Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
unhappycamper
unhappycamper's Journal
unhappycamper's Journal
April 8, 2013
VA: Sex trauma big problem in military
April 06, 2013 12:00 am
By MIKE TIGHE
TOMAH — Sexual assaults have been a “big, huge” problem in the military that have been grossly underreported, says Dr. Cindy Keene.
“The military comes out with numbers like, for last year, there were 3,000 reports. But their own research shows an estimated 19,000 cases,” said Keene, a psychologist who is military sexual trauma coordinator at the Tomah VA Medical Center.
“When cases were reported, they were not handled by command, or victims were told to forget, or cases were dropped,” Keene said.
The VA has been collecting data on military sex abuse for 10 years. It has found that 1 in 5 women report being victims, compared with 1 in 100 men.
VA: Sex trauma big problem in military
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/va-sex-trauma-big-problem-in-military/article_8c431e62-9e6e-11e2-8ae3-001a4bcf887a.htmlVA: Sex trauma big problem in military
April 06, 2013 12:00 am
By MIKE TIGHE
TOMAH — Sexual assaults have been a “big, huge” problem in the military that have been grossly underreported, says Dr. Cindy Keene.
“The military comes out with numbers like, for last year, there were 3,000 reports. But their own research shows an estimated 19,000 cases,” said Keene, a psychologist who is military sexual trauma coordinator at the Tomah VA Medical Center.
“When cases were reported, they were not handled by command, or victims were told to forget, or cases were dropped,” Keene said.
The VA has been collecting data on military sex abuse for 10 years. It has found that 1 in 5 women report being victims, compared with 1 in 100 men.
April 8, 2013
After Pentagon investigations, three Army generals censured for misconduct
By Craig Whitlock, Published: April 5
After lengthy investigations, the Pentagon has determined that three Army generals committed misconduct in separate incidents, adding to an unusually long list of senior military commanders who have been censured over the past year.
On Friday, defense officials confirmed that Army Maj. Gen. Ralph O. Baker, the commander of a strategic counterterrorism force on the Horn of Africa, was fired March 28 on charges of sexual misconduct. Two officials familiar with the case said Baker was investigated for allegedly groping a female civilian employee after he had been drinking.
In addition, documents obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Pentagon’s inspector general upheld misconduct allegations against two Army lieutenant generals last year: David H. Huntoon Jr., the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and Joseph F. Fil Jr., a former commander in South Korea and Iraq. Neither episode had previously been disclosed by the Pentagon.
The cases have exacerbated concerns about the ethics and personal behavior of senior military officers, a problem that has bedeviled the Pentagon in recent months despite repeated pledges to address it.
After Pentagon investigations, three Army generals censured for misconduct
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-probe-finds-three-army-generals-committed-misconduct/2013/04/05/ff0766b8-9e16-11e2-94d6-bf62983d455b_story.htmlAfter Pentagon investigations, three Army generals censured for misconduct
By Craig Whitlock, Published: April 5
After lengthy investigations, the Pentagon has determined that three Army generals committed misconduct in separate incidents, adding to an unusually long list of senior military commanders who have been censured over the past year.
On Friday, defense officials confirmed that Army Maj. Gen. Ralph O. Baker, the commander of a strategic counterterrorism force on the Horn of Africa, was fired March 28 on charges of sexual misconduct. Two officials familiar with the case said Baker was investigated for allegedly groping a female civilian employee after he had been drinking.
In addition, documents obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Pentagon’s inspector general upheld misconduct allegations against two Army lieutenant generals last year: David H. Huntoon Jr., the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and Joseph F. Fil Jr., a former commander in South Korea and Iraq. Neither episode had previously been disclosed by the Pentagon.
The cases have exacerbated concerns about the ethics and personal behavior of senior military officers, a problem that has bedeviled the Pentagon in recent months despite repeated pledges to address it.
April 8, 2013
Towns fear noise from F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets
Apr. 7, 2013 9:10 PM
VALPARISO — Dive shop manager Bryan Kennington chatted with customers about masks and fins on a recent afternoon over the roar of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet as it streaked above the downtown Valpariso business.
