USS Key West heads to Guam
Adam Linhardt, Key News, May 16

Whenever the crew of the USS Key West submarine gathers, blasts from multiple conch shells are sure to follow, the vessel's commander said.

"We just had the 113th birthday of the U.S. submarine fleet, and I think the conch shells were going nonstop during the birthday ball," said Capt. Mark Benjamin, laughing.

The two-year overhaul of one of the first fast-attack nuclear-powered submarines to launch missiles into Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks is complete, and its 160-man crew is gearing up for its first post-refit mission.

The 362-foot USS Key West, named after the Southernmost City, is now home in Guam after a long stint in Hawaii, where its weapons and engineering systems were refitted, Benjamin said.

USS Key West, which moved to Guam in November, is now part of Pacific Fleet Submarine Squadron 15 along with the USS Chicago and USS Oklahoma City.

"We're the only forward deployed submarine squadron in the world, meaning we're not homeported in a U.S. state," Benjamin said.
Guam is a U.S. territory -- not a state -- in the western Pacific Ocean.

The USS Key West is one of 62 Los Angeles-class submarines, which make up the core of the U.S. submarine fleet and carry Tomahawk cruise missiles.

"Later this year we begin our tactical readiness examinations, and then we should be ready for our mission by early next year," Benjamin said.
The specifics of that mission are classified, as are details of the USS Key West's sensing, communications and some weapons systems.
"Everything that was analog has been replaced with digital microprocessors and we've shifted to all electronic charts," Benjamin said. "No more paper charts."

They've also added an infrared capability to the periscope, but most other work remains secret.

The crew is excited for its first mission since the updates, but is also looking forward to another visit to the sub's namesake city, though the ongoing budget fiasco known as sequestration has soured the mood, Benjamin said.

Some crew last visited Key West in November to better learn about the city and take some mementos back while the submarine was being refitted. The crew took part in the Veterans Day parade on Duval Street and visited local schools.

The Key West Military Affairs Committee built the sailors' parade float -- a replica submarine.

"We're trying to get back (to visit Key West), but the Navy has made clear that it's not going to happen until we get through this budget situation," Benjamin said.

The committee sent the crew more Key West memorabilia, to include in the ship's interior upgrades so lockers can reflect scenes from the island city.

USS Key West is the third Navy vessel to bear the name. She was built in Newport News, Va., and commissioned September 1987.  ^

Navy tests anti-mine drones in Gulf drills
May. 15, 2013 - 10:17AM |
The Associated Press

MANAMA, BAHRAIN — The U.S. Navy is putting underwater drones through wartime-style drills as part of international mine-clearing exercises in the Persian Gulf following similar maneuvers by Iran.

The U.S.-led exercises, which began last week, include operations by the unmanned SeaFox devices, which are equipped with sonar and an explosive charge designed to shoot and destroy mines. It is part of the Navy’s plans to increasingly deploy automated surveillance and protection systems, including aerial drones.

Navy commanders insist the exercises, comprising more than 41 nations, are not intended solely against possible Iranian threats. But Iran has previously warned it could block critical Gulf oil routes in retaliation for Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program.

In apparent response to the U.S.-led drills, Iran last week staged its own minesweeping operations.  ^
 

Guity plea set in Navy kickbacks case
May. 15, 2013 - 09:22AM |
The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — One of several people charged as part of a federal investigation into an alleged $10 million kickback scheme targeting the Navy is scheduled to change his plea to guilty on tax evasion charges.

Ralph Mariano Jr. of North Providence is scheduled to appear Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Providence.

Mariano’s son, Ralph M. Mariano, a former Navy employee, is accused of being the ringleader of the scheme, allegedly using Navy contractors to funnel government money back to himself, his father and others.

Mariano Jr. is accused of failing to pay taxes on the money he received. He is in his 80s.

The younger Mariano and his girlfriend, Mary O’Rourke, are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Three other men have already pleaded guilty in the case.  ^
 

Prosecutors: Ex-sailor tried to pass "top secret" info
The Virginian-Pilot, 15 May 13

Federal prosecutors allege a former sailor tried last year to give not only information classified as "secret" to Russian agents - but also "top secret" information.

Robert P. Hoffman II, 39, a retired petty officer first class from Virginia Beach, is scheduled to be arraigned on a new indictment today in U.S. District Court.

A trial is scheduled for July 17, but Hoffman's attorneys have asked for a postponement.

Hoffman, who served as a cryptologist during his 20-year career, is accused of passing classified information to undercover FBI agents posing as Russian intelligence officers. The crime carries a possible death sentence, but federal prosecutors say they will not pursue that penalty.

