From the Air Force Times website
The Air Force has been long dominated by fighter pilots at its senior leadership levels, but as careers in the service have become more diverse, a change in promotion preferences may be required to foster the innovation culture that also defines the service.
As it stands, the mass of fighter pilots in high-level leadership roles creates a hierarchy within the service, with fighter pilots first, bombers second and other specializations after, according to a recent Rand study sponsored by the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment.
“The more modern Air Force still demonstrates a preference for promoting fighter generals to the most-senior ranks of leadership, despite having a greater number of [non-fighter pilot] officers and a more technologically diverse set of missions,” according to the report, which includes interviews with many unnamed uniformed and civilian Air Force officials.
The decision by a prominent consumer DNA-testing company to share data with federal law enforcement means investigators have access to genetic information linked to hundreds of millions of people.
FamilyTreeDNA, an early pioneer of the rapidly growing market for consumer genetic testing, confirmed late Thursday that it has granted the Federal Bureau of Investigation access to its vast trove of nearly 2 million genetic profiles. The arrangement was first reported by BuzzFeed News.
Concerns about unfettered access to genetic information gathered by testing companies have swelled since April, when police used a genealogy website to ensnare a suspect in the decades-old case of the Golden State Killer. But that site, GEDmatch, was open-source, meaning police were able to upload crime-scene DNA data to the site without permission. The latest arrangement marks the first time a commercial testing company has voluntarily given law enforcement access to user data.
Thanks to Erik Wong for sharing this photograph and comments with Retiree News.
Photograph by Erik Wong, used with permission
I ran into Tom Shimabuku and his wife Maureen at Kahala Nui (they live there). I found out he was a boxer in the Air Force before getting out then joining the 169th Aircraft Contorl & Warning Squadron until retirement.
From the Everyday Health website
Because most people who have an aneurysm don’t experience any noticeable symptoms, they can live for years with the aneurysm undetected and without any other health problems.
But once the aneurysm expands and puts pressure on neighboring nerves and tissues, it can cause pain, numbness, or other symptoms.
More severe (and even life-threatening) symptoms occur when an aneurysm leaks blood into the wall of the artery and into nearby tissues, and then bursts or blocks blood flow in the arteries.
The specific symptoms of aneurysms depend on the type of aneurysm, its location, and whether it’s affecting other organs or structures in the body. Because most aneurysms can be successfully treated, knowing the signs and symptoms can save your life.
From the Air Force Magazine website
Forty-one retired senior military leaders—including four Air Force general officers—called for the Trump administration to call off its legal defense of the Defense Department’s transgender military service ban in a Feb. 26 memo from the Palm Center research institute, whose work focuses on gender and sexuality issues within the US Armed Forces.
In the memo, the former DOD leaders cautioned that continued legal defense of the ban “will undermine the integrity of United States military judgement,” adding the ban goes against senior military leaders’ judgement, medical findings, “and the experiences” of the US and foreign militaries. They expressed solidarity with the Joint Chiefs’ testimony about the success of trans-inclusive service and the risks that “discrimination and double standards” pose to combat effectiveness.
They also countered the argument that transgender military service is financially forbidding, noting that, in fiscal 2017, DOD data showed that transition-related medical costs equated to “less than one-tenth of a percent of its annual health care budget for the Active Component.” – Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory
Hawaii Air National Guard Photograph | click to enlarge
The Hawaii Air National Guard flew C-46 Commandos from March 1946 through September 1950. The C-46 was known as the “Plumber’s Nightmare”.
This undated photograph shows a Commando maintenance crew.
– George Kaneshiro identified the airman standing on the left as Baptiste, although uncertain about his first name, possibly William.
– Simanu “Sam” Afoa, standing on the right, is recognized as the first Hawaii Air National Guard member of Samoan ancestry. He was from originally from Maui. He continue his maintenance career and was a member of the quality control office when he retired in the early 1980s. Sam was the North Windward Baptist Church minister for many years. Sam passed away in 2007.
– All others in the photograph could not be identified.
Early on, the C-47 was used to transport pilots from Hickam Field to Bellow Field where the HIANG aircraft was located. By 1948, flight operations move to Area 65 on Hickam Field. During the year, the HIANG received its second C-46 and began regularly scheduled air freight and passenger service between Hawaii Army National Guard units on all the islands.
In 1951, the Commandos were replaced with C-47s Skytrains, more commonly known as “Gooney Birds”.
Wondering where Area 55 is? it is in the Kamakahi Road area, just below the Flight Kitchen #20 on this Hickam AFB map.
But over that weekend, Waltman started wondering if the call might be legitimate. He was then 68 years old and had not yet claimed his Social Security benefit. And he knew that his personal information had likely been stolen multiple times in recent data breaches involving insurance giant Anthem and credit bureau Equifax.
What if a fraudster was using his personal details to claim his Social Security benefit?
click to enlarge
James Itamura served as a Staff Judge Advocate (JAG) in the Air Force and later in the Hawaii Air National Guard. This undated photograph from his Facebook page shows him in uniform as a captain. He retired as a lieutenant colonel as many years of service.
Born on Kauai, he graduated from Kamehameha School in 1972.
In civilian life, James worked and retired from the State’s Office of the Public Defender. He currently resides in Washington State.
Lockheed P-82 Twin Mustang “Betty Jo” flown by Col. Bob Thacker and Lt. John Ard flew between Honolulu and New York City’s La Guardia Airport on February 27, 1947. The nonstop flight took 14 hours and 32 minutes and set a record for longest flight by a propellor driven fighter. pic.twitter.com/BmDphNvak5
— Hawaii Aviation (@HawaiiAviation) November 14, 2018
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Defense Department’s authority to prosecute retired service members for crimes they commit, even after retirement.
The court on Tuesday chose not to hear the case of a retired Marine who was court-martialed for a sexual assault he committed three months after leaving the service in August 2015. By not accepting the case, Larrabee v. the United States, the court upheld the status quo: that military retirees are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
This undated photograph shows Arnold Iaea at Officer Candidate School (OCS). Arnold went on to serve in many command and staff positions with the Hawaii Army National Guard. He retired as a colonel a few years ago.
Click on photograph to enlarge
This photograph was taken from Arnold’s Facebook page. Thanks to Retiree News followers who emailed this photograph and the Facebook link.
In a move designed to protect veterans from unscrupulous lenders, the Department of Veterans Affairs is announcing changes to a popular type of VA home loan.
There are three major types of VA home loans:
More mortgagee and refinancing information from the Veterans Administration website
Debt doesn’t just go away when someone dies.
Most debts get passed on to any surviving family members after someone passes away. If you do nothing to plan for this inevitability, the state in which you live will decide how your estate should be handled.
The best way to avoid future family feuds, high legal fees, court costs and unnecessary delays is to plan now.