“That’s the sound of freedom. I love it,” Kennington said. A group of young military men shopping for dive equipment agreed with nods and thumbs-ups.
But not everyone in this town likes the noise created by the jets belonging to Eglin Air Force Base’s new Joint Strike Fighter training squadron. The town sued the Air Force to force those in charge of the sprawling base to mitigate noise from the supersonic and stealth F-35, which is supposed to be adopted by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines, many NATO countries and other allies.
Valpariso and the Air Force have since settled the dispute with the military, agreeing to some noise-mitigation steps. While not everyone is happy with the results, the fighter pilots and the residents seem to be making things work in part because of a noise committee established after the lawsuit.
Towns fear noise from F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets
http://www.pnj.com/viewart/20130408/NEWS01/304080012/Noise-from-F-35-jets-bothers-residentsTowns fear noise from F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets
Apr. 7, 2013 9:10 PM
VALPARISO — Dive shop manager Bryan Kennington chatted with customers about masks and fins on a recent afternoon over the roar of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet as it streaked above the downtown Valpariso business.
“That’s the sound of freedom. I love it,” Kennington said. A group of young military men shopping for dive equipment agreed with nods and thumbs-ups.
But not everyone in this town likes the noise created by the jets belonging to Eglin Air Force Base’s new Joint Strike Fighter training squadron. The town sued the Air Force to force those in charge of the sprawling base to mitigate noise from the supersonic and stealth F-35, which is supposed to be adopted by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines, many NATO countries and other allies.
Valpariso and the Air Force have since settled the dispute with the military, agreeing to some noise-mitigation steps. While not everyone is happy with the results, the fighter pilots and the residents seem to be making things work in part because of a noise committee established after the lawsuit.
April 8, 2013
Lockheed Martin launches Canadian PR campaign for F-35
By Terry Milewski, CBC News
Posted: Apr 8, 2013 5:15 AM ET
Last Updated: Apr 8, 2013 5:14 AM ET
Lockheed Martin, the giant U.S. defence contractor, is launching a cross-Canada publicity blitz to convince Canadians to buy its F-35 stealth fighter jet — but it's simultaneously raising the price by a hefty $20 million US a plane.
Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice-president for the F-35 program, said just 18 months ago that Canada would pay $65 million per plane. Now, O'Bryan tells CBC News the price is $85 million. (Uuuuuh --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/11793346)
It may not be the best time to mention that. The U.S. budget axe is hovering over the whole F-35 program and the Canadian government insists that it's no longer committed to buying the jet at all.
Still, Lockheed Martin is fighting on, sending its executives and a working F-35 flight simulator to wow Canadians with the capabilities of its brand-new, high-tech stealth fighter. The simulator will be on show in Toronto today, and in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa in the weeks ahead.
Lockheed Martin launches Canadian PR campaign for F-35
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/07/pol-lockheed-martin-f35-pr-campaign.htmlLockheed Martin launches Canadian PR campaign for F-35
By Terry Milewski, CBC News
Posted: Apr 8, 2013 5:15 AM ET
Last Updated: Apr 8, 2013 5:14 AM ET
Lockheed Martin, the giant U.S. defence contractor, is launching a cross-Canada publicity blitz to convince Canadians to buy its F-35 stealth fighter jet — but it's simultaneously raising the price by a hefty $20 million US a plane.
Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice-president for the F-35 program, said just 18 months ago that Canada would pay $65 million per plane. Now, O'Bryan tells CBC News the price is $85 million. (Uuuuuh --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/11793346)
It may not be the best time to mention that. The U.S. budget axe is hovering over the whole F-35 program and the Canadian government insists that it's no longer committed to buying the jet at all.
Still, Lockheed Martin is fighting on, sending its executives and a working F-35 flight simulator to wow Canadians with the capabilities of its brand-new, high-tech stealth fighter. The simulator will be on show in Toronto today, and in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa in the weeks ahead.
April 8, 2013
What a Third Korean War Would Look Like
by Eric Margolis | April 7, 2013 - 9:31am
The intensifying war of words between North Korea, the United States and ally South Korea could ignite a major conflict. The likely trigger would be a small clash at sea, in the air, or along the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
What would a war in Korea look like?