In the original indictment, Hoffman was charged with trying to give the Russians information classified as secret regarding how to track U.S. submarines. In the new indictment, prosecutors claim he also tried to give the agents top-secret information relating to the United States' ability to track foreign warships.

According to court papers, the government classifies information as "secret" if its unauthorized disclosure could result in "serious" damage to national security. Information is deemed "top secret" if its release could result in "exceptionally grave" damage.

During a hearing in December, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Krask said the FBI sent Hoffman a letter in September after learning he had traveled to Eastern Europe. The letter purported to be from Moscow and asked Hoffman whether he wished to provide "technical assistance."
Krask said Hoffman responded the same day that he looked forward to "renewing our friendship."

Krask said Hoffman subsequently made three drops of classified information to undercover agents in Virginia Beach. He said the former sailor did not pass government documents but created his own from memory.

Hoffman's attorneys have argued he was entrapped by overzealous FBI agents who pursued him even after he tried to report his meetings to them.  ^
 

Pearl Harbor Survivor (Don Green) Remembered
COMSUBPAC Public Affairs, May 14
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Steven Khor

(PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii) - A Pearl Harbor survivor and USS Pyro (AE1) Sailor was remembered in an intimate sunrise ceremony in which his ashes were committed into the waters of Pearl Harbor near the Arizona Memorial, May 14.

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Rear Adm. Frank Caldwell helped honor the late Donald Green by presiding over the ceremony.

"As those shipmates who experienced World War II firsthand pass, it is important for us in service today to seek out their stories, share their experiences and continue to 'Never Forget' the lessons of history," remarked Caldwell.

Green was a Chief Petty Officer who along with his twin brother George, served on the ammunition ship USS Pyro (AE1) docked in Pearl Harbor during the attack by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941.

In an article by Kitsap Navy News published May 15, 2011, Green said he and his twin brother joined the Navy on their 18th birthdays to better themselves.

“It was just perfect for a guy like me,” said Green in the article. “It was something I could do to give myself a good life.”

On his last visit to Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 11, 2011, Green was interviewed by Commander Submarine Force Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) Public Affairs about his recollections about that infamous day. (To view the interview, go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAJgLffi-5s)

Green described a scene of chaos and destruction.

“That Sunday morning, all hell broke loose,” said Green.

Green who had recently completed his duties as the Petty Officer of the Watch from midnight to 4am, was sleeping in his bunk when around 8am he was awoken by a loud explosion. He thought the sound was from the Army practicing bomb runs, but soon found out the real horror when the bomb blasts started feeling all too real. Green ran topside to investigate. To his unbelief Japanese Zero planes were strafing Pearl Harbor. He remembered seeing the red scarf worn by the Japanese Zero pilot as the pilot discharged the bomb out of his plane and narrowly missed the Pyro by 10 feet. Green ran and manned his machine gun and fired at the Japanese planes. The zero was eventually brought down by the same machine guns that were fitted a few months earlier.

In another news clipping that Green had saved, it said that the overall effort by Green and the other crew members in warding off attack by the Japanese played an important but little known part of the overall defense of Pearl Harbor, and in particular the ammunition depot at West Loch.

Green continued to say in the Kitsap Navy News article that his memories of fighting at Pearl Harbor were bittersweet.

“On one hand Pearl Harbor was a beautiful place,” said Green. ”But the loss of great lives during that war was hard to deal with.”
The ship later steamed out of Pearl Harbor and three days later was attacked by a Japanese submarine. Three torpedoes were fired at his ship but missed due to the ship following a zigzag pattern. Pyro’s five inch gun ended the confrontation as the ship and her crew survived the attack.

In the interview by COMSUBPAC Public Affairs, Green, originally from New Bedford, Mass., said he and brother George were fortunate to be stationed together on Pyro, and fortunate to make it out alive that infamous day.

After Sailing on Pyro, he continued his Navy career in other places such as Alaska, Washington state, the South Pacific, and New Hebrides Islands.

Green knew his decision to join the Navy was a move to better himself.

“What I like most is the fact that you meet amazing people,” said Green to Kitsap Navy News.

Over the years, Green said there have been several reunions of former Pyro Sailors. Noting the importance of unit reunions, Green said in another news clipping he kept, that each time they got together, the group learned something new about that historical day.

“I think its important for all of us to know our history because it brought us to where we are today, said Green in that article.

