An Air Force F-15C Eagle pulls away from two F-15E Strike Eagles during Battle of Britain Day over Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, Sept. 24, 2021.
Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Slide Down
Marine Corps Cpl. Emory Warrik fast-ropes from a UH-1Y Huey helicopter in Peru, Sept. 26, 2021, during UNITAS, the world's longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise.
Fayette County Man Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation Charge
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on September 28, 2021 and unsealed today, named Karl D. Lutes, age 50, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on February 11, 2020, Lutes possessed videos and still images in computer graphics files depicting minors, some of whom had not yet attained the age of 12 years, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Immigrant-Turned-Marine Recalls Vietnam Service With Pride
He was born in Sicily and came to the United States when he was 11. In Niagara Falls, New York, he didn't care much for school but became an avid reader.
Joe Bongiovanni read a lot about history and World War II. He became fascinated with the Marines in the Pacific. He would stay up late so he could watch the scenes of the Iwo Jima flag raising as the television networks signed off for the night.
"I wanted to become a Marine from a very young age," Bongiovanni said.
He joined the Marines Feb. 9, 1967, in Niagara Falls as the Vietnam War raged. Bongiovanni spent 12 and a half months with the infantry in Vietnam from 1967-68. He wouldn't become a naturalized U.S. citizen until 1975.
"Well it was a lot of excitement, a lot of anxiety," he said of his war experience. "A lot of combat. [I] saw a lot of our brothers getting killed and wounded."
Bongiovanni, who moved from Madison, Alabama, to Arley, Alaabama, in 2016, has traveled the world since then without meeting people from his hometown Niagara Falls. But curiously he encountered four people from there while he was in Vietnam. On the very first day he arrived, he saw a guy reading the Niagara Falls Gazette newspaper. Bongiovanni had gone to school with him.
"What are the odds of that happening?" Bongiovanni mused.
He arrived in Vietnam in late August 1967 and left Sept. 9, 1968. He served in the 1st Platoon of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. They were called a special landing force, a special reaction force. When other units got into a tough spot, Bravo Company would be alerted and would get inserted mostly by helicopter and a few times by landing craft. With their operations based in Quang Tri, they were on the move up north in the I Corps. They were right on the North Vietnam border and were constantly receiving incoming rockets and mortars.
"We were called grunts. We were the ground pounders," Bongiovanni said.
The elements were harsh. There was stifling heat. There were viruses and other diseases. There were insect bites. Jungle rot would infect your feet. The temperature would drop considerably at night and it would get cold. In the monsoon season, it would rain constantly. "But your body becomes acclimated to it," Bongiovanni said.
"It could be quiet. Then all of a sudden, all hell would break loose," he said.
His unit was involved in major engagements like the Tet Offensive in January 1968 and the Battle of Dai Do, that April 30 to May 3, when it took heavy casualties.
"You remember the guys you were close with," Bongiovanni said. "You remember the hardships and you learn to appreciate life. I was 19 years old. You learn to appreciate the little things.
"Sometimes I think about it and I shudder. About all the times I came close to dying. And you think why did I make it and so many didn't and sacrificed their [lives]."
Bongiovanni, who received the Combat Action Ribbon, left the Marines as a corporal in 1970. He lived in Madison from 2000 to2016 and was instrumental in starting Heroes Week in 2007 with the Semper Fi Community Task Force.
At 72, he resides on Smith Lake in Arley with his wife of 40 years, Denice. They have two sons — Christopher, of Madison, and Jon, of Jasper, Alabama — and a granddaughter. Bongiovanni is a managing partner of Scott Crump Toyota in Jasper where Jon is the manager of the sales department.
He enjoys fishing, going out on his pontoon boat and he's learning to play the guitar. He belongs to the Marine Corps League, the 3rd Marine Division Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Bongiovanni shared his thoughts on this nation's commemoration of 50 years since the Vietnam War.
