Thursday, May 14, 2020

Top Enlisted Leaders Answer Questions on Stop-Move Process


May 14, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramón "CZ" Colón-López and U.S. Transportation Command's senior enlisted leader, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason France, shed some light on moving in the time of COVID-19 during a virtual town hall meeting.

The SEAC hosted the meeting with France today, as the two enlisted leaders answered service members' questions.

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper froze movements soon after the pandemic hit U.S. shores. This stopped most military and civilian moves. Those deemed crucial required an exception to policy.

Each year, the Defense Department relocates more than 400,000 service members, DOD civilians and their families. Traditionally, this would be the beginning of the prime move season. COVID-19 has changed that, and it will change again once the restrictions are lifted.

Service members asked when the order will lift. The current stop-movement order runs through June 30.

"Every 15 days, we're conducting a review to make sure that the implementation of practices makes sense," Colón-López said. "And we're taking a common-sense approach to everything that we're doing with regards to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. Whether it's going to be extended or stopped, it is yet to be determined."

Transcom has the responsibility for the moves, and France detailed some of the actions going on in anticipation of the go-ahead.

He said Transcom officials are meeting with the services, the Joint Staff and industry groups to ensure proper communications. The command has also set parameters for moving in a COVID-19 environment.

Essentially, Transcom mandates that the moving industry must adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols regarding health protection while working in service members' homes. "Those measures include face coverings, minimizing crew size to enable social distancing, the fact that crews must practice good hygiene, and they also must routinely clean frequently touched surfaces in our service members' homes," France said.

This applies whether the move is from an on-base or off-base home, he said. The moving companies are also required to provide illness screening verification to service members.

The priority list for those moving was also a question to the SEAC and France, as each service grants exceptions to policy a bit differently. Involvement of the chain of command is crucial to the process, and France and Colón-López urged those affected to work through their leaders on the process.

Moving pets was another concern for service members. France said there were no real changes with the policy. But space for pets is at a premium, he said, and he recommended getting a reservation early in the process.

VA Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $70,000 Using Mobile Payment Application



BOSTON – A Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) employee pleaded guilty today to embezzling nearly $70,000 in VA funds.

Michael Donaher, 41, of Lakeville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one count of embezzlement and theft of public money, property or records. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2020. He has agreed, as part of a plea agreement, to reimburse the government for the funds he stole. Donaher was arrested in January on a criminal complaint.

Donaher worked as an Inventory Management Specialist for the Veterans Affairs Medical Facility in Brockton and was responsible for purchasing various equipment necessary for use in the facility. Donaher conducted fraudulent transactions using his government-issued purchase cards and routed the proceeds to his personal bank account. Donaher attempted to conceal these fraudulent purchases by making it appear as if the purchases were made through a large company that the VA frequently used for legitimate business, when, in fact, they were actually made through a company Donaher created through Square, Inc., a mobile payment company. These purchases were not for actual items ever received by the VA. Furthermore, Donaher attempted to hide this fact by annotating the items as having been received within the VA’s accountability system. Donaher fraudulently routed approximately $70,000 of VA funds to his personal account since the scheme began in 2016.

The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

NATO Looks to Ensure Health Crisis Doesn't Become Security Crisis


May 14, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

NATO was created to deal with crises, and the alliance continues as the world faces the coronavirus pandemic, said the chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.

Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshall Sir Stuart Peach opened today's virtual meeting of the alliance's 30 chiefs of defense to discuss the response to COVID-19 and all the other aspects of security in which the military alliance is involved.

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is attending the virtual meeting from the Pentagon.

Peach said the unprecedented virtual meeting demonstrates "that despite the challenging times that we are all currently facing, the core mission of NATO continues unchanged: to deliver credible and effective deterrence and defense."

Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Baltic air policing and NATO's forward battlegroups are all on the table for the alliance military leaders.

NATO is not a primary first responder to the pandemic, but it is doing its part, Peach said. "Allies are standing together and acting together in solidarity," he noted in his opening remarks. "Allied national armed forces are supporting national civilian efforts and are playing a key role in slowing the pandemic."

Military forces from across the alliance have flown more than 100 missions to transport medical personnel, supplies and treatment capabilities, he said. Military forces have also facilitated the construction of field hospitals adding tens of thousands of treatment beds.

"So our alliance is helping to get the right support to the right place, at the right time," he said. "Helping our nations, our allies, save lives. This is also a time when our resilience is being tested."

Security challenges have not diminished because of COVID-19. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said many times since the virus made its appearance, that it is important that NATO ensures the health crisis does not become a security crisis.

"So while we continue to take all the necessary measures to protect our armed forces, our operational readiness remains undiminished: Our forces are ready, vigilant and prepared to respond to any threat," Peach said.

The chiefs will discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Following Afghan peace negotiations, the alliance agreed to reduce its troop presence in the nation to 12,000. "At the same time, our mission continues to train, assist and advise the Afghan security forces," the air chief marshal said. "We maintain our current configuration, with our headquarters in Kabul and four regional commands."

NATO priorities are to create the conditions for peace, to protect NATO troops and ensure that Afghanistan will not once again become a safe haven for international terrorists, he said. "The chiefs of defense will discuss the importance of preserving the gains achieved in the last 19 years and any possible future engagement with Afghanistan," he said.

NATO also has a mission in Iraq, and the chiefs will discuss ways "to continue to strengthen the capacity of the Iraqi forces, so that they can defend Iraq's sovereignty and fight against our common enemy, ISIS," he said.

The chiefs will also look at ways to "explore additional avenues to fight terrorism, build stability and expand NATO's role in the wider region," Peach said.

The chiefs will also discuss ongoing work on the concept for deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area and to develop the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept.

The alliance is looking to the future to ensure that the almost 1 billion people in the Euro-Atlantic region have a credible, coherent and resilient deterrence and defense posture.

Finally, the chiefs will address NATO's role within the response to the COVID-19 crisis and the opportunities to further support allies, partners and countries in need, Peach said.