Green has spoken at schools, Navy forums, and other events over the past several years about his experiences in Pearl Harbor.  ^

DoD employees to get 11 furlough days
May. 14, 2013 - 10:12AM |
By Sean Reilly

The Defense Department plans to furlough most civilian employees for 11 days by the end of September as the result of sequester-related budget cuts, a congressional aide said Tuesday. According to Bloomberg News, about 650,000 of 750,000 eligible DoD employees will be affected.

A department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to make an official announcement Tuesday afternoon at a town hall meeting at a Defense Department facility in Alexandria, Va.

Because of the sequester, the Pentagon is having to absorb about $37 billion in across-the-board cuts this year. DoD officials had originally planned to furlough employees for up to 22 days, but then reduced that number in March to 14 following passage of a final 2013 spending bill that provided more spending flexibility.

Federal unions and lawmakers have been pressing Hagel to give flexibility to individual military branches and Defense Department agencies to decide whether furloughs are necessary. Hagel rejected those calls, saying the department would adopt a consistent furlough policy that would apply to all DoD components as a matter of fairness. ^
 

Hear the audio: Chaos on bridge before brutal ship collision (Click)

Not long after midnight Aug. 12, the destroyer Porter cleared the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf. Five months into their deployment, it was the ship’s 13th straits transit and the commanding officer, Cmdr. Martin Arriola, left the pilothouse to attend to other matters.

Meanwhile, the destroyer was on a course to dart through tankers headed in the opposite direction.   More...^
 

Russia detains alleged CIA officer in Moscow
Security forces say a CIA officer posing as a diplomat tried to recruit an intelligence officer
May. 14, 2013 - 09:32AM |
By KIM HJELMGAARD AND DOUG STANGLIN

Russian security services said Tuesday that a U.S. CIA officer — allegedly caught with wigs, multiple eyeglasses and spy instructions — was detained in Moscow after allegedly attempting to recruit a Russian intelligence officer.

He was later turned over to the U.S. Embassy.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement that Ryan Fogle, a third secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, was carrying not only special technical equipment, including disguises, but a large sum of money in plastic sandwich bags.

According to a letter purportedly carried by Fogle, the potential recruit is promised $100,000 for meeting to discuss further cooperation and up to $1 million a year for information he provides in the future.

The letter, which also spells out how to set up a Gmail account and to contact his handlers, ends with the words: “Thank you for reading this. We look forward to working with you in the nearest future. Your friends.”

State television showed pictures of a man said to be Fogle sitting at a desk in FSB offices.

“The detainee was brought in the reception office of the Federal Security Service and after necessary procedures was handed over to the official representatives of the U.S. Embassy,” the FSB Public Relations Center said in a statement.

RT carried photographs showing Fogle being initially detained. He is wearing a baseball cap, sport shirt and has a backpack slung over his shoulder. A man, apparently a security officer, with his face intentionally blurred in the photograph, stands directly behind.

A second photograph shows him being handcuffed face down on the ground, his blond wig askew under his cap.

Another photograph shows a table filled with what is purportedly spy gear, including a blond and a black wig, three pairs of glasses, a flashlight, a map of Moscow and small plastic bags filled with 500-Euro notes.

The unusual publicity — complete with video and photos — given the arrest is particularly noteworthy, apparently intended either as a warning to the CIA for being too aggressive in its recruitment efforts or to other potential recruits of the risks involved . ^
 

Japan On Alert Over Unidentified Submarines
WSJ.com, May 14

TOKYO--The spotting of unidentified submarines just outside Japan's territorial waters has prompted Tokyo to issue a rare warning that it may order security action if submersible craft enter its waters, developments that could further aggravate strained ties with Beijing amid an ongoing territorial dispute.

Japan's defense ministry said a submarine was spotted by a P-3C Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft Sunday night passing near Kume Island in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture in the East China Sea. The ministry said the submarine had left the area by Monday morning.

In a separate incident, another unidentified submarine was detected traveling west of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on May 2. Japanese media said government officials believe the submarines were likely to be Chinese.

While the submarines did not technically violate international maritime law as they didn't enter the 12-nautical-mile (22 km) territorial waters near the areas in question, their sighting rattled Japanese officials and led the government to issue a warning that an order deploying the military to maintain maritime security could be issued if submarines enter Japan's territorial waters.

"These are serious acts. If (submarines) enter our territorial waters while under water, we would have to implement maritime security action," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament Tuesday. Defense minister Itsunori Onodera has said the government has no intention of revealing information on the nation the submarines belong to due to intelligence concerns.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the two incidents were publicized as it was deemed "worthy of attention."

