NewzIntel.com

Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Presses Navy Nominee for Certainty on Shipbuilding, Defense Contracts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today pressed the U.S. Navy for a firmer commitment to long-term shipbuilding plans at shipyards like Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard – plans that would give Maine communities and defense contractors greater predictability. In a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), King pressed Admiral Daryl Caudle, the nominee for Chief of Naval Operations, about his desire to maintain these long-term plans to allow the shipyards hire and maintain their workforces.

    Senator King began, “We talked about industrial base. It was touched upon. One of the things that has been missing, isn’t on your watch, is a 30-year shipbuilding plan. We always talk about the industrial base. One of the things the industrial base needs is a consistent demand signal. Part of that is a 30-year ship building plan that says to the private sector, here are the ships we are planning to build, here’s the schedule, here’s is what we are looking for in terms of the modern Navy. I hope that can be one of the things you attend to on your watch, producing that overdue 30-year shipbuilding plan.

    “Well Senator, I often joke at my office that you cannot change a 30-year ship building plan every year. That is called a one-year ship building plan,” Admiral Caudle jokingly replied.

    Senator King promptly responded, “And that’s what we have had.”

    “Yes sir. Changing year 31 is okay, but not year 1. You have my commitment on that, and I am a big fan of multiyear procurement, incremental funding, multi-ship buy, anything that can stabilize our precious private and public workforce with clear planning demand signal I am an advocate for,” Admiral Caudle said.

    “That is absolutely a very important observation. As you say, the consistent demand signal allows the ship building community to hire and maintain their workforce. We cannot have troughs in terms of the demand,” Senator King concluded.

    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. Last year, he strongly urged Mr. Frederick J. Stefany, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition to prioritize long-term investments in the defense industrial base – including Bath Iron Works—to avoid a ‘trough’ between contracted work, resulting in a likely loss of workers and threatening American national security.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: National Guard soldier deployed to South Texas to help secure border convicted of smuggling illegal aliens into US

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A National Guard member deployed to South Texas to help secure the border was convicted of smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S. July 21. Findings of the smuggling were due to the combined investigation efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Corpus Christi, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility.

    Mario Sandoval, a 27-year-old resident of Houston, was found guilty of conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens at the end of a one-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

    “Driven exclusively by greed, this individual betrayed the solemn oath he swore to defend when he enlisted in the National Guard,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “His actions directly undermined the very mission he was deployed to support and put his fellow guard members in danger. Working closely with our partners, we were able to expose his scheme and hold him accountable for this unconscionable betrayal of our nation’s trust.”

    Sandoval was deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lonestar. Following release from his orders, Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley and began smuggling illegal aliens into the country in July 2024.

    During his trial, the jury was provided with text messages from Sandoval’s phone expressing that drivers were needed for trips from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations north of the immigration checkpoint. Surveillance showed Sandoval’s location at the immigration checkpoint while he was sending text messages about law enforcement and K-9 patrol presence. The defense attempted to convince the jury no conspiracy existed, and his text messages were out of context. The Jury did not believe those claims and found Sandoval guilty as charged after deliberating for less than an hour.

    “The conduct in this case represents an unthinkable violation of public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Thousands of brave men and women, military and civilian alike, work tirelessly to keep our border secure. It is truly disheartening that one bad apple chose to betray his fellow soldiers, his fellow citizens, and his country by engaging in human smuggling. I wish to thank the jury for their time and attention to this matter.”

    Sandoval was discharged from the Texas National Guard in October 2024. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 22. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.

    For more news and information on how HSI Houston combats alien smuggling and other transnational criminal activity in Southeast Texas follow us on X at @HSIHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union Reaches Landmark Tentative Labor Agreement with Boeing Covering 3,200 Defense Workers in St. Louis

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Negotiators are unanimously recommending a new four-year contract affecting approximately 3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing facilities in St. Louis, St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill.

    The four-year agreement includes improvements throughout the contract, including:

    • Average wage increases of 40% over the life of the agreement 
    • Increases in progression rates
    • Strengthens current medical benefits
    • Increased pension multiplier
    • Overtime improvements
    • Work-life balance

    “Our negotiating committee worked tirelessly to negotiate a deal that represented the concerns of our membership,” said IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling. “I couldn’t be more proud of the negotiating team and our membership.”

    “This contract puts money in members’ pockets, protects healthcare access, and ensures our members have a voice in future health decisions all while respecting the skill and dedication IAM workers bring to Boeing’s critical defense programs,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant.

    “This agreement reflects the strength of our membership and the power of solidarity,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “From the shop floor to the bargaining table, our members stood united and it paid off.”

    “We made it clear to the company that protecting our members’ futures was non-negotiable,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “With stronger pensions, real wage growth, and better work-life balance, we’ve delivered a contract that meets the moment.”

    IAM members assemble and maintain advanced aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-15, F/A-18, and cutting-edge missile and defense technologies. Their work plays a vital role in safeguarding national security and supporting U.S. and allied defense operations.

    The current agreement expires on July 27, 2025 and a contract ratification vote will be held the same day. 

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.

    goIAM.org | @IAM_Union

    The post IAM Union Reaches Landmark Tentative Labor Agreement with Boeing Covering 3,200 Defense Workers in St. Louis appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Designations to Appellate Division Courts Announced

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced six designations to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the First and Second Departments. Under New York’s Constitution, the Governor designates Justices of the Appellate Divisions from among the elected Justices of the State Supreme Court. This class is composed of highly skilled jurists who come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, underscoring Governor Hochul’s commitment to ensuring New York State’s judiciary reflects the wide array of people who call New York home. The slate consists of four designations to the Appellate Division, First Department and two designations to the Appellate Division, Second Department.

    “These designations to the Appellate Division are part of my continued commitment to building a judiciary that embodies the highest standards of legal excellence and reflects the rich diversity of New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Each of these jurists brings a wealth of experience and perspective that will strengthen our courts and help ensure that justice is served fairly and equitably across our state.”

    As Justices of the Appellate Division, First Department:

    Honorable Troy Webber, Associate Justice

    Justice Troy K. Webber was elected to the Civil Court, New York County, in 1993 and assigned to the county of her birth, Bronx County. In 2002, she was elected to the Supreme Court. In 2009, Justice Webber was appointed Acting Surrogate in New York County, where she served for almost 2 years and then returned to Supreme Court, Bronx County. In 2016, Justice Webber was appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department.

    Justice Webber began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York County. She then served as a Law Assistant to a State Supreme Court Justice, Assistant New York State Attorney General and Deputy Bureau Chief at the New York City Law Department. Justice Webber was also a litigation associate at a law firm. Justice Webber is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where she serves on the Alumni Board of Directors.

    Justice Webber serves as Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and is a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, the Association of Women Judges, the Judicial Friends, and the New York County Lawyers Association. She serves on the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure and is a member of the board of directors of JALBCA (Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert).

    Justice Webber participates in the Scales of Justice Academy, a summer legal educational program for underserved female high school students, as well as the Legal Outreach Program. She mentors students who attend NYU Law School, the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Fordham University School of Law and participates in moot court programs sponsored by NYU Law School and New York Law School. Justice Webber is also an adjunct professor in criminal justice at Monroe University.

    Honorable Saliann Scarpulla, Associate Justice

    Justice Saliann Scarpulla is a graduate of Boston University and Brooklyn Law School, cum laude. After law school, Justice Scarpulla clerked for the Hon. Alvin F. Klein in Supreme Court, New York County. When her clerkship concluded, Justice Scarpulla joined Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn as a litigation associate. Justice Scarpulla later moved to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Senior Counsel in the New York Legal Services Office. From the FDIC Justice Scarpulla became Senior Vice President and Bank Counsel to Hudson United Bank.

    Justice Scarpulla returned to the New York State court system in 1999, as Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Eileen Bransten. She was then elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2001, appointed to the New York State Supreme Court in 2009, and elected to the Supreme Court in 2012. From 2014 to 2020, Justice Scarpulla sat in the New York County Commercial Division, and she was responsible for all international commercial arbitration matters pending in the State Supreme Court. In 2020, Justice Scarpulla was appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department.

    Justice Scarpulla is a contributing author to the Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts treatise and has authored numerous articles on technology and commercial litigation. She is a frequent lecturer for, among others, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Practicing Law Institute, and the New York State Judicial Institute. Justice Scarpulla has received the Louis J. Capozzoli Gavel award and the Thurgood Marshall award from the New York County Lawyers Association, the Rapallo/Scalia award from the Columbian Lawyers Association, and service awards from the National Association of Italian American Women and the New York Women’s Bar Association.

    Justice Scarpulla is active in several New York City and statewide bar associations and is a Business Court Representative to the American Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Intellectual Property subcommittee. She is a member of New York’s Commercial Division Advisory Council, and the Co-Chair of the Council’s Subcommittee on Use of Technology in Commercial Division Cases. Justice Scarpulla also sits on the Chief Judge’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee, and, in October 2019, she was appointed for a term to the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board. Justice Scarpulla is a past Co-President and current Board member of Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA).

    Honorable Shlomo Hagler, Additional Justice

    Hon. Shlomo S. Hagler is the current Presiding Justice of the Appellate Term, First Department. He was appointed to the court in 2021. Justice Hagler began his judicial career in 1999, when he was appointed to New York City Housing Court. In 2003, he was elected to the New York City Civil Court, and in 2008, Justice Hagler was designated an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County. As an Acting Justice, he established and presided over an “Innovative Guardianship Part” that combined the authority of the Supreme Court under the Mental Hygiene Law with that of the Housing Court. This initiative aimed to protect and empower vulnerable individuals within the community. In 2012, he was elected to the Supreme Court.

    Justice Hagler earned his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University in 1988, and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York Law School in 1991. He started his legal career as an associate at Bartlett, Bartlett & Ziegler, P.C., before serving as Court Attorney to Hon. Martin Shulman, currently an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department.

    Justice Hagler recently received an award celebrating his 25 years on the bench from the New York County Lawyers Association and in April 2025, received the Benjamin N. Cardozo award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild for excellence in the legal profession. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Lawyers Guild and the Gender Fairness Committee of the Supreme Court, New York County. Justice Hagler has given numerous lectures as a judicial panelist on various legal topics, including protecting tenants with disabilities in housing.

    Honorable Margaret Anne Pui Yee Chan, Additional Justice

    Justice Chan, elected in 2021 to the New York State Supreme Court, serves in the New York County Commercial Division resolving complex business disputes. Before her election, she was an Acting Justice from 2012, handling a wide range of cases from mass torts to constitutional litigation.

    Born in Hong Kong, she immigrated to Canada at age seven and then, at fourteen, to Brooklyn. When she was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2006, she became the first Asian immigrant woman to become a New York judge. Before ascending to the bench, Justice Chan had an immigration and appellate practice in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Her partner was Benjamin Gim, who co-founded the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund.

    Justice Chan attended Brooklyn College full time, where she majored in economics while also working full-time. She later attended Touro Law Center on a scholarship and was the managing editor of the Law Review. She then completed five years as a senior court attorney at the Appellate Division, Second Department.

    Justice Chan serves on various court committees, including the Committee on AI and the Courts and Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions (PJI) – Civil. She also served as a Fordham University School of Law adjunct professor from 2018-2024, teaching legal research and writing and the judicial-externship seminar.

    As Justices of the Appellate Division, Second Department:

    Honorable Elena Goldberg Velazquez, Additional Justice

    Justice Elena Goldberg Velazquez was appointed to the Appellate Term, 9th and 10th Judicial Districts, in 2024, where she hears appeals from landlord-tenant court, small claims court, civil court and criminal court. Recently, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was elected as the President of the Latino Judges Association.

    In 2022, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was elected to the New York State Supreme Court, 9th Judicial District. Presently, she is assigned to Westchester County where she has presided over a variety of civil hearings and trials. Since her ascension to Supreme Court, she has also been published in the New York Law Journal. Prior to becoming a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was a Yonkers City Court Judge, where she handled criminal matters from arraignment to disposition, landlord-tenant matters (both residential and commercial), small claims and civil matters. She also presided over trials and felony hearings. In addition, while in City Court she was appointed as an Acting Family Court Judge presiding over the Integrated Domestic Violence Court.

    Prior to being elected to the bench, Justice Goldberg Velazquez worked at the Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Department for nearly a decade. Prior to working at the Appellate Division, Justice Goldberg Velazquez worked at private law firms handling primarily civil matters.

    Justice Goldberg Velazquez is an active member of her community, having founded and served as president of her local neighborhood association. She has served as the President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, Chair of the Women’s Committee and Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee. She is presently a member of the New York State Bar Association, Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association, Puerto Rican Bar Association, New York Women’s Judges Association, Westchester County Bar Association, Westchester Women’s Bar Association and the Yonkers Lawyers Association.

    Justice Goldberg Velazquez is a graduate of CUNY School of Law, where she was the managing editor of the New York City Law Review and now serves on the Board of Visitors. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Syracuse University where she graduated Pi Sigma Alpha. While at Syracuse, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was on the Dean’s List and a member of the nationally ranked Mock Trial Team.

    Justice Goldberg Velazquez resides in Westchester with her husband and two young daughters.

    Honorable Susan Quirk, Additional Justice

    Hon. Susan Quirk was elected to the Civil Court Bench in Brooklyn in 2016, where she served until 2018. She was then assigned to Brooklyn Family Court in 2018 to augment the bench in response to the enactment and implementation of the Raise the Age legislation, where she presided until 2022 when she was elected to the Supreme Court in Brooklyn where she currently presides over all types of criminal matters.

    Prior to becoming a judge, strongly attracted to both public service and the study of law, Judge Quirk began working as a paralegal in 1998 in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office while attending Brooklyn Law School in the evening. She graduated in 2004, receiving the distinction of being awarded the “Cali Excellence for the Future” Award for achieving the highest grade in Trial Advocacy. Upon being admitted to practice in 2005, Judge Quirk continued her career in public service by becoming an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, where she served with distinction until 2013, when she was designated a Court Attorney Referee in Supreme Court, where she continued to serve the public as a Hearing Officer until her election to the bench.

    Active in the legal community, Judge Quirk is a member of the Supreme Court Justices Association of the City of New York; the Puerto Rican Bar Association; the Brooklyn Bar Association; the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association; the Columbian Lawyers Association; the Catholic Lawyers Guild, Kings County Chapter; the Richmond County Bar Association; the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association, where she previously served on the Administrative Board; and the New York City Civil Court Judges Association, where she previously served as the Vice President for Richmond County.

    Judge Quirk is the proud mom of two young daughters, both of whom currently attend her alma mater, St. Joseph Hill Academy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Jackson, Advocates Defend DEI, Affirm Commitment to an Equitable, Inclusive America

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Six Months into Trump Admin, Pressley Reintroduces Bill to Codify Equity, Improve Government Services for Underserved Communities

    Bill Text | Press Conference Video

    WASHINGTON – As the nation marks six months of the Trump Administration, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus, and their colleagues are affirming their unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid Donald Trump’s attacks and continuing to advance an affirmative, equitable vision for communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

    Congresswoman Pressley was joined by Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League, Juan Proaño, CEO, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Rob Weissman, Co-President, Public Citizen, at a Capitol Hill press conference yesterday to discuss their broader fight to defend diversity amidst the Trump Administration’s harmful and unprecedented onslaught on DEI. The full video from their press conference is available here.

    “Donald Trump’s first six months in office have been a precise, intentional assault on people of color, as well as our LGBTQIA+ siblings, folks with disabilities, and other marginalized people. Despite this, we’re more resolved than ever in our commitment to a more just, equitable, and diverse America,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m proud to join my colleagues and movement partners in making plain that we will not be silenced and we will not stand by as Donald Trump and extremist Republicans resegregate America and continue rolling back our hard-earned civil rights. We must work to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion is the law of the land. That is why the Equity in Government Act is deeply necessary and will aide our efforts by helping to ensure the federal government works for all people.”

    “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just policies—they are essential commitments to fairness and opportunity for all,” said Congressman Jackson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Caucus. “The escalating rollback of DEI protections is a direct attack on the rights and futures of Black, brown, Veterans, and disabled Americans. We will not accept the reckless undoing of progress won through generations of struggle. I stand with my colleagues and communities across this country to defend DEI, because every person in America deserves the dignity to thrive. This fight is about justice, about truth, and about building a nation where no one is left behind.”

    “In a time when others seek to divide and exclude, this bill is a beacon of hope for Latino communities who have long been left behind. Ensuring equity in government isn’t just a box to check — it’s a lifeline for the more than 60 million Latinos in our country,” said Juan Proaño, CEO of LULAC. “By making diversity, equity, and inclusion the law of the land, this policy will uplift our families and ensure our voices are heard in every federal agency. LULAC is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley, Congressman Jackson, and their colleagues on this bold, affirmative vision for America, because an inclusive America is a stronger America for us all.”

    “The Leadership Conference supports the Equity in Government Act because federal agencies are required by civil rights laws and principles to make sure they are serving all communities fairly,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Regardless of your race, ZIP code, or bank account, we need the government to make sure we are getting the health care, education, and other services we all need. We are witnessing cuts that harm a Latino child who attends Head Start or a student with disabilities who relies on educational supports in schools, in addition to the elimination of grants that address health disparities of people of color — all because they are part of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This bill ensures agencies have to collect data, listen to communities, and have dedicated teams focused on serving everyone equitably. Democracy is more than just a promise — it’s an obligation to enact and enforce civil rights. We will not go back to a time when this country didn’t care about all of us. We continue to fight for a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible future for all our people.”

    “The National Urban League’s 2025 State of Black America report, ‘A State of Emergency: Civil Rights, Democracy, and Progress Under Attack’ lays bare a deliberate, coordinated campaign to reverse decades of progress,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. “In the last six months, federal departments protecting civil rights have been defunded, voting protections rolled back, and diversity programs criminalized. Far-right actors have weaponized the term ‘woke’ to attack equity, inclusion, and even historical truth. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has been twisted into a tool of political retaliation. The National Urban League is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley and all our allies to meet this moment of crisis.”

    “Every American should be appalled by the racist, sexist and ableist policies of this administration, which aim to exacerbate social and economic inequality. Every American should also understand that these policies are not only unjust, they make America weaker. Rollbacks in consumer protection, environmental protection, civil liberties and more – carried out under the cloak of “anti-DEI” policies – leave every American more vulnerable to abuses and the country itself far weaker. That’s why America needs Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s leadership and passage of the Equity in Governance Act.” – Rob Weissman, Public Citizen Co-President

    “Inclusive America is a non-profit and bipartisan organization that works to ensure the government is as diverse as the American people. With this reasoning, our team worked with Rep. Pressley to push the Equity in Government Act which is a critical step towards a broader reform of civil rights and equal opportunity.” — Inclusive America Advocacy Team

    As part of her fight to defend diversity, Congresswoman Pressley is introducing the Equity in Government Act, legislation to advance equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. The bill would codify key ideas from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14091 —which Donald Trump revoked on his first day in office —to ensure that federal agencies continue their work to promote equal opportunity for all, including people of color, women, rural communities, individuals with disabilities, and others that have been systemically excluded from participating fully in economic, social, and civic life.

