Panel: No new atomic weapons needed Nov 21, 2009
The endorsed the panel's recommendations and sent the classified report to the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces, which asked for the review. The study "validates our basic scientific approach to warhead life extension programs, specifically our commitment to evaluating each weapon system on a case-by-case basis and applying the best technological approach," NNSA spokesman Damien LaVera said in a written statement. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Plans by U.S. to Dominate Space Raising Concerns Nov 21, 2009
"I think everybody that I know in the United States military and the Department of Defense understands the important role that our space assets play in our national security," Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former head of the Space Command, told the House Armed Services Committee March 10. "One of the biggest issues that we had to deal with was trying to figure out what was happening to a particular capability if the function was interrupted.". (Yahoo News -- Missile Defense System)
Senate Puts Off Military Ban on Gays Nov 21, 2009
WASHINGTON A planned November hearing by the US Senate Armed Services Committee to consider ending a ban on gays serving openly in the US military will be postponed, a spokeswoman indicated Friday. "We do not have a date" for the hearing, said the aide, Tara Andringa. (Newsmax)
Initial Senate vote looms on health legislation Nov 21, 2009
" It's just another scare word used by the righties. Of couse as I listen to the president for whom nearly 70% of us voted in Butte/Silver Bow, state he want's a public option, where there IS personal choice. But again it's clever to substitute "government controlled" as the term instead of universal or national. Scare tactics used to work for red-baiters & fake patriots.After all, social security, the post office, the VA, the armed services are ALL social systems. If you can afford to wage... (Montana Standard, MT)
Report shows Fort Hood shooter talked with radical cleric Nov 21, 2009
" Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said Friday that he would investigate the handling of the e-mails and why military officials were not aware of them before the deadly attack. According to The Post, Levin told reporters after a briefing from Pentagon staff members that "there are some who are reluctant to call it terrorism, but there is significant evidence that it is. " - AFP/yb Add Your Comments View Comments () Name : E-mail: Your views (Max 600 chars) word count: more... (Channelnewsasia.com)
Pentagon announces Fort Hood review Nov 20, 2009
"All the information we have is that this is a lone wolf," Langevin, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said after a closed-door briefing on the Fort Hood investigation ... Rooney, a member of the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee and a former Army lawyer, also said Hasan was qualified to be promoted but was in "more toward the bottom third of his class.". (MSNBC -- Crime)
Is the NSA spying on U.S. Internet traffic? Nov 19, 2009
The program -- which subjects volunteers from the armed services to simulated hostile capture situations -- trains servicemen and -women to withstand coercion well enough to avoid making false confessions if captured ... " In all of his torture memos, Yoo ignored key precedents relating both and to separation of powers. 8. Jay Bybee, assistant attorney general, Office of Legal Counsel (2001-2003) As head of the OLC when the first torture memos were approved, Bybee signed the memos named after... (Yahoo News -- Online Privacy)
McCain wants defense review Nov 19, 2009
"The important thing is that they avoid the appearance of conflict," McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in an interview. USA TODAY INVESTIGATION: MILITARY MENTORS. (USA Today)
Committee delays Ft. Hood hearing after administration request Nov 17, 2009
The Senate Armed Services Committee has postponed a closed-door hearing on the Fort Hood attack after a request by the administration. The committee announced this morning that the briefing schedule for today has been postponed. (TheHill.com)
Obama Urges Congress to Put Off Fort Hood Probe Nov 16, 2009
said he wanted to go ahead with an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the top Republican. He said he wanted an investigation that wouldn't compromise law enforcement or military investigations that were continuing on separate tracks. (Time.com)
Read Chris Wallace's interview Nov 16, 2009
WALLACE: Now for the other side of the argument, we're joined by Democratic senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army ranger. And, Senator, welcome back. (Fox News)
Time For Obama To Talk With Al-Jazeera Nov 15, 2009
The Pentagon and the Senate Armed Services Committee have issued reports recently urging better global strategic communications. And the Department of State is constantly looking for ways to counter the propaganda put forth by militants in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. (CBS News)