While the Japan Coast Guard is responsible for protecting Japan's coast-lines, the defense minister can order the Self-Defense Forces to be deployed for maritime security operations if the situation is considered beyond the coast guard's capabilities.

There have been two such occasions in the past.

In the first case in March 1999 the SDF chased two North Korean spy ships and fired warning shots after the ships were spotted off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The second incident took place in 2004 when a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine entered Japanese territorial waters near Okinawa Prefecture's Ishigaki Island. While international law calls on submarines to surface and raise their national flags when cruising in the territorial waters of a foreign nation, the submarine did not.

The sightings and warning follow months of renewed tension between Japan and China over a group of strategically important and resource-rich islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.

On Monday, the Japan Coast Guard said three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters near the islands. The incident prompted Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general of the foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, to lodge a protest with China through its minister to Japan, Han Zhiqiang.

A coast guard official said Tuesday that the intrusions brought the number of days this year that Chinese ships have entered Japanese waters near the islands to 24 days, surpassing the total of 23 days Chinese vessels entered territorial waters last year.

The territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing flared up again last September when the Japanese government bought three islands in the chain from their private owners, prompting a wave of anti-Japan protests across China. Tensions escalated further in January when Tokyo said a Chinese warship locked weapons-controlling radar on a Japanese ship and helicopter.    ^
 

The Rising East: New Submarine Rivalry In Pacific, Indian Oceans
Honolulu Civil Beat, May 13

The commander of U.S. forces in Asia and the Pacific, Admiral Samuel Locklear, has cautioned that the U.S. and China have begun an intense competition to see which navy rules beneath the waves in the vast Pacific and Indian Oceans and their adjacent seas.

In an interview at Pacific Command’s headquarters overlooking Pearl Harbor, the admiral also suggested that the new leader of China, President Xi Jinping, seems to have moved swiftly to exert control over the People’s Liberation Army, which comprises all of China’s military forces.

On submarines, Locklear estimated that China planned to acquire a total of 80 submarines, some powered by diesel-electric engines, others by nuclear reactors, to expand their current fleet of 55 boats. He cited this expansion as an example of Beijing’s lack of transparency.

“Why do they need them, what are they for?”, the admiral asked rhetorically. By contrast, the U.S. Pacific Fleet has 30 attack, 2 guided missile, and 8 ballistic missile submarines. Under the Obama Administration’s plan to “rebalance” U.S. forces in this region, that number is scheduled to grow gradually.

In testimony before a Congressional committee last month, Locklear said “both Russia and China are expected to soon field new ballistic missile submarines capable of ranging the U.S. homeland,” meaning they would be able to target U.S. cities and military bases.

The Pentagon’s annual report on Chinese military power, released last week, said China’s new submarines would be armed with ballistic missiles able to shoot 4400 miles. Beijing’s most recent white paper on defense, released last month, said only that its submarine fleet was being modernized.

Further, Locklear noted that smaller nations in this region are expanding their submarine forces “as a potential counter to stronger neighbors.” He said “Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the ROK [Republic of Korea] …have recently launched – or soon will launch – new, modern submarines.”

Press dispatches from Southeast Asia and India have reported Chinese submarines operating increasingly in the South China Sea and out into the Indian Ocean. Until now, China’s aerial defenses have been given greater attention outside of China.

In the interview, Locklear asserted, as have U.S. political and military leaders for years, that the U.S. is not seeking to “contain” China. ”We need to contain competition between the two powers,” he said, “to develop a stable security environment in the Asia-Pacific that is capable of adjusting or flexing without breaking apart during a crisis."

On the issue of Communist Party control over the PLA, Locklear said: ” "It appears to me that President Xi has moved quickly to solidify control of the PLA under his leadership.” In addition to being president and general secretary of the Communist Party, Xi is chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).  More...^
 

Navy wants space warriors
By Sam Fellman
Staff writer

Seeking more space warriors to operate new satellites, the Navy has expanded the number of jobs in the space cadre, an assortment of specially trained engineers, operators and astronauts. And officials have a new, better way of measuring their level of experience, according to a new policy released April 23.

But what exactly is a “space war fighter,” you ask? Think less “Star Wars” and more mission control.

Space cadre members control the Navy’s tactical communications satellites, designed to relay voice and data around the world via ultra high frequency, as well as the Pentagon’s communications satellites. They’re rolling out the Mobile User Objective System, an array that will include four operational satellites an in-orbit spare; the first MUOS craft was launched in February 2012.