    Full text of the Equity in Government Act is available here.

    On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 13985, launching a historic, whole-of-government effort to advance equity by requiring federal agencies to identify and address barriers to serving underserved communities. In 2023, he followed with EO 14091, which expanded this work by establishing agency equity teams, a White House steering committee, and annual equity action plans to embed equity in federal planning.

    This progress was long overdue. In 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) found that most federal agencies lacked the demographic data necessary to identify barriers to equity in their programs and services – let alone develop serious plans to eliminate them. Yet, on his very first day in office, Trump dismantled these equity-focused efforts, underscoring the need for statutory protections.

    The Equity in Government Act codifies several key ideas from the Biden EOs and ensures that agencies continue this work for years to come – regardless of who occupies the White House. Specifically, it would:

    • Require agencies include at least one goal relating to improving the equitable provision of services when they submit Agency Strategic Plans and Agency Performance Plans;
    • Require agencies to consult with community organizations and other stakeholders as they develop and revise their strategic plans and work towards their performance goals;
    • Permanently authorize the Federal Chief Data Officer Council, which works to improve the quality, use, and management of data for evidence-based government operations, and ensuring that the Council’s work facilitates fair and equitable outcomes;
    • Establish an Equity Subcommittee of the existing Performance Improvement Council, which would serve as an interagency working group to facilitate the development and sharing of guidance, data, and best practices for providing government services fairly, and would be required to solicit input directly from those receiving such services; and
    • Establish statutory requirements for an Agency Equity Advisory Team within each federal agency, led by the agency’s Performance Improvement Officer and with representation from key internal agency offices.

    Co-sponsors of the Equity in Government Act include Representatives Alma Adams, Joyce Beatty, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Shontel M. Brown, André Carson, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette D. Clarke, James Clyburn, Danny K. Davis, Cleo Fields, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Sylvia R. Garcia, Steven Horsford, Jonathan  L. Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Robin L. Kelly, Timothy M. Kennedy, Summer L. Lee, Stephen Lynch, LaMonica McIver, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Lateefah Simon, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velazquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.

    The bill is endorsed by the following organizations: AAPI Victory Alliance, ACLU, African American Policy Forum, American Oversight, Common Cause, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inclusive America, Interfaith Alliance, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Action Network, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, National Urban League, National Black Justice Collective, Popular Democracy, Public Citizen, and SEIU.

    In April 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Administration officials at a White House event to announce the executive orders, which followed calls from Congresswoman Pressley and then-House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney for robust data collection, assessment tools, and stakeholder engagement to ensure the success of the initiative. Video of the event is available here.

    Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities, and transform the criminal legal system to center the dignity, humanity, and equality of everyone who calls America home —especially during the second Trump Administration.

    On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the placement of DEI employees on leave ahead of their eventual layoffs.

    In February, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, legislation to establish a federal commission to examine the lasting legacy of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.

    In May, she and Senator Paul Tonko led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

    Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

    Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Booker are the lead co-sponsors of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.

    Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Gaza and Ukraine are both waiting for action

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    For the past few weeks the headlines about Gaza have focused on the hundreds of people who have been killed while queueing for food. The aid distribution system put in place in May, backed by the US and Israel and run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has proved to be chaotic and allegedly resulted in violence, with both Israel Defense Forces personnel and armed Palestinian gangs blamed for killing about 1,000 people in the two months the new system has been operating.

    Now the headlines are focusing on the growing number of people dying of starvation.

    Harrowing reports from the Gaza Strip report almost daily on the children dying of malnutrition in hospitals and clinics that simply don’t have the food to keep them alive. Writing in the Guardian this week, a British volunteer surgeon working in one of Gaza’s hospitals, Nick Maynard, described patients who “deteriorate and die, not from their injuries, but because they are too malnourished to survive surgery”.

    The UK and 27 other countries this week has condemned the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” who are trying to get food and water. And yet, writes Simon Mabon, still the world’s leaders look on: “Most are apparently content to condemn – but little action has been taken.”

    Mabon, a professor of international relations at Lancaster University, quotes the latest report from the IPC, which monitors food security in conflict situations. It estimates that 500,000 people in Gaza are considered to be facing “catastrophe”, while a further 1.1 million fall into the “emergency” risk category. Both categories anticipate a steadily rising death rate among civilians in Gaza.

    So how can Israel’s allies apply pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to bring an end to the violence and allow Palestinian civilians access to the food, water and medical supplies they so desperately need?

    Mabon canvasses a range of options. First of all, countries that have yet to recognise the state of Palestine can do so. It’s nonsense, Madon believes, to talk of a two-state solution – as the UK government does – when you haven’t actually recognised the second state in the equation.

    Then they could stop selling arms to Israel. Many countries already have. But the US still issues export licenses for some weapons that are sold to Israel.

    There are a plethora of other things world leaders could do to pressure Israel. Mabon recommends having a look at what the world did to isolate South Africa during the apartheid years, measures which eventually helped bring about meaningful change there.



    Read more:
    Gaza is starving – how Israel’s allies can go beyond words and take meaningful action

    As for Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister is reported to be considering an early election. In previous months this looked like a move freighted with jeopardy. An election loss brought on by a disenchanted electorate, heartbroken at the hostage situation and exhausted by the conflict, would probably mean having to face the charges of corruption which have hung over him for more than five years.

    But recent polls have suggested a bump in popularity following his 12-day campaign against Iran. Netanyahu is nothing if not a clever political manipulator. But Brian Brivati, a professor of contemporary history and human rights at Kingston University, believes that to have a chance of winning, the prime minister will need to fight a campaign on three narratives of his government’s success: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. “It is a tall order,” Brivati concludes.



    Read more:
    Israel: Netanyahu considering early election but can he convince people he’s winning the war?

    Anyone following the situation in Gaza over the past 18 months will have encountered Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine’s occupied territories. For three years she has monitored the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank, delivering trenchant criticism of Israel’s conduct and those who, by their inaction – and sometimes contrivance – have enabled it.

    Earlier this months, the US government imposed sanctions on Albanese, because – as US secretary of state Marco Rubio insisted – she has engaged with the International Criminal Court (also subject to US sanctions) “in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel”. Also she has written “threatening letters to dozens of entities worldwide, including major American companies”.

    Alvina Hoffman, an expert in diplomatic affairs and human rights at SOAS, University of London, explains what a special rapporteur does and why their work is so valuable in the defence of human rights.



    Read more:
    The US has sanctioned UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese – here’s why she’s the wrong target

    Dispatches from Ukraine

    To Istanbul, where delegations from Russia and Ukraine met yesterday for their third round of face-to-face talks. All 40 minutes of them. There was another agreement of prisoner swaps and the two sides decided to set up some working groups to look into various political, military and humanitarian issues – but online rather in person.

    The brevity of the talks came as no surprise to Stefan Wolff. Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham who has provided commentary for The Conversation throughout the conflict in Ukraine, points out that both sides remain wedded to their maximalist war aims. For Russia, this is for Ukraine to accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four provinces of eastern Ukraine, a ban on Ukraine’s membership of Nato and a much reduced military capacity. For Ukraine, it is getting their territory back and Russian acceptance of their national sovereignty, meaning it gets to determine for itself what alliances it seeks.

    Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin that, if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days, he’ll apply harsh secondary sanctions on the countries buying Russian oil and that he plans to supply Ukraine with American weapons (via Nato’s European member states, that is). Wolff believes both sides will now play the waiting game. They will calculate their next move after September 2, when the 50 days run out, and when they know more about what the US president plans to do.



    Read more:
    Russia-Ukraine talks: both sides play for time and wait for Donald Trump’s 50 days to run out

    Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, faces pressure from his own people. There have been days of protest at his decision to bring two formerly independent anti-corruption organisations under the direct control of the government. He argues that this was necessary to prevent Russian infiltration, while critics are saying that the Ukrainian president has launched a power grab designed to prevent independent investigation of alleged corruption against people close to him.

    Jenny Mathers says these protests, which involve people from all political shades, including people who have fought in the defence of Ukraine since 2022, some with visible injuries, represents a fracture of the “informal agreement between the government and society to show a united front to the world while the war continues”.

    Ukrainians protest after Zelensky signs law clamping down on anticorruption agencies.

    It’s not as if Zelensky is in clear and present danger of losing his job. His party holds a majority of seats in the Ukrainian parliament, so he governs without having to depend on coalition partners. And the country’s constitution prohibits the holding of elections in wartime – whatever Putin, who regularly insists that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader because he is governing past his term limit, might think. Plus his approval rating sits at 65%.

    Zelensky has been quick to soften his stance on this. Mathers says that political corruption is a very sore point in Ukraine, where there was decades of it until the Maidan protests of 2013-14 unseated the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. As she writes here, “the ‘Revolution of Dignity’ that rejected Yanukovych’s leadership and his policies was also a resounding demonstration of the strength of Ukraine’s civil society and its determination to hold its elected officials to account. Zelensky would be rash not to heed that.

    He also knows it’s important for him to present a squeaky clean image to his supporters in the west. So while the protests may not present an immediate threat to his own position, he knows that unless he acts to root out corruption in Ukraine, it’ll be a threat to the future of the country itself.



    Read more:
    Ukrainian protests: Zelensky faces biggest threat to his presidency since taking power

    But ethicist Marcel Vondermassen from the University of Tübingen believes another recent decision by the Ukrainian government is storing up trouble for the future. Ukraine has recently announced its decision to pull out of the Ottawa convention, the treaty that forbids the use of anti-personnel landmines.

    In doing so, he’s following the example of Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia which have all also quite the treaty in recent months for fear of Russian aggression.

    But as Vondermassen points out, landmines don’t usually switch themselves off when a conflict ends and people are still being killed an maimed in former conflict zones around the world. Often it is farmers at work or children at play who are the victims. If other ways to protect countries from aggression aren’t pursued, as he puts it, in future decades we’ll still be “counting thousands of child casualties … from the landmines laid in the 2020s”.



    Read more:
    Ukraine joins other Russian neighbours in quitting landmines treaty: another deadly legacy in the making

    Thailand-Cambodia: centuries-old dispute flares again

    A dispute between the two south-east Asian countries that has been simmering since May flared into life yesterday when five Thai soldiers patrolling the border region were injured after stepping on a landmine – the second such incident in the past week. Both countries have sealed their border and there have been tit-for-tat ambassadorial expulsions.

    Cambodia fired rockets and artillery into Thailand, killing 12 civilians. Thailand in turn has launched airstrikes against Cambodia. Both countries are blaming the other for starting it.

    Petra Alderman, an expert in south-east Asian politics from London School of Economics and Political Science, traces the origins of this row, which go back to the colonial era in the 19th and early 20th centuries.



    Read more:
    Thailand and Cambodia’s escalating conflict has roots in century-old border dispute

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Gaza and Ukraine are both waiting for action – https://theconversation.com/gaza-and-ukraine-are-both-waiting-for-action-261894

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Registration Now Open for 2025 Oregon Women Veterans Conference

    Source: US State of Oregon

    egistration is now open for the 2025 Oregon Women Veterans Conference, the state’s largest gathering dedicated to honoring and supporting women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The biennial event, hosted by the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, will bring together women veterans from across Oregon for a weekend of connection, resources and recognition.

    The event is free and open to all women veterans, but registration is required. The 2025 Oregon Women Veterans Conference is being held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, which was the planned location of the 2020 event that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “This year’s theme, ‘Stronger Together: Community and Connection,’ reflects the heart of what this conference is all about,” said Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “Women veterans have long served with distinction, strength and resilience — often in the face of tremendous challenges and barriers.

    “This conference is an opportunity to honor our service, share our stories, and ensure every woman who has worn the uniform feels seen, valued and supported. We are stronger when we stand together, and united, we will continue to drive the ODVA mission forward.”

    The Oregon Women Veterans Conference began nearly 30 years ago as a grassroots effort by a small group of women veterans seeking connection, support, and resources. Since the first event in 1998, the conference has grown into a unique statewide gathering that brings together women veterans from across Oregon to access benefits, build meaningful connections, and amplify their voices.

    The 2025 conference will continue that legacy with inspiring keynote speakers, engaging workshops, fantastic networking opportunities and assistance for women veterans connecting to the full range of benefits and resources they have earned. It is a supportive space where women who have served can connect, grow, and thrive beyond their military service.

    This year’s keynote speaker is Erin McMahon, director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and a retired U.S. Army brigadier general, attorney and combat veteran. During her 24-year career in the U.S. Army, McMahon served as the principal deputy general counsel for the National Guard Bureau, advising senior leaders through a wide variety of domestic disaster responses and serving as the first female Army National Guard general officer in the Office of the General Counsel.

    Registration is free and may be completed online at www.eventbrite.com/e/odva-women-veterans-conference-tickets-1407725487829. Generous support from Oregon Lottery and other sponsors help ensure this conference is open to all women veterans free of charge.

    Registration for the Women Veterans Conference covers the event only; attendees are expected to make their own lodging and travel arrangements. More information about the Women Veterans Conference, including local lodging, donations and sponsorship opportunities, can be found online at wvc.oregondva.com.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis, Fitzgerald Introduce STUDENT Act to Reform National Education Association’s Federal Charter

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C. –  Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), along with Representative Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), today introduced the STUDENT Act, legislation that would impose necessary limitations and conditions on the National Education Association’s (NEA) federal charter to bring it in line with other federally chartered organizations and redirect it toward its original purpose of supporting teachers in America. 

    The NEA, which received its federal charter through an act of Congress, has strayed far from its original educational mission. Despite claiming to be “non-partisan,” the nation’s largest union has repeatedly supported divisive political causes through endorsements and financial contributions that harm students’ education and undermine parental rights. Earlier this month, the NEA members voted to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over its support for Israel. 

    “The NEA has exploited its federal charter to advance a radical political agenda that puts ideology before education,” said Sen. Lummis. “Wyoming parents and teachers deserve better than a union that prioritizes woke politics over student achievement. The resolution passed at the NEA Representative Assembly to cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League because of its support for Israel is abhorrent and does nothing to stem the rising tide of antisemitic incidents we’ve witnessed nationwide. Federal charters should be reserved for organizations that serve patriotic, charitable, historical, or educational purposes – not for unions that push divisive and antisemitic ideologies.”

    “The NEA long ago transformed from an educational association into a political machine, pushing a progressive agenda that puts activists ahead of students’ needs,” said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. “The STUDENT Act reins in NEA’s federal charter, restores accountability, and demands a return to its original purpose: educating, not indoctrinating, American children.”

    “The National Education Association has failed to respect its duties as a federally chartered organization or as a steward of children’s education,” said Sen. Ricketts.  “Rather than promote educational outcomes, they promote a radical agenda that supports illegal immigration and teaches harmful gender ideology.  It is time for Congress to restore oversight of the entity it created and make sure young Americans receive the education they deserve.”

    “Rep. Fitzgerald and Sen. Lummis should be commended for their leadership in introducing the STUDENT Act, which would address some of the NEA’s most concerning conduct and make it more accountable to the public and even its own members,” said Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe. “The Freedom Foundation is proud to stand with these courageous lawmakers in the fight to restore sanity to public education.”

    “The Endowment for Middle East Truth, EMET, is proud to endorse the STUDENT Act,” said Sarah Stern, President of the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET). “We solidly stand behind the ADL’s fight against the rising tide of antisemitism, which has skyrocketed in our country since October 7, 2023, as well as their position on Israel. We are appalled by the National Education Association’s blatant refusal to entertain the ADL’s professional, fair and balanced point of view, and that they have chosen to take a position that effectively condones Hamas’ atrocities against the Jewish people. It’s unfortunate that the NEA no longer works to fulfil its core mission of advancing an American bias-free education and has instead dedicated itself to political indoctrination and prejudice.”

    In addition to Senators Lummis and Ricketts, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) are original cosponsors. 

    Background: 

    A 2023 Freedom Foundation report revealed that the NEA’s federal charter is unusually brief compared to other Title 36 federally-chartered organizations, allowing the union to operate with minimal oversight while enjoying taxpayer-funded benefits. 

    Key Provisions of the STUDENT Act:

    • Bans promotion of antisemitic beliefs, including harmful stereotypes about Jewish people, Holocaust denial or minimization, and hatred based on Jewish identity or connection to Israel
    • Prohibits the union from promoting or requiring adherence to critical race theory concepts.
    • Prohibits the NEA from engaging in electoral politics and lobbying, a restriction included in 60 percent of federal charters;
    • Eliminates the NEA’s exemption from Washington, D.C. property taxes 
    • Requires explicit member consent for all dues and fees 
    • Mandates comprehensive record-keeping and document accountability 
    • Directs all assets to the Department of Treasury if the NEA dissolves 
    • Prohibits discrimination and hiring quotas 
    • Prevents the NEA and its affiliates from calling strikes or work stoppages 
    • Requires all NEA officers to be U.S. citizens 
    • Establishes transparent governance standards 

    So far, the STUDENT Act has been endorsed by the following state and national organizations:

    • Alabama Policy Institute 
    • American for Fair Treatment 
    • Beacon Impact 
    • Buckeye Institute 
    • California Policy Center 
    • Center for the American Experiment 
    • Commonwealth Foundation 
    • Competitive Enterprise Institute 
    • Consumer Action for a Strong Economy 
    • Defense of Freedom Institute 
    • Endowment for Middle East Truth 
    • Foundation for Government Accountability 
    • Freedom Foundation 
    • Goldwater Institute 
    • Heartland Impact 
    • Heartland Institute 
    • Idaho Freedom Foundation 
    • Illinois Policy Institute 
    • Independent Women’s Voice 
    • Institute for Reforming Government Action Fund 
    • Institute for the American Worker 
    • John Locke Foundation 
    • Kansas Policy Institute 
    • Mackinac Center for Public Policy 
    • National Right to Work Committee 
    • Nevada Policy 
    • Palmetto Promise Institute 
    • Parents Defending Education Action 
    • Rio Grande Foundation 
    • Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy 
    • Upper Midwest Law Center 
    • Yankee Institute 
    • Young America’s Foundation 

    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham and Cornyn Call for Special Counsel to Investigate Obama Administration’s Role in the Russia Collusion Hoax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), both senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Obama Administration’s involvement in the Russia collusion hoax.

    “For the good of the country, we urge Attorney General Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate the extent to which former President Obama, his staff and administration officials manipulated the U.S. national security apparatus for a political outcome.

    “As we have supported in the past, appointing an independent special counsel would do the country a tremendous service in this case.

    “With every piece of information that gets released, it becomes more evident that the entire Russia collusion hoax was created by the Obama Administration to subvert the will of the American people.

    “Democrats and the liberal media have been out to get President Trump since 2016. There must be an immediate investigation of what we believe to be an unprecedented and clear abuse of power by a U.S. presidential administration.”

