General Joseph F. Dunford

11/01/2023

These include forces that had previously been put on prepare-to-deploy status and they are deploying from the continental United States. Deployed and deploying units include a terminal high-altitude area defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas; Patriot batteries from Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Patriot and Avenger batteries from Fort Liberty, North Carolina and associated air defense headquarters elements from Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos, Texas. I won't talk specific deployment locations for these forces, I can confirm that they are not going to Israel," Ryder said. The units and personnel are intended to support regional deterrence efforts and further bolster U.S. force protection capabilities.

Approximately 900 U.S. troops are in the process of deploying to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

10/29/2023

The Army air defense units deploying to the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war come from Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Liberty in North Carolina, and Fort Sill in Oklahoma, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The units are bringing Patriot missile batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, battery to the region after more than a dozen drone and rocket attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria over the past week that the Pentagon has blamed on Iranian proxies. NBC News reported Tuesday evening that two dozen American military personnel were wounded in the attacks, but that could not be immediately confirmed by Military.com.

10/16/2023

FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO- The U.S. Army story would not be complete if it did not include the contributions made by Hispanic Americans. This ethnic group has an honorable military service record dating back to the Revolutionary War. That is why Hispanic Heritage Month allows us to recognize and appreciate the contributions of our Hispanic American Soldiers, Army Civilians, and family members, who live by the core Army values every day. One of the most memorable contributions of Hispanics can be seen through the eyes of the Borinqueneers. The unit was active from 1899 to 1956 and, in 1959, reconstituted as part of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard.

10/14/2023

Government employment records of a subset of the larger flow of “revolvers”: four–star generals and admirals who retired between June 2018 and July 2023. Among the findings are the following. 26 of 32 four–star officers who retired after June 2018 — over 80 percent — went to work for the arms industry as board members, advisors, executives, consultants, lobbyists, or members of financial institutions that invest in the defense sector. The biggest category of post–retirement employment for four–stars, by far, was as board members or advisors for small and medium–sized arms contractors, with 15 choosing that option. This compares to five who became board members, advisors or executives for one of the top 10 arms contractors. Five retired four–stars became arms industry consultants, five became lobbyists for weapons companies, and four joined financial firms that make significant investments in the defense sector. This brief recommends a number of measures designed to limit undue influence and potential conflicts of interest on the part of retired four–star generals and other retired Pentagon officials and military officers who pass through the revolving door. Bar four–star officers from working for firms that receive $1 billion or more in Pentagon contracts per year.

10/11/2023

U.S. Flowing Military Supplies to Israel, as Country Battles Hamas Terrorists. We stand with Israel," the president said during an announcement at the White House. The Hamas attack has been exceptionally brutal with hundreds of Israeli civilians killed and thousands wounded in the surprise attack out of Gaza that began Saturday.

10/10/2023

Sgt. Jake Philips, left, and Spc. Chancellor McGuire, right, were named the Army's NCO and Soldier of the Year during an awards banquet at the annual Association of the US Army conference in Washington D.C. Army Spc. Chancellor McGuire, from Georgetown, Texas was named soldier of the year during an awards banquet at the annual Association of the US Army conference in Washington D.C. Sgt. Jake Philips of West Chester, Pennsylvania was name the NCO of the year. The two combined with three other Rangers — Staff Sgt. Andre Ewing, Spc. George Mascharka and Spc. Shane Moon — from the Ranger’s 3rd Battalion at Fort Moore, Georgia to win the service-wide Best Squad competition.

10/01/2023

On August 7, 1984, Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Lutz stood beside his wife Joyce in the shadow of the Special Forces Soldier statue, known to most as “Bronze Bruce,” and fought back tears while the 24th Infantry Division band played “Auld Lang Syne.” Fifteen minutes earlier, Lutz had passed the colors of the U.S. Army 1st Special Operations Command (1st SOCOM), which he had commanded since its founding two years earlier, to Maj. Gen. Leroy N. Suddath, Jr. Opposite the incoming and outgoing commanders stood a formation representing the Army Special Forces (SF), Rangers, Psychological Operations (PSYOP), and Civil Affairs (CA) units that came under the command of 1st SOCOM upon its provisional establishment on October 1, 1982, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (known as Fort Liberty since 2023). Prior to that, no single command and control headquarters existed for all Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) units. Since then, the Army has not lacked one, with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) filling that role since December 1989.

09/03/2023

Prince Harry is still a prince and a duke, but he will no longer be known as His Royal Highness. Today, the royal family updated its official website to reflect some of the royals’ current titles, and among other things, removed references to Harry.

09/03/2023

I miss home 🏠

09/02/2023

09/02/2023

White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday that Ukraine has achieved “notable progress” in recent days in its counteroffensive to retake territory in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. “They have achieved some success along that second line of Russian defenses,” he said at a news conference. It “is not beyond the realm of the possible that Russia will react” to Ukraine’s push.

08/25/2023

A report from Russia state agency RIA Novosti has said that Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the plane that crashed earlier today, killing 10 people. According to the Russian aviation authorities, they are confirming that Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board that plane. That’s just come through from Russian media sources, Al Jazeera’s Daniel Hawkins said, reporting from Moscow.