"I think it's wonderful," he said. "And I think it's a long time coming."
(Skip Vaughn is an editor at the Redstone Rocket at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.)
Integrated Operations
U.S., British and Japanese Navy ships conduct multiple carrier strike group operations in the Philippine Sea, Oct. 3, 2021.
Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Economic Consequences of Default on National Security and Military Families
Oct. 6, 2021
The United States reached the debt limit at the end of July. Since then, the U.S. Treasury has been taking extraordinary measures to prevent the United States from defaulting on its obligations.
If the United States defaults, it would undermine the economic strength on which our national security rests.
It would also seriously harm our service members and their families because, as Secretary, I would have no authority or ability to ensure that our service members, civilians, or contractors would be paid in full or on time.
Here are some other potential impacts:
- The benefits earned by and owed to 2.4 million military retirees and 400,000 survivors would also be at risk.
- Federal contractors, including large firms and thousands of small businesses, that provide our military with world-class services, technology, and equipment could have their payments delayed, jeopardizing their operations and many American jobs.
- A default risks undermining the international reputation of the United States as a reliable and trustworthy economic and national security partner.
- A default also risks undermining the stature of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency of choice.
Our service members and Department of Defense civilians live up to their commitments. My hope is that, as a nation, we will come together to ensure we meet our obligations to them, without delay or disruption.
Marines Advance
Marines conduct a live-fire assault during a training exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021.
Lantern Lighting
Air Force Capt. Heather Prentice prepares to release a lantern during the Air Force Families Forever Fallen Hero Sky Lantern Lighting on the beach in Biloxi, Miss., Sept. 24, 2021.
Strait Transit
The guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale conducts an archipelagic sea lane passage through the San Bernardino Strait, crossing from the South China Sea into the Philippine Sea, Sept. 27, 2021.
Moving Mail
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gia Woodcox moves mail aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during a replenishment-at-sea in the Philippine Sea, Sept. 30, 2021.
Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Light Bearer
Air Force Capt. Kaitlin Toner, Thunderbird 12 and public affairs officer for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's flight demonstration squadron, shines a signal light at the formation during the California Capital Airshow in Mather, Calif., Sept. 26, 2021.
Operation Thirsty Camel
Soldiers convert salt water from the Persian Gulf into potable water during Operation Thirsty Camel at the Kuwait Naval Base, Sept. 23, 2021.
Manny's Watch
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Manny, an English bulldog and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego mascot, oversees recruits as they march in formation, Oct. 4, 2021.
Patient Care
Army Capt. Jason Webb, a critical care nurse with the 627th Hospital Center, monitors the breathing of a COVID-19 positive patient during the COVID-19 response operations at Kootenai Health regional medical center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Oct. 4, 2021. Northern Command, through Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Defense Department support to the whole-of- government COVID-19 response.
Lucky Lap
Marines participate in a 200 meter swim event during Lander Trials, a series of physically demanding workouts and group activities, at Camp Foster, Japan, Oct. 4, 2021.
All DOD Personnel Now Receive Continuous Security Vetting
Oct. 5, 2021 | , DOD News
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has successfully
enrolled all Defense Department service members, civilians and
contractors with a security clearance — about 3.6 million people — in
its current continuous vetting program.
Continuous vetting will eventually replace periodic reinvestigations, which are conducted every 10 years for employees with a secret clearance and five years for those with a top secret clearance. It will also include DOD personnel who do not have a clearance, according to Heather Green, assistant director of vetting risk operations for DCSA.
This brings the agency and the federal government one step closer to its trusted workforce, or TW 2.0, goal of providing continuous vetting for all of DOD, as well as other government personnel outside of the department, she said. TW 2.0 is expected to be incrementally implemented over the next few years.
Continuous vetting is now in the TW 1.25 stage, which means that DCSA receives automated records from government and commercial data sources based on federal investigative standards. The National Background Investigation Services, a component of DCSA, then leverages an automated system that scans the data for any alerts that might indicate potential issues or other suspicious or criminal activity, she said.
