Army Times’ print edition this week: Smallest Army since WWII … women in infantry … Memorial Day tribute
May 21st, 2012 | Outside the wire | Posted by Kathleen Curthoys
Army faces ‘disastrous’ plan to slash the force
The Army faces a disaster that could decimate the service as you know it.
If the service-cutting plan from Congress called sequestration becomes reality, it would eliminate an additional 100,000 soldiers, above the 80,000 already planned, and virtually halt all modernization. It would slash the Army to pre-World War II numbers.
The defense secretary has described the plan “catastrophic” and “shooting ourselves in the head.”
The service would have to force out tens of thousands of combat veterans in order to cut 180,000 soldiers in five years.
The Army’s chief of staff calls that “disastrous.”
See the details in this week’s issue of Army Times, on newsstands now.
Chief expects plan for women in combat arms by fall
The Army is looking at opening infantry and armor specialties and even Ranger school to female soldiers, says the service’s top officer.
A study is underway to look at various issues involved in letting women service in infantry and armor jobs. If that happens, Ranger school would be part of that move so the women can be competitive, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno. About 90 percent of the Army’s senior infantry officers have earned the Ranger tab.
Once the results of the study are assembled, Army leaders will decide on the course forward. Female grunts may be in the near future.
Read more in Army Times this week.
Memorial Day tribute
On one single day last summer, 31 American service members died, the darkest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in a decade.
That day embodied the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops since 9/11 and the 6,400 and more who made the ultimate sacrifice.
As Army Times has done every Memorial Day for 10 years, this issue offers a final salute to the 425 Americans who gave their all in combat for their country over the past 12 months.
Online: The Hall of Valor
See stories of bravery and heroism on the Military Times Hall of Valor website, a compilation of citations and awards given to service members across the U.S. armed forces for many different operations.
To access the searchable database, go to http://www.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/.
Video: Violent thugs beat and rob soldier in Tampa
May 16th, 2012 | Outside the wire | Posted by Joe Gould
Tampa police are searching for clues in the beating of a 24-year-old soldier assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, WTSP News reports. The vicious attack, caught by a nearby surveillance camera, involved four young men punching, kicking and stomping the soldier.
At the prompting of WTSP, a local law firm is offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
The soldier, Sgt. Johnny Aparicio, has since been discharged from the hospital.
The veteran vote: Is it up for grabs?
May 15th, 2012 | Veteran issues | Posted by Steve Weigand
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama visit Fort Stewart on April 27. (Sgt. Uriah Walker / Army)
Two stories appeared May 14 that look at how military veterans, particularly those of the two most recent wars, might vote in the upcoming presidential election.
A Reuters piece, “Weary warriors favor Obama,” suggests that vets are reluctant to check the box for a hawk after a decade of war.
“Only 32 percent [of veterans who served in the last decade] think the war in Iraq ended successfully, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. And far more of them would pull out of Afghanistan than continue military operations there. … If the election were held today, Obama would win the veteran vote by as much as seven points over Romney, higher than his margin in the general population.”
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets a Marine veteran during a February campaign rally in Colorado. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
The Washington Post’s story said President Obama is actively courting military veterans as a voting bloc.
“… the makeup of the nation’s armed forces is changing, and Obama hopes to win over veterans by appealing to the same subgroups that propelled him to victory in 2008: women, minorities and young people.”
Another bit of news came out May 14 that might affect how veterans vote: Ron Paul announced he was scaling back his campaign for the Republican nomination and will not spend money in upcoming primary contests. It’s worth noting because the Texas congressman was garnering the most donations from current and former members of the military, with Obama in second and Romney a distant third.
Given these stories and the continuing budget battles on Capitol Hill over spending on the military and VA benefits, who do you think veterans are more likely to vote for and why?
This week in Army Times: Backlash on grooming rules … another 100K soldiers may go … Certifications boost careers
May 14th, 2012 | Outside the wire | Posted by Kathleen Curthoys
What soldiers hate about the new grooming rules
Soldiers are telling Army Times what they don’t like about the pending changes to at least 17 grooming regulations.
In a flood of messages from the ranks, they protest changes in shaving requirements, tattoo rules and more. Some soldiers say it’s good the Army is getting tougher about the way they look, but most spoke up about imposing tougher rules on a force that has seen a decade of war deployments.
See what soldiers are saying, and what the Army plans to do, in this week’s Army Times.