Other cadre members include staff officers who advise their commands, such as carrier strike groups, on how to use satellites to gain imagery or intelligence useful for their operations.

New rules unveiled in NAVADMIN 110/13 by Vice Adm. Kendall Card, the deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance, make it easier for detailers to manage the increasing pool of space cadre members. Now, an officer’s education and experience will be identified in four separate levels, with additional qualification designators from novice to those with more than six years of experience.

“What we provided with these AQDs is there’s a way to move up the ranks,” explained Capt. Patrick Owens, the Navy space cadre adviser, in an interview.

These new designators allow detailers to better match personnel from the growing pool of 1,700 cadre personnel to the open billets, officials said.

The cadre is hiring. Satellites are central to missions ranging from intelligence to ballistic-missile defense to communications. The Navy needs more experts capable of using these orbiting assets to enhance fleet operations, such as identifying foreign warships in an area where a carrier strike group is headed.

A recently completed review calls for 367 officer billets, up 15 percent from the previous level, officials said. There are 260 enlisted jobs and 350 for civilians, who mostly specialize in acquisitions.  More...^

5 more patrol ships heading to the gulf

Five more coastal patrol ships are moving to Bahrain starting this summer.

The Tempest, Squall and Thunderbolt are scheduled to move from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., and begin operations in the Persian Gulf this year, Navy officials announced Friday.

Two more, the Hurricane and Monsoon, are slated to move to the gulf in 2014.

Once completed, this move will put a total of 10 of the Navy’s 13 coastal patrol ships operating forward.

The five PCs currently stationed in Bahrain have been manned with unaccompanied, rotational crews who train up in the U.S. and then deploy to Bahrain, where they take charge of one of the ships. But that’s changing, too, and PCs will receive permanent full-time crews.
More...^

Navy: Ill. Hazing involved embarrassing exercise

NORFOLK, VA. — A commanding officer in Illinois was removed from the job after hazing three reservists by ordering them to exercise and yell “I do what I want” in front of other sailors because they missed physical training, a Navy report said.

Lt. Cmdr. Jack O’Neill was relieved of command of Navy Operational Support Center Rock Island in Illinois on March 19. O’Neill was upset several sailors missed physical training during a drill weekend March 9, an investigative report released by Navy Reserve Forces Command in Norfolk said.

The sailors who had to exercise said they were embarrassed, and others who watched the ordeal described it as awkward and uncomfortable.

“It gave you a queasy feeling; it just wasn’t the right thing to do,” a witness, whose name was redacted from the report, told investigators.

The incident happened just weeks after the Navy created the Office of Hazing Prevention in an effort to track and stop the practice.

The Navy’s definition of hazing is an extensive one. Among other things, it defines hazing as causing another military member to be exposed to any activity that is humiliating or demeaning. The definition excludes command-authorized physical training and administrative corrective measures.

Statistics released Wednesday show there have been 27 reported incidents of hazing in the Navy in the 2013 fiscal year. Of those, 15 were categorized as physical; one was humiliating and demeaning; five were a combination of those and six haven’t been categorized.

The day after the incident, O’Neill apologized and performed the same exercise in front of those who witnessed it a day earlier. He also yelled “I do what I want” in an effort to make amends, according to the report.

“I deeply regret the incident and cannot offer any explanation as to why I approached something like this without thinking it over longer, as I tend to be very analytical typically,” O’Neill wrote in a statement to Navy investigators.

Still, that coupled along with other problems in the command climate that negatively affected Rock Island’s morale resulted in O’Neill being disciplined.

“Naval officers are rightfully held to the highest standards of personal conduct,” Capt. George Whitbred, commander of Navy Region Midwest Reserve Component Command, wrote in a letter endorsing the investigation’s findings. “O’Neill’s conduct in humiliating and mortifying his sailors shows a complete lapse in judgment and a failure to conduct himself in accordance with the high standards of a naval officer.”

The report was obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.   ^
 

These are the latest sea trials of the F-35B on the USS Wasp.
 

This video was made just 6 weeks ago in the Atlantic, just off Newport News ( Hampton Roads), Virginia. Click   ^

Hagel: Troops' workplaces will be checked for 'degrading' images of women

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a close-up and comprehensive inspection of all military offices and workplaces worldwide to root out any “materials that create a degrading or offensive work environment.”

The extraordinary searches will be similar to those the Air Force conducted last year and prompted officers to scour troops’ desks and cubicles in search of photos, calendars, magazines, screen-savers, computer files and other items that might be considered degrading toward women.