    Background:

    Last week, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released evidence demonstrating that former President Barack Obama and his national security staff manipulated information from the intelligence community in order to insinuate that Russia was attempting to help then-candidate Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election, including:

    • In the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the Intelligence Community (IC) assessed that Russia is “probably not trying … to influence the election by using cyber means.”
    • On December 7, 2016, after the election, talking points were prepared for DNI James Clapper stating, “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome.”
    • A declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared using intelligence from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, State Department, and open sources, for Obama on December 8, 2016, assessed that “Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure.”
    • That Presidential Daily Brief was scheduled to be published on December 9, 2016, but communications revealed that DNI Clapper’s office stopped its publication “based on some new guidance”.
    • On December 9, 2016, Obama gathered top National Security Council Principals for a meeting in the Situation Room that included James Clapper, John Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Loretta Lynch, Andrew McCabe and others, to discuss Russia.
    • After the meeting, DNI Clapper’s Executive Assistant sent an email to IC leaders tasking them with creating a new IC assessment “per the President’s request” that details the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.” It went on to say, “ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS.”
    • Obama officials leaked false statements to media outlets, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, claiming, “Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.”
    • On January 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Guthrie Votes to Fully Fund Department of Defense

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Guthrie (KY-02) issued the following statement following the House passage of H.R. 4016, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2026.

    “After four years of failed Democratic leadership diminishing our standing on the world stage, peace through strength is back. Under the leadership of President Trump and House Republicans, our United States military is stronger than ever, equipped, and ready to defend our nation against any threat,” said Congressman Brett Guthrie.“As a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, I know firsthand that peace is best preserved through a strong U.S. military! This bill invests billions into the men and women who volunteer to keep our nation safe and ensures that American industries can manufacture the necessary tools to accomplish the mission.”

    Background:
     H.R. 4016 builds upon Republicans’ agenda of investing in our military strength to restore America’s standing as a deterrent to those who attempt to spread chaos and destruction. By allocating $831.5 billion for the Department of Defense, Congress is sending a clear message to the world: America is back.
    Specifically, this legislation:

    • Includes an increase of 3.8% in basic pay for all military personnel effective January 1, 2026.
    • Invests in youth development and workforce programs that prepare our next generation soldiers and businesses including Apex Accelerators, Starbase, the National Guard Youth Challenge, and U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Programs.
    • Allocates $36.9 billion for 28 ships including six battle force ships 
    • Dedicates $1.5 billion for the Maritime Industrial Base to invest in critical areas including supplier capacity and capability, strategic outsourcing, workforce training, and technology and infrastructure.
    • Enhances investments in 5th and 6th generation aircraft.
    • Allocates approximately $13 billion for missile defense and space programs to augment and integrate in support of the Golden Dome effort.
    • Delivers increases for the State Partnership Program operations and personnel costs for both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard.

    More information about the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2026 prior to adoption of amendments can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Colorado River Day, Hickenlooper, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Snowpack Monitoring, Help Manage Water

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and John Curtis introduced the bipartisan Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to help better predict and measure water supply to manage drought in the West, including on the Colorado River. Tomorrow, July 25th, is Colorado River Day, which celebrates the day when the river was officially renamed to the Colorado River in 1921.
    “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” said Hickenlooper. “Snowmelt is Colorado’s largest reservoir. Leveraging advanced snow monitoring tech will give us more accurate water predictions and unlock a better understanding of how to make the most of our water in an era of extreme drought.”
    “In the West, water is everything—our economy, our communities, and our way of life depend on it,” said Curtis. “This bill brings 21st century tools to one of the oldest challenges we face: knowing how much water we’ll have and when. By reauthorizing this program, we’re embracing new technology like airborne snow surveys and advanced modeling to give our water managers the clarity they need to prepare, allocate, and respond.”
    More than 80% of Colorado’s annual surface water supply comes from snowmelt runoff. Accurate measurements of snowpack are necessary to have a clear picture of the snowmelt that feeds rivers and streams across the West.
    The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program which provides grants to advance emerging snow monitoring technology that improve water supply predictions.
    Specifically, the bill would:
    Reauthorize BOR’s Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program through 2031
    Increase authorization from $15 million over five years to $32.5 million over five years
    Update language in existing authorization to emphasize water supply forecasting activities that inform interstate water management decisions
    Yesterday, Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd’s companion legislation advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
    As governor, Hickenlooper helped negotiate the 2019 Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which helped protect critical levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead and ensured continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. In the Senate, Hickenlooper convened the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus to help address the Colorado River crisis.
    The bipartisan Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 is supported by American Rivers, the Southwestern Water Conservation District, Colorado River District, Denver Water, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Congress, Colorado Municipal League, Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the National Ski Areas Association, the Family Farm Alliance, the National Audubon Society, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
    Full text of the bill available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Royal Canadian Navy to Pay Off Kingston-class vessels

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 24, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    In the fall of 2025, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will begin paying off the Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs).  

    The term “paying off” refers to the British practice of paying a crew their wages once a ship has completed its voyage. In the RCN, the tradition continues with the term paying off referring to the formal ceremony where the naval jack, ensign, and commissioning pennant are hauled down, the crew departs a ship for the last time, and the ship is then no longer referred to as His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS).

    This fall, eight of the twelve Kingston-class ships will be paid off during formal naval ceremonies to recognize and celebrate their long and distinguished service. These ceremonies will take place in Halifax for HMC Ships Shawinigan, Summerside, Goose Bay, Glace Bay and Kingston. Ceremonies in Esquimalt, B.C. will be held for HMC Ships Saskatoon, Whitehorse and Brandon.

    The RCN’s four remaining operational Kingston-class vessels will consolidate under Canadian Fleet Atlantic in Halifax, N.S. As such, HMCS Moncton will remain based in Halifax, HMC Ships Yellowknife and Edmonton recently transferred to the east coast, and HMCS Nanaimo will transit to Halifax later this year. This will support current operational commitments, and efficient maintenance and crewing of the remaining Kingston-class vessels and the broader RCN fleet.   

    While looking forward to the introduction of new, modern warships to its fleet, the RCN has a robust plan in place to facilitate this transition, while maintaining excellence in training and operational capability. There is no loss of capability for the RCN as a result of the divestment of the Kingston-class – their missions and tasks will be redistributed to other existing ships and assets, and taken on by new platforms, capabilities and systems being introduced by the RCN.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • India-UK relations enter new era with landmark deals on trade, tech and security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his official visit to the United Kingdom from July 23-24. The meeting, held at the British Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire.

    The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks, covering the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation.

    During the talks, the two sides welcomed the signing of the historic India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The agreement is expected to boost trade, investment, economic collaboration, and job creation in both countries, taking the strategic partnership to a new level.

    In a key development, the two countries also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention, which will support professionals and service industries by reducing operational costs and promoting competitiveness. Prime Minister Modi also proposed deeper cooperation between India’s GIFT City-India’s first international financial services centre-and the UK’s financial ecosystem.

    The two leaders adopted the India-UK Vision 2035, a roadmap for the next decade that aims to enhance cooperation in the areas of economy, technology, innovation, research, education, defence, climate action, health, and people-to-people ties.

    The finalisation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap was also welcomed. It aims to promote joint design, development, and production of defence products for domestic use and global markets. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the growing defence partnership and regular engagement between the armed forces.

    Underlining the importance of emerging technologies, the Prime Ministers agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Technology and Security Initiative (TSI). The TSI, which completed one year, focuses on areas such as telecom, critical minerals, AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, health technology, advanced materials, and quantum research.

    In the education sector, the leaders hailed the growing collaboration under India’s New Education Policy (NEP). Notably, Southampton University became the first foreign university to open a campus in India, in Gurugram, on June 16. Several other UK universities are expected to follow suit.

    The two Prime Ministers also acknowledged the significant contribution of the Indian diaspora in the UK across various fields, calling them a “living bridge” between the two countries.

    Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Starmer for his support and solidarity following the Pahalgam terror attack. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism and agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation to counter extremism and radicalisation. PM Modi also sought the UK’s assistance in bringing economic offenders and fugitives to justice.

    The leaders also exchanged views on key regional and global developments, including in the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Starmer to visit India at a mutually convenient time and thanked him for the warm hospitality.

    The following documents were signed/adopted by the two sides during the visit:

    ● Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [CETA]

    ● India-UK Vision 2035

    ● Defence Industrial Roadmap

    ● Statement on Technology and Security Initiative

    ● MoU between Central Bureau of Investigation, India and National Crime Agency of UK

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Gaza is starving – how Israel’s allies can go beyond words and take meaningful action

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University

    In the past two months, more than 1,000 people seeking food have been killed, according to the UN Human Rights Office. While the figure has been disputed by Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which was set up to distribute aid, 28 nations this week condemned the “horrifying” killing of Gazans trying to get food.

    As the Israel Defense Forces continues its assault in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, including an attack on the staff residence of the World Health Organization on July 21, UN bodies are warning that the besieged strip’s last lifelines are collapsing.

    Already around 60,000 Gazans have been killed and growing numbers are now dying from hunger and malnutrition, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. More than 90% of the private homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

    For all the talk of a ceasefire – one that is long overdue – there is little hope. Israeli military operations continue and Gazans must risk their lives in search of food and aid.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    Malnutrition is rife. According to the IPC’s report in May – the international organisation that monitors food security – “goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks” with nearly 500,000 people considered to be facing “catastrophe”, with a further 1.1 million in an “emergency” risk category.

    For the IPC, the catastrophe category is one of extreme food shortages, critical malnutrition leading to starvation and high death rates. The emergency category is one of severe food shortages, very high malnutrition and even death.

    Israeli officials continue to speak of moving Gazans into what has been termed a “humanitarian city” but what former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert described as a “concentration camp”. In the same interview Olmert called decision to move Gazans into the camp as “ethnic cleansing”.

    All the while, the world’s leaders look on. Most are apparently content to condemn – but little action has been taken.

    The clamour for Israel’s allies to take a harder stance on its actions in Gaza is growing louder by the day. On July 23, a group of 38 former EU ambassadors published an open letter to EU heads of states and senior officials accusing Israel of taking “calculated steps towards ethnic cleansing” and calling out the EU’s failure to “respond meaningfully to these horrific events”.

    But what do actions look like? Pressure must be applied to the Netanyahu government. In the UK, both prime minister Keir Starmer and foreign minister David Lammy have been quick to stress that the UK has urged Israel to respect international law.

    They point to the sanctions the UK has imposed on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two rightwing ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, as a result of their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinians. While Lammy suggests that further sanctions could follow if Israel does not change its behaviour in Gaza and bring about an end to the suffering, the atrocities continue.

    Practical steps to pressure Israel

    Pressure is growing on the UK government to recognise Palestine as a state – something that I was told by a contact in the Labour government more than a year ago was on Labour’s agenda before October 7. Lammy insists the government is committed to a two-state solution, but this is not diplomatically viable given that the UK only recognises one state involved in these events.

    The state of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign entity by 147 other members of the UN. That’s 75% of all members.

    Other steps could be a full arms embargo, something that has long been called for but rejected by the UK government, which has banned some, but by no means all arms sales to Israel. A number of countries have properly banned arms sales to Israel since October 2023, including Italy, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan.

    There are other more incendiary options. One would be for the UK and others to properly adhere to their obligations under international law.

    The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November 2024. There are 125 countries that have signed up to the ICC (the US isn’t one of them). They could arrest Netanyahu if he enters their countries.

    There are a range of other things that could be tried. A look at what the international community did to make South Africa a pariah during the later years of apartheid would be worthwhile.

    EU should use its diplomatic muscle

    As Israel’s biggest trading partner, the EU has the potential to wield considerable clout, so the question must be asked: why has so little been done, beyond mere words.

    In June, the EU found Israel to be in breach of its human rights commitments under the terms of the EU-Israel association agreement. Yet to date there have been as yet no moves to suspend trade.

    Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief declared that “all options remain on the table if Israel doesn’t deliver” on its pledges. These include full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctions on members of government, military or settlers, trade measures, arms embargoes, or the suspension of academic cooperation – including the prestigious Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme.

    Of course, getting all 27 member states to agree to such an approach is easier said than done. And national leaders will obviously have to consider that taking steps to put pressure with Israel could damage relations with the Trump administration in the US.

    But all the while, the situation on the ground is deteriorating, with the world watching while Gaza burns. The failure by Israel’s allies to take meaningful steps to pressure Israel to prevent the wanton killing and displacement is a stain on humanity.

    After the horrors of the second world war, Rwanda, Myanmar and Srebrenica, the world said “never again”. Without action, there’s a risk it will shrug its shoulders and say “never mind”.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Simon Mabon receives funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Henry Luce Foundation.

    – ref. Gaza is starving – how Israel’s allies can go beyond words and take meaningful action – https://theconversation.com/gaza-is-starving-how-israels-allies-can-go-beyond-words-and-take-meaningful-action-261783

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Fitzpatrick, Bacon, and Markey Introduce Community Mental Wellness & Resilience Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) today reintroduced H.R. 4744, the Community Mental Wellness & Resilience Act, a bipartisan bill that tackles the nation’s mental health crisis by addressing the extensive community trauma caused by natural disasters. This innovative legislation will empower communities through a new federal grant program to craft their own locally specific responses to the mental health problems caused by disasters and toxic stresses.

    “Extreme weather disasters don’t just wreak havoc on our homes, economies, and infrastructure — they inflict lasting trauma and mental harm for those both directly impacted and far beyond the affected area,” Congressman Tonko said. “We need to provide compassionate, evidence-informed solutions to support our communities. That’s why I’m leading this bipartisan legislation in partnership with my colleagues. We’ll continue working to further mental wellness and equip our communities with the resources they need to meet and overcome these traumas.”

    “Communities are struggling to meet the current need for mental health services, and as the climate crisis worsens, unprecedented disasters will only cause more unprecedented harm to our physical and mental health,” said Senator Markey. “Heat waves, flash floods, wildfires, and droughts leave devastation and trauma in their wake. My Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act would give communities the help they need to protect residents’ mental health, especially those in rural and underserved communities that are getting hit first and worst by disasters and have the fewest resources to deal with them.”

    “For too long, our disaster response has focused solely on physical recovery, while the mental and emotional toll has gone unaddressed. This bipartisan legislation corrects that imbalance by treating mental health as a core component of our public health and emergency preparedness strategy. By investing in evidence-based, community-driven solutions, we’re not just helping communities rebuild—we’re helping them heal,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.  

    “The mental health crisis affecting our communities is one of the most serious challenges of our time. We need comprehensive, community-driven solutions that empower local leaders to develop and implement programs that work for their specific needs,” said Congressman Don Bacon. “The bipartisan Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act puts the power back in the hands of our communities to create meaningful, lasting change in mental health care.” 

    In 2024, Mental Health America reported that nearly 23 percent of U.S. adults (~60 million people) experienced a diagnosed mental illness, with more than 5 percent facing severe conditions. Natural disasters only exacerbate the problem. Consequently, the number of people who experience a mental health problem as a result of a natural disaster often outweigh those with physical injuries by 40 to 1.

    The Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act will:

    • Establish a competitive grant program at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create, operate, or expand community-based programs that use a public health approach to build mental wellness and resilience
    • These programs will work to enhance the capacity of all residents for mental wellness and resilience to prevent and heal mental health problems generated by disasters and toxic stresses
      • Incorporates a set-aside to help address rural mental health disparities
    • Community initiatives will build their own strategies to enhance and sustain population-level mental wellness and resilience, with specific attention to high-risk individuals

    More than 110 organizations support Rep. Tonko’s legislation, including: Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Lung Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Public Health Association, International Transformational Resilience Coalition,  Mental Health America, Moms Clean Air Force, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Social Workers, National League for Nursing, Rural Opportunity Institute, The Kennedy Forum, and YMCA of the USA.

    A full list of supporting organizations and their quotes can be found HERE.

    A fact sheet on the legislation can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Frankel Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m going to start by recognizing the collegiality of our Chairman Mr. Diaz-Balart and the thoughtful members on both sides of the aisle. And of course, I want to thank our hardworking staff for their tireless efforts. But most of all, I want to recognize the brave and committed Americans—our diplomats, USAID workers, humanitarian teams, and public health experts and our partners around the world—who bring our country’s values to the world’s toughest places. They’re the ones who delivered vaccines to remote villages in Congo, who help girls in Ethiopia escape forced marriage and find education and safety. 

    I’ve seen their work up close–I know many of us have—and the impact of the programs we funded. Children who escaped the brutality of Assad’s Syria thriving in classrooms in Jordan. Mothers in Malawi learning skills to support their families. Pregnant women in Kenya staying healthy with support from HIV clinics. To all of these workers —past and present: You are the patriots. You represent the best of America. And those who are still serving deserve more than our thanks. They deserve the tools to get the job done.

    Mr. Chairman, I wish we had a bipartisan bill in front of us that I could support that honored that service and reflected America’s leadership. If we had a responsible allocation and a White House that understood diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid, we could have gotten there. But instead, here we are, questioning whether any of this matters when the President just ignores the will of Congress and the laws we pass.

    So today, I strongly oppose the FY 2026 Republican bill. It’s not just a funding cut—it’s a reckless blueprint for American retreat. Our President seems to think relying on threats and bullying alone is a smart strategy. But chaotic tariffs, cruel immigration crackdowns, and this tepid foreign aid plan before us today is not going to make us more safe, secure, or more prosperous. And attention: we are ceding the world to China. And let me be clear: This bill does not lower costs for hard working families and retirees on day one as promised by President Trump—instead it puts hard earned finances at risk by hurting global stability.

    And tax breaks for billionaires is not a trade-off for millions of starving children and let me just say that this bill does not make one bit of difference in making up the $4 trillion addition to our debt when the Republicans pass what they call their Big Bill their Big Beautiful Bill I call it the Big Ugly Bill   And this bill is just adds to the list of  troubling actions by the Administration.

    Here’s what’s happened leading up: Foreign aid has been held up illegally, then justified by an inane clawback known as recission; USAID—an agency backed by Congress that fights poverty and prevents conflict—gutted; Over 10,000 development and humanitarian professionals dismissed by Elon Musk; 5,000 life-saving aid programs abruptly terminated; 1,300 State Department staff laid off; Offices shuttered. Decades of progress wiped out. How disgusting , the richest man in the world was allowed to pull the plug on programs that save the world’s poorest children.

    The infrastructure and staffing is no longer present to carry out the few programs that remain. Let me say this again with emphasis: The infrastructure and staffing is no longer present to carry out the few programs that remain.

    All while the world faces crisis after crisis: Wars and armed conflict, Extreme weather, Hunger and famine, Disease outbreaks, Mass migration, and Rising authoritarian regimes

    These aren’t distant problems. They land right at our door: Fragile states collapse and migration surges; Trade stops and U.S. farmers and businesses lose buyers ;Climate disasters destroy crops and homes; Broken health systems allow deadly viruses to spread; And when we step back, China and Russia step in—not to help, but to expand their grip.

    We’re leaving behind a gap they fill with money, weapons, and propaganda taking over the airwaves – reaching listeners who used to rely on Voice of America and our international broadcasting. They want to remake the world to fit their playbook.

    Meanwhile, sadly our allies are also slashing foreign aid —pushed to spend more on weapons by Mr. Trump. As global needs explode, democracy’s soft power is vanishing. This bill fails to meet this moment.

