A co-chairman of the Senate National Guard Caucus says the country may be overlooking the severity of the current threats because it is tired of war after 13 years and asked National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) to help him convince citizens and lawmakers that now is not the time to cut the military.
“I need you more than I ever have in my political life,”,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, a keynote speaker at the 136th General Conference and Exhibition ending yesterday in Chicago.
Speaking Saturday on the conference’s first day, Graham said the Budget Control Act that resulted in the budget cuts known as sequestration were a result of lawmakers putting domestic politics above national security.
“We’ve lost our way,” said Graham, who has served in the active component and the National Guard and is currently in the Reserves.
But he said the threats posed by terrorists such as ISIS in Iraq and Syria are real.
“Those bastards are not going to quit until somebody makes them quit,” he said.
So America must shake off its reluctance to continue fighting overseas battle and come to grips with the reality it faces, he said.
“You can’t be war weary when people who want to destroy your way of life are just getting started,” he said. “We may be tired of fighting them, but they’re not tired of fighting us.”
He urged Guardsmen to use their voices through NGAUS to convince Congress to maintain a strong military and reverse the defense cuts.
Referring to the conference them of “National Guard: Now More Than Ever,” he said, “We need you—NGAUS, the association—now more than ever.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs put the contacts for almost all your health questions in one convenient health index. Add this site to your “Favorites” for a link to take you to VA websites with valuable information.
From the outside, the human brain might not be much to look at. What makes it fascinating is hidden within, in the complicated circuitry of neurons that makes you who you are.
Scientists are trying to understand this complex network and find the key to staying sharp as we age. In the meantime, use what they do know: that exercising these neurons can improve your memory and possibly stave off dementia.
Read more http://ow.ly/yLVyr
Interesting view of where the Air Force version of Total Force is going. The Army and the Army National Guard are in a similar battle of helicopters and missions. At least the Air National Guard has the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force report to reference. The Army National Guard is awaiting Congressional action authorizing a commission to review missions and equipment.
The politically damaging public battles between the Air Force and its reserve components over funding and personnel seem to have subsided after a wave of budget compromises, integration initiatives and a report to Congress.
Even though the dust has settled, it remains to be seen whether the service’s leaders are comfortable handing over more responsibility to the Reserve and Air National Guard.
The Air Force’s efforts show that it is interested in doing more than paying lip service to the reserve components, said Russell Rumbaugh, director of the Stimson Center’s budgeting for foreign affairs and defense program. “But it’s one thing to say it, it’s another thing to do it. The actual doing it requires addressing that basic political balance.”
Continue reading http://ow.ly/AuSIC
Being a little more conscious of what and how much you eat can help ward off weight gain as you age.
Get more tips for adjusting your weight-loss strategy with age.
Thanks to these Retiree News readers who registered to “Follow Blog via Email”: Dave McGinnis
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Allowing 18.8 million honorably-discharged veterans to shop online through military exchange services, which also operate brick-and-mortar department stores and concessions on base, could boost store profits enough to pump more than $100 million back into base quality-of-life programs.
That’s part of the “business case” made by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) to the Department of Defense’s Executive Resale Board this month where Navy officials still raised concerns over the idea.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/ACR0l
Related posting http://wp.me/p3639O-1Qt
The Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) dedicated its new 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) Readiness Center in Kalaeloa on August 2, 2014. Governor Neil Abercrombie, Brigadier General Joseph Kim, the Deputy Adjutant General, and Brigadier General Bruce Oliveira, HIARNG commander, were among the dignitaries in attendance.
The Brigade Readiness Center is a 55,000 square foot building that is comprised of an auditorium, assembly hall, administrative spaces, storage vaults, locker rooms, IT rooms and classrooms. Co-locating all administrative and logistical support under one roof will tremendously enhance the brigade’s readiness to respond to future overseas or domestic operations. The facility will support a combined strength of 871 drill-status and full-time personnel.
The contractor for the $31 million facility was Dawson Technical LLC. The Readiness Center was designed and built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a green building certification program which recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. LEED establishes uniform standards for new buildings that focus on environmentally-friendly design, construction, and operation. The Brigade Readiness Center has been designated as LEED Silver.
“The Brigade Readiness Center is an expression of confidence in our local soldiers and a lasting investment in their training,” said Governor Abercrombie. “Built by a local company, the project served as a boost to our local economy and job creation, and over the long-term the facility will further our state’s ambitious energy goals with LEED-certified efficiency.”
The 29th IBCT has been mobilized four times since its formation in 1959: Vietnam (1968), Iraq (2004, 2008), and Afghanistan (SFAT, 2012).
Video of the dedication ceremony can be downloaded at http://ow.ly/ACFfc
Taken from a State of Hawaii Department of Defense press release.
Hacked planes. Unstoppable, utterly malicious flash drives. Hotel automation gone crazy. These are the 10 most terrifying security stories out of the premier hacker and security conferences in Las Vegas.
It’s that time of year again: The wonderful, terrifying week when hackers and security gurus descend upon Las Vegas to show off their skills and unleash presentation after presentation full of scary-sounding exploits. This year is no different. Over the previous week, we’ve heard tales of planes brought down by rogue code, snoops spying on your security cameras, and secretive, undetectable code that can turn any USB drive into an unstoppable malware vessel.
If the past is any indication, most of these exploits are scarier in theory than in fact—but they still offer a startling glimpse into the dangers inherent in an increasingly connected world. Here are the creepiest security stories coming out of Black Hat and Def Con in 2014.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/Ap8aa
Oftentimes, it’s the wrong mindset that prevents you from losing weight.
Hawaii is tops for quality of life, but near the bottom of the entire United States when it comes to the number of veterans taking advantage of VA programs, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. This is a shocking statistic, considering we have one of the largest military populations in the country, with about 185,000 veterans and active-duty military personnel.
Most veterans and active-duty military members here have no idea that there are many financial assistance programs that can help them buy a home for much less than they are paying for rent. Even if they do know about it, they often don’t know where or how to apply.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/AxDHi
Looks like the new president will get a new ride. The folks at Aviation Week and Sport report on this latest issue. An unspoken rule between presidents is starting to play out already…. read more http://ow.ly/Axud0
Navy bases in the Pacific will conduct their annual Citadel Pacific security exercise from Aug. 25-29, service officials said Wednesday.
The exercises at bases in Japan, Hawaii and Guam are designed to train security forces and other personnel to respond to potential threats.
Read more http://ow.ly/AzYxa
Retiree News earlier reported that the Pearl Harbor commissary would have a full store reset between August 17-19, 2014. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) moved the dates to the dates to Thursday, August 21 at 1400 through Sunday, August 24 at 0900.
Original posting http://wp.me/p3639O-1OBRelated posting http://wp.me/p3639O-1Qt
Special Thanks to Rick Sullivan who emailed this information.
