Senator Manchin "Army Too Small To Meet Threats Around The World"

Army Needs 220K More Soldiers to Deal With Major Foes: Milley
Military.com
by Matthew Cox
Apr 07, 2016

Gen. Mark A. Milley tells 300 ROTC and U.S. Military Academy cadets his winning philosophy. Milley spoke during the George C. Marshall Award and Leadership seminar on Fort Leavenworth, Kan., March 31, 2015. (U.S. Army photo/ David Vergun)

The U.S. Army's chief of staff told lawmakers Thursday that the service would need another 220,000 soldiers before it could confidently handle major operations with emerging military foes around the world.

Gen. Mark Milley told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Army is operating at "high military risk" if it continues to operate at the proposed total Army troop strength of 980,000 soldiers.

By fiscal 2018, the Army's active force is slated to have 450,000 soldiers in its ranks. The National Guard will have 335,000 and the Army Reserve will have 195,000 soldiers.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, has been one of several lawmakers who's been very vocal about his concern that the Army is too small. "Everything that I have heard from your generals is there is no way we can meet the imminent threats that we have around the world with 980,000 soldiers," Manchin said.
read more here

Veterans Charities: Where's The Money Trump Promised?

Veterans' charities reportedly receive fraction of money raised by Trump event
FOX News
April 8, 2016

At the time, FBN reported, several groups said they had not received any money. And seven of the 22 told Fox Business Network they had received a total of $650,000. Other groups did not respond to inquiries at the time.

More than two months after Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump claimed to have raised $6 million for veterans' charities at a fundraiser held on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, most of the organizations targeted to receive the money have gotten less than half of that amount.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a survey of the 22 groups listed by Trump's campaign as prospective recipients for the money, reported that 19 organizations had obtained a total of $2.4 million from Trump's foundation or associates.
read more here

Billionaire Funding 20 to 25 Clinics for Veterans

Billionaire pledges $275 million for free mental health care for veterans, families
Stars and Stripes
By Heath Druzin
Published: April 8, 2016

A billionaire hedge-fund manager has pledged $275 million to build clinics offering free mental health care to veterans and their families.

Steven Cohen, who heads Point72 Asset Management, will build 20 to 25 clinics across the country in the next three to five years, with the first ones opening in July.

The initial clinics will be in New York, Dallas, San Antonio and Los Angeles, according to a press release from the Cohen Veterans Network, the nonprofit group overseeing the effort.

The announcement comes as the Department of Veterans Affairs remains under fire for long wait times and inadequate health care for veterans and is getting increasing criticism for denying health care to veterans with other than honorable discharges.

Cohen’s clinics would offer free mental health care to all veterans, regardless of discharge status, with priority given to post-9/11 vets. The clinics promise short wait times and free transportation to appointments.

“It’s very simple the way we see it: A veteran is someone who wore the uniform for even one day,” Cohen Veterans Network Executive Director Dr. Anthony Hassan said in a phone interview with Stars and Stripes.

Hassan, an Army and Air Force veteran who has spent years studying military behavioral health, said he picked the initial locations based on their high concentrations of veterans and long VA wait times for mental health appointments.
read more here

Lackland Air Force Base Under Lockdown After Suspected Murder-Suicide

UPDATE April 10, 2016

Air Force: Pararescue student shot training squadron commander at Lackland
Air Force Times
Stephen Losey and Oriana Pawlyk
April 10, 2016

The Air Force has identified the two airmen killed in Friday's apparent murder-suicide shooting at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Lt. Col. William A. Schroeder, the commander of the 342nd Training Squadron at the 37th Training Wing at Lackland, and Technical Sgt. Steven D. Bellino, a pararescue student at the 342nd, were found dead by first responders, the 502nd Air Base Wing at Lackland said in a Saturday release.

An Air Force official said that Bellino is believed to be the alleged gunman.
read more here


Air Force tech sergeant kills commander before disciplinary hearing at Lackland Air Force Base
April 8, 2016

SAN ANTONIO — A tech sergeant at Lackland Air Force Base was being escorted to a disciplinary proceeding by a senior non-commissioned officer Friday morning when the tech sergeant opened fire in the commander's office, killing the commander, a source with knowledge of the attack said.

UPDATE
Senior U.S. official: Airman fatally shot his commander, self at Lackland AFB
Shooting happened at Medina Base Annex

2 Men Dead in Shooting at Texas Air Force Base
ABC News
By Emily Shapiro
Apr 8, 2016

Military and law enforcement personnel are seen inside Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, April 8, 2016.

Two men are dead, including a squadron commander, after an active shooting was reported at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, a defense official told ABC News.

Joint Base San Antonio, which includes Lackland Air Force Base, described it as a "a real world active shooter situation" and said the base was placed on lockdown this morning. The base later said in a statement the incident was "contained" and that an investigation is underway.
read more here

Abused Dogs Find New Home Behind Bars With Veterans

New jail program matches up abused dogs with veterans behind bars
AZ Family
Tami Hoey
April 6, 2016

A new program at the Maricopa County jail matches up abused dogs from with military veterans who are serving time.

The dogs are from Sheriff Joe Arpaio's MASH (Maricopa Animal Safe Haven) Unit.

All the dogs in the MASH Unit are formerly abused and neglected and were seized from their prior owners under criminal circumstances by detectives in the Animal Crimes Unit.

Now, every Wednesday, dogs from that unit will be taken to the veterans pod at Towers Jail in the Durango Complex to spend time with inmates who are veterans.

The dogs range in breed from terriers to labs to pit bulls.

Arpaio says both dogs and inmates can benefit from the program.

Studies have been found that the presence of animals can help inmates deal with stress.
read more here
azfamily.com 3TV | Phoenix Breaking News, Weather, Sport