"We developed that in order to provide that initial version of continuous vetting, focusing on high-value data sources through automated record checks. Those continuous record checks that are turned on right now mean that issues of potential risk to an individual's trustworthiness that may have taken years to discover in the past are now identified and addressed in very near real-time data," Green said.
One example of TW 1.25's success: The DCSA team received an alert on July 31 that there was a fugitive arrest warrant for attempted murder, felony assault and other charges related to an incident that had occurred the previous day, Green said.
The team immediately validated the alert and then shared that information with the subject's security manager and law enforcement. That individual was apprehended and removed from security access, she said.
"If we had not had this individual enrolled in continuous vetting, there's a high potential that we may not have been aware of the situation until the next periodic investigation, which would have been 5 1/2 years later," she said.
Although continuous vetting is now operational, Green said she would encourage anyone who is having any issues — such as with finances — to proactively report it to their security manager. "Self-reporting is a critical piece of continuous vetting and we prefer to have already known about the incident prior to an alert being generated in the system," she said.
Green also said the person who shares concerns with his or her security manager, would most likely receive some sort of assistance so the problem does not fester and become a potential insider threat concern.
In TW 1.5, a milestone that comes between now and TW 2.0, more data categories will be added to continuous vetting, she said. In addition to the criminal and terrorism checks that are now being done, suspicious financial activity and foreign travel will also be monitored. When TW 1.5 begins, periodic reinvestigations will no longer be necessary.
Green noted there are policy discussions underway as to whether social media monitoring will be added for TW 2.0.
Trench Line
A Marine digs a trench line during an engineering field exercise at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 24, 2021.
Hammer Time
Navy Seaman Melanie SantosRangel helps Habitat for Humanity build a house during Minneapolis Navy Week, Sept. 27, 2021.
Trunk or Treat
Army Sgt. Damian Granado hands out candy during a Halloween event at Fort Carson, Colo., Oct. 1, 2021.
Funeral Honors
Marines fire 3-rifle volleys during military funeral honors for Marine Corps Sgt. Fred Farris at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Oct. 4, 2021. Farris was killed during the World War II Battle of Tarawa on Nov. 20, 1943. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced his remains were accounted for last year.
Navy Week
Navy Seaman Melanie SantosRangel hands out bread to elementary school students, Sept. 30, 2021, as part of the Minneapolis Navy Week.
Sports Heroes Who Served: Baseball Star Also a Combat Veteran
Oct. 5, 2021
|
, DOD News
Sports Heroes Who Served is a series that highlights the accomplishments of athletes who served in the U.S. military.
Bobby Brown was a polymath — a person with broad-ranging abilities. He was a cardiologist, a World War II and Korean War veteran, and a four-time World Series champion.
Fame came early for Brown, who was born Oct. 25, 1924, in Seattle, Washington. In 1942, while a student at Stanford University, he and a fellow student rescued a Coast Guardsman from a plane crash. For his effort, he was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal by the Coast Guard.
The following year, he was drafted into the military and was assigned to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California.
Following World War II, he entered medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, using his G.I. Bill. He received his medical degree in 1950.
In 1946, he was signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees, balancing baseball with his medical studies. The third baseman played with the Yankees from 1946 to 1952 and 1954 and was part of the team's World Series championship four times: 1947 and 1949-1951.
His lifetime batting average was .279 and he scored 22 home runs and 237 runs batted in. Incidentally, Brown batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Brown didn't play in 1953 and part of 1952, because he was called up by the Army to serve in Korea for 19 months in the Medical Corps.
He ran the battalion aid station for the 160th Field Artillery Battalion of the 45th Infantry Division and also provided medical support for the 5th Regimental Combat Team. Later, he was transferred to the 8225th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
In 1954, Brown accepted a medical internship in cardiology. He opened a medical practice in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1958 and worked there until May 1974, when he took a leave of absence to serve as interim president of the Texas Rangers baseball team. He returned to his medical practice the following year.