First, nuclear conflict is unlikely. North Korea is not believed to have any long or medium-ranged nuclear weapons, certainly none that could hit North America. North Korea might be able to strike South Korea with a nuclear device. But then US nuclear weapons would wipe North Korea off the map.
North Korea’s military strategy would be to launch a surprise attack on the south to occupy Seoul and Inchon. The vital US Air Force bases at Osan and Kunsan, and eight South Korean air bases, would be primary targets.
What a Third Korean War Would Look Like
http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/eric-margolis/48938/what-a-third-korean-war-would-look-likeWhat a Third Korean War Would Look Like
by Eric Margolis | April 7, 2013 - 9:31am
The intensifying war of words between North Korea, the United States and ally South Korea could ignite a major conflict. The likely trigger would be a small clash at sea, in the air, or along the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
What would a war in Korea look like?
First, nuclear conflict is unlikely. North Korea is not believed to have any long or medium-ranged nuclear weapons, certainly none that could hit North America. North Korea might be able to strike South Korea with a nuclear device. But then US nuclear weapons would wipe North Korea off the map.
North Korea’s military strategy would be to launch a surprise attack on the south to occupy Seoul and Inchon. The vital US Air Force bases at Osan and Kunsan, and eight South Korean air bases, would be primary targets.
April 8, 2013
UN Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
U.N. Official Calls for Closing of Guantanamo Bay
By John Knefel
April 5, 2013 3:40 PM ET
A high-ranking United Nations official called for the closing of Guantanamo Bay today in one of the strongest statements issued by the U.N. in recent memory. Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the prison camps must be shuttered and that they are in a "clear breach of international law."
The statement comes amid mounting pressure to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, due in part to an increasingly dire two-month hunger strike. As many as 130 of the 166 detainees are currently on hunger strike, according to defense attorneys, though the Pentagon puts the number at closer to 40. Eleven detainees are being fed through a tube that's snaked through their nostrils. Of those 11, at least three have been hospitalized for dehydration.
Pillay excoriated the Obama administration and Congress, saying, "The continuing indefinite incarceration of many of the detainees amounts to arbitrary detention." Of the 166 men still held at Guantanamo, 86 have been cleared for release by the Obama administration and relevant agencies. Some of those men had also previously been cleared by the Bush administration. That means, in no uncertain terms, that they have been detained unjustly, that they never posed a threat to the U.S., and they are extremely unlikely to pose a threat to the U.S. if released. Nine men have died at Guantanamo – four on Obama's watch – including most recently Adnan Latif, a Yemeni who had been repeatedly cleared for transfer.
"We must be clear about this," Pillay said in the statement. "The United States is in clear breach not just of its own commitments but also of international laws and standards that it is obliged to uphold." Pillay called for the immediate release of every detainee who has been cleared, and also said that if and when detainees are charged they should be tried in civilian court, not the alternate military commission system now in place at Guantanamo.
U.N. Official Calls for Closing of Guantanamo Bay
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/u-n-official-calls-for-closing-of-guantanamo-bay-20130405#ixzz2PgNpmEEQUN Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
U.N. Official Calls for Closing of Guantanamo Bay
By John Knefel
April 5, 2013 3:40 PM ET
A high-ranking United Nations official called for the closing of Guantanamo Bay today in one of the strongest statements issued by the U.N. in recent memory. Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the prison camps must be shuttered and that they are in a "clear breach of international law."
The statement comes amid mounting pressure to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, due in part to an increasingly dire two-month hunger strike. As many as 130 of the 166 detainees are currently on hunger strike, according to defense attorneys, though the Pentagon puts the number at closer to 40. Eleven detainees are being fed through a tube that's snaked through their nostrils. Of those 11, at least three have been hospitalized for dehydration.
