Summer Shield

 

An Army Abrams tank fires in Adazi, Latvia, May 28, 2021, during Summer Shield, an annual exercise.

Medevac Training

 

Soldiers conduct medevac hoist training with an HH-60 Black Hawk at Fort Carson, Colo., June 2, 2021.

Tire Team

 

Army Spc. Tyre Moody, left, and Sgt. Cruz Gonzalez replace a rear tire on a Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, June 6, 2021, while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield.

Merced Man Charged with Drug Trafficking Offense

 FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against Richard Charles Thomas Jr., 38, of Merced, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2020, Thomas led law enforcement officers on a highspeed chase through the city of Merced. While fleeing police, Thomas threw a black bag from the vehicle. Officers recovered the bag, which contained approximately 839 grams of methamphetamine, $3,162 in cash, and personal effects belonging to Thomas.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Merced Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Thomas faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Hawaii Howitzer

 

Soldiers conduct M119 Howitzer night live-fire training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, May 19, 2021.

Eye Exam

Air Force Capt. Joshua Goetz uses a slit lamp to examine a Moroccan patient's eye at a military surgical field hospital in Tafraoute, Morocco, June 7, 2021. The medical treatment was part of Exercise African Lion, U.S. Africa Command's largest joint annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal.

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Big Dig

 

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jordan Conelly operates a backhoe during construction of a cement bunker as part of joint exercise Poseidon’s Watchtower at the Joint Okinawa Training Range Complex in Japan, June 4, 2021.

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Hanging Around

 

Soldiers demonstrate their insertion and extraction capabilities during a study course at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, May 27, 2021. Throughout the course, students were taught how to rig, inspect and deploy via a UH-60 helicopter.

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar

 June 10, 2021

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Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby 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 bilateral cooperation and regional issues. The Secretary reaffirmed the longstanding U.S.-Turkey defense relationship and said he looked forward to seeing the Minister at the June 14 NATO Summit in Brussels.

Coast Guard to rename personnel housing facility after NYPD/USCG Reserve 9/11 hero Vincent G. Danz with 20-year remembrance

 Who: Capt. Zeita Merchant, Commander, Coast Guard Sector New York, and New York City Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea.

What: The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a ceremony, in conjunction with NYPD, to announce the dedication of the Coast Guard Sector New York’s unaccompanied personnel housing facility in honor of Petty Officer 2nd Class Vincent G. Danz, a Coast Guard Reservist, and NYPD police officer, who died while responding to 9/11. 

When: Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 10 a.m.

Where: USCG Sector New York, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York City.

NEW YORK — Coast Guard Sector New York will hold a dedication ceremony honoring Danz, and dedicating the housing facility, Vincent G. Danz Hall, as part of the 20^th year remembrance of the events on 9/11.  

Danz served as a Coast Guard Reservist at Coast Guard Activities New York, as well as an NYPD officer at the Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He responded on 9/11 to aid victims and lost his life when the World Trade Center collapsed.

The unaccompanied personnel housing building was originally built in 1986 by the Navy to support Naval Station New York. The Coast Guard then gained ownership of the property when it moved to Fort Wadsworth from Governor’s Island in 1997.   

Media interested in attending are asked to RSVP to Coast Guard Public Affairs at (718) 354-2359

Geospatial Survey

 

Air Force Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Rodriguez levels a geospatial surveying instrument at Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 9, 2021. The instrument calculates relative distance, direction and elevation — calculations that are then uploaded to update geographical information.

African Lion

 

Utah Army National Guardsmen lift some cargo in Tan Tan, Morocco, June 8, 2021, during African Lion, U.S. Africa Command's largest joint, annual exercise.

Demolition Range

 

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jack Hinebaugh participates in a demolition range event during a combat readiness evaluation at Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 7, 2021.

General Officer Announcements

 June 10, 2021

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David J. Furness for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, and assignment as deputy commandant for plans, policies, and operations, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.  Furness is currently serving as assistant deputy commandant for plans, policies, and operations, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Matthew G. Glavy for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, and assignment as deputy commandant for information, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.  Glavy is currently serving as commander, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

Home Builders

 

Airmen construct the first home in the Cherokee Veterans Housing Initiative in Tahlequah, Okla., May 18, 2021. The initiative is a collaboration between the Defense Department's Innovative Readiness Training program and the Cherokee Nation that constructs new single-family homes and supporting infrastructure for eligible Cherokee Nation veterans and their families.

Shot Scores

 

Sailors score targets during a qualifying gun shoot aboard the USS New Orleans in the East China Sea, May 30, 2021.

Sierra Fire

 

A Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton firefighter responds to the Sierra Fire at the base in California, June 9, 2021.

Flying Partners

 

Army AH-64 Apaches fly in formation with Hungarian Mi-24 Hinds during Saber Guardian in Varpalota, Hungary, June 9, 2021. The multinational exercise aims to increase participating nations' capacity to conduct full spectrum military operations.

Vaccination Time

 

Army Staff Sgt. Ralphael Smith, a member of the Maryland State Medical Detachment, holds up the sleeve of CHIMES employee Robert Johnson, while Dr. Tony Gearhart, a Safeway pharmacist, administers a COVID-19 vaccine during the CHIMES vaccination event in Baltimore, May 17, 2021. Safeway, a supermarket company, and Maryland’s Vaccine Equity Task Force partnered together to vaccinate members of CHIMES, a not-for-profit organization that assists people with intellectual and behavioral challenges.

Slovakia Assistance

 

Soldiers assigned to the Indiana National Guard transport donated medical supplies to assist the country of Slovakia in its ongoing fight against COVID-19 at the Indiana National Guard Headquarters in Indianapolis, June 6, 2021.