In 1984, he became baseball's American League president, serving for 10 years.
Brown died on March 25 at his home in Fort Worth. He was 96.
Free Fall
Army Green Berets participate in a military free fall exercise in Eloy, Ariz., Sept. 14, 2021.
Elevator Work
Airmen work on an elevator on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Sept. 2, 2021.
Beach Attack
U.S., Brazilian, Chilean, Colombian, Mexican, Peruvian and Jamaican troops simulate a beach attack in Salinas, Peru, Sept. 28, 2021, during UNITAS, the world's longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise.
Musical Welcome
Members of the Army Training and Doctrine Command band perform for Afghan people at Fort Lee, Va., Sept. 29, 2021, as part of Operation Allies Welcome. The Defense Department, through U.S. Northern Command and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities in permanent or temporary structures as quickly as possible.
NATO's Stoltenberg Visits Pentagon, Meets With Austin to Discuss Alliance Future
Oct. 4, 2021 | , DOD News
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg to the Pentagon for discussions on the future
of the alliance.
Austin thanked the secretary general for all he's done to hold the alliance together and modernize it.
"NATO's power comes not just from military might, but from its unity and sense of common purpose," Austin said. "You have been an outstanding champion of those strengths. And we're going to keep this alliance resilient, resolute and united."
The secretary also thanked Stoltenberg for helping lead the alliance through the withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation from the Afghan capital of Kabul last month. Austin noted that after the al-Qaida attack on the United States in 2001, the alliance invoked article 5 of the NATO Treaty — an attack on one country is an attack on all. "NATO entered Afghanistan as a united alliance, … and 20 years later, NATO left Afghanistan as a unified alliance, thanks in large part to your dedication," he said.
Austin praised Stoltenberg's NATO 2030 plan that allied leaders agreed to during the Brussels Summit in June. "Allied leaders launched a bold set of initiatives to ensure that NATO continues to provide security to all of our citizens through 2030 and beyond," Austin said. "We need continued investment in NATO's deterrence and defense, as well as a revised strategic concept that will guide the alliance's approach to the evolving strategic environment."
When Stoltenberg took office in 2014, some critics said NATO was outmoded and unnecessary. Events since then have proven that's not true. "NATO is as important as ever because we face a more competitive world," Stoltenberg said. "We see Russia responsible for aggressive actions. We see more recently China is using its economic and military might, and we also face cyber threats, persistent terrorist threats, and also the security impact of climate change."
There is no country that can face these threats alone, the secretary general said. "We have to stand together, North America and Europe in NATO, and need to adapt the alliance to [the] changing security environment," he said. "And that's exactly what we are doing."
The allies have bought into this picture. He noted that Canada and the European allies have added an extra $260 billion to their budgets since 2014. More nations have met the alliance goal of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.
Even though the operations in Afghanistan are over, they were not in vain, Stoltenberg said. "For 20 years, we were able to prevent any type of attack organized from Afghanistan against our countries," he said. "And we will continue to work together to make sure that we preserve the gains made in the fight against terrorism."
The lesson from Afghanistan and from the uncertain times is the need for unity, he said. "The crisis in Afghanistan does not change the main message: the need for Europe and North America to stand together in a strong NATO," he said.
The two men will meet again during the NATO Defense Ministerial later this month.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Opening Remarks at Pentagon Meeting
Oct. 4, 2021
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, Mr. Secretary General, it's great to welcome you back to the Pentagon. Again, thanks for making the trip. Let me also thank you for your continued leadership and for your ambitious efforts to strengthen the Alliance for the future.
NATO's power comes not just from its military might but from its unity and sense of common purpose. You have been an outstanding champion of those strengths and we're going to keep this Alliance resilient, resolute and united.
