Sailors’ vehicles are parked on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) on March, 13 2013. US Navy Photo
When in doubt about grave questions, reach for the classics. What would the likes of Alfred Thayer Mahan or Julian Corbett say about the fate of the big-deck aircraft carrier or nuclear carrier (CVN)? I suspect their ghosts would voice skepticism. Read More
From the March Congressional Budget Office report on Pentagon spending cuts: In 2013, the Department of Defense (DoD) faces an 11 percent reduction (after adjusting for inflation) in its base budget from the amount it received in 2012. (The base budget funds the department’s normal activi- ties but excludes overseas military operations like those in Afghanistan.) Under current law, the department’s bud- gets will increase by a cumulative total of 2 percent more than inflation between 2013 and 2021, still well below its funding in 2012 in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. Those limits are mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), which capped annual funding for defense and nondefense agencies during that period. Read More
Undated photo of Sgt. Eusebio Lopez. USMC Photo
The Marine Corps has identified the three Marines killed in an apparent double murder-suicide on Thursday at the Officer Candidate School at Quantico Marine Corps Base, according to a Sunday report. Read More
President Barack Obama and King Abdullah II of Jordan on March, 22 2013. White House Photo
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategic concerns for the “defensive boundaries” of Israel are clearly demarcated by geography. The distance between key locations in Israel and the West Bank are six to nine miles, with a huge concentration of the Israeli population on the coastal strip where most of Israel’s commercial and industrial life resides. His concern is that the West Bank provides a buffer area and site for defensive missile systems that will ward off an attack. The key to helping Netanyahu and the Israeli people find both peace and security lies with Jordan. Read More
Marine Base Quantico, spokesman Lt. Agustin Solivan briefs reporters following a shooting incident on the base March 22, 2013. AP Photo
Three Marines were killed after being shot by at or near Quantico Marine Corps Base’s Officer Candidate School, according to press reports. Read More
Capt. Kenneth Coleman when he was commander of the USS Independence (LCS-2). SWONet Photo
Capt. Kenneth Coleman knows more about the Littoral Combat Ship program than most any sailor. Currently Coleman works at U.S. Surface Forces as requirements officer for the LCS program and from April 2010 to Sept. 2011, he was the commander of the Blue crew of USS Independence (LCS-2). USNI News recently interviewed Coleman on the latest of the deployment of USS Freedom (LCS-1). Coleman discussed manning changes for the ship, how the ships will be maintained while deployed and what it’s like for a ship commander to do his own dishes. Read More
The Marine Corps has released the names of the seven Marines who died Monday following a mortar malfunction at Hawthorne Army Depot, Nev. Read More
Brig. Gen. James W. Lukeman, 2nd Marine Division commanding general, at a Tuesday press conference at Camp Lejeune.
A 60mm mortar malfunction is being blamed for the Monday death of seven North Carolina Marines killed at a Nevada training ground, Marine leaders said on Tuesday. Read More
Coast Guardsmen from Air Station Detroit and Station St. Clair Shores, Mich., conduct joint ice-rescue training on Lake St. Clair, Feb. 12, 2013. US Coast Guard Photo
The Coast Guard plans to reduce surface and air operations by 21 percent and defer depot level maintenance due to budget cuts, according to a February draft memo obtained by USNI News. Read More
Feb. 13, 2013 memo on the creation of the Distinguished Warfare Medal that recognizes warfare contributions from cyber troops and unmanned vehicle pilots. Read More
