facilities that have been cleaned so often the porcelain has been rubbed off the toilets. We don't get new ships...we lengthen the life-span of ships that should have been decommissioned 20 years ago.

We have few platforms that go very fast; and of those that do, none are larger than 110' in length. Our largest ships MAY squeak out 20+ knots on gas turbines...but they cost too much to run for long periods. Those same ships have boilers on them that routinely break down...no hot water, no problem...you don't need a shower for the next two weeks. If that ain't bad enough, the water-makers crap out every other day and take days, if not weeks, to fix. No water at all...no problem!

And if THAT ain't bad enough, the sewage systems break down all the time. So, no toilets, no showers AND no water for days at a time. NO PROBLEM; just keep on keeping on!

We have absolutely ZERO ships that ride worth a crap at sea...but we "Shallow Water Sailors," as the Navy like to call us, still survive the Bearing Sea, the Arctic, patrolling the Iranian border, chasing down cartels in the Pacific, pursuing illegal migrants in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and enforcing fisheries regs in the North Atlantic.

Somehow we get more done with less. Somehow we get all 11 of our missions accomplished, day in and day out, year after year. Doing MORE with LESS. Perhaps if the US Navy scaled it back a bit, and didn't have to have every new "toy" that came along, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

I know one thing for a fact, while the Coast Guard is beginning to get new vessels, the blue-water fleet is not being replaced fast enough. IMHO, something bad is going to happen to a blue-water CG vessel before this country wakes up and starts funding our fleet.

I'll put it to you this way: 60-foot seas, 55 knot winds, -25 degrees in January in the Bering Sea, and flooding from both ends of a ship that 40+ years old....NOT where you want to be!

Then you make it back to port only to see a 12 FEET x 12 FEET section of the hull get cut out because there isn't enough good steel remaining to provide watertight integrity to the ship. A hole just forwarded of my stateroom that was literally big enough to drive my 4x4 F150 through. That was the biggest hole...there were several smaller one's about the ship as well. Seeing that, and realizing what you just went through for 3 months makes you realize how close to Davy Jones you really were! You could literally poke a screwdriver through portions of the hull of a near 400-foot long US MILITARY VESSEL!

And the Navy whines because they don't have the latest weaponry, or the next hottest jet, or satellite TV on the ship.

We're "Shallow Water Sailors" though. I've been deployed aboard US Navy Cruisers and Frigates in 10-foot seas many times. In that minimal sea state, try finding ANYONE AWAKE on a US Navy ship who isn't either on watch or a member of the Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment. You won't find many...they'll all be sea sick and in the rack!

I feel no sorrow for the Navy at this point. The funny thing is droves of them want to leave the Navy and join the Coast Guard. Everywhere I go I am questioned, "Hey Sir, what would I have to do to get into the Coast Guard."

Re: 3/4/11 - Cold Friday Stuff

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:15 pm
by crondanet5
The first 2 numbers on the tail of an F-15 denote the year it was built. Thus 78 equates to 1978-- pretty modern huh? Anyone hear the Chinese have increased their defense spending from 7% to 12% of GDP? And where are our defense dollars going? Osama who?