08/25/2023

In this August 9, 2016 photo, Prigozhin gestures as he attends a summit meeting between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Konstantin Palace outside St Petersburg, Russia [File: Alexander Zemlianichenko
AP Photo.

08/15/2023

Ukraine Makes ‘Tactically Significant’ Progress in Its Counteroffensive
Troops advanced several miles along two main lines of attack in Kyiv’s drive to reach the southern coast and sever Russian supply lines, while explosions echoed at the vital Kerch Strait Bridge.

07/01/2023

Good morning 🌄 to everyone 🇺🇲

06/13/2023

As aircraft design technology has evolved, so too has the role of the test pilot.

05/10/2023

Ukraine live briefing: Russia readying ‘catastrophic’ evacuation of nuclear plant staff. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint news conference in Washington on Tuesday. (Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Russian authorities controlling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine are preparing to evacuate more than 3,000 staff and families from the facility and surrounding areas, Ukraine’s energy provider, Energoatom, said Wednesday. News of the plan was first reported by The Washington Post on Monday.

04/15/2023

Russia accuses Ukraine of killing four children in shelling attack on Moscow-controlled town Four people have been killed and 10 wounded by Ukrainian shelling in a residential area in a Russian-controlled town, a top Moscow-installed official in the region has said. A seven-year-old girl was among those wounded in the town of Yasynuvata, just north of Donetsk, said Denis Pushilin. Yasynuvata is about 80 km (50 miles) south of Sloviansk, where Russian missiles hit residential buildings yesterday and killed at least nine people, including a two-year-old child. Russia took control of most of the Donetsk region late last year, and both sides have been engaging in combat around the area ever since. The so-called Donetsk People's Republic is one of four areas in Ukraine that Moscow annexed in September in an exercise Ukraine and its allies denounced as a "sham" coercive referendum.

03/07/2023

The head of Russia's Wagner private army says it is not getting the ammunition it needs from Moscow, as it seeks to gain control of Bakhmut. The eastern city has seen months of intense fighting, as Wagner and regular Russian troops try to seize it. But Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his army's lack of ammunition could be "ordinary bureaucracy or a betrayal". Ukraine's president and military commanders have agreed to strengthen their defence of Bakhmut.

03/05/2023

A man watches a news broadcast showing military operations near Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA), in Beijing, China, on August 3, 2022.Thomas Peter/Reuters Western leaders and officials have repeatedly warned that China is closely observing Ukraine for lessons regarding Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province. There are worries that if Ukraine eventually falls which appears unlikely as things stand then China will view this as a signal that the time is right to follow Putin's lead and move to seize the self-governing island democracy by force. Though China claims to be neutral in the war, it announced a no limits partnership with Russia last year and has refused to condemn the Kremlin over the invasion. Chinese state media has echoed the Kremlin's propaganda on the war and the Chinese government has slammed the West for sanctioning Russia. In a sign of the deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing, China's top diplomat traveled to the Russian capital last week as US President Joe Biden visited Kyiv.

02/15/2023

Russia is trying to deprive Ukrainians of access to water supplies — with dangerous implications for water storage facilities needed to operate nuclear power plants Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday. We are losing thousands of cubic meters of water due to the Kakhovka HPP [Hydroelectric Power Plant] floodgates being partially damaged and then intentionally opened by the Russians, Shmyhal said in a Telegram post. Some of the settlements that are getting water from the Dnipro river may be left without access to drinking water. Shmyhal said the threat to Ukraine's nuclear power plants is even bigger, adding, "A drop in the water level in the storage facility could lead to improper operation of cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

02/01/2023

Billionaire’s home searched in 'financial crime’ probe Ukrainian state security officials have searched the home of billionaire businessman Ihor Kolomoisky, in what is reported to be an investigation into possible financial crimes. A senior governing party official confirmed Kolomoisky’s home had been searched - as well as that of a former interior minister - but did not state the reason for the search. Photographs circulating on social media appeared to show Kolomoisky, dressed in a sweatsuit, looking on in the presence of at least one SBU officer inside a large wooden home. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the images. Kolomoisky is one of Ukraine‘s richest men and a one-time ally of Volodymyr Zelensky, who launched a crackdown on wealthy businessmen known as oligarchs” in late 2021 - before Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Kolomoisky, who is from the central city of Dnipro and owns an array of assets including one of Ukraine’s most influential television channels, backed Zelenskiy’s election campaign in 2019.

02/01/2023

Russian arms dealer, son and front firms hit with sanctions
A Russian arms dealer, his son and a group of front companies across Asia, Europe and the Middle East and their leadership have been targeted for U.S. sanctions in an effort to quell Russia’s access to weapons to continue its invasion of Ukraine

01/30/2023

Boris Johnson received a call from President Putin the day after he met Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv In his response, Mr Putin's spokesman said the former prime minister's claim was "either a deliberate falsehood, in which case you need to ask Mr Johnson why he lied, or it was not a deliberate lie. That is, he didn't understand what President Putin was saying to him. There were no threats to use missiles," Dmitry Peskov told the BBC. The Kremlin leader, he said, had simply pointed out that if Ukraine joined Nato the potential deployment of Nato or US missiles near Russia's border would mean that any missile could reach Moscow within minutes. Since the invasion, President Putin has warned countries that may try to interfere, that Russia's response would be immediate - even hinting at the use of nuclear weapons. Nine days after Mr Johnson's conversation with President Putin, on 11 February, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace flew to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.

