The Navy Times reports that the Navy has decided that they’ll protect their recruiters with armed “watch standers” at their recruiting stations after a lengthy investigation of the terrorist attack on recruiters in Chattanooga last year.
“We are in the final stages of preparations for implementation” of the policy, said Cmdr. Dave Aliberti, policy branch head for Fleet Forces Command’s anti-terrorism, force protection directorate. “It is going to be a system put in place to arm personnel that are there for deterrent value and to provide protection.”
The guards will be trained, uniformed sailors, but are strictly for security, said one official on background. They will not be authorized to respond to crime in the area of the stations, which is prohibited by law.
[…]
Those sailors, mostly activated reserve masters-at-arms, were in place within weeks of the attacks.
The Navy News Service sends us the story of 95-year-old Retired Navy Commander Dean “Diz” Laird as he was afforded an opportunity to fly his 100th aircraft yesterday. According to the article, “Diz” has already demonstrated his skills when he flew against German and Japanese pilots in the Second World War, and as a stunt pilot in the iconic “Tora, Tora, Tora” movie.
Retired Cmdr. Dean “Diz” Laird served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, operated in 175 combat and training missions, served on 12 different carriers, flew in the Navy’s first jet squadron, was the first person to land a jet-powered aircraft aboard USS Midway and has the most arrested landings on a straight-deck carrier.
“I want to thank everyone who took part in making this happen,” said Laird. “When I found out that I was going to be able to do this, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it.”
Laird added that flying his 100th plane wasn’t for an achievement, medal or trophy. He wanted to set this milestone for himself.
Laird flew in the rear seat of a T-34C Turbomentor with Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Johnson, a fleet replacement squadron instructor pilot with the “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122.
Laird wasn’t the only member of the flying team who was excited about the mission yesterday;
“I was so excited and honored to fly with a true legend, how many people can say they flew with ‘Diz’ Laird,” said [Lt. Cmdr. Nicole] Johnson. “Then he had to make me look bad by being a better pilot at 95 [years old]. It is men like this that paved the way for the rest of us.”
160709-N-TE278-033 CORONADO, California (July 9, 2016) Retired Cmdr. Dean “Diz” Laird sits in the rear seat of a T-34C Turbomentor with the “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122. The T-34C marks the 100th aircraft Laird has flown in his 95-year lifetime. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Paolo Bayas/Released)
Apparently, it’s big news that the Navy adjusted the number of valor medals that Chris Kyle earned and issued a corrected DD214 to his family, according to USAToday;
The Navy personnel form that Kyle signed and initialed when he left the Navy in 2009 credited him with two Silver Star and six Bronze Star medals with “V” device for valor…However, the Navy’s investigation of Kyle’s record, which began in 2012, determined that Kyle had commendations for one Silver Star and four Bronze Star medals with “V” devices.
Five valor medals is still five more than I have, and probably five more than most of the people who have made a stink about this non-issue. Kyle, himself wrote in his book what was on his initial DD214.
So, what’s the point of all of this? Should we dig Kyle up and slap his corpse? Is that what Greenwald and the grave robbers at The Intercept want? By the way, The Intercept wrote that he had one Silver Star and three Bronze Stars and they were wrong in the end.
San Diego medical examiners have determined that Lovelace died by drowning – and have ruled the man’s death a homicide. There is surveillance video of the incident; that footage apparently was considered when making the determination.
I’m not competent to comment on the behavior shown in the surveillance video, nor have I viewed it. However, the newest linked article contains a verbal description of what was observed to happen during the incident. I’ll let someone who is competent in this area make the call on whether classifying the death as a homicide is apropos or not.
But I’ll say this much: either way, IMO if the description is accurate someone (or multiple someones) can kiss careers goodbye – perhaps justifiably. And some of them may also be looking at criminal charges; NCIS has yet to determine whether criminal charges are warranted in connection with this death.
Mick sends us a link to to the Virginian-Pilot which reports that Navy Lieutenant and pilot Jake Baker was arrested for videoing an underage girl while she was in a store;
Jake Baker, 31, of the 1500 block of Braishfield Court in Chesapeake [with the Navy’s Virginia Beach-based Strike Fighter Squadron 106], was arrested June 15 and charged with unlawfully filming, videotaping or photographing a minor and with using a peephole or another method to view her without her consent, police spokeswoman Kelly O’Sullivan said. Unlawfully recording someone under age 18 is a felony in Virginia punishable by up to five years’ confinement and a $2,500 fine.
Kelly said the teen and Baker did not know each other. She said a man ran from the store at 1322 Greenbrier Pkwy. in the Greenbrier Marketcenter after the teen alerted employees, who called police. A store employee was able to provide police at least part of a license plate number, which led to Baker’s arrest, O’Sullivan said.
Dude has admiral written all over him. The Navy better not let him get away.
The Iranian capture of two US Navy patrol craft earlier this year has apparently ended another senior Naval officer’s career.
The Navy has announced that CAPT Kyle Moses – Commodore of Commander Task Force (CTF) 56, the parent unit of the patrol boats captured by the Iranians in January – will be relieved of command. As Jonn previously noted some weeks ago, the Commander and former Executive Officer of the squadron involved, CDR Eric Rasch, has already been relieved.
The Fox article indicates that a “multitude of errors” led to the patrol boats seizure by Iranian forces. The errors described in that article clearly indicate that the unit suffered from inadequate training and that supervision was lacking.
It further indicates that additional personnel are likely to face disciplinary action and/or administrative sanctions due to the incident. However, those individuals have not yet been publicly identified.
Looks like the Navy may actually be doing a decent investigation of this one after all.
The other day we talked about the alcohol and travel ban that the US Navy had placed on sailors and Marines in Japan after a sailor was arrested for causing injuries to some civilians while drinking and driving. Well, they lifted the travel ban on the troops yesterday, but left the alcohol ban in place, according to AFP;
But in a statement Friday, the [N]avy said it lifted the base restrictions after confirming that “all sailors had received face-to-face training” from superior officers and others.
But sailors must now “submit to their chain of command a detailed liberty plan which accounts for all off-duty hours spent off base”, it added.
The statement also said that the drinking ban will stay in place until top officers “are comfortable that commands have conducted training, which deglamorizes the use of alcohol, and that all personnel fully understand their responsibilities as ambassadors of the United States”.
I wonder if commanders in the Pacific will also go through face-to-face training to “deglamorize” espionage and free hookers.
Mick sends us a link to the Washington Post which reports that Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau will plead guilty in the “Fat Leonard” scandal today, acccording to his lawyer. Gilbeau will be the highest-ranking officer to have his nuts caught in the wringer.
Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau, a special assistant to the chief of the Navy Supply Corps, is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Diego late Thursday afternoon, court records show. He will plead guilty to one count of making a false statement to investigators, said David Benowitz, his defense attorney.
“In this unfortunate situation, he accepts responsibility for the decisions he made and for his conduct,” Benowitz said in an email to The Washington Post.
In the modern history of the Navy, only a handful of admirals have faced criminal prosecution. Just one admiral has been court-martialed since the end of World War II. A few others have been charged with crimes by civilian authorities shortly after they retired from the service.
Leonard Glenn Francis, known as “Fat Leonard”, was the CEO of Glenn Marine Group which has been found to have overcharged for services that it provided to the Navy and received classified information regarding the deployment of Navy vessels. The Chief of Naval Operations has hinted that about 30 admirals will have been found to have participated in the scheme known as the Fat Leonard Scandal. 29 more to go.