The inspections will now target soldiers, sailors and Marines. They come amid heightened concern about sexual assault in the military and a new Defense Department report that suggests more than 70 troops every day experience some type of sexual assault.

Also on Tuesday Pentagon officials were reeling from reports that the officer in charge of the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention program, Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, was arrested Sunday and charged with sexual battery after he allegedly groped a woman in a parking lot several miles from the Pentagon in Crystal City, Va.

“We need a cultural change where every service member is treated with dignity and respect,” Hagel said Tuesday in announcing a list of new initiatives to prevent sexual assault.

Hagel also unveiled the Defense Department’s annual report on sexual assault, which estimates that about 26,000 troops experienced some form of “unwanted sexual contact” during the past year. That’s roughly one in every 50 troops in the active-duty force. Those numbers are derived from anonymous surveys designed to estimate the prevalence of sexual assault in the military.

Those surveys suggest that only a fraction of troops who are the victims of sexual assault ultimately come forward to make a formal report with the intent of either filing a criminal complaint or seeking medical treatment. The number of official reports of specific military sexual assaults in 2012 was 3,374, or less than 15 percent of the total assaults that occurred based on the anonymous surveys, according to the report.  ^

Office searches coming soon

The workplace searches will be conducted by “component heads” before July 1, and Hagel expects each service to submit a report summarizing the findings. The Air Force leadership will submit a report based on inspections it ordered in late 2012 and will not be expected to conduct a new round of searches.

The searches by the Air Force last year were sparked by an enlisted airman at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., who filed a complaint with the inspector general and senior Air Force leaders in October 2012 describing how her chain of command ignored for months her reports of sexual, violent and graphic images, songbooks and other documents on a computer server. She went public with her complaint in November.

The inspections were controversial and many airman complained that it felt like a “raid” and arbitrarily targeted materials such as fitness magazines and beer posters. Air Force officials said the prevalence of those items may be correlated to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace.

Hagel outlined several other measures aimed at cracking down on sexual assaults. He ordered the service chiefs to develop ways to hold commanders accountable for maintaining a command climate of “dignity and respect”.

Hagel set a deadline of November for the chiefs to provide details on how that will be measured and how, if at all, that assessment might be integrated into the promotion or command-screening process.

Another initiative will require the results of all command climate surveys to be provided to commanders the next level up the chain of command. That’s an effort to give high-level commanders insight into potential problems within their subordinate commands.

Hagel said he wants these measures to “really drive the cultural change.”

The anonymous surveys of troop show that victims of sexual assault are distinctly unhappy with the way they are treated, said Army Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, the director of the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.

“They perceive retaliation in the form of social retaliation, in the form of leadership retaliation,” Patton said.

Only a fraction of troops accused of sexual assault face a court martial, the report shows. Of the 1,714 troops who were specifically targeted with an allegation of sexual assault in 2012, about 302 ultimately faced a court martial and about 238 of those were convicted on at least one count, official said.

The majority of cases were resolved through other means, including the sexual assault allegations being dropped, non-judicial punishment or discharge from the military, according to the report.   ^
 

Pentagon Plans To Cut Civilian Workforce
Agence France-Presse, May 7

The Pentagon plans to cut its vast civilian workforce by 5-6 percent over the next five years to match similar reductions in the number of US troops, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday.

"These reductions are largely proportional to military end strength reductions that we proposed," Carter said at the National Press Club in Washington.

The US Army already is scaling back from about 565,000 troops to 490,000 troops by 2017, while the Marine Corps is due to drop to 182,000 from about 201,000 service members. Even with the cuts, the military will still be larger than it was before the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The Pentagon has about 780,000 civilian employees and has already frozen hiring additional workers.

Carter said reducing the number of civilian workers will be achieved partly by closing some US bases, a plan that is expected to meet strong resistance in Congress.
The Pentagon's proposed budget sets aside $2.4 billion to cover the up-front costs associated with closing bases, Carter said.

But in the long-term, base closures "have consistently generated significant savings," with the previous rounds saving $12 billion annually, he said.

The Pentagon is in a belt-tightening mode with automatic budget cuts enacted by Congress forcing the department to cut about $41 billion in spending this fiscal year.

Even if lawmakers manage to agree on a deal that would halt the automatic cuts, fiscal pressures are putting the military's budget under increasing scrutiny, and the Pentagon is anxious to find savings wherever it can.

Carter said the department needed to trim its gargantuan bureaucracy, what the Pentagon calls "the fourth estate."

"The fourth estate represents a fifth of the department's budget and it merits at least as much scrutiny as the military services budgets. There are real savings to be realized there," he said.