Obama Seeks Afghan War Exit Strategy Tied to Karzai Commitment, Gibbs Says Nov 14, 2009
Reed, a Democrat and Obama confidant, sits on the Armed Services Committee and is a former U.S. Army officer. Take the Burden. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Lawmakers differ on Gitmo trial decision Nov 14, 2009
Jim Webb of Virginia, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also supports the use of military tribunals in terrorism cases. Bringing Mohammed and the other detainees to New York for trial could be "disruptive, costly, and potentially counterproductive," Webb said Friday. (MSNBC -- Politics)
CIA Ahead in Intelligence Turf War Nov 13, 2009
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, left, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, right, arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 10, 2009, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on worldwide threats. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh). (CBS News -- Politics)
New Veterans Monument Dedicated Emotionally in Kent Nov 13, 2009
During the Second World War the town had a wooden honor roll that included the names of service men and women then in the Armed Services. That memorial was retired after the war and plans were made for a permanent monument in 1946. (Litchfield County Times, CT)
The Folly Of A `Drone War' Nov 12, 2009
Republican Congressman and former House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, for instance, is a major drone booster. In April 2009, he that we must also press forward with the development of the next generation of UAVs, including the Predator C. 00002F65 During my service in the Marine Corps, I engaged targets with the Predator A and B Series, and I recognize the advantages offered by Predator C. In 2008, , whose "affiliate" makes the Predator drone, gave to Hunters election... (CBS News)
Sources: Obama studies 4 war options Nov 12, 2009
Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee urged Obama in a letter sent Wednesday -- Veterans Day -- to agree to the request for additional troops by U.S. military leaders in Afghanistan. The letter, signed by 10 GOP committee members, said success in Afghanistan will require local leaders and citizens being able to govern and secure their own country without "substantial" international assistance. (CNN)
President Obama pays tribute to 13 killed in Fort Hood tragedy Nov 11, 2009
The incident has sparked fears of a backlash against Muslims in the U.S. and in the armed services in particular ... The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a closed briefing on the killings on Monday. (TheHill.com)
Tortured justice Nov 10, 2009
In the only Senate vote Wednesday -- to substitute an earlier version of the legislation (approved by a bipartisan Armed Services Committee majority before being watered down in negotiations with the White House) -- Reid managed to hold virtually the entire Democratic caucus together ... The outing Web site exposed the secret homosexual life of the 63-year-old retired career Navy officer, Vietnam veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee. (Salon)
Plans by U.S. to Dominate Space Raising Concerns Nov 9, 2009
"I think everybody that I know in the United States military and the Department of Defense understands the important role that our space assets play in our national security," Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former head of the Space Command, told the House Armed Services Committee March 10. "One of the biggest issues that we had to deal with was trying to figure out what was happening to a particular capability if the function was interrupted.". (Yahoo News -- Missile Defense System)
House Votes to Ban Abortion Subsidies Nov 9, 2009
Or the other thirty or forty members of congress who served their country in the US Armed Services but didn't actually see combat. Before you seek a remedy for that extreme case of foot in mouth disease of yours (assuming making a fool of yourself again is something you're interested in avoiding), you might try doing a bit of research first. (CBS News)
Lawmakers Urge Caution on Fort Hood Nov 9, 2009
Ike Skelton, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, said during an appearance on "Face the Nation" that launching a congressional investigation now into the deadly shooting at Fort Hood would be premature ... Ike Skelton, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday ... Jack Reed, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed his fellow Democrat's caution. (CBS News)
Wyndcrest Announces Military Training and Simulation Team Nov 7, 2009
The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) promotes cooperation among the Armed Services, Industry, Academia and various government agencies in pursuit of improved training and education programs, identification of common training issues and development of multiservice programs. About Mr. Raymond DuBois. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Written out of the story Nov 7, 2009
The outing Web site exposed the secret homosexual life of the 63-year-old retired career Navy officer, Vietnam veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee. Hiding in the next Republican closet to be aired out was Jim West, then mayor of Spokane, Wash. (Salon)