    Here’s what it really does:

    Cuts 22% from the international affairs budget – that’s $13 billion, diminishing funding for development and economic assistance:

    • Kids kicked out of the classroom and cut off from clean water
    • Farmers losing seeds and tools to make a living
    • Violence prevention programs vanishing
    • Local nonprofits shut down

    The bill slashes humanitarian aid by 42%:

    • In Nigeria, malnourished infants are dying without food
    • In Myanmar, hospitals are going dark
    • In The Gambia, support for survivors of female genital mutilation has ended—as the country debates making it legal again
    • In Ukraine, wounded soldiers go without care
    • In Ecuador, women entrepreneurs are losing lifelines and heading for our border

    This is a blow to our credibility, our moral standing, and our global influence. Soft power – interestingly enough – development and diplomacy – have been secret weapons abroad. Without them, we’re losing Americans on the ground who know the terrain, see trouble coming, and keep us one step ahead.

    And as always, my, my, my. Here we go again–Republicans couldn’t resist one more swipe at women: Slashing family planning programs that save hundreds of thousands of lives each year and prevent millions of unplanned pregnancies, Reinstating the Global Gag Rule—which blocks funding to foreign groups that even talk about abortion; you can’t even say the word “abortion”, not do abortion, say the word “abortion”– you lose your funding, Gutting the UNFPA—which provides basic reproductive and maternal care in over 150 countries

    And while this bill guts humanitarian programs and walks away from the world’s most vulnerable, the administration is also on the road to destroying one of the smartest, most effective tools of U.S. foreign policy: the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. WPS is not some fringe idea. It’s the law, signed by guess who, Donald Trump. It passed with strong bipartisan support. And here’s why: Women experience conflict differently than men—often bearing the brunt of sexual violence, displacement, and the burden of caring for families amid chaos—yet they are too often excluded from life changing decisions. The WPS agenda has helped train diplomats, strengthen alliances, and put more women at the center of peace and security.

    When women are at the table for peace talks, recovery, and crisis response, the results are better. Period. Peace lasts longer. Communities recover faster. And Missions succeed. And yet, this administration shut down the State Department’s office that leads that work—right when we need women’s leadership the most. That’s not just shortsighted. It makes the world less safe and works directly against our own interests.

    The bill also abandons multilateral institutions and organizations—UNICEF, the UN Development Program, the African and Asian Development Banks, the World Bank, the World Health Organization—undermining our ability to shape the global agenda and ceding ground to autocrats. Guess who? Attention: China is going to take over this world.

    So why should Americans care that these cuts are going to cost more than they save? Because these cuts hurt American families, too.  When we walk away from the world: Chaos spreads; Troops are put in harm’s way; Our adversaries gain ground; And we pay the price—in dollars, and in lives.

    And look, I say this not just as a lawmaker, but as a mother. My son served in the Marines. He was sent to two wars–Iraq and Afghanistan– I know what it means when diplomacy fails. The cost isn’t hypothetical—it hits our soldiers and their families the hardest.

    Let me remind you: the international affairs budget was already less than 1% of our federal spending. But it delivered huge returns: Markets for American goods; Stability abroad; Protection from pandemics; Fewer troops sent into harm’s way.

    Last week, we passed an $832 billion defense bill—that’s hard power. But even our top generals warn: without soft power alongside it, that number will only keep rising. So, Mr. Chairman, This bill is a lost opportunity. It’s a failure to lead. It hurts American families because when health systems collapse, people get sick.  When trade stalls, jobs vanish. When diplomacy fails, our loved ones go to war.  So let me close with this: Democrats aren’t giving up. We’re ready to work together with Republicans to reach a bill that reflects our values, keeps our promises, and protects American lives. Because we can’t bomb and drone our way to peace and prosperity.  A strong America doesn’t hide. And it doesn’t bully. A strong America leads—with vision, with courage, and compassion. And That’s the bill we should be fighting for. Thank you. I yield back.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ivey Launches Veterans Resource Center Board to Strengthen Support for Alabama’s Veteran Community

    Source: US State of Alabama

    MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced the appointment of 11 distinguished leaders to the Alabama Veterans Resource Center (AVRC) Board, a new initiative designed to develop a statewide, sustainable hub dedicated to supporting veterans and their families. A component of Governor Ivey’s 2025 legislative agenda, this center will provide job training and workforce assistance, aid in benefits navigation, support with family and legal needs and build peer and social connections in the veteran community.

    “During this past legislative session, I made it a top priority to strengthen our support for Alabama’s veterans and establishing the Veterans Resource Center was a key part of that effort,” said Governor Ivey. “Our servicemen and women deserve accessible, reliable support as they navigate civilian life. With this board now in place, we’re taking a major step forward in making sure Alabama remains the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

    The AVRC Board members include:

    • Greg Reed, Chairman, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce
    • Jeff Newton, Vice Chairman, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs
    • Kimberly Boswell, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health
    • Bobby Singleton, Senator for Senate District 24 and Minority Leader, Alabama Senate
    • Anthony Daniels, Representative for House District 53 and Minority Leader, Alabama House of Representatives
    • Stacia Robinson, Director of the Alabama Office of Minority Affairs
    • Ronald Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Jim Wilson & Associates
    • Carter Wells, Government Relations Advisor at Maynard Nexsen
    • George Talbot, Senior Vice President for External Affairs at Volkert (Lieutenant Governor Appointee)
    • Andrew Jones, Senator for Senate District 10 and Chairman of the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety Committee (Senate President Pro Tempore Appointee)
    • Tracy Doughty, President and Chief Operations Officer at Huntsville Hospital (Speaker of the House Appointee)

    Alabama Department of Workforce Secretary Greg Reed acknowledged the AVRC will be a huge benefit to former servicemen and women across Alabama.

    “Alabama veterans deserve more than just gratitude – they deserve resources to help them navigate the systems that meet their needs,” said Secretary Reed. “By creating an entity that will help streamline access to services and collaborate with stakeholders, we hope to do our part to help the veteran community in Alabama. Our goal is to increase partnerships, eliminate fragmentation, increase trust and improve long-term outcomes for those and their families who have sacrificed so much for our country.”

    Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Jeff Newton underscored the importance of the new center’s mission and the lasting impact it can have on veterans across the state.

    “The Alabama Veterans Resource Center has the potential to change lives, but it’s just the beginning,” said Commissioner Newton. “This facility will provide an added resource for veterans to thrive after service — to build a future, start a career and make an impact right here in Alabama. It’s critical that we get this transition right, and this center is where transition becomes opportunity.”

    The Alabama Veterans Resource Center Board will meet in the coming weeks to begin their work.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Cotton to Hegseth: Current DoD Agreements and Practices Fail to Account for Threat of China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353July 24, 2025
    Chairman Cotton to Hegseth: Current DoD Agreements and Practices Fail to Account for Threat of China
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting additional information about agreements and practices that currently fail to account for the growing threat of Communist China. This letter follows one sent by Senator Cotton last week about reports of China-based contractors for Microsoft potentially having access to sensitive military data.
    In part, Senator Cotton wrote:
    “While I applaud your actions, I am concerned that the Department is hampered by agreements and practices unwisely adopted by your predecessors, including contracts and oversight processes that fail to account for the growing Chinese threat.”
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    The Honorable Pete HegsethSecretary of DefenseU.S. Department of Defense1000 Defense PentagonWashington, DC 20301
    Dear Secretary Hegseth:
    I write to commend the Department’s prompt response to last week’s inquiry about Microsoft’s use of Chinese engineers to provide services for Department of Defense (DoD) systems. Your vow that “China will no longer have any involvement in our cloud services, effective immediately” and plans for a two-week review of current cloud contracts underscore the urgency required to address this security risk.
    While I applaud your actions, I am concerned that the Department is hampered by agreements and practices unwisely adopted by your predecessors, including contracts and oversight processes that fail to account for the growing Chinese threat. As we learn more about these “digital escorts” and other unwise—and outrageous—practices used by some DoD partners, it is clear the Department and Congress will need to take further action. We must put in place the protocols and processes to adopt innovative technology quickly, effectively, and safely.
    To inform Congress as we work with you to close the vulnerabilities in the DoD supply chain, I respectfully request the following information by August 15, 2025.
    The results of the two-week review, including but not limited to:
    Details on what services Chinese engineers provided
    What information or data was shared with Chinese engineers
    Mechanisms Chinese engineers used to access, maintain, or service DoD systems, such as screen sharing, remote management, or instructions to run scripts
    What information, if any, was recorded or documented by DoD when Chinese engineers were working with DoD systems
    How often Microsoft or other providers that utilized this digital escort model conducted self-audits and the results of all such self-audits
    Any discovery of potential security incidents or malicious events that have already occurred or are likely to occur

    All security classification guides provided to Microsoft or other contractors under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) program
    Any plans to implement a DoD-wide review of contracting practices and DoD guidance to prevent a contractor from leveraging loopholes that place DoD systems at risk
    I look forward to working with you on this important matter.
    Sincerely,
    Tom Cotton
    United States Senator
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Drones Dominating the Skies with Increased Production Presenting a Rare Opportunity to Capitalize on Exponential Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – A recent release from the Department of Defense (DOD) said that: “The Pentagon to Increase Low-Cost Drone Production in U.S. It said that the Defense Department, with help from industry, will ramp up production and fielding of drones to maintain battlefield superiority. Recently at the Pentagon, 18 American-made drone prototypes were on display. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who toured the displays, said the drones that are manufactured using off-the-shelf components for rapid production are examples of disruptive thinking. Emil Michael, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said the prototypes on display went from concept to development in just an average of 18 months, a process that normally takes up to six years. The department will continue to rapidly innovate and scale up production of drones and other systems using cost, resilience, firepower and range as driving factors, which are areas DOD wants to improve upon,” Michael said. Hegseth said in a July 10, 2025, memorandum that he’s rescinding restrictive policies that hindered drone production. “Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year’s casualties in Ukraine. Our adversaries collectively produce millions of cheap drones each year,” he said, noting the U.S. military is lacking needed quantities of lethal small drones.  Active Companies in the drone industries include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX), AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO).

    The DOD release added: “The secretary said there are three goals: Prioritizing the purchase of American-made drones and parts with help from industry’s private capital; Arming combat units with low-cost drones made by America’s world-leading engineers and artificial intelligence experts; and Training with drones in realistic battlefield scenarios, led by leaders who are not risk averse.” The report concluded: “President Donald J. Trump signed a June 6, 2025, executive order to speed up U.S. drone production using the latest innovative industry technologies. The president said he supports reducing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining approval and certification processes for safe and secure drone production. Also, the Federal Aviation Administration and DOD will coordinate to streamline the approval processes to expand access to airspace for conducting drone training, Trump said.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Partners with Eagle Point Funding to Win US Defense Customers – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a business technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), Enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, today announces that its subsidiary ZenaDrone has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Eagle Point Funding, a specialized consultancy for technology and defense-focused companies, to help win US defense contracts. By leveraging Eagle Point’s deep expertise in R&D grant program opportunities, the company will gain structured support in identifying and preparing competitive proposals, and in establishing and expanding relationships within key US defense and government agencies.

    “Our collaboration with Eagle Point Funding will accelerate testing, pilot deployments, and enable long-term procurement discussions—helping ZenaDrone to advance as a key provider of American-made drone solutions,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “Their expertise in navigating federal R&D funding programs such as SBIR and Department of Defense solicitations (DoD BAA), gives us a powerful advantage as we develop next-generation drone technologies aligned with US defense priorities. This partnership enhances our ability to accelerate product development, expand defense agency relationships, and unlock new growth without equity dilution.”

    Eagle Point Funding helps technology companies secure non-dilutive federal R&D grants and contracts from agencies such as the DoD, Air Force, Navy, and others. They specialize in programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Air Force Works (AFWERX), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), guiding clients through the application process to win contracts.

    ZenaDrone has previously completed paid trials with the US Air Force and Navy Reserve, demonstrating its ability to deliver solutions including delivery of critical supplies such as blood in the field. The companies’ suite of drones for military use includes the ZenaDrone 1000, the IQ Nano and the IQ Square drone that are designed for a variety of applications including inspections, surveillance, reconnaissance, and indoor inventory management for warehouses and armories. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industries include:

    Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), a technology company that delivers mission-critical processing to the edge, recently announced it signed two agreements with a European defense prime contractor to expand and accelerate production of processing subsystems and components for radar and electronic warfare missions.

    In June, Mercury extended this decades-long customer relationship with a five-year agreement that will enable faster, higher-volume production of sensor processing subsystems powered by Mercury’s HDS6605 6U OpenVPX multiprocessing boards for airborne, land-based, and sea-based radar systems.

    Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), a leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered defense and security solutions, recently announced the successful integration of its patented AI object detection models with drone platforms selected for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record. Safe Pro is seeking to provide the U.S. Army’s future fleet of drones with enhanced explosive threat detection, force protection and essential intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities utilizing the Company’s AI-powered computer vision technologies.

    This integration supports the U.S. Army’s evolving need for real-time threat detection and ISR capabilities across its next-generation drone fleet. Safe Pro’s proprietary computer vision technology enhances these drones with battlefield-proven AI models capable of rapidly identifying explosive threats and other hazards in complex environments.

    RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX) recently reported second quarter 2025 results. “We continued our momentum in the second quarter with organic sales and profit growth* across all three segments, including 16 percent commercial aftermarket growth,” said RTX Chairman and CEO Chris Calio. “Our backlog grew to $236 billion, up 15 percent versus prior year, and we secured major awards for our geared turbofan engines and integrated air and missile defense capabilities in the quarter.”

    “Our updated outlook reflects strong operational performance in the first half and incorporates our current assessment of the impact of tariffs. We are focused on delivering on the strong growth in our commercial and defense end markets and remain well positioned to drive long term profitable growth.”

    AIRO Group Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: AIRO), a global leader in advanced aerospace and defense technologies, recently announced at EAA AirVenture 2025 in Oshkosh, WI, the development of its new middle-mile, medium-lift cargo drone and the expansion of its operations into the YMX Innovation Zone in Mirabel, Quebec. The initiative is led by its Electric Air Mobility segment, Jaunt Air Mobility, and its Canadian subsidiary, Jaunt Air Mobility Canada.

    Jaunt’s presence in this hub for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation strengthens its collaboration with Vertiko Mobilité, a Canadian leader in AAM operations and ground infrastructure development, and benefits from the support of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).

    The new cargo drone is designed to carry 250–500 lbs. over distances of 200+ miles, aiming to provide an efficient, low-emission alternative to traditional middle-mile freight solutions such as box trucks and tractor-trailers.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Unimot plans to enter the defence sector – a joint project with PZL Sędziszów and a Ukrainian partner in the field of drones

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WARSAW, Poland, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PZL Defence was established on 21 July 2025 and is currently undergoing registration. On 24 July 2025, Unimot signed a letter of intent with PZL Sędziszów and PZL Defence, declaring its intention to develop strategic cooperation and build the new company’s expertise in the field of advanced defence technologies. At the same time, an agreement was concluded under which Unimot, following the registration of PZL Defence in the National Court Register, will acquire 40% of the shares in the new company for the amount of PLN 400,000. The initial shareholding structure also provides for a target share of 10% for PZL Sędziszów and 50% for the Ukrainian partner. After completion of the investment process and obtaining the necessary administrative approvals, PZL Defence plans to launch the production of civilian drones and then, after obtaining a licence, expand its activities to include military drones and anti-drone systems for the protection of critical infrastructure.

    “We see the growing importance of unmanned technologies for regional security. That is why we plan to engage in a project that combines Polish engineering resources with the unique know-how of our Ukrainian partners, proven not on a training ground but in real combat conditions,” says Adam Sikorski, President of the Management Board of Unimot.

    PZL Sędziszów (the name comes from the abbreviation: Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze, meaning Polish Aviation Works), as a licensed manufacturer for the defence sector, will contribute advanced expertise in precision engineering to the project and provide access to a new production hall adapted to the requirements of the defence industry and extensive laboratory and technological facilities. PZL Sędziszów is a plant with over 85 years of history and, based on its current military production licences, currently manufactures filters for military vehicles (Rosomak) and military helicopters from the Leonardo group.

    The team of the new company, PZL Defence, is being built with the participation of experts from Poland and Ukraine, including specialists with military and industrial experience. Ultimately, the company will establish a research and development (R&D) centre focused on the design of reconnaissance and interception drones, loitering munitions and systems for neutralising threats from unmanned aerial vehicles.

    “The PZL Defence project is a carefully considered response to the profound transformation taking place on the modern battlefield. Since 2022, Russia has deployed over 28,000 Shahed drones against Ukraine, and according to Ukrainian intelligence, this number could soon rise to over 500 drones every night. This clearly shows that anti-drone systems are becoming an integral part of modern defence, both offensive and defensive. Together with our partners, we want to develop technologies that provide a real response to these challenges,” emphasises Adam Sikorski.

    The planned activities are in line with the long-term trend of increasing defence spending, both in Poland and across Europe. In 2025, Poland’s defence budget will reach a record PLN 186.6 billion, which is 4.7% of the planned GDP. In the following years, spending is expected to grow – according to estimates, in 2025–2035 it may reach a total of PLN 1.9 trillion. The PZL Defence project is also in line with EU priorities such as the Readiness 2030 programme and the SAFE mechanism, which aim to allocate up to EUR 800 billion to investments in the European defence industry, with access to financial resources, EIB instruments and a flexible budgetary framework.

    CONTACT:
    Agnieszka Pawelska
    rzecznik prasowy
    tel. + 48 695 102 997
    e-mail: pr@unimot.pl
    https://www.unimot.pl/

    Source: UNIMOT S.A.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1fc0953e-992e-47b1-80cb-cf9d1278580c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Thomas S. Bremer, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Rhodes College

    Beehive Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Thomas S. Bremer

    Nearly 5 million travelers come to Wyoming to visit Yellowstone National Park each year, most in the summer months. They come for the geysers, wildlife, scenery and recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and photography.

    However, few realize that religion has been part of Yellowstone’s appeal throughout the park’s history. My 2025 book “Sacred Wonderland” documents how people have long found holiness in Yellowstone: how a landscape once sacred to Native Americans later inspired Christians and New Age communities alike.

    Native reverence – and removal

    Long before European Americans “discovered” the Yellowstone region in the 19th century, numerous Indigenous peoples were aware of its unique landscape – particularly geysers, hot springs and other hydrothermal wonders. Several tribal groups engaged in devotional practices long before it became a park. These included the Tukudika, or Sheep Eaters, a band of mountain Shoshone. They lived year-round within the boundaries of what would become the national park.

    Anthropologists know relatively little about the specific beliefs that Native Americans held about Yellowstone during this era. However, it’s clear most of the Indigenous groups who frequented Yellowstone considered it, as historian Paul Schullery concludes, “a place of spiritual power, of communion with natural forces, a place that inspired reverence.”

    Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    After the Civil War, more Euro-Americans entered the region. In 1872, the U.S. government created Yellowstone as the first national park, setting a precedent for others in the United States and around the world.