The savings would focus on the defense secretary's office, the military's joint staff offices, various defense agencies covering everything from logistics to missiles, as well as staffs for the top regional commanders.

The Pentagon's budget request for fiscal year 2014 came to $526.6 billion, not counting the cost of the war in Afghanistan. The current budget estimates the cost of the war at $87 billion.   ^
 

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Haunting images show Soviet submarine lost since World War Two found in Baltic sea
•Wreck thought to be the S-6 which vanished on patrol in September 1941
•Evidence suggests it was blown apart on surface in heavily mined waters
•Vessel was identified 'thanks to letters which were still readable in the hull'
•Relatives of the crew will now be informed so they can finally say goodbye
By Amanda Williams

The wreck of a Soviet submarine lost during World War Two has been found in the Baltic Sea, 71 years after it sank.

The Swedish Armed Forces said the submarine, believed to have been lost on patrol in late 1941, was found in the Swedish economic zone southeast of the Baltic island of Oland.

It is thought to be that of the S-6, which disappeared in August or September 1941.

This image released by the Swedish military shows the wreck of a Soviet submarine lost during World War Two as it lies on the bed of the Baltic Sea, 71 years after it sank

They said the submarine, believed to have been lost on patrol in late 1941, was found in the Swedish economic zone southeast of the Baltic island of Oland

It was an area which German forces had mined during the war.

In a statement, the armed forces said: 'In the autumn of 1941, several Russian submarines left their home bases to patrol the Baltic Sea.

More...^

Scientists make 'bug-eye' camera The latest generation of stretchable electronics was key to achieving the curved shape

A digital camera that functions like an insect's compound eye is reported in the journal Nature this week.

It comprises an array of 180 small lenses, which, along with their associated electronics, are stretched across a curved mounting.

The prototype currently has few pixels, so its images are low-resolution.

But the device displays an immense depth of field, and a very wide-angle view that avoids the distortion seen in standard camera lenses.

The development team, led from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US, believes its new imaging system could eventually find uses in surveillance and for endoscopic investigations of the human body.  The rest of the story  ^
 

Royal Canadian Navy Adopts New Naval Ensign
May 2, 2013

Canadian  Naval Ensign                                                                   Candian Naval Jack   
OTTAWA – The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today announced the adoption of a new Canadian Naval Ensign to be worn by Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships, naval vessels, Naval Reserve Divisions, and other designated units starting on Sunday, May 5.
 

“Canadian warships have unique roles, responsibilities, and powers compared to other Canadian flagged vessels,” said Minister MacKay. “The adoption of a new Canadian Naval Ensign demonstrates our deep attachment to a widespread tradition among navies of the world. The new Canadian Naval Ensign will become the flag under which our Navy will defend Canada’s interests at home and abroad.”

“The men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy can be proud to serve their country under this new Canadian Naval Ensign,” said Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, Commander Royal Canadian Navy. “We are restoring the use of a standard Commonwealth practice, and an important symbol recognizing our rich naval heritage and the historical roots of the modern Royal Canadian Navy.”

This is an historic moment for the Royal Canadian Navy, which flew the White Ensign from 1911 until the adoption of the National Flag in 1965. From that point onward, the National Flag was adopted as both the Ensign and the Jack. In 1968, as part of efforts to emphasize the importance of military ensigns and flags, while also reflecting the new National Flag, a distinctive Naval Jack was adopted by the Canadian Armed Forces. The Naval Jack incorporated the Maple Leaf in the canton with a badge in the fly of the flag.

Today, the flag previously known as the Naval Jack is adopted as the new Canadian Naval Ensign, and the National Flag becomes the new Naval Jack, which mirrors a standard practice amongst Commonwealth nations. The change will most importantly distinguish Canadian warships from other Canadian flagged vessels. It will also promote and strengthen the Canadian naval identity, while underscoring the unique commitment of our men and women at sea who serve as members of the Canadian Armed Forces in Royal Canadian Navy ships and vessels. The new Canadian Naval Ensign will now take rightful prominence as a significant national symbol for years to come.  History    ^
 

Army Says No to More Tanks, But Congress Insists  ((SOS/ed))

Three Russian N-Submarines to be Recommissioned
Daijiworld.com, May 1

MOSCOW – Three nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy currently under maintenance will be recommissioned by 2014, a Navy spokesman said.

The K-410 Smolensk cruise missile submarine, which is undergoing repairs since 2011, will resume its service in the Northern Fleet, the spokesman said Tuesday.