Pillay excoriated the Obama administration and Congress, saying, "The continuing indefinite incarceration of many of the detainees amounts to arbitrary detention." Of the 166 men still held at Guantanamo, 86 have been cleared for release by the Obama administration and relevant agencies. Some of those men had also previously been cleared by the Bush administration. That means, in no uncertain terms, that they have been detained unjustly, that they never posed a threat to the U.S., and they are extremely unlikely to pose a threat to the U.S. if released. Nine men have died at Guantanamo – four on Obama's watch – including most recently Adnan Latif, a Yemeni who had been repeatedly cleared for transfer.
"We must be clear about this," Pillay said in the statement. "The United States is in clear breach not just of its own commitments but also of international laws and standards that it is obliged to uphold." Pillay called for the immediate release of every detainee who has been cleared, and also said that if and when detainees are charged they should be tried in civilian court, not the alternate military commission system now in place at Guantanamo.
April 8, 2013
What does Europe do if the United States one day says, "It was nice meeting you, thank you and goodbye?"
What Happens if America Pulls Out of Europe?
die Welt, Germany
By Michael Stürmer
Translated By Ron Argentati
2 April 2013
Edited by Laurence Bouvard
The U.S. military has to economize and will reduce troop levels in Europe. The question of what the ramifications of losing the United States as resident protector would be for Europe isn't an especially welcome topic in Berlin and Brussels.
What does Europe do if the United States one day says, “It was nice meeting you, thank you and goodbye?” Of course it wouldn't happen exactly that way, but what would happen if it does?
The question was asked at the latest parliamentary meeting between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag in Berlin, although it must have been an unpleasant one for all the Germans regardless of their political party affiliation. It had an air of impending emergency about it. The German answer was instructive because the Germans had absolutely no clue as to what would happen.
The presence of 300,000 U.S. soldiers back in the good old days of the Cold War — not to mention innumerable family members scattered between Ramstein in the Palatinate and Bad Hersfeld in the Fulda Gap — those days are long since gone. As Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a-changin'.” Today the Americans have but two combat brigades on the European continent plus Air Force units and Navy units in nearby waters. The tendency is toward even less.
What Happens if America Pulls Out of Europe?
http://watchingamerica.com/News/202070/what-happens-if-america-pulls-out-of-europe/What does Europe do if the United States one day says, "It was nice meeting you, thank you and goodbye?"
What Happens if America Pulls Out of Europe?
die Welt, Germany
By Michael Stürmer
Translated By Ron Argentati
2 April 2013
Edited by Laurence Bouvard
The U.S. military has to economize and will reduce troop levels in Europe. The question of what the ramifications of losing the United States as resident protector would be for Europe isn't an especially welcome topic in Berlin and Brussels.
What does Europe do if the United States one day says, “It was nice meeting you, thank you and goodbye?” Of course it wouldn't happen exactly that way, but what would happen if it does?
The question was asked at the latest parliamentary meeting between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag in Berlin, although it must have been an unpleasant one for all the Germans regardless of their political party affiliation. It had an air of impending emergency about it. The German answer was instructive because the Germans had absolutely no clue as to what would happen.
The presence of 300,000 U.S. soldiers back in the good old days of the Cold War — not to mention innumerable family members scattered between Ramstein in the Palatinate and Bad Hersfeld in the Fulda Gap — those days are long since gone. As Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a-changin'.” Today the Americans have but two combat brigades on the European continent plus Air Force units and Navy units in nearby waters. The tendency is toward even less.
April 8, 2013
NATO air strike kills 10 children in Afghanistan: officials
By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, April 7, 2013 12:37 EDT
A NATO air attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed 10 children, officials said Sunday, the latest case of civilian casualties which provoke great anger in the war-torn country.
The children were killed during a joint Afghan-NATO operation in the Shigal district of restive Kunar province bordering Pakistan late on Saturday.
An Afghan official involved in the operation who did not want to be named said air support was called in after local and coalition forces came under attack, resulting in the death of an American and injuries to several Afghan soldiers.
~snip~
Sayed Rahman, security commander of Shigal, said one women was also among the dead. “We have reports that 10 children and one woman have been killed in the air strike,” he said.