Iran Military Power Faces U.S. Study for First Time Under Defense Measure Nov 3, 2009
In Washington, House Armed Services Committee Chairman said he endorsed the requirement for an annual report on Irans military because the U.S. needs a better handle on Irans general military strength. That country has potential to cause great mischief, said Skelton, a Missouri Democrat. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Former Defense Department official joins Oshkosh board Nov 3, 2009
Hamre also worked for 10 years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and served in the Congressional Budget Office from 1978 to 1984. In 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appointed Hamre to serve as chairman of the Defense Policy Board, a federal advisory committee to the U.S.. (Milwaukee Business Journal, WI)
Scozzafava backs Democrat in North Country House race Nov 2, 2009
The candidate best positioned and suited to protect Fort Drum and continue the legacy of John McHugh is Doug Hoffman, and the pledge from Republican leadership to secure support for him on the House Armed Services Committee affirms that, NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain said. The race has attracted attention and money from national offices and special interest groups. (Utica NY Obserer, NY)
Nuclear arms treaties are worth the political battle Nov 1, 2009
The goal of eliminating nuclear weapons has been embraced by scores of former heads of state, defense ministers, and foreign ministers worldwide, including prominent US figures such as former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz; former defense secretary William Perry, and former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sam Nunn. We urgently need new measures to cut nuclear arsenals and ban all nuclear weapons testing. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
Politics & Gov't Nov 1, 2009
President Barack Obama grappled Friday with the costs and consequences of a long-term commitment to Afghanistan, but reached no decisions about troop levels, a top aide said, as military advisers briefed the president on an armed services already taxed by challenges around the globe. By The Associated Press, The Associated Press. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
In Kennedy’s towering shadow, Senator Kirk discreetly toils Nov 1, 2009
Kirk has been assigned to two important Senate committees: Homeland Security, which oversees domestic security issues, and Armed Services, which deals with military issues, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The latter, he said, is right in the headlights of a decision the president is going to have to make on Afghanistan. (Boston Globe)
DoD to complete Alaska mis00004000sile silos Oct 30, 2009
Mark Begich, a Democrat, appealed to the Senate Armed Services Committee in June to maintain money to expand the ground-based missile defense system, saying it's not just about North Korea but also about shooting down missiles launched by Iran. In a news release Tuesday, Begich said the plan is "a welcome decision that will decrease the risk of the ever-evolving ballistic missile threats from rogue nations by increasing capacity required to defend the United States.". (Anchorage Daily News)
New York 23 Smack Down? Oct 30, 2009
The charge that his refusal to take earmarks would undermine the military base at Fort Drum in the district was dealt a sharp blow by Hoffman s endorsement from four Members of the House Armed Services Committee -- Fallin and Reps. Trent Franks (Ariz), Todd Aiken (Mo. (Human Events Online)
Pelosi hopes new health plan is poised to pass Oct 29, 2009
" It's just another scare word used by the righties. Of couse as I listen to the president for whom nearly 70% of us voted in Butte/Silver Bow, state he want's a public option, where there IS personal choice. But again it's clever to substitute "government controlled" as the term instead of universal or national. Scare tactics used to work for red-baiters & fake patriots.After all, social security, the post office, the VA, the armed services are ALL social systems. If you can afford to wage... (Montana Standard, MT)
US to pay Taliban to switch sides Oct 28, 2009
The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Senator Carl Levin, has said he envisages the money being used to pay former Taliban fighters to protect their communities. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Baghdad Car Bombs Kill More Than 150, Raise Question Over Election Plans Oct 27, 2009
There will continue to be outbreaks of this violence -- its extremists trying to ignite sectarian violence, thats whats going on, said McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Weve still got a ways to go but its not going to require any delay in withdrawal of U.S. troops. (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Gillibrand says she would add gay rights amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act Oct 27, 2009