    Yellowstone and other U.S. national parks established in the 19th century were products of manifest destiny: the Christian idea that Americans had a divinely ordained right to expand their country across the continent. The nation’s westward expansion included turning supposedly wild, “uncivilized” areas into parks.

    The park system’s creation, though, came at the cost of Indigenous communities. In Yellowstone, the Tukudika were forcibly removed in the 1870s to two reservations in Idaho and Wyoming, as anthropologists Peter Nabokov and Lawrence Loendorf discuss in their book “Restoring a Presence.”

    Christian ministry

    In addition to the concept of manifest destiny, Christians brought their own religious practices to Yellowstone National Park.

    The U.S. Army was responsible for protecting and managing the park from 1886 to 1918. It operated from Fort Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern part of the park. The last building it erected at the fort was a chapel, which has been in continuous use as a worship space – mostly for Christian groups – since its completion in 1913.

    The Yellowstone National Park Chapel at Mammoth Hot Springs, finished in 1913, was the last building constructed by the U.S. Army at Fort Yellowstone.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    One group that has used the chapel consistently since the 1950s is ACMNP, A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, an evangelical Protestant parachurch ministry founded in Yellowstone. Its volunteers conduct worship services and proselytize among employees and visitors.

    ACMNP began as the brainchild of Presbyterian minister Warren Ost, who had worked as a bellhop at the Old Faithful Inn during summer breaks in seminary. Upon graduation, he formed the ministry, hoping to capitalize on the awe people experience in the parks to affirm believers’ faith and bring new souls to Christ.

    ACMNP’s mission involves placing seminarians and other students in national parks as “worker-witnesses.” They work as paid employees in secular jobs and conduct religious activities after their regular working hours. Additionally, they are encouraged to talk about religion with their fellow workers on the job.

    ACMNP experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and 1960s, boosted by support from National Park Service leadership. Cooperation included reduced-cost housing for their volunteers, and in some parks the superintendents or other high-level officials served on local ACMNP committees.

    At its peak in the 1970s, ACMNP had nearly 300 volunteers working in over 50 locations. However, a federal lawsuit in the 1990s challenged its relationship with the government on the grounds of church-state separation and ended some of the privileges ACMNP had enjoyed. Not long after the legal action, Ost announced his retirement.

    Although the organization has scaled back operations, the ministry in Yellowstone has experienced few changes. ACMNP volunteers continue to offer religious services to park employees and visitors throughout the summer.

    Spiritual fortress

    Another religious group has a very different interpretation of Yellowstone. The Church Universal and Triumphant, which had several thousand members at its height, was founded by Elizabeth Clare Prophet in the 1970s, based on the teachings of her late husband, Mark Prophet.

    The Church Universal and Triumphant is an heir to the “I AM” movement, which flourished in the U.S. during the 1930s. Most prominent among I AM’s influences were theosophy, which promotes esoteric knowledge gleaned from Asian religious traditions as a universal wisdom underlying all religions; new thought, which advocates a mind-over-matter spirituality; and spiritualism, which involves communicating with spirits.

    In the 1980s, Prophet’s followers relocated from California to Montana, where they purchased a large ranch adjacent to Yellowstone National Park’s northwest boundary. With them, they brought an eclectic New Age theology that combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism with belief in “ascended masters,” spiritual beings who guide the church. The group’s tradition teaches that beneath Yellowstone are two underground caverns, hidden from human view, that contain a cache of sacred stones with spiritual powers.

    The Church Universal and Triumphant gained attention in the ‘90s when its believers in Montana built underground bunkers. Members believed that their ascended masters had predicted a nuclear war and had instructed the community to prepare to survive underground. When the prophecy of a nuclear attack did not materialize, many members became disillusioned.

    The group struggled to rebuild its reputation and establish goodwill with Montana neighbors, including the National Park Service. Elizabeth Clare Prophet retired in 1999, and since then the church has concentrated more on its publishing and educational enterprises. However, a core community of the faithful still live and worship on their Royal Teton Ranch adjacent to Yellowstone.

    The main church sanctuary at Church Universal and Triumphant headquarters, just outside Yellowstone National Park.
    Thomas S. Bremer

    Although the community teaches that its Montana ranch is a sacred location of the ascended masters, followers’ holiest place in the Western Hemisphere is roughly 35 miles south of Yellowstone, in Grand Teton National Park. They believe humanity began at Grand Teton Mountain and that the faithful will find their destiny there.

    Accordingly, members believe that Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are brimming with spiritual powers, sacred sources of light and energy for the entire world.

    In my conversations with people in the park, I found that very few knew anything about Yellowstone’s religious history at all – especially Native American practices. The ongoing practices of religious communities in the park remain invisible to nearly all visitors. Still, many vacationers interpret Yellowstone’s wonders as evidence of God’s handiwork.

    Thomas S. Bremer received funding in the past to conduct historical research for the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois.

    – ref. Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups – https://theconversation.com/yellowstone-has-been-a-sacred-wonderland-of-spiritual-power-and-religious-activity-for-centuries-and-for-different-faith-groups-261045

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: First Northwest Bancorp Reports Second Quarter 2025 Improved Profitability

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORT ANGELES, Wash., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) (“First Northwest” or the “Company”), the holding company for First Fed Bank (“First Fed” or the “Bank”), today reported net income of $3.7 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to a net loss of $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2025 and a net loss of $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2024. Basic and diluted income per share were $0.42 for the second quarter of 2025, compared to basic and diluted loss per share of $1.03 for the first quarter of 2025 and basic and diluted loss per share of $0.25 for the second quarter of 2024. 

    In the second quarter of 2025, the Company recorded Adjusted Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Net Revenue (“PPNR”)(1) of $2.1 million, compared to $1.5 million for the preceding quarter and $530,000 for the second quarter of 2024.

    The Board of Directors of First Northwest has elected not to declare a dividend for this quarter as part of a prudent approach to capital management. The Company remains committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet and will continue to evaluate future dividend decisions in light of the Company’s long-term strategic objectives.

    Quote from Cindy Finnie, First Northwest Board Chair:
    “As previously disclosed, the Board has begun a search process for the next full time Chief Executive Officer. We also continue to strongly dispute the allegations contained in the legal proceedings disclosed in our June 13, 2025, 8-K and intend to vigorously defend against them. Despite the volatility of the past few quarters, the Board remains focused on the strategic objectives of the Bank, building on the positive core trends from the past few quarters.”

    Quote from Geraldine Bullard, First Northwest Interim CEO:
    “Our second quarter included continued modest improvement in several important performance measures, including seven basis points of net interest margin expansion and our fifth consecutive quarter of growing Adjusted PPNR. Commercial business loan recoveries totaling $1.1 million drove a modest provision release during the quarter. The Bank continues to show core customer growth, with loans growing 3% annualized compared to the preceding quarter and total deposits only down modestly despite a $31.0 million reduction in brokered time deposits during the quarter.”

    Key Points for the Second Quarter

    Positive Trends:

    • Return on average assets increased to 0.68% for the current quarter from -1.69% in the preceding quarter.
    • Net interest margin increased to 2.83% for the current quarter compared to 2.76% in the first quarter of 2025, as a result of an increase in the yield on interest-earning assets and a decrease in the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities.
    • Efficiency ratio improved to 78.0% for the current quarter from 113.5% in the preceding quarter due to the recognition of a payroll tax credit in the current quarter while the preceding quarter included higher expenses related to the legal reserve recorded.
    • Customer deposits increased $19.6 million to $1.55 billion at June 30, 2025 from $1.53 billion at March 31, 2025.
    • Recorded a $296,000 recapture of provision for credit losses on loans in the second quarter of 2025, compared to provisions for credit losses on loans of $7.8 million for the preceding quarter and $8.7 million for the second quarter of 2024.

    Other significant events:

    • In the second quarter of 2025, the statute of limitations expired on employee retention credit (“ERC”) payments received for the first and second quarters of 2021. As a result, the Bank recorded $2.6 million as a reduction to compensation and benefits. A related contingent ERC consulting expense of $528,000 was recorded in professional fees, partially offsetting the credit. The Bank anticipates recording the remaining reserved ERC of $2.0 million in 2028.
    • During the second quarter of 2025, the Bank consolidated the operations of its Bellevue and Fremont business centers into a new location, the Seattle business center. This consolidation resulted in a one-time increase to other expense of $599,000 for the early termination of the Bellevue business center lease and write-off of remaining leasehold improvements. No additional costs were incurred for closing the Fremont business center. The Bank estimates the consolidation will reduce annual rent expense by $130,000 going forward.
    • The Company disclosed in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 21, 2025, that a settlement agreement was reached in the previously disclosed legal matter discussed in Part II, Item 1 of the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Bank continues to vigorously defend itself in the separate legal proceedings disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 13, 2025.

    (1)  See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.

    Selected Quarterly Financial Ratios:

        As of or For the Quarter Ended     As of or For the Six Months
    Ended June 30,    		  
        June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		     2025     2024  
    Performance ratios: (1)                                                        
    Return on average assets     0.68 %     -1.69 %     -0.51 %     -0.36 %     -0.40 %     -0.50 %     -0.17 %
    Adjusted PPNR return on average assets (2)     0.39       0.27       0.26       0.17       0.10       0.33       0.16  
    Return on average equity     10.00       -23.42       -6.92       -4.91       -5.47       -7.15       -2.26  
    Net interest margin (3)     2.83       2.76       2.73       2.70       2.76       2.80       2.76  
    Efficiency ratio (4)     78.0       113.5       92.2       100.3       72.3       96.40       79.35  
    Equity to total assets     6.82       6.75       6.89       7.13       7.17       6.82       7.17  
    Book value per common share   $ 15.85     $ 15.52     $ 16.45     $ 17.17     $ 16.81     $ 15.85     $ 16.81  
    Tangible performance ratios: (1)                                                        
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (2)     6.76 %     6.68 %     6.83 %     7.06 %     7.10 %     6.76 %     7.10 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (2)     10.10       -23.65       -6.99       -4.96       -5.53       -7.22       -2.28  
    Tangible book value per common share (2)   $ 15.70     $ 15.36     $ 16.29     $ 17.00     $ 16.64     $ 15.70     $ 16.64  
    Capital ratios (First Fed): (5)                                                        
    Tier 1 leverage     9.2 %     9.0 %     9.4 %     9.4 %     9.4 %     9.2 %     9.4 %
    Common equity Tier 1     12.1       12.1       12.4       12.2       12.4       12.1       12.4  
    Total risk-based     13.1       13.4       13.6       13.4       13.5       13.1       13.5  
    (1 ) Performance ratios are annualized, where appropriate.
    (2 ) See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.
    (3 ) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
    (4 ) Total noninterest expense as a percentage of net interest income and total other noninterest income.
    (5 ) Current period capital ratios are preliminary and subject to finalization of the FDIC Call Report.
         

    Adjusted Pre-tax, Pre-Provision Net Revenue (1)

    Adjusted PPNR for the second quarter of 2025 increased $616,000 to $2.1 million, compared to $1.5 million for the preceding quarter, and increased $1.6 million from $530,000 in the second quarter one year ago.

        For the Quarter Ended     For the Six Months Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands)   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2025    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
    Net interest income (GAAP)   $ 14,193     $ 13,847     $ 14,137     $ 14,020     $ 14,235     $ 28,040     $ 28,163  
    Total noninterest income (GAAP)     2,170       3,777       1,300       1,779       7,347       5,947       9,535  
    Total revenue (GAAP)     16,363       17,624       15,437       15,799       21,582       33,987       37,698  
    Total noninterest expense (GAAP)     12,765       20,000       14,233       15,848       15,609       32,765       29,912  
    PPNR (Non-GAAP) (1)     3,598       (2,376 )     1,204       (49 )     5,973       1,222       7,786  
    Less selected nonrecurring adjustments to PPNR (Non-GAAP):                                                        
    Employee retention credit (“ERC”) included in compensation and benefits     2,640       —       —       —       —       2,640       —  
    ERC consulting expense included in professional fees     (528 )     —       —       —       —       (528 )     —  
    Costs associated with early termination of Bellevue Business Center lease included in other expense     (599 )     —       —       —       —       (599 )     —  
    Bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”) death benefit     —       1,059       1,536       —       —       1,059       —  
    Gain on extinguishment of subordinated debt included in other income     —       846       —       —       —       846       —  
    Legal reserve     —       (5,750 )     —       —       —       (5,750 )     —  
    Equity investment repricing adjustment     —       —       (1,762 )     —       —       —       651  
    One-time compensation payouts related to reduction in force     —       —       —       (996 )     —       —       —  
    Net gain on sale of premises and equipment     —       —       —       —       7,919       —       7,919  
    Sale leaseback taxes and assessments included in occupancy and equipment     —       —       —       —       (359 )     —       (359 )
    Net loss on sale of investment securities     —       —       —       —       (2,117 )     —       (2,117 )
    Adjusted PPNR (Non-GAAP) (1)   $ 2,085     $ 1,469     $ 1,430     $ 947     $ 530     $ 3,554     $ 1,692  

    (1)  See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.

    • Total interest income increased $308,000 to $27.1 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $26.8 million for the preceding quarter, and decreased $1.5 million compared to $28.6 million in the second quarter of 2024. Interest income increased in the second quarter of 2025 primarily due to an increase in the yields earned on loans receivable, partially offset by a decrease in both the yield earned and average volume of investment securities. Average real estate and commercial business loan balances decreased while average consumer loan balances increased over the preceding quarter.
    • Total interest expense decreased $38,000 to $12.9 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $13.0 million for the preceding quarter, and decreased $1.4 million compared to $14.4 million in the second quarter of 2024. Interest expense decreased in the second quarter of 2025 primarily due to a reduced volume of brokered certificates of deposit (“CDs”) and decreases in interest paid on customer CDs, brokered CDs and demand deposits. These decreases were partially offset by increases in the volume and interest paid on money market and savings accounts and an increase in the rate paid on advances during the current quarter.
    • The net interest margin increased to 2.83% for the second quarter of 2025, from 2.76% for both the preceding quarter and the second quarter of 2024.
    • Noninterest income decreased $1.6 million to $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2025, from $3.8 million for the preceding quarter. The first quarter of 2025 was higher due to nonrecurring income items including a $1.1 million BOLI death benefit payment received due to the passing of a former employee and a $846,000 gain on extinguishment of debt.
    • Noninterest expense decreased $7.2 million to $12.8 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $20.0 million for the preceding quarter. Compensation and benefits was lower primarily due to the ERC recorded during the current quarter. Other expense for the preceding quarter included the previously disclosed $5.8 million legal reserve.

    Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans (“ACLL”) and Credit Quality

    The allowance for credit losses on loans (“ACLL”) decreased $2.2 million to $18.4 million at June 30, 2025, from $20.6 million at March 31, 2025. The ACLL as a percentage of total loans was 1.10% at June 30, 2025, a decrease from 1.24% at March 31, 2025, and from 1.14% one year earlier. A release of $2.6 million reserves on individually evaluated loans, partially offset by net loan charge-offs totaling $1.9 million and a small increase to the pooled loan reserve, resulted in a recapture of provision expense of $296,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    Nonperforming loans totaled $20.4 million at both June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025. Current quarter activity included an increase due to a $4.1 million commercial real estate loan transitioning into nonperforming status, large principal payments received totaling $3.6 million and charged-off balances totaling $1.3 million. ACLL to nonperforming loans decreased to 90% at June 30, 2025, from 101% at March 31, 2025, and increased from 82% at June 30, 2024. This ratio increased in the first quarter of 2025 with decreases in balances due to principal payments and charge-offs on loans with appropriate reserves.

    Classified loans decreased $663,000 to $30.9 million at June 30, 2025, from $31.6 million at March 31, 2025, primarily due to payments received of $3.2 million and commercial business loan net charge-offs totaling $1.5 million, partially offset by the downgrade of a $4.1 million commercial real estate loan that was adversely impacted by reduced cross-border traffic during the second quarter. Four collateral dependent loans totaling $23.8 million account for 77% of the classified loan balance at June 30, 2025. The Bank has exercised legal remedies, including the appointment of a third-party receiver and foreclosure actions, to liquidate the underlying collateral to satisfy the real estate loans in the largest of these four collateral-dependent relationships. The Bank is also closely monitoring a group of commercial business loans that have similar collateral, with 11 loans totaling $562,000 included in classified loans at June 30, 2025, and four additional loans totaling $686,000 included in the special mention risk grading category.

        For the Quarter Ended  
    ACLL ($ in thousands)   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
                                             
    Balance at beginning of period   $ 20,569     $ 20,449     $ 21,970     $ 19,343     $ 17,958  
    Charge-offs:                                        
    Commercial real estate     (15 )     (5,571 )     —       —       —  
    Construction and land     —       (374 )     (411 )     —       (3,978 )
    Auto and other consumer     (273 )     (243 )     (364 )     (492 )     (832 )
    Commercial business     (2,823 )     (1,513 )     (4,596 )     (24 )     (2,643 )
    Total charge-offs     (3,111 )     (7,701 )     (5,371 )     (516 )     (7,453 )
    Recoveries:                                        
    One-to-four family     —       —       —       42       —  
    Commercial real estate     20       6       2       —       —  
    Construction and land     5       —       —       —       —  
    Auto and other consumer     74       43       52       24       198  
    Commercial business     1,084       2       36       —       —  
    Total recoveries     1,183       51       90       66       198  
    Net loan charge-offs     (1,928 )     (7,650 )     (5,281 )     (450 )     (7,255 )
    (Recapture of) provision for credit losses     (296 )     7,770       3,760       3,077       8,640  
    Balance at end of period   $ 18,345     $ 20,569     $ 20,449     $ 21,970     $ 19,343  
                                             
    Average total loans   $ 1,658,723     $ 1,662,164     $ 1,708,232     $ 1,718,402     $ 1,717,830  
    Annualized net charge-offs to average outstanding loans     0.47 %     1.87 %     1.23 %     0.10 %     1.70 %
    Asset Quality ($ in thousands)   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
    Nonaccrual loans:                                        
    One-to-four family   $ 2,274     $ 1,404     $ 1,477     $ 1,631     $ 1,750  
    Multi-family     —       —       —       —       708  
    Commercial real estate     4,095       4       5,598       5,634       14  
    Construction and land     13,063       15,280       19,544       19,382       19,292  
    Home equity     10       54       55       116       118  
    Auto and other consumer     410       710       700       894       746  
    Commercial business     514       2,903       3,141       2,719       1,003  
    Total nonaccrual loans     20,366       20,355       30,515       30,376       23,631  
    Other real estate owned     1,297       —       —       —       —  
    Total nonperforming assets   $ 21,663     $ 20,355     $ 30,515     $ 30,376     $ 23,631  
                                             
    Nonaccrual loans as a % of total loans (1)     1.22 %     1.23 %     1.80 %     1.75 %     1.39 %
    Nonperforming assets as a % of total assets (2)     0.99       0.94       1.37       1.35       1.07  
    ACLL as a % of total loans     1.10       1.24       1.21       1.27       1.14  
    ACLL as a % of nonaccrual loans     90.08       101.05       67.01       72.33       81.85  
    Total past due loans to total loans     1.17       1.36       1.98       1.92       1.45  
    (1 ) Nonperforming loans consists of nonaccruing loans and accruing loans more than 90 days past due.
    (2 ) Nonperforming assets consists of nonperforming loans (which include nonaccruing loans and accruing loans more than 90 days past due), real estate owned and repossessed assets.
         