01/30/2023

The US Department of the Treasury’s top sanctions official will warn countries next week that they could lose access to G7 markets if they do business with entities subject to Washington’s sanctions Treasury official Brian Nelson will travel to Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey the week of January 29 and meet with government officials, as well as businesses and financial institutions, according to a statement.

01/28/2023

The director of the museum Piotr Cywinski spoke out against the Ukraine war in his speech at the event For the first time a Russian delegation was not invited to a ceremony marking the liberation of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau N**i death camp in modern-day Poland. Russia is usually represented at the event, as the camp in occupied Poland was liberated by the Soviet Army. But this year, following Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum declined to invite Russian officials and its director likened the Ukraine war to the horrors of the Holocaust.

01/04/2023

Downtown Los Angeles skyline 🇺🇲

12/31/2022

The attacks mimic those on Christmas Eve, as Russia looks to damage Ukrainian morale ahead of holidays.
Six people were injured in the southern region of Mykolaiv, with another two hurt in the western city, Khmelnytskyi.
Homes were damaged in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
Water and electricity supplies are still working in Kyiv, although some were turned off preventively amid the air raid alert.
The attacks were condemned by first lady, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s wife, Olena Zelenska. “Ruining lives of others is a disgusting habit of our neighbours, she said. Meanwhile Ukrainians are marking their first new year since the invasion, including with a rave organised by servicemen and women. Russian leaders have issued a series of defiant messages ahead of new year. President Vladimir Putin said Russia would “never give in to the west, and was fighting for its “motherland, truth and justice so that Russia’s security can be guaranteed. It was his longest new year’s address in his two decades in charges The defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said victory for Russia over Ukraine was “inevitable

12/29/2022

Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov described Russia’s war in Ukraine as the first main war of the internet age. He credited drones and satellite internet systems like Elon Musk’s Starlink with having transformed the conflict. Ukraine has purchased drones like the Fly Eye, used for intelligence, battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance. And the next stage, now that we are more or less equipped with reconnaissance drones, is strike drones,” Federov said. These are both exploding drones and drones that fly up to three to 10 kilometres [1.8 to 6.2 miles] and hit targets. He predicted more missions with strike drones in the future, but would not elaborate. Russian authorities have alleged several Ukrainian drone attacks on their military bases in recent weeks. On Monday, Russia said its forces shot down a drone approaching the Engels airbase located more than 600km (370 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

12/29/2022

French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu has reaffirmed France’s “reliable and durable military support for Ukraine during an official visit to Kyiv. We have studied the needs of the Ukrainian army to continue this aid in 2023,” Lecornu said on Twitter, posting a picture alongside Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov. France has already provided weaponry like the Caesar howitzer artillery system and created a fund of 200 million euros (about $210m) for Ukraine to buy equipment directly from French manufacturers.

12/29/2022

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has named a retired Kuwaiti vice admiral as coordinator of shipments from Ukraine as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Abdullah Abdul Samad Dashti will help coordinate the five-month-old operation by Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN to ensure shipments of grains, oilseeds, fertilisers and other farm products can get safely to markets from Black Sea ports. Exports from Ukraine – a leading supplier of grains, oilseeds and vegetable oils to global markets – were cut off by a Russian naval embargo after Moscow’s forces invaded the country in February.

12/29/2022

The United Kingdom says Russia has likely reinforced its defences along the frontline in the Luhansk region, as Ukrainian forces battle to recapture the key eastern city of Kreminna. Russia has constructed extensive new defences in the area and will likely prioritise holding the line here,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in a daily intelligence update.

12/29/2022

Merry Christmas 🙋‍♂️

10/09/2022

Tune in to Radio Fiji 2, your number one Hindi radio station on these frequencies.
Suva/Nadi/Lautoka/Labasa - 105.0 FM
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10/07/2022

Crew-5 is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which was established to replace the space shuttle's role in taking crews to the station. The U.S. went without crewed spaceflight access for nearly a decade relying on Russian Soyuz spacecraft in between until May 2020, when SpaceX launched the Demo-2 mission. Since then, SpaceX has launched six crews under that multibillion-dollar contract with NASA.

10/07/2022

Some guests on pro-Kremlin TV shows have even criticized the planned annexation of four Ukrainian provinces whose control by Russia seems increasingly tenuous, according to the ISW assessment. And a Russian public that had largely remained disengaged from the war has grown wary and distrustful upon the heightened prospect of being more directly impacted by the conflict, in some cases being forced to participate. The Kremlin’s declaration of partial mobilization exposed the general Russian public to the consequences of the defeat around Kharkiv and then at Lyman, the institute wrote, "shattering the Kremlin’s efforts to portray the war as limited and generally successful.