She lobbied Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich. to hold hearings on the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans openly gay people from serving. (TheHill.com)
Helicopters crash: Afghanistan takes heavy toll on US choppers Oct 27, 2009
Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, American copters have flown more than 3 million flight hours, pointed out Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Speakes, deputy chief of staff of the Army, in an appearance before the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year. Yet mission-capable rates for Army aircraft have met or exceeded their 75 percent standard, said Speakes. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
White House Enemy's List Oct 27, 2009
Tonight before I go to bed in my air-condition home with my wife safely at my side having eaten a great meal, I will take a few minutes to say a prayer for our BRAVE men and women in our armed services. They make our lives what they are because of their sacrifices for our freedom and privileged lifestyles. (New Iberia, LA)
GOP senators back away from Cheney's Afghan war words Oct 26, 2009
McCain, who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed Hatch's comments, saying that " he wouldn't use that language." ... Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich. (TheHill.com)
Healthcare reform, Afghanistan to top Sunday shows Oct 25, 2009
and Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich ... The Armed Services Committees ranking Republican Sen. (TheHill.com)
NATIONAL GUARD - Equipment Returns From Iraq Oct 24, 2009
The National Guard - National Guard equipment will return home from Iraq, House Armed Services Committee told ... The undersecretary of defense for policy told a House Armed Services Committee hearing on military redeployment from Iraq Oct. 21, 2009 that reserve component equipment will not be used as a source for Iraqi security forces requirements, adding that units being offered the opportunity to take theater-provided equipment back to their home station ... Reserve component equipment will... (DOD DefenseLINK)
Congressman requests hearings on BAE FMTV decision Oct 24, 2009
McCaul sent letters last week requesting the hearings to Neil Abercrombie, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee Air and Land Forces, and that subcommittee s ranking member, Roscoe Bartlett, along with John Murtha, chairman of the subcommittee on Defense House Appropriations Committee, and ranking member, the Hon. C.W. Bill Young. In his letters, McCaul questions the Army s selection process and decision to award the FMTV contract to a company that has never built the truck... (Sealy News, TX)
3.4 percent military pay hike passes Congress Oct 23, 2009
"I would be stunned if they vetoed," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich. said after the vote. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Bands crank up volume on Guantanamo debate Oct 23, 2009
A November 2008 report by the Senate Armed Services Committee into the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody makes several references to the use of loud music as an interrogation tool. Slideshow. (MSNBC -- International)
R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails Join Campaign To Close Guantanamo Bay Oct 23, 2009
It's anti-American, period,' said R.E.M. about the practice of using their music and others' at high volumes to intimidate detainees. " According to in a statement announcing their participation in the coalition, R.E.M. said, "We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. (VHI.com -- Music News)
White House rejects Cheneys war criticism Oct 23, 2009
Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Armed Services Committee. Sen. (MSNBC -- Politics)
REM call for Guantanamo closure Oct 23, 2009
A report published in November 2008 by the Senate Armed Services Committee report, has already made several references to the technique. In one case interrogators played records to "stress" a prisoner, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who believed music was forbidden. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Inouye Hits Senate Milestone Oct 22, 2009
who served from 1914 to 1965 and chaired the Armed Services Committee. Inouye, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and Kennedy were both elected to the Senate in November 1962, although Kennedy got a jump in seniority because he won a special election to fill the remainder of the term won by his brother, President John F. Kennedy. (Roll Call)
Rep. Franks: Dems put terrorists' rights before Americans' safety Oct 22, 2009
"I've been on the Judiciary Committee as well as the Armed Services Committee, and it has bewildered me as to why this Democratic majority has worked to seemingly protect the rights of terrorists more than to protect the American people," Franks said in an interview on the "Dateline Washington" program. "I think it will even catalyze the recruitment of terrorists within America," he added. (TheHill.com)
ATTACKS DROP 85% Oct 21, 2009
Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, arrives Wednesday to testify before the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee ... The level of attacks has dropped from 4,064 in August 2007 to 594 this August, told the House Armed Services Committee. (USA Today)
Republicans Poised to Rumble on Afghanistan Oct 21, 2009
ranking member of the Armed Services Committee ... Understandably people are very disturbed, Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz. (Roll Call)
Marine's dad speaks out Oct 19, 2009
Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during an Armed Services Committee meeting last month. "Getting this right in the long run will actually result in fewer casualties," Mullen said, according to a transcript of the hearing. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Mackinaw to unveil new veterans monument on Veterans Day Oct 19, 2009
While those symbols honor the armed services as a whole, field of engraved bricks allows people to commemorate individuals as a way to help pay for the monument. "The plot will hold about 800 bricks --our initial goal was 200," said Legion member Jim Wheat of Tremont, who heads the committee of eight people who moved the monument from drawing board to reality. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
GOP Whip Team Has Yet to Pay Dues Oct 19, 2009
ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, has given $91,667 more than his goal of $200,000. Issa and McKeon also donated $12,000 each to the Young Guns program. (Roll Call)
N.Y. House race seen as test for GOP, Obama Oct 19, 2009
He served on the House Armed Services Committee for years and worked with the oft-deployed 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, which is in the district. The compressed time frame of a special election McHugh was confirmed only last month leaves voters with little-known candidates and little time for introductions. (MSNBC -- Politics)
* US Congress to hear Taiwan resolution Oct 18, 2009
Andrews, from New Jersey, is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. A Pentagon report issued earlier this year warns that Chinas military modernization could be used in the future to pressure Taiwan toward a settlement of the cross-strait dispute on Beijings terms, while simultaneously attempting to deter, delay or deny any possible US support for the island in case of conflict. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Army's new body armor faulted Oct 18, 2009
Abercrombie is chairman of the House Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee; Bartlett is the panel's top Republican. The GAO report is the latest study to call into question the Army's ability to oversee the production of a key piece of battlefield equipment. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Investigators find flaws in Army body armor tests Oct 17, 2009
FILE - In this The Feb. 4, 2009, file photo U.S. Army's Improved Outer Tachtical Vests are displayed by by Army First Sgt. Patrick Schrader, left, and Staff Sgt. Fred Rowe, during a House Armed Services Committee joint hearing on Army and Marine Corps force protection programs, on Capitol Hill ... Abercrombie is chairman of the House Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee; Bartlett is the panel's top Republican. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
$500K expected for Shorter Emergency center Oct 17, 2009
Rogers also serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee. Information Courtesy: Rep. (WSJA.com, AL)
War in Afghanistan Oct 16, 2009
Likewise, the chairmen of the Armed Services committees in the Senate and House urged Obama not to allow another vacuum to develop in the country that harbored terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Pelosi's stance. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Our views: End hypocritical ban Oct 14, 2009
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin, D-Mich. says buy-in from the Pentagon is building. (Florida Today)
Vote set for health overhaul in Senate committee Oct 13, 2009
After all, social security, the post office, the VA, the armed services are ALL social systems. If you can afford to wage endless (and often unnecessary) war, then the most wealthy nation in the world can afford to provide national security to its own citizens. (Montana Standard, MT)
Mich. court upholds penalty against BP N. America Oct 13, 2009
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michigan Democrat Carl Levin, also says that U.S. plans should emphasize improving Afghanistan's army and police forces so they're better equipped to deal with the threat from the resurgent Taliban. President Barack Obama has been huddling with his top advisers to consider if and how many more troops might be needed in the 8-year-old Afghanistan conflict. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
POLITICS: Partisan divide persists on troop surge for Afghanistan... Oct 12, 2009
Senator Carl Levin, the Democratic chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Afghan, not US troops were key. "The surge that will work in Afghanistan will be a surge of Afghan troops," he said on NBC television. (The Drudge Report)