    Financial Condition and Capital

    Investment securities decreased $11.9 million, or 3.8%, to $303.5 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $315.4 million three months earlier, and decreased $3.2 million compared to $306.7 million at June 30, 2024. Maturities totaling $11.8 million and regular principal payments totaling $5.7 million were partially offset by purchases totaling $5.5 million during the current quarter. Net unrealized losses were flat for the second quarter of 2025. The estimated average life of the securities portfolio was approximately 7.6 years at June 30, 2025, 6.9 years at the preceding quarter end and 7.8 years at the end of the second quarter of 2024. The effective duration of the portfolio was approximately 4.9 years at June 30, 2025, compared to 4.3 years at the preceding quarter end and 4.3 years at the end of the second quarter of 2024.

    Investment Securities ($ in thousands)     June 30,
    2025    		       March 31,
    2025    		       June 30,
    2024    		       Three Month
    % Change    		       One Year %
    Change    		  
    Available for Sale at Fair Value                                        
    Municipal bonds   $ 77,324     $ 78,295     $ 78,825       -1.2 %     -1.9 %
    U.S. government agency issued asset-backed securities (ABS agency)     12,298       12,643       13,982       -2.7       -12.0  
    Corporate issued asset-backed securities (ABS corporate)     13,105       15,671       16,483       -16.4       -20.5  
    Corporate issued debt securities (Corporate debt)     55,760       55,067       52,892       1.3       5.4  
    U.S. Small Business Administration securities (SBA)     7,504       8,061       9,772       -6.9       -23.2  
    Mortgage-backed securities:                                        
    U.S. government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS agency)     96,014       96,642       77,301       -0.6       24.2  
    Non-agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS non-agency)     41,510       49,054       57,459       -15.4       -27.8  
    Total securities available for sale   $ 303,515     $ 315,433     $ 306,714       -3.8       -1.0  

    Net loans, excluding loans held for sale, increased $9.6 million, or 0.6%, to $1.65 billion at June 30, 2025, from $1.64 billion at March 31, 2025, and decreased $30.6 million, or 1.8%, from $1.68 billion one year prior. Construction loans that converted into fully amortizing loans during the quarter totaled $6.0 million. New loan funding totaling $47.2 million and draws on existing loans totaling $23.9 million outpaced loan payoffs of $34.1 million, regular payments of $28.4 million and charge-offs totaling $2.4 million.

    Loans ($ in thousands)     June 30,
    2025    		       March 31,
    2025    		       June 30,
    2024    		       Three Month
    % Change    		       One Year %
    Change    		  
    Real Estate:                                        
    One-to-four family   $ 387,459     $ 394,428     $ 389,934       -1.8 %     -0.6 %
    Multi-family     329,696       338,147       350,076       -2.5       -5.8  
    Commercial real estate     391,362       387,312       375,511       1.0       4.2  
    Construction and land     72,538       64,877       107,273       11.8       -32.4  
    Total real estate loans     1,181,055       1,184,764       1,222,794       -0.3       -3.4  
    Consumer:                                        
    Home equity     84,927       79,151       72,613       7.3       17.0  
    Auto and other consumer     280,877       273,878       285,623       2.6       -1.7  
    Total consumer loans     365,804       353,029       358,236       3.6       2.1  
    Commercial business     117,843       119,783       117,094       -1.6       0.6  
    Total loans receivable     1,664,702       1,657,576       1,698,124       0.4       -2.0  
    Less:                                        
    Derivative basis adjustment     (860 )     (566 )     1,017       -51.9       -184.6  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     18,345       20,569       19,343       -10.8       -5.2  
    Total loans receivable, net   $ 1,647,217     $ 1,637,573     $ 1,677,764       0.6       -1.8  

    The Bank invested $9.1 million into a new bank-owned life insurance policy in the second quarter of 2025 to replace a policy surrendered in the preceding quarter. The Bank received the return of the surrendered funds early in the third quarter of 2025.

    Total deposits decreased $11.4 million to $1.65 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $1.67 billion at March 31, 2025, and decreased $53.7 million compared to $1.71 billion one year prior. During the second quarter of 2025, total customer deposit balances increased $19.6 million and brokered deposit balances decreased $31.0 million. Overall, the current rate environment continues to contribute to competition for deposits leading to increased volumes and higher rates paid on money market and savings accounts during the current quarter. The deposit mix compared to June 30, 2024, also reflects a shift in volume to money market and customer CD accounts while the volume and rate paid on brokered CDs decreased.

    Deposits ($ in thousands)     June 30,
    2025    		       March 31,
    2025    		       June 30,
    2024    		       Three Month
    % Change    		       One Year %
    Change    		  
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits   $ 240,051     $ 247,890     $ 276,543       -3.2 %     -13.2 %
    Interest-bearing demand deposits     144,409       169,912       162,201       -15.0       -11.0  
    Money market accounts     484,787       424,469       423,047       14.2       14.6  
    Savings accounts     227,968       235,188       224,631       -3.1       1.5  
    Certificates of deposit, customer     450,494       450,663       398,161       0.0       13.1  
    Certificates of deposit, brokered     106,927       137,946       223,705       -22.5       -52.2  
    Total deposits   $ 1,654,636     $ 1,666,068     $ 1,708,288       -0.7       -3.1  

    Total shareholders’ equity increased to $149.7 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $146.5 million three months earlier, due to net income of $3.7 million and an increase in the after-tax fair market values of the available-for-sale investment securities portfolio of $128,000, partially offset by dividends declared of $661,000 and a decrease in the after-tax fair market values of derivatives of $197,000.

    Capital levels for both the Company and the Bank remain in excess of applicable regulatory requirements and the Bank was categorized as “well-capitalized” at June 30, 2025. Preliminary calculations of Common Equity Tier 1 and Total Risk-Based Capital Ratios at June 30, 2025, were 12.1% and 13.1%, respectively.

    First Northwest continued to provide a return on capital to our shareholders through cash dividends during the second quarter of 2025. The Company paid cash dividends totaling $650,000 in the second quarter of 2025. No shares of common stock were repurchased under the Company’s April 2024 Stock Repurchase Plan (the “Repurchase Plan”) during the quarter ended June 30, 2025. There are 846,123 shares that remain available for repurchase under the Repurchase Plan.

    2025 Awards/Recognition
    Forbes Best-in-State Banks
                     


    About the Company
    First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) is a financial holding company engaged in investment activities including the business of its subsidiary, First Fed Bank. First Fed is a Pacific Northwest-based financial institution which has served its customers and communities since 1923. Currently First Fed has 17 locations in Washington state including 12 full-service branches. First Fed’s business and operating strategy is focused on building sustainable earnings by delivering a full array of financial products and services for individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations and commercial customers. In 2022, First Northwest made an investment in The Meriwether Group, LLC, a boutique investment banking and accelerator firm. Additionally, First Northwest focuses on strategic partnerships to provide modern financial services such as digital payments and marketplace lending. First Northwest Bancorp was incorporated in 2012 and completed its initial public offering in 2015 under the ticker symbol FNWB. The Company is headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance and execution on certain strategies, perceived opportunities in the market, potential future credit experience, including our ability to collect, the outcome of litigation and statements regarding our mission and vision, and include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions that are not historical facts, and other statements often identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based upon current management beliefs and expectations and may, therefore, involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors including, but not limited to: increased competitive pressures; changes in the interest rate environment; the credit risks of lending activities; pressures on liquidity, including as a result of withdrawals of deposits or declines in the value of our investment portfolio; changes in general economic conditions and conditions within the securities markets, including potential recessionary and other unfavorable conditions and trends relating to housing markets, costs of living, unemployment levels, interest rates, supply chain difficulties and inflationary pressures, among other things; legislative, regulatory, and policy changes; legal proceedings regulatory investigations and their resolutions; and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K under the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”),which are available on our website at www.ourfirstfed.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make may turn out to be incorrect because of the inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors illustrated above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by or on our behalf and the Company’s operating and stock price performance may be negatively affected. Therefore, these factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. These risks could cause our actual results for 2025 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us and could negatively affect the Company’s operations and stock price performance.

    For More Information Contact:
    Geraldine Bullard, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and EVP
    Phyllis Nomura, Chief Financial Officer and EVP
    IRGroup@ourfirstfed.com
    360-457-0461

       
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (Dollars in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited)    		  
       
        June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
    ASSETS                                        
    Cash and due from banks   $ 18,487     $ 18,911     $ 16,811     $ 17,953     $ 19,184  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks     69,376       51,412       55,637       64,769       63,995  
    Investment securities available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost at each period end of $336,206, $348,249, $376,265, $341,011 and $344,941)     303,515       315,433       340,344       310,860       306,714  
    Loans held for sale     1,557       2,940       472       378       1,086  
    Loans receivable (net of allowance for credit losses on loans at each period end of $18,345, $20,569, $20,449, $21,970, and $19,343)     1,647,217       1,637,573       1,675,186       1,714,416       1,677,764  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock, at cost     14,906       13,106       14,435       14,435       13,086  
    Accrued interest receivable     8,305       8,319       8,159       8,939       9,466  
    Premises and equipment, net     8,999       9,870       10,129       10,436       10,714  
    Servicing rights on sold loans, at fair value     3,220       3,301       3,281       3,584       3,740  
    Bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”), net     41,380       31,786       41,150       41,429       41,113  
    Equity and partnership investments     14,811       15,026       13,229       14,912       15,085  
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net     1,081       1,082       1,082       1,083       1,084  
    Deferred tax asset, net     14,266       14,304       13,738       10,802       12,216  
    Right-of-use (“ROU”) asset, net     15,772       16,687       17,001       17,315       17,627  
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     32,471       31,680       21,352       24,175       23,088  
    Total assets   $ 2,195,363     $ 2,171,430     $ 2,232,006     $ 2,255,486     $ 2,215,962  
                                             
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                                        
    Deposits   $ 1,654,636     $ 1,666,068     $ 1,688,026     $ 1,711,641     $ 1,708,288  
    Borrowings     344,108       307,091       336,014       334,994       302,575  
    Accrued interest payable     1,514       2,163       3,295       2,153       3,143  
    Lease liability, net     16,257       17,266       17,535       17,799       18,054  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     27,790       29,767       31,770       25,625       23,717  
    Advances from borrowers for taxes and insurance     1,325       2,583       1,484       2,485       1,304  
    Total liabilities     2,045,630       2,024,938       2,078,124       2,094,697       2,057,081  
                                             
    Shareholders’ Equity                                        
    Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 5,000,000 shares, no shares issued or outstanding     —       —       —       —       —  
    Common stock, $0.01 par value, 75,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding at each period end: 9,444,963; 9,440,618; 9,353,348; 9,365,979; and 9,453,247     94       94       93       94       94  
    Additional paid-in capital     93,595       93,450       93,357       93,218       93,985  
    Retained earnings     90,506       87,506       97,198       100,660       103,322  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax     (28,198 )     (28,129 )     (30,172 )     (26,424 )     (31,597 )
    Unearned employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) shares     (6,264 )     (6,429 )     (6,594 )     (6,759 )     (6,923 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     149,733       146,492       153,882       160,789       158,881  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,195,363     $ 2,171,430     $ 2,232,006     $ 2,255,486     $ 2,215,962  
       
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)    		  
       
        For the Quarter Ended     For the Six Months Ended  
        June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2025    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
    INTEREST INCOME                                                        
    Interest and fees on loans receivable   $ 22,814     $ 22,231     $ 23,716     $ 23,536     $ 23,733     $ 45,045     $ 46,500  
    Interest on investment securities     3,466       3,803       3,658       3,786       3,949       7,269       7,581  
    Interest on deposits in banks     520       482       550       582       571       1,002       1,216  
    FHLB dividends     331       307       273       302       358       638       640  
    Total interest income     27,131       26,823       28,197       28,206       28,611       53,954       55,937  
    INTEREST EXPENSE                                                        
    Deposits     9,552       9,737       11,175       10,960       10,180       19,289       20,292  
    Borrowings     3,386       3,239       2,885       3,226       4,196       6,625       7,482  
    Total interest expense     12,938       12,976       14,060       14,186       14,376       25,914       27,774  
    Net interest income     14,193       13,847       14,137       14,020       14,235       28,040       28,163  
    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES                                                        
    (Recapture of) provision for credit losses on loans     (296 )     7,770       3,760       3,077       8,640       7,474       9,879  
    (Recapture of) provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments     (64 )     15       (105 )     57       99       (49 )     (170 )
    (Recapture of) provision for credit losses     (360 )     7,785       3,655       3,134       8,739       7,425       9,709  
    Net interest income after (recapture of) provision for credit losses     14,553       6,062       10,482       10,886       5,496       20,615       18,454  
    NONINTEREST INCOME                                                        
    Loan and deposit service fees     1,095       1,106       1,054       1,059       1,076       2,201       2,178  
    Sold loan servicing fees and servicing rights mark-to-market     92       195       (115 )     10       74       287       293  
    Net gain on sale of loans     44       11       52       58       150       55       202  
    Net loss on sale of investment securities     —       —       —       —       (2,117 )     —       (2,117 )
    Net gain on sale of premises and equipment     —       —       —       —       7,919       —       7,919  
    Increase in BOLI cash surrender value     485       372       328       315       293       857       536  
    Income from BOLI death benefit, net     —       1,059       1,536       —       —       1,059       —  
    Other income (loss)     454       1,034       (1,555 )     337       (48 )     1,488       524  
    Total noninterest income     2,170       3,777       1,300       1,779       7,347       5,947       9,535  
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                                                        
    Compensation and benefits     4,698       7,715       7,367       8,582       8,588       12,413       16,716  
    Data processing     1,926       2,011       2,065       2,085       2,008       3,937       3,952  
    Occupancy and equipment     1,507       1,592       1,559       1,553       1,799       3,099       3,039  
    Supplies, postage, and telephone     346       298       296       360       317       644       610  
    Regulatory assessments and state taxes     501       479       460       548       457       980       970  
    Advertising     299       265       362       409       377       564       686  
    Professional fees     1,449       777       813       698       684       2,226       1,594  
    FDIC insurance premium     463       434       491       533       473       897       859  
    Other expense     1,576       6,429       820       1,080       906       8,005       1,486  
    Total noninterest expense     12,765       20,000       14,233       15,848       15,609       32,765       29,912  
    Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes     3,958       (10,161 )     (2,451 )     (3,183 )     (2,766 )     (6,203 )     (1,923 )
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes     297       (1,125 )     359       (1,203 )     (547 )     (828 )     (100 )
    Net income (loss)   $ 3,661     $ (9,036 )   $ (2,810 )   $ (1,980 )   $ (2,219 )   $ (5,375 )   $ (1,823 )
                                                             
    Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.42     $ (1.03 )   $ (0.32 )   $ (0.23 )   $ (0.25 )   $ (0.61 )   $ (0.21 )
       
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)    		  
       
    Selected Loan Detail   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
    Construction and land loans breakout                                        
    1-4 Family construction   $ 39,040     $ 42,371     $ 39,319     $ 43,125     $ 56,514  
    Multifamily construction     14,728       9,223       15,407       29,109       43,341  
    Nonresidential construction     12,832       7,229       16,857       17,500       1,015  
    Land and development     5,938       6,054       6,527       5,975       6,403  
    Total construction and land loans   $ 72,538     $ 64,877     $ 78,110     $ 95,709     $ 107,273  
                                             
    Auto and other consumer loans breakout                                        
    Triad Manufactured Home loans   $ 135,537     $ 134,740     $ 128,231     $ 129,600     $ 110,510  
    Woodside auto loans     127,828       118,972       117,968       126,129       131,151  
    First Help auto loans     11,221       13,012       14,283       15,971       17,427  
    Other auto loans     1,016       1,313       1,647       2,064       2,690  
    Other consumer loans     5,275       5,841       6,747       7,434       23,845  
    Total auto and other consumer loans   $ 280,877     $ 273,878     $ 268,876     $ 281,198     $ 285,623  
                                             
    Commercial business loans breakout                                        
    Northpointe Bank MPP   $ –     $ –     $ 36,230     $ 38,155     $ 9,150  
    Secured lines of credit     41,043       39,986       35,701       37,686       28,862  
    Unsecured lines of credit     2,551       2,030       1,717       1,571       1,133  
    SBA loans     6,618       6,889       7,044       7,219       7,146  
    Other commercial business loans     67,631       70,878       70,801       70,696       70,803  
    Total commercial business loans   $ 117,843     $ 119,783     $ 151,493     $ 155,327     $ 117,094  
    Loans by Collateral and Unfunded Commitments   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
                                             
    One-to-four family construction   $ 40,509     $ 38,221     $ 44,468     $ 51,607     $ 49,440  
    All other construction and land     36,129       30,947       34,290       45,166       58,346  
    One-to-four family first mortgage     420,847       428,081       466,046       469,053       434,840  
    One-to-four family junior liens     20,116       15,155       15,090       14,701       13,706  
    One-to-four family revolving open-end     57,502       51,832       51,481       48,459       44,803  
    Commercial real estate, owner occupied:                                        
    Health care     29,091       29,386       29,129       29,407       29,678  
    Office     19,116       19,363       17,756       17,901       19,215  
    Warehouse     7,432       9,272       14,948       11,645       14,613  
    Other     74,364       74,915       78,170       64,535       56,292  
    Commercial real estate, non-owner occupied:                                        
    Office     42,198       41,885       49,417       49,770       50,158  
    Retail     51,708       50,737       49,591       49,717       50,101  
    Hospitality     64,308       62,226       61,919       62,282       62,628  
    Other     93,505       93,549       81,640       82,573       84,428  
    Multi-family residential     330,784       339,217       333,419       354,118       350,382  
    Commercial business loans     73,403       75,628       77,381       86,904       79,055  
    Commercial agriculture and fishing loans     22,443       22,914       21,833       15,369       14,411  
    State and political subdivision obligations     369       369       369       404       405  
    Consumer automobile loans     139,992       133,209       133,789       144,036       151,121  
    Consumer loans secured by other assets     138,378       137,619       131,429       132,749       129,293  
    Consumer loans unsecured     2,508       3,051       3,658       4,411       5,209  
    Total loans   $ 1,664,702     $ 1,657,576     $ 1,695,823     $ 1,734,807     $ 1,698,124  
                                             
    Unfunded commitments under lines of credit or existing loans   $ 166,589     $ 175,100     $ 163,827     $ 166,446     $ 155,005  
       
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)    		  
       
        Three Months Ended June 30,  
        2025     2024  
        Average     Interest             Average     Interest          
        Balance     Earned/     Yield/     Balance     Earned/     Yield/  
        Outstanding     Paid     Rate     Outstanding     Paid     Rate  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
    Interest-earning assets:                                                
    Loans receivable, net (1) (2)   $ 1,639,236     $ 22,814       5.58 %   $ 1,698,777     $ 23,733       5.62 %
    Total investment securities     311,078       3,466       4.47       316,878       3,949       5.01  
    FHLB dividends     13,313       331       9.97       15,175       358       9.49  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks     46,807       520       4.46       41,450       571       5.54  
    Total interest-earning assets (3)     2,010,434       27,131       5.41       2,072,280       28,611       5.55  
    Noninterest-earning assets     154,145                       147,090                  
    Total average assets   $ 2,164,579                     $ 2,219,370                  
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                                
    Interest-bearing demand deposits   $ 164,475     $ 240       0.59     $ 165,212     $ 193       0.47  
    Money market accounts     444,135       2,660       2.40       405,393       2,420       2.40  
    Savings accounts     228,901       884       1.55       227,650       915       1.62  
    Certificates of deposit, customer     451,712       4,396       3.90       400,197       4,079       4.10  
    Certificates of deposit, brokered     124,383       1,372       4.42       209,566       2,573       4.94  
    Total interest-bearing deposits (4)     1,413,606       9,552       2.71       1,408,018       10,180       2.91  
    Advances     275,176       3,041       4.43       315,375       3,801       4.85  
    Subordinated debt     34,600       345       4.00       39,465       395       4.03  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,723,382       12,938       3.01       1,762,858       14,376       3.28  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits (4)     243,655                       251,442                  
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     50,685                       41,991                  
    Total average liabilities     2,017,722                       2,056,291                  
    Average equity     146,857                       163,079                  
    Total average liabilities and equity   $ 2,164,579                     $ 2,219,370                  
                                                     
    Net interest income           $ 14,193                     $ 14,235          
    Net interest rate spread                     2.40                       2.27  
    Net earning assets   $ 287,052                     $ 309,422                  
    Net interest margin (5)                     2.83                       2.76  
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     116.7 %                     117.6 %                
    (1) The average loans receivable, net balances include nonaccrual loans.
    (2) Interest earned on loans receivable includes net deferred (costs) fees of ($148,000) and $34,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
    (3) Includes interest-earning deposits (cash) at other financial institutions.
    (4) Cost of all deposits, including noninterest-bearing demand deposits, was 2.31% and 2.47% for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
    (5) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
       

    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    This press release contains financial measures that are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Non-GAAP measures are presented where management believes the information will help investors understand the Company’s results of operations or financial position and assess trends. Where non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measure is also provided. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, and are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Other banking companies may use names similar to those the Company uses for the non-GAAP financial measures the Company discloses, but may calculate them differently. Investors should understand how the Company and other companies each calculate their non-GAAP financial measures when making comparisons. Reconciliations of the GAAP and non-GAAP measures are presented below.