The Pacific Fleet will be rejoined by the K-150 Tomsk cruise missile submarine, which was docked in 2010 due to problems with the cooling engine of its nuclear reactor; and the K-419 Kuzbass attack submarine, under repairs since 2010.

The Kuzbass belongs to the same Akula II class as the ill-fated K-152 Nerpa, on which 20 people were killed during sea trials in 2008 due to malfunction of the fire suppression system.

The Russian Navy has 48 nuclear submarines, 20 of which are currently undergoing repairs or upgrade, according to Russian-ships.info database.   ^
 

VETERAN PROFILE | TONY D’ACQUISTO
By: lesliekelly

“I have a funny story but it’s about premeditated murder.”

And this is how 26-year Army and Marine veteran Tony D’Acquisto began to reminisce about his six years in Vietnam. D’Acquisto, a translator and a group of Chinese mountain people and mercenaries, known as ‘Nungs’ received intel that the Viet Cong were coming down the Bong Son River.

“So I decided to set up an ambush. You know the Patton quote, ‘Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country – he won it by making the other guy die for his?’ Well, I was going to kill them. I would fire the first shot and the other guys were going to follow me. Mine was the only gun that worked. Lesson learned: Always check your equipment,” D’Acquisto said.

D’Acquisto, then 17, enlisted in the Marine Corps right after graduating from West Seattle High School. When he was 20 he qualified for the Army Special Forces.

“I was special,” he said with a laugh. “I was on the short bus.”

D’Acquisto wanted to go to Vietnam very badly. He felt that the purpose of the military was to protect our country and at the same time he felt that the United States was in danger.

“Due to the propaganda of the time, I felt like were were in jeopardy,” he said.

While in country, D’Acquisto made good use of his SP packs (Sundry Packs) by trading the contents of his SP pack with the Marines for cans of Vienna sausages. With chickens and eggs plentiful, he enjoyed cooking the eggs with the sausages for a satisfying meal. To trade his SP pack for the sausages, he would flag down the Marine trucks regularly to complete the transaction.

Months later, the Marines were quite accustomed to seeing D’Acquisto from previous trades and knew exactly what he wanted. Cans of sausages. So they acquiesced, lobbing can after can of sausages at D’Acquisto.

“I was just pummeled with cans,” he said. “I had to dodge ‘em. I should have pulled my gun,” he said, with a laugh.

Another memory D’Acquisto recalled fondly is, as he described, “The premeditated stealing of the toilet seat from Phu Cat AFB in South Vietnam.”

Longing for just a few comforts of home, D’Acquisto took the toilet seat stashed it in his Jeep. When he returned to his camp he promptly installed it in his latrine. He was excited to use it for the first time when he noticed footprints on the coveted toilet seat.

“The Vietnamese, you see, don’t sit on the toilet; they squat,” he said.

From then on, D’Acquisto kept his latrine locked.

D’Acquisto served in Vietnam for six years. He decided to keep extending his tour because he saw friends who would do a tour for a year and then return to serve in a different capacity. D’Acquisto was comfortable doing the duties he was trained to do in the location he was assigned to. So he stayed, until he was finally sent home by Lieutenant Colonel Santana in 1969.

“He (my boss) figured I had been there long enough,” he said. “But you see, every time I extended, I got 30 days of leave. I went to Australia and Hong Kong. All I had to do was provide my propaganda paper (money).”

It is remarkable that in his six tours in Vietnam, D’Acquisto was relatively unscathed physically. He did experience the most common of the Viet Cong’s booby traps: the punji stick. These traps were made of sharpened bamboo that had been hardened by fire. The wounds inflicted by the punji stick traps were rarely fatal; however, they did work exceptionally well to remove soldiers from the fight and increase the battle fatigue of those left on the field. To increase the injury, the Viet Cong would coat the punji stick with poison or feces to cause infection.

D’Acquisto was injured by a punji stick and did not realize it until he stopped and realized there was blood on his pant leg. The swelling and infection resulted in a trip to the hospital. He was sent to Army Hospital Camp Zama in Japan to recuperate.

When D’Acquisto left Vietnam, he went into the MP (Military Police) Corps., and finished his degree in forensic chemistry. From Vietnam, D’Acquisto was stationed in the U.S., and then in Frankfurt, Germany, for ten years.

“My three kids went to two schools, which is unheard of in military families,” he said.

D’Acquisto returned to Western Washington in 2000 from Alabama. He spends his days with his dog, Bennett, riding Harleys and what he describes as, “Piddling – I’m actively engaged in absolutely nothing.” ^