Now, you and I have worked closely -- excuse me -- closely together during the end of our military mission in Afghanistan, and on behalf of the United States, thank you for the vital role that you played during the drawdown and the evacuation.
NATO entered Afghanistan as a united Alliance after invoking Article 5 after 9/11, and 20 years later, NATO left Afghanistan as a unified Alliance, thanks in large part to your dedication.
Mr. Secretary General, we met along with President Biden at the successful June NATO Summit. Allied leaders launched a bold set of initiatives to ensure that NATO continues to provide security to all of our citizens through 2030 and beyond. We need continued investment in NATO's deterrence and defense, as well as a revised strategic concept that will guide the Alliance's approach to the evolving strategic environment. So we've got a lot to do and I'm looking forward to working on these efforts with you and my fellow defense ministers at our NATO Ministerial later this month.
Now, NATO remains the essential forum for consultation, decision and action on transatlantic security and defense issues, and NATO is a foundation on which we continue to build our collective security and shared prosperity. It's the most powerful and successful Alliance in history and we're going to keep it that way.
And so, Mr. Secretary General, thank you again for being here. I'm looking forward to some good discussions today and to even more soon at the Defense Ministerial. Thank you.
NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you so much, Secretary Austin. It's good to be back in Pentagon and thank you so much for your warm welcome, but most importantly, thank you for your strong commitment to NATO, to -- for your leadership. And let me also pay tribute to all the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces who, every day, work for our shared security and are part of the shared commitment we have in NATO.
NATO is as important as ever because we face a more competitive world -- we see Russia responsible for aggressive actions, we see a more assertive China using its economic and military might, and we also face cyber threats, persistent terrorist threats, and also the security impact of climate change.
So there is no continent, no country that can face this challenge alone. We have to stand together, North America and Europe, in NATO, and we need to adapt the Alliance to the changing security environment and that's exactly what we are doing.
Since we made the decision in 2014, all Allies have invested more in defense, European Allies and Canada have added $260 billion extra for defense over these years, and more and more Allies also meet the (inaudible) spending at two percent of GDP on defense. So NATO is adapting, responding to a more demanding security environment, and we need to maintain this momentum as we move forward.
We -- we stood together on Afghanistan for 20 years. It was a difficult decision to leave Afghanistan but it was a decision we made together, as 30 Allies. After extensive consultations, several ministerial meetings and many diplomatic consultations at the NATO Headquarters between Allies, we made the decision together to end our military presence there.
Our mission in Afghanistan was not in vain. For 20 years, we were able to prevent any terrorist attack being organized from Afghanistan against our countries and we will continue to work together to make sure that we preserve the gain we made in the fight against terrorism.
We will continue to modernize the Alliance, to demonstrate that we are stronger when we stand together, and for me, it -- it is obvious that the crisis in Afghanistan does not change the main message, does not change the need for Europe and North America to stand together strong in NATO.
So I look forward to our meeting and thank you so much again for your hospitality and for taking the time for this meeting. Thank you.
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
Oct. 4, 2021
Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton T. Semelroth provided the following readout:
Secretary Austin welcomed Secretary General Stoltenberg back to the Pentagon today as part of the Administration’s continuing effort to strengthen NATO. This is the leaders’ eleventh virtual or in-person meeting since February.
The Secretary thanked Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steady leadership of the Alliance and for his efforts to keep NATO strong militarily, make it stronger politically, and give it a more global view. He highlighted Allies’ cooperation during the military drawdown and subsequent civilian evacuation from Afghanistan.
Secretary Austin assured Secretary General Stoltenberg of the United States’ continuing commitment to the Alliance. Both reaffirmed that NATO is the essential forum for consultation, decision, and action on transatlantic security and defense issues in a dangerous and competitive world.