    Calculations Based on PPNR and Adjusted PPNR:

        For the Quarter Ended     For the Six Months Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands)   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2025    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
                                                             
    Net income (loss) (GAAP)   $ 3,661     $ (9,036 )   $ (2,810 )   $ (1,980 )   $ (2,219 )   $ (5,375 )   $ (1,823 )
    Plus: (recapture of) provision for credit losses (GAAP)     (360 )     7,785       3,655       3,134       8,739       7,425       9,709  
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes (GAAP)     297       (1,125 )     359       (1,203 )     (547 )     (828 )     (100 )
    PPNR (Non-GAAP) (1)     3,598       (2,376 )     1,204       (49 )     5,973       1,222       7,786  
    Less selected nonrecurring adjustments to PPNR (Non-GAAP):                                                        
    Employee retention credit (“ERC”) included in compensation and benefits     2,640       —       —       —       —       2,640       —  
    ERC consulting expense included in professional fees     (528 )     —       —       —       —       (528 )     —  
    Costs associated with early termination of Bellevue Business Center lease included in other expense     (599 )     —       —       —       —       (599 )     —  
    Bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”) death benefit     —       1,059       1,536       —       —       1,059       —  
    Gain on extinguishment of subordinated debt included in other income     —       846       —       —       —       846       —  
    Legal reserve     —       (5,750 )     —       —       —       (5,750 )     —  
    Equity investment repricing adjustment     —       —       (1,762 )     —       —       —       651  
    One-time compensation payouts related to reduction in force     —       —       —       (996 )     —       —       —  
    Net gain on sale of premises and equipment     —       —       —       —       7,919       —       7,919  
    Sale leaseback taxes and assessments included in occupancy and equipment     —       —       —       —       (359 )     —       (359 )
    Net loss on sale of investment securities     —       —       —       —       (2,117 )     —       (2,117 )
    Adjusted PPNR (Non-GAAP) (1)   $ 2,085     $ 1,469     $ 1,430     $ 947     $ 530     $ 3,554     $ 1,692  
                                                             
    Average total assets (GAAP)   $ 2,164,579     $ 2,174,748     $ 2,205,502     $ 2,209,333     $ 2,219,370     $ 2,169,621     $ 2,192,779  
    GAAP Ratio:                                                        
    Return on average assets (GAAP)     0.68 %     -1.69 %     -0.51 %     -0.36 %     -0.40 %     -0.50 %     -0.17 %
    Non-GAAP Ratios:                                                        
    PPNR return on average assets (Non-GAAP) (1)     0.67 %     -0.44 %     0.22 %     -0.01 %     1.08 %     0.11 %     0.71 %
    Adjusted PPNR return on average assets (Non-GAAP) (1)     0.39 %     0.27 %     0.26 %     0.17 %     0.10 %     0.33 %     0.16 %
    (1) PPNR removes the provisions for credit loss and income tax from net income. This removes potentially volatile estimates, providing a comparative amount limited to income and expense recorded during the period. Adjusted PPNR further removes large nonrecurring transactions recorded during the period. We believe these metrics provide comparative amounts for a better review of recurring net revenue.
       
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)    		  
       
    Calculations Based on Tangible Common Equity:  
            
        For the Quarter Ended     For the Six Months Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   June 30,
    2025    		     March 31,
    2025    		     December 31,
    2024    		     September 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2024    		     June 30,
    2025    		     June 30,
    2024    		  
                                                             
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 149,733     $ 146,492     $ 153,882     $ 160,789     $ 158,881     $ 149,733     $ 158,881  
    Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets     1,081       1,082       1,082       1,083       1,084       1,081       1,084  
    Disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     372       415       423       489       517       372       517  
    Total tangible common equity   $ 148,280     $ 144,995     $ 152,377     $ 159,217     $ 157,280     $ 148,280     $ 157,280  
                                                             
    Total assets   $ 2,195,363     $ 2,171,430     $ 2,232,006     $ 2,255,486     $ 2,215,962     $ 2,195,363     $ 2,215,962  
    Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets     1,081       1,082       1,082       1,083       1,084       1,081       1,084  
    Disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     372       415       423       489       517       372       517  
    Total tangible assets   $ 2,193,910     $ 2,169,933     $ 2,230,501     $ 2,253,914     $ 2,214,361     $ 2,193,910     $ 2,214,361  
                                                             
    Average shareholders’ equity   $ 146,857     $ 156,470     $ 161,560     $ 160,479     $ 163,079     $ 151,620     $ 162,473  
    Less: Average goodwill and other intangible assets     1,081       1,082       1,083       1,084       1,085       1,082       1,085  
    Average disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     415       423       489       517       489       419       485  
    Total average tangible common equity   $ 145,361     $ 154,965     $ 159,988     $ 158,878     $ 161,505     $ 150,119     $ 160,903  
                                                             
    Net income (loss)   $ 3,661     $ (9,036 )   $ (2,810 )   $ (1,980 )   $ (2,219 )   $ (5,375 )   $ (1,823 )
    Common shares outstanding     9,444,963       9,440,618       9,353,348       9,365,979       9,453,247       9,444,963       9,453,247  
    GAAP Ratios:                                                        
    Equity to total assets     6.82 %     6.75 %     6.89 %     7.13 %     7.17 %     6.82 %     7.17 %
    Return on average equity     10.00 %     -23.42 %     -6.92 %     -4.91 %     -5.47 %     -7.15 %     -2.26 %
    Book value per common share   $ 15.85     $ 15.52     $ 16.45     $ 17.17     $ 16.81     $ 15.85     $ 16.81  
    Non-GAAP Ratios:                                                        
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1)     6.76 %     6.68 %     6.83 %     7.06 %     7.10 %     6.76 %     7.10 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)     10.10 %     -23.65 %     -6.99 %     -4.96 %     -5.53 %     -7.22 %     -2.28 %
    Tangible book value per common share (1)   $ 15.70     $ 15.36     $ 16.29     $ 17.00     $ 16.64     $ 15.70     $ 16.64  
    (1 ) We believe that the use of tangible equity and tangible assets improves the comparability to other institutions that have not engaged in acquisitions that resulted in recorded goodwill and other intangibles.
         

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c85e4dc5-66aa-4a20-9353-c1b9da5ac869

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8d326aa-0fde-4c3c-954f-bb809e7c276c

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f24035e8-5a6e-4f39-a0db-93ca11dc39d5

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c29167d1-36df-44c1-9e51-889b5be4fb96

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae6ceb7f-9f7a-4a77-b835-146a0638be30

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ba4f507-769e-4e54-acdb-4aed9253c967

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66e51144-1d2d-4c3f-ae91-2192cc90a887

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Surging airpower in the Pacific: Lamontagne observes allied mobility in action

    Source: United States Airforce

    The commander of AMC visited the 515th AMOW squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific-oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge.

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —  Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander, visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing during a recent stop in the Indo-Pacific theater to observe the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise series — this first-in-a-generation exercise series is designed to test the service’s ability to rapidly deploy at speed and scale and sustain global operations.

    The 515th AMOW, headquartered in Hawaii, plays a pivotal role in enabling air mobility across the Indo-Pacific region. Lamontagne’s visit focused on how air mobility squadrons operate during surge conditions and how they integrate with allies and partners to move critical capabilities where they are most needed.

    “Hosting General Lamontagne was a great chance to show how our Airmen rise to the challenge,” said Col. Jens Lyndrup, 515th AMOW commander. “They surge, adapt and deliver — with our allies by their side — and they do it with incredible precision and pride.”

    Lamontagne echoed that sentiment, praising the dedication and resilience of Airmen across the theater

    “The Airmen are what impress me, period,” Lamontagne said. “The Airmen of the air mobility squadrons are fully executing the mission in tough environments during a very challenging exercise, helping the Department of the Air Force come together in a big way.”

    With contested logistics becoming a central theme in defense planning, Lamontagne emphasized the 515th AMOW’s unique role in scaling operations and reinforcing key nodes in support of U.S. and allied objectives.

    “We couldn’t execute this large-scale exercise without the AMOW out here in the Pacific,” he said. “There’s no way we could project power at this scale without the 515th AMOW. They do an indispensable job surging capability where it’s needed, delivering greater throughput, capacity and operational reach.”

    Close coordination with international partners was also a key focus of the visit. Lamontagne highlighted the strong relationship between the 730th Air Mobility Squadron, based at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

    Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander receives a brief from Master Sgt. Travis Alton, 735th Air Mobility Squadron aerial port section chief during a squadron visit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)
    Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command commander receives a brief from Airmen assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron aircraft maintenance unit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)
    Airmen assigned to the 735th Air Mobility Squadron aircraft maintenance unit brief Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, Air Mobility Command Commander during a squadron visit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai’i, July 12, 2025. Lamontagne visited the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing squadrons during the U.S. Air Force Department-Level Exercise, to see how the Pacific oriented AMC wing conducts an operational surge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victoria Cowan)

    “The 730th AMS has a great relationship with their Japanese counterparts, and we had the opportunity to meet with a couple of their three-stars who run their Air Defense Command and Air Support Command,” Lamontagne said. “They help us present forces at the tactical level and enable success at the operational and strategic levels very effectively each and every day.”

    As competitors challenge U.S. military advantage in the region, Lamontagne emphasized the scale, speed and effectiveness of American airpower.

    “No other air force can do it at the scale and on the timeline that our Air Force can,” he said. “Operating as one big Air Force to do what our nation needs us to do is really where it’s at.”

    From enabling deterrence to sustaining operations at the tactical edge, the 515th AMOW and its network of mobility Airmen remain a critical part of the United States’ ability to project power — anytime, anywhere.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Iran/Israel: Iranian forces’ use of cluster munition in ’12 day war’ violated international humanitarian law

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Unlawful ballistic missile strikes utilising cluster munitions landed in residential areas in Israel

    ‘Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that must never be used’ – Erika Guevara Rosas

    The Iranian forces’ use of cluster munitions during the ‘12 Day War’ with Israel was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, Amnesty International said today.

    Last month, the Iranian forces fired ballistic missiles whose warheads contained submunitions into populated residential areas of Israel, in attacks endangering civilians. Amnesty analysed photos and videos showing cluster munitions that, according to media reports, struck inside the Gush Dan metropolitan area around Tel Aviv on 19 June.

    In addition, the cities of Beersheba, southern Israel (20 June), and Rishon LeZion, to the south of Tel Aviv (22 June), were also struck with ordnance that left multiple impact craters consistent with the submunitions seen in Gush Dan. Such submunitions hit a school and basketball court in Beersheba, but no deaths or injuries were reported.

    Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said:

    “Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons that must never be used. By using such weapons in or near populated residential areas, Iranian forces endangered civilian lives and demonstrated clear disregard for international humanitarian law.

    “Civilians, particularly children, are most at risk of injury or death from unexploded submunitions. Iranian forces’ deliberate use of such inherently indiscriminate weapons is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

    Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons, and launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.

    Cluster munitions are conventional ordnance designed to disperse or release small explosive submunitions. Typically, such submunitions are launched and dispersed by rockets, artillery, or air-dropped containers, scattering ordnance over a wide area, sometimes as large as a football pitch, which often remain unexploded.

    According to media reports, the warheads deployed by Iranian forces against Israel dispersed their payload several kilometres above the ground, spreading their submunitions over a very large area.

    Many systems have high “dud” rates, leaving large areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance which can remain lethal for years or even decades after a conflict has ended.

    The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force on 1 August 2010, bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Amnesty has called on all states that have not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including Iran and Israel, to become a party to it and strictly comply with its terms.

    Amnesty sent questions regarding the use of cluster munitions to the Iranian authorities on 15 July. At the time of publication, no response had yet been received.

    Missiles fired at Israel

    On 19 June, media reported that the Israeli military announced that Iranian forces had fired “a missile that contained cluster submunitions at a densely populated civilian area” in central Israel, and that approximately 20 submunitions fell over an estimated eight-kilometre radius.

    Amnesty’s weapon experts were able to identify an unexploded submunition apparently found in the Gush Dan metropolitan area on 19 June. Amnesty could not independently establish where this submunition landed.

    According to Haaretz, another cluster munition struck the top floor of a home in Azor shortly after 7am where a man and his son had been asleep. The father and son were woken up by sirens and managed to reach a safe room downstairs just before the submunition hit.

    Amnesty’s weapons experts identified the submunitions (above) from images shared by the media, which cited Israeli military’s Home Front Command.

    Furthermore, media reports of simultaneous impacts in Beersheba on 20 June seemingly indicate that cluster munitions were also used in that area. Among the several locations that were hit, Amnesty was able to verify that a submunition hit the basketball court of Gevim School in Beersheba. No deaths or injuries were reported. However, due to the high dud rate, there is the possibility that unexploded munitions not yet found could cause death or injury in the future.

    Israeli media also reported a cluster munitions strike on Rishon LeZion on 22 June. Amnesty analysed photographs of a crater in a residential street, which was consistent with impact craters left by submunitions used in the attack on the Gush Dan area.

    The ballistic missiles used by Iranian forces proved wildly inaccurate, and thus completely inappropriate for use near or in civilian residential areas. For example, an analysis of the October 2024 ballistic missiles strikes by Iranian forces against Israel showed that the missiles missed their intended target by an average of half-a-kilometre or more.

    International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, including through the use of weapons which cannot be directed at a specific military objective.

    Fin-stabilised submunitions

    While it has not been possible to determine precisely what kind of ballistic missile was used in these three attacks, the submunitions it dispersed bear a striking resemblance to a fin-stabilised submunition that appeared to have landed in the city of Gorgan, Golestan province, in Iran on 18 September 2023, following a failed missile test. Two citizens were reportedly injured.

    A picture of the submunition was published by Mashregh News, a news organisation in Iran, amid widespread reports of multiple explosions being heard and ordnance landing in and around the city. The Iranian authorities did not acknowledge testing cluster munitions; instead, Iran’s Ministry of Defence announced on 18 September 2023 that: “During a research test of offensive and drone systems conducted in a desert area, one of the systems under testing experienced a technical malfunction, veered off its intended path, and disintegrated, with parts of it falling in areas of the city of Gorgan.”

    The cluster munitions used by the Iranian forces also bear external resemblance to those showcased during defence exhibitions in Tehran in 2016.

    Civilians killed

    During the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, at least 1,100 people were killed in Iran, including at least 132 women and 45 children, according to Iran’s Foundation for Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. Amnesty is calling for Israel’s attack on Evin prison in Tehran on 23 June that killed and injured scores of civilians, including a child, to be investigated as a war crime following an in-depth investigation.

    At least 29 people, including women and children, were killed as a result of Iranian attacks in Israel, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. In one of the deadliest incidents, four members of the same family – three women and one child – were killed by an Iranian missile that hit the Palestinian town of Tamra in northern Israel on 14 June.  

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Andy King appointed to lead Companies House

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Andy King appointed to lead Companies House

    New Chief Executive will start in post from September, taking on the role from retiring CEO Louise Smyth.

    Ministers have today confirmed the appointment of Andy King as the new Chief Executive of Companies House, the UK’s registrar of companies. 

    Andy brings extensive experience in leadership roles in customer, business operations, regulatory and enforcement settings, including during his time at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. He will lead the organisation as it continues to modernise company registration and strengthen the UK’s business environment. 

    Companies House plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the UK’s corporate landscape, processing over 14 million company filings each year and providing essential information to businesses, lenders, and the public. 

    The appointment comes as the organisation prepares for new reforms designed to improve efficiency, enhance corporate transparency, and tackle economic crime. 

    Competition and Markets Minister Justin Madders said: 

    I’d like to thank Louise Smyth for her significant contribution for the past eight years as CEO and especially for her leading role in the transformation of the organisation.  

    Andy King brings excellent expertise to Companies House and I look forward to working together to improve corporate transparency and tackle economic crime.  

    This appointment will help strengthen Britain’s business environment and support our Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth.

    New Companies House CEO Andy King said:  

    I’m delighted to be joining Companies House and feel honoured to be able to lead such a motivated and dedicated team.   

    I am excited by our mission to deliver essential services to business, and the opportunity to be ambitious in our vision for those services, our workforce and our organisation, as we continue to advance our change programme.

    King will take up the role in September and will be responsible for leading Companies House’s 1900-strong workforce across offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast. 