Another 100,000 soldiers may be cut
The Army may face a “devastating” cut of up to 100,000 soldiers, in addition to troop cuts already planned, if Congress doesn’t change the current law that will bring huge defense spending reductions in coming months, officials say.
Gen. Lloyd Austin, Army vice chief of staff, and the other service vice chiefs told a Senate panel that readiness and modernization efforts will be in danger under the sequester law.
Get the details in Army Times.
Soldiers: Get certified, get promoted faster
Soldiers have a growing range of opportunities to get certifications in their job fields, which can mean they get promoted faster and have a better shot at civilian jobs after the Army.
Incentives are on the increase for soldiers to earn civilian certifications related to their military occupational specialties. The Army is trying to make it easier to earn these credentials through its education system.
Find out more about what you can get and how it works. See this week’s Army Times, on newsstands now.
Online: The details on getting certified
The Army has released many charts to show soldiers what certifications are available in their specific military occupational specialties.
See the charts online at www.armytimes.com/links/credentialing.
This week’s Army Times print edition: Drill sgt. commandant reinstated … in the ‘Stan forever … more time in for NCOs
May 8th, 2012 | Outside the wire | Posted by Kathleen Curthoys
Command sergeant 
major reinstated — but not for long
The first female commandant of the Army Drill Sergeants School at Fort Jackson, S.C., is being reinstated after the Army suspended her from the job five months ago. But she’ll be back in the job for only a few days before her replacement takes over.
Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King has vowed to fight the November suspension’s effect on her 31-year Army career. She was given no reason for her suspension, her attorney says. She contends that racism, sexism and her lack of a combat deployment are to blame.
Find out more about the case of the “no slack” command sergeant major in this week’s Army Times.
Twelve more years in Afghanistan
The U.S. may keep a force in Afghanistan through 2024, as President Obama has announced, but the Pentagon isn’t saying how many troops will stay.
U.S. forces likely will remain for two security missions beyond 2014: counter-terrorism and training, Obama said, adding that the U.S. won’t have permanent bases in Afghanistan.
One senator says the force may number 10,000 troops.
See more about plans for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, and the troop drawdown, in Army Times, on newsstands now.
Senior NCOs to serve longer when they move up
The Army has released details of a new policy that increases the service obligation for senior NCOs who are promoted.
Those who move up to sergeant first class, master sergeant and sergeant major in the Regular Army and the Army Reserve now must serve three more years instead of two.
For details on the rules and guidelines for the new policy, see Army Times.
Meet Staff Sgt. Nathan Canine from Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
May 2nd, 2012 | Army Outside the wire | Posted by Chris Kelly
It’s not every day you walk around a corner in a hospital and find a valued member of the staff with four paws. This is Staff Sgt. Nathan Canine, recently promoted from corporal (his rank in the video), a therapy dog at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. While working on an update to a piece we did on the hospital’s opening, we ran into Nathan and Kristen Maisano, a doctor of occupational therapy at the hospital who told us about her four-legged companion’s duties.
On top of being very cute and friendly, Nathan can fold laundry, act as a sleep companion and simply provide comfort to wounded service members.
If you’re at the hospital, stop by and say hello.
Top Army general: I’m a victim of online impostors [UPDATE]
May 2nd, 2012 | Outside the wire | Posted by Joe Gould
Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, took to Facebook today to warn folks that he’s being impersonated online, most likely for profit. Army Times has reported on this many times. One of the most common iterations of this scam is when a scammer poses as a soldier, using pictures and details lifted from social media, to trick lonely-hearted women out of their money. Scammers have impersonated average Joes and top officials in the past, and it’s no surprise the Army’s most senior official is on the list.
“There are numerous instances of impersonation fraud on the internet. Often these consist of criminal elements impersonating military personnel for financial gain. I myself have had individuals attempt to impersonate me online in order to prey on the goodwill of individuals. My online presence consists ONLY of this facebook page, my twitter account (@GenRayOdieno), my blog on Army Live, and my Pinterest page (Ray Odierno). If anyone is being contacted through any other type of account, such as Skype, it is most certainly an imposter. Below is the link to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which you can use as a resource. Army Strong!”
I just want to take note of two things: Gen. Odierno has a Pinterest account, and the person who posts for him on Facebook posted his Twitter and Pinterest handles erroneously. Dude, you are so getting a demotion. Or maybe, it’s a head fake to the scammers. Very tricky, general.
Gen. Odierno has since posted the following:
“Nice spot by Joe Gould at the Army Times- my proper twitter account is: GenRayOdierno. The one in the post above is a typo. Army Strong!”
[via Facebook]