The Secretary and Secretary General focused on preparing for this month’s NATO Defense ministerial and continuing the Alliance’s military adaptation and progress on responsibility sharing. They also discussed ways NATO can enhance its role in the fight against terrorism, reviewed progress on decisions taken at the June 2021 NATO Summit, and looked forward to 2022 Summit in Madrid.
Monday, October 04, 2021
Rig Ready
Marines flip a container to rig it for a helicopter operation off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 30, 2021.
Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of DoD Civilian Employees
Oct. 4, 2021
To defend the Nation and protect the American people, we need a healthy and ready Total Force. To accomplish this, the Secretary of Defense directed the mandatory vaccination of Service members against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by signing the memorandum, "Mandatory Corona virus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members," on August 24, 2021.
On September 9, 2021, the President of the United States directed Executive Branch agencies to implement a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for Federal employees to ensure the health and safety of the Federal workforce and members of the public with whom they interact by signing Executive Order 14043, "Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees."
All DoD civilian employees must be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021, subject to exemptions as required by law. Employees are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after completing the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or 2 weeks after receiving a single dose of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
New DoD civilian employees must be fully vaccinated by their entry on duty (start) date or November 22, 2021, whichever is later.
To meet this requirement, individuals must be vaccinated with vaccines that are either fully licensed or authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (e.g., Comimaty/Pfizer-BioNTech, Modema, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen); listed for emergency use on the World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing (e.g., AstraZeneca/Oxford); or approved for use in a clinical trial vaccine for which vaccine efficacy has been independently confirmed (e.g., Novavax). Those with previous COVID-19 infection(s) or previous serology are not considered fully vaccinated on that basis for the purposes of this mandate.
Those who are not currently fully vaccinated must meet the following deadlines, if using vaccines that are fully licensed or authorized for emergency use by the FDA, in order to be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021:
•October 11: first dose deadline (if receiving the Modema vaccine);
•October 18: first dose deadline (if receiving the Comimaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine);
•November 8: second dose deadline (if receiving the Modema and Comimaty/PfizerBioNTech vaccines); and
•November 8: first (only) dose deadline (if receiving the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine).
In accordance with Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Guidance," December 7, 2020, DoD civilian employees are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at any DoD vaccination site, including military medical treatment facilities. They may also opt to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at locations other than DoD vaccination sites, including retail stores, private medical practices, and/or local and State public health department sites. Employees, including those who have already received COVID-19 vaccines, must be prepared to provide a copy of their COVID-19 vaccine record in order to meet forthcoming procedures for DoD COVID-19 vaccination verification.
Additional guidance, including procedures for processing vaccination exemption requests, will be published by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)). The USD(P&R) is authorized to rescind this memorandum as necessary for purposes of providing updated guidance.
Vaccinating DoD civilian employees against COVID-19 will save lives and allow for the defense of our Nation. Thank you for your focus on this critical mission.
Respirator Fit Test
Janet Rowe, a University of Tennessee Medical Center staff member, conducts a respirator fit test on Army 1st Lt. Sierra Brink with the 528th Hospital Center as part of the medical response team’s hospital onboarding and integration in Knoxville, Tenn., Sept. 23, 2021. Northern Command through Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Defense Department support to the whole-of-government COVID response.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Army Pfc. Ethan Hayes, a healthcare specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company “Hoplites,” 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, reconstitutes the COVID-19 vaccination before it was administered to soldiers at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, Sept. 30, 2021. The health of the force remains a top priority. The Army maximizes the use of mitigation techniques such as masks, physical distancing and rotational shift work to ensure readiness.
Smoky Scene
Airmen participate in Steadfast Nomad, a NATO level force-on-force exercise, at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Sept. 22, 2021.
Starry Security
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jacob Ucinski performs security with an M27 infantry automatic rifle during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise at Udari Range Complex, Kuwait, Sept. 28, 2021.
Redesigned Joint Staff Badge Reflects Addition of Newest Military Service
Oct. 4, 2021 | , DOD News
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have, figuratively, unsheathed a new sword on the Joint Staff's seal: the Space Force.