NATO air strike kills 10 children in Afghanistan: officials
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/07/nato-air-strike-kills-10-children-in-afghanistan-officials/NATO air strike kills 10 children in Afghanistan: officials
By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, April 7, 2013 12:37 EDT
A NATO air attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed 10 children, officials said Sunday, the latest case of civilian casualties which provoke great anger in the war-torn country.
The children were killed during a joint Afghan-NATO operation in the Shigal district of restive Kunar province bordering Pakistan late on Saturday.
An Afghan official involved in the operation who did not want to be named said air support was called in after local and coalition forces came under attack, resulting in the death of an American and injuries to several Afghan soldiers.
~snip~
Sayed Rahman, security commander of Shigal, said one women was also among the dead. “We have reports that 10 children and one woman have been killed in the air strike,” he said.
April 7, 2013
U.S Offers Korea F-35 Aircraft At Subsidized Rates
Friday, April 5, 2013 @ 03:29 PM
The U.S has offered Korea 60 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at a subsidized cost of $10.8 billion with each jet prices at $180 million.
This is in stark contrast to the differing prices to allies around the world. Japan’s acquisition of 42 F-35As (4 + 38 on option) aircraft will approximately cost $10 billion about $238 million per aircraft. And Israel, has been offered 75 F-35s for $15.2 billion about $202.6 million for each jet.
The Pentagon has yet to issue a statement on the varying price tags.
Meanwhile, the sale to Korea will include the Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines, and (9) Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines are included as spares.
U.S Offers Korea F-35 Aircraft At Subsidized Rates
http://www.defenseworld.net/news/8160/U_S_Offers_Korea_F_35_Aircraft_At_Subsidized_RatesU.S Offers Korea F-35 Aircraft At Subsidized Rates
Friday, April 5, 2013 @ 03:29 PM
The U.S has offered Korea 60 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at a subsidized cost of $10.8 billion with each jet prices at $180 million.
This is in stark contrast to the differing prices to allies around the world. Japan’s acquisition of 42 F-35As (4 + 38 on option) aircraft will approximately cost $10 billion about $238 million per aircraft. And Israel, has been offered 75 F-35s for $15.2 billion about $202.6 million for each jet.
The Pentagon has yet to issue a statement on the varying price tags.
Meanwhile, the sale to Korea will include the Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines, and (9) Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines are included as spares.
April 7, 2013
Meet the F-35: The DoD's Pricey Benchwarming Plane
By: Daniel Bukszpan
Published: Friday, 5 Apr 2013 | 3:55 PM ET
Should North Korea's hostile rhetoric give way to action, the U.S. military has sent F-22 fighters to defend South Korea. These fighters carry a price tag of $143 million each ($418 million dollars each according to Time Magazine) , making them the most expensive in use.
That could change if the F-35 Lightning II were deployed. Yet by all indications, that won't be happening anytime soon — if at all.
According to Winslow Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Project on Government Oversight, the F-35 program now costs approximately $200 million per craft (this camper maintains F-35s are at least $243 million dollars each).
Despite the princely sums spent on the fighter, the plane has never been used in a combat scenario —a situation that Wheeler claims is pushing up its cost, since it missed its original 2012 deployment date.
Meet the F-35: The DoD's Pricey Benchwarming Plane
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100614024Meet the F-35: The DoD's Pricey Benchwarming Plane
By: Daniel Bukszpan
Published: Friday, 5 Apr 2013 | 3:55 PM ET
Should North Korea's hostile rhetoric give way to action, the U.S. military has sent F-22 fighters to defend South Korea. These fighters carry a price tag of $143 million each ($418 million dollars each according to Time Magazine) , making them the most expensive in use.
That could change if the F-35 Lightning II were deployed. Yet by all indications, that won't be happening anytime soon — if at all.
According to Winslow Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Project on Government Oversight, the F-35 program now costs approximately $200 million per craft (this camper maintains F-35s are at least $243 million dollars each).
Despite the princely sums spent on the fighter, the plane has never been used in a combat scenario —a situation that Wheeler claims is pushing up its cost, since it missed its original 2012 deployment date.
Profile Information
Member since: Wed Mar 16, 2005, 11:12 AMNumber of posts: 60,364