The seal has been revised to include the Space Force.
"The revising of the Joint Staff seal, now including the United States Space Force, demonstrates our commitment to the future and ensuring that we have capabilities in all domains necessary to defend our country – land, air, sea and space," said Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The change is the first in the "JCS identification badge" since it was established in 1963. "Prior to that, members of the Joint Staff wore the DOD identification badge – the one members of that staff still wear," said David B. Crist, the JCS historian.
After the chief of Space Operations was made a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 2020, one of Crist's historians was looking at the JCS badge. "Chris Holmes was the first to look at the badge and realize there are four swords on it to represent the military services," Crist said. "So, to be consistent, if you have an additional military service, there ought to be another sword for the badge."
Crist and crew researched to ensure the four swords on the badge represented the services. They did. The members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff unanimously voted to change the badge to reflect the addition of the Space Force.
The Joint Staff reached out to the Department of the Army's Institute of Heraldry, which is based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The institute provides heraldic support not only to the military, but to all federal agencies that request it and designed the original badge. "Charles Mungo, the institute's director, said he was wondering when he would hear from us," Crist said. "He told me he was waiting for somebody to say the badge has to change because there's additional service."
The institute presented three designs to the Joint Chiefs. Milley wrote to Mungo saying the chiefs had chosen the option that added a slightly elevated sword in the center of the old design to reflect force projection into space.
The change is subtle. The badge has the same oval laurel wreath representing achievement, courage and victory; it also has the same red, white and blue shield of the United States. The difference is there are now five, unsheathed swords representing the armed might of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force.
The old badge is grandfathered for three years, Crist said. The newly designed badge will be issued to new members of the staff. He noted that the new badge is already available for sale.
Friday, October 01, 2021
Parade Wave
Col. Kris Barcomb, vice commander of Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, waves to a crowd with his wife and children during a parade in Santa Maria, Calif., Sept. 4, 2021.
Clean Concrete
Navy Seaman Avery Becker finishes freshly placed concrete for a vertical takeoff and landing pad in San Clemente Island, Calif., Sept. 6, 2021.
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar
Oct. 1, 2021
Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton T. Semelroth provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to discuss opportunities to increase and strengthen our longstanding defense ties and to share perspectives on regional issues, including the shared threat from terrorism. The Secretary reaffirmed the great value the United States places on its defense relationship with Turkey, as demonstrated most recently by the strong cooperation between both countries on Afghanistan.
Happy Horse
Navy Seaman Celab Cornejo feeds a mini horse used for therapy at a hospital in San Diego, Sept. 30, 2021.
Dual Descent
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Robbins and Staff Sgt. Morgan George, members of Army's parachute demonstration team, the Golden Knights, perform during the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, Calif., Sept. 30, 2021.
Poseidon Project
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Ricketts installs a pylon on P-8A Poseidon aircraft in Oak Harbor, Wash., Sept. 30, 2021.
Idaho Support
Army Capt. Aaron Higa, a critical care nurse with the 627th Hospital Center, grinds medication during the COVID-19 response operations at Kootenai Health regional medical center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Sept. 26, 2021. U.S. Northern Command, through Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Defense Department support to the whole-of- government COVID-19 response.
Screening Traverlers
Soldiers and airmen with the Puerto Rico National Guard verify travelers' paperwork before leaving the airport at Carolina, Puerto Rico, Sept. 24, 2021. The Puerto Rico National Guard is supporting Puerto Rico health authorities by ensuring people fill out a travel declaration and are vaccinated for COVID-19 or have been tested.
Continued Care
Army Capt. Alexis Acuna, a critical care nurse with the 627th Hospital Center, cares for a COVID-19 patient during operations at Kootenai Health regional medical center in Idaho, Sept. 26, 2021. Northern Command, through Army North, remains committed to providing flexible Defense Department support for the government's COVID-19 response.
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