    The appointment was made following an open competition overseen by the Civil Service Commission, ensuring the process met the highest standards of fairness and transparency.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO strengthens fire resilience in the Pantanal and Cerrado with support from local communities

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    The initiative aims to protect areas recognized as World Natural Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves through the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF).

    UNESCO is intensifying its efforts in Brazil to protect areas recognized as World Natural Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves in response to the rise in extreme wildfires driven by climate change. Through the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), the organization is leading a strategic initiative to bolster fire resilience in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso and in Goiás.

    A total of 60 volunteers were trained through this project: 30 in the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (MT), 15 in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (GO), and 15 in Emas National Park (GO). Around 800 pieces of equipment were distributed, including firefighting tools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Additionally, an action plan is being developed to guide volunteer firefighters, based on Integrated Fire Management (IFM) and UNESCO’s Fire Risk Management Guide.

    “The project funded by the Heritage Emergency Fund makes a significant contribution to local communities by recognizing and strengthening their vital role in fire prevention and control”

    Interinstitutional initiative in the Pantanal

    From 22 to 25 April 2025, the Serra do Amolar — a remote and hard-to-reach region between Corumbá (MS) and Cáceres (MT), on the border with Bolivia — hosted a community brigade training supported by UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund. The activity took place in the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park, in collaboration with WWF-Brazil, GEF Terrestrial (Funbio), Ibama (PrevFogo), Ecoa (Ecology and Action), and the Brazilian Navy.

    Three brigades, made up of 30 Pantanal residents — including 14 women — took part in the training. Over three intensive days of technical and practical lessons, participants learned fire prevention and control techniques from specialists.

    In addition to traditional methods — such as the use of specific tools, fire front control, heat mapping, and surveillance — the training incorporated agroforestry practices adapted to the Pantanal context. “One innovation was the management of slash-and-burn plots and backyard gardens. These areas, besides being vital for local subsistence, serve as ecological corridors that can protect wildlife during fires”, explains André Luiz Siqueira, Director of Ecoa.

    Another innovation was the introduction of the Sigma tool, a software developed by SOS Pantanal, which sends real-time fire alerts to mobile phones. Using satellite imagery and data such as wind direction and temperature, the technology is accessible even to those with limited formal education.

    Support from the Brazilian Navy enabled the logistics for participants and specialists, including transport via small boats, 950 liters of petrol, and 870 kilograms of food. Accommodation was provided by staff from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

    Geographical and climatic challenges in firefighting

    Corumbá, covering over 64,000 km², is the 11th largest municipality in Brazil. The rugged terrain of the Serra do Amolar and limited access via rivers or air pose logistical challenges for firefighting. The presence of peat — organic matter accumulated in wetlands — creates highly flammable biomass during the dry season, making fires frequent and intense.

    The region encompassing the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside three Private Natural Heritage Reserves, and is also recognized as a Ramsar Site — an international designation for wetlands of high ecological importance.

    “The Pantanal harbors great biodiversity and is vital for fish reproduction (ichthyofauna). This region is essential for traditional peoples, sustainable tourism, and the conservation of species such as the jaguar, giant otter, and giant anteater”

    In 2024, the Pantanal experienced one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. According to the Laboratory for Environmental Satellite Applications (Lasa/UFRJ), around 2.6 million hectares — 17% of the biome — were consumed by fire. This was the second-highest figure since the historical series began in 2012, surpassed only by 2020, when 3.6 million hectares were devastated.

    “The drought pattern has changed. Although climate change is intensifying, those combating the fires are now better organized. We have more brigade members, resources, support from the National Security Force, the Armed Forces, and a more structured state response,” says Márcio Yule, coordinator of PrevFogo/Ibama in Mato Grosso do Sul.

    Extreme drought — worsened by the El Niño phenomenon — combined with improper fire use, high temperatures, and low humidity, has increased vegetation vulnerability and impacted biodiversity and traditional community livelihoods.

    I’ve been a brigade member since 2001, and the training helps us in many ways. Having the right equipment, rather than just our bare hands, makes all the difference. As traditional people, we have knowledge of fire management and know the land. When firefighters arrive, they need to talk to the community to understand what’s happening here. This combination of our knowledge, training, and equipment allows us to care for the land and the Pantanal.

    She is a quilombola and indigenous woman from the Guató people, living in the Barra de São Lourenço community — on the banks of the Cuiabá River near the Paraguay River, on the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, and the frontier with Bolivia.

    Silas Ismael

    Despite the increasingly challenging climate scenario, the combination of community mobilization, traditional knowledge, and technology has proven effective in mitigating damage. “The formation of civil brigades is more than a fire response plan — it is a territorial adaptation strategy that supports autonomy and resilience in the Pantanal,” says Osvaldo Barassi Gajardo, Conservation Specialist at WWF-Brazil.

    With each new training session, more than just skills are developed — a living protection network is built, where nature, science, and community walk hand in hand. Brigade member Eliane has a dream for the world’s largest wetland. “We care for nature, and nature cares for us. My dream is a green Pantanal full of animals”.

    Rosi do Céu, rooted in the Cerrado

    Since childhood, 47-year-old Rosilene Rodrigues da Silva Santos has guided people through the beauties and unique features of the Cerrado biome in Chapadão do Céu, Goiás, Brazil.

    “I grew up in this region. When visitors came to our house looking for tours, my parents would ask me to show them the trails, explain the routes, and teach them how to reach Emas National Park”. Today, Rosi works as a guide at the park during weekend and holidays, volunteers as a firefighter, and has served as a primary school teacher for the past 28 years. Currently, she teaches first grade at a municipal school in Chapadão do Céu from Monday to Friday.

    In 2010, a massive wildfire devastated approximately 90% of the 132,000 hectares of Emas National Park and the surrounding region. “That was my first time volunteering. The fire lasted several days, and the entire community helped. We brought clothes, supplies, and food for those battling the flames. It was my first experience with fire”.

    In her view, “nature still hasn’t fully recovered” from that fire. “The animals didn’t all return, there are far fewer now. But the Cerrado is life. It regenerates. The trees are twisted, with thick bark and deep roots. It’s on purpose. When fire comes, it doesn’t consume the forest floor. The Cerrado survives, it’s resilient,” she explains.

    In April, Rosi participated in a fire brigade training coordinated by UNESCO, with support from the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), and with WWF-Brazil. Trainings were held at three sites: Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (GO), Emas National Park (GO), and Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (MT) – addressing conservation efforts across the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes.

    The training was excellent. Now we’re better prepared to manage the park during the dry season, following the management plan. And if emergencies arise, we know how to fight fires strategically, safely, and effectively.

    But if you ask Rosi do Céu (Rosi of the Sky) what she loves most, the answer is nature and wildlife. “Some people admire celebrities. I admire those who love nature. I love the wilderness and care for animals”.

    Rosi also makes handcrafted items from bamboo and wood, and rescues snakes and wild animals when needed. “Just send me a message on WhatsApp. If there’s an opossum or any creature, people say, Call Rosi, she’ll take care of it.” In 2018, she rescued a tapir and named her Preciosa (Precious). “Every time I go to Emas National Park, near where she stays, I call her name, she comes and eats from my hand. It’s love,” says the firefighter, guide, teacher, artisan, and animal caregiver.

    Eliane: ancestral wisdom

    Eliane Aires de Souza, 58 years, carries in her eyes and hands the wisdom born of deep interaction with nature and ancestral knowledge. A Pantanal native, she lives in the community of Barra de São Lourenço (MT), shaped by the waters and the vibrant life that surrounds her. She is an Indigenous woman of the Guató people, with quilombola ancestry, and works the land with knowledge and care as an agroforestry practitioner. Since 2001, she has served as a civilian firefighter, confronting the wildfires that each year are increasingly threatening the Pantanal.

    Silas Ismael

    This is our way of life. The Pantanal is our home. Having proper training and equipment helps us take care of it and protect our collective house.

    Eliane is a mother, grandmother, and president of the Renascer Women’s Association, created to strengthen the dreams and autonomy of the women in her community. In her words, she highlights the daily challenges of keeping culture alive and staying connected to the land. “Here, we live off fishing, bait, and handicrafts”.

    Eliane feels the effects of climate change and the abandonment of the rivers. She speaks with sadness of the Rio Velho, which no longer flows as it once did. “It’s like a clogged vein in the body. If we don’t take care of the river, the whole body falls ill”. For her, protecting nature means protecting herself, her family, her community, and the future. “That tree behind you is like a vein, it gives life to other lives”.

    In her daily life, Eliane cultivates an agroforestry system at home. She nurtures and protects the land. “That’s what agroforestry is: we care for it, and it cares for us”. Drawing on ancestral wisdom, she explains the importance of nourishing the soil, preserving humidity, and ensuring shade, life, and food. She grows bananas, cassava, lemons, and oranges, and dreams of more. She envisions a seedling nursery and a green corridor that reconnects fragmented forest areas, providing food for animals and nourishing hope.

    “If we keep waiting, the soil will die. And with it, our way of life”. She refuses to depend on the city for basic needs. “It’s the dream that keeps us going”.

    And perhaps it is that persistent force of dreaming, that way of resisting with hands in the soil, body in the canoe, and soul in the crafts, that keeps the Pantanal alive. As long as there are Elianes and Rosis, there will be hope for rebirth.

    About the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund

    This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF). We express our gratitude to its donors: the Principality of Andorra, the Qatar Fund for Development, Canada, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the French Republic, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Monaco, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Poland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of Serbia, and ANA Holdings INC.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Defence Medical Services senior appointments announced

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New Defence Medical Services senior appointments announced

    His Majesty the King has approved three new senior appointments in the Defence Medical Services.

    Brigadier Phil Carter KHP OStJ. MOD Crown Copyright

    His Majesty the King has approved the following three senior appointments in the Defence Medical Services (DMS):

    • Brigadier Phil Carter KHP OStJ as the next Surgeon General (SG), in the rank of Major General, from August 2025
    • Brigadier Antony Finn as the next Director Medical Personnel and Training in the rank of Major General, from November 2025
    • Air Commodore Darren Ellison KHP as the next Director Defence Healthcare in the rank of Air Vice-Marshal, from June 2026

    All three have had long and distinguished careers delivering health care to the Armed Forces as part of the Defence Medical Services.

    Brigadier Carter has undertaken a variety of deployments throughout his career, including to Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sierra Leon.  In 2008, he was appointed as the first Commanding Officer of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Clinical Unit. He later became Commander Medical HQ in the British Army’s 1(UK) Division and Commander Defence Primary Healthcare, before being appointed Head of Army Health in 2024.

    As Surgeon General, Brigadier Phil Carter will be responsible for:

    • providing specialist health and medical support advice to the Military Strategic Headquarters on behalf of the Director General of the Defence Medical Services.
    • Force Design within the Defence Medical Services, ensuring the readiness of the medical capability supporting the Armed Forces
    • directing medical research, medical innovation, and continuous quality improvement in Defence
    • coordinating our international technical engagement with medical partners across NATO and the UK’s broader alliances

    Brigadier Phil Carter said:

    At a time of reform across Defence, to be entrusted with the making sure that our armed forces deployed on operations have the medical support they need is a significant responsibility. I am looking forward to the challenge and enormously grateful that I will be working with such a dedicated and innovative specialist team.

    Brigadier Antony Finn. MOD Crown Copyright

    Brigadier Antony Finn qualified as a General Practitioner in 2003. Following deployments to Afghanistan, Kenya and Iraq, in July 2010 he assumed command of 1 Medical Regiment and deployed to Afghanistan as Commanding Officer of the Close Support Medical Regiment.  In 2012 he was promoted to Colonel as Assistant Director of Medical Operational Capability, before promoting to Brigadier in March 2019 as Commander 2nd Medical Brigade. From 2021-24 he was Head of Army Healthcare, and since August 2024 has been Commander of the Joint Hospital Group. 

    As part of his role as Director Medical Personnel and Training, Brigadier Antony Finn will be responsible for:

    • leading strategic medical workforce planning for DMS, including training and placement, to support to support Strategic Command (soon to be Cyber & Specialist Operations Command) and wider Defence’s people plan people plan and operational needs 
    • overseeing the development and delivery of high-quality individual training, to all entitled personnel involved in medical support to Defence
    • delivering an optimally prepared and suitably qualified and experienced personnel (SQEP) medical workforce through the provision of high-quality placements within both the NHS and other providers

    Brigadier Finn, said:

    I am deeply honoured to be selected to be the next Director of Medical Personnel and Training. The Strategic Defence Review offers unprecedented opportunities for the Defence Medical Services and our partners. I look forward to exploiting these for the benefit of our patients, the medical workforce, Defence and beyond.

    Air Commodore Darren Ellison KHP. MOD Crown Copyright

    Air Commodore Ellison joined the RAF in 1999 as a medical cadet and has undertaken a variety of roles including deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Wing Commander he was appointed as Officer Commanding Tactical Medical Wing in 2018, and then as Group Captain he served as Regional Clinical Director, Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) Northern Ireland Wales and West. In 2022 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, and then promoted to Air Commodore in Summer 2023 when he became Head Healthcare and Strategic Plans in HQ Defence Medical Services before being appointed Head of the Royal Air Force Medical Services and Head Health (RAF) in November 2024.

    As part of his role as Director Defence Healthcare, Air Commodore Ellison will be responsible for:

    • directing, overseeing and commissioning both primary and secondary military healthcare services in support of Defence outputs

    • directing, managing and delivering primary healthcare and dentistry service delivery in the UK and all overseas bases 

    • maximising the medical employability and deployability of Armed Forces personnel across Defence

    Air Commodore Darren Ellison said:

    It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed as the next Director Healthcare for the Defence Medical Services. I look forward to working with both the whole DMS team, and colleagues across the Military Commands, to shape and deliver a service that ensures our patients continue to receive the highest standard of safe, effective healthcare they rightly deserve, and we provide the critically enabling healthcare outputs that meet the current and future needs of Defence.

    Congratulating all three on their appointments, General Sir Jim Hockenhull, Commander Strategic Command (soon to be Cyber & Specialist Operations Command) said:

    I am delighted to see these three promotions within the Defence Medical Services.  Brigadier Philip Carter’s appointment as the next Surgeon General, on appointment to Major General, Brigadier Antony Finn’s appointment as the next Director Medical Personnel and Training, on appointment to Major General and Air Commodore Darren Ellison’s appointment as the next Director Defence Healthcare, on appointment to Air Vice-Marshal.  These selections will enable all to provide considerable support within DMS’s transformation journey and the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), I look forward to working with them and congratulate them on their promotion.

    Director General of the Defence Medical Services, Air Marshal Clare Walton added:

    I am delighted to see the announcement of these three crucial appointments. Brigadier Phil Carter, Brigadier Tony Finn and Air Commodore Darren Ellison all have extensive experience gained from multiple roles in the Defence Medical Services and are exceptionally well-placed to take on these critical positions. At a time of global volatility, their leadership will be pivotal in driving the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) forward to implementation, shaping the medical capabilities of the future, and embedding the One Medical Mindset, ensuring that Armed Forces personnel remain fit to fight and are fully supported in their recovery to fitness.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Israeli strike kills hungry Gaza family in their sleep

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Al-Shaer family went to bed hungry at their home in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike killed them in their sleep.

    The family – freelance journalist Wala al-Jaabari, her husband and their five children – were among more than 100 people killed in 24 hours of Israeli strikes or gunfire, according to health officials.

    Their corpses lay in white shrouds outside their bombed home on Wednesday with their names scribbled in pen. Blood seeped through the shrouds as they lay there, staining them red.

    “This is my cousin. He was 10. We dug them out of the rubble,” Amr al-Shaer, holding one of the bodies after retrieving it.

    Iman al-Shaer, another relative who lives nearby, said the family hadn’t eaten anything before the bombs came down. “The children slept without food,” he said.

    The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike at the family’s home, but said its air force had struck 120 targets throughout Gaza in the past day, including “terrorist cells, military structures, tunnels, booby-trapped structures, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites”.

    Relatives said some neighbours were spared only because they had been out searching for food at the time of the strike.

    Ten more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 111, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave.

    The World Health Organization said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. It said it had been unable to deliver any food for nearly 80 days between March and May and that a resumption of food deliveries was still far below what is needed.

    In a statement on Wednesday, 111 organisations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Refugees International, said mass starvation was spreading even as tons of food, clean water and medical supplies sit untouched just outside Gaza, where aid groups are blocked from accessing them.

    Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza’s 2.2 million people.

    Israel has also accused the United Nations of failing to act in a timely fashion, saying 700 truckloads of aid are idling inside Gaza. “It is time for them to pick it up and stop blaming Israel for the bottlenecks which are occurring,” Israeli government spokesman David Mercer said on Wednesday.

    The United Nations and aid groups trying to deliver food to Gaza say Israel, which controls everything that comes in and out, is choking delivery, and Israeli troops have shot hundreds of Palestinians dead close to aid collection points since May.

    “We have a minimum set of requirements to be able to operate inside Gaza,” Ross Smith, the director of emergencies at the U.N. World Food Programme, told Reuters. “One of the most important things I want to emphasize is that we need to have no armed actors near our distribution points, near our convoys.”

    Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council on Wednesday that Israel will now grant only one-month visas to international staff from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

    FALTERING PEACE TALKS

    The war between Israel and Hamas has been raging for nearly two years since Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages from southern Israel in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

    Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, decimated Hamas as a military force, reduced most of the territory to ruins and forced nearly the entire population to flee their homes multiple times.

    U.S. Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to hold new ceasefire talks, travelling to Europe this week for meetings on the Gaza war and a range of other issues, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

    A Palestinian official close to the Gaza ceasefire talks and the mediation efforts told Reuters on Wednesday that Hamas had handed its response on the ceasefire proposal to mediators, declining to elaborate further.

    Talks on a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which would include the release of more of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt with Washington’s backing.

    Successive rounds of negotiations have achieved no breakthrough since the collapse of a ceasefire in March.

    Israel’s President Isaac Herzog told soldiers during a visit to Gaza on Wednesday that “intensive negotiations” about returning the hostages held there were underway and he hoped that they would soon “hear good news”, according to a statement.

    A senior Palestinian official earlier told Reuters Hamas might give mediators a response to the latest proposals in Doha later on Wednesday, on the condition that amendments be made to two major sticking points: details on an Israeli military withdrawal, and on how to distribute aid during a truce.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet includes far-right parties that oppose any agreement that ends without the total destruction of Hamas.

    “The second I spot weakness in the prime minister and if I come to think, heaven forbid, that this is about to end with us surrendering instead of with Hamas’s absolute surrender, I won’t remain (in the government) for even a single day,” Finance Minister Belalel Smotrich told Army Radio.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Africa: New Dam Inaugurated in Dirfo Administrative Area

    Source: APO


    .

    A new dam in the Dirfo administrative area, Central Region, constructed at a cost of over 15 million Nakfa with a capacity to hold more than 200 thousand cubic meters of water, was inaugurated on 22 July.

    The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr. Fesehaye Haile, Governor of the Central Region; General Filipos Woldeyohannes, Chief of Staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces; as well as senior commanders of the Central Command and Popular Force.

    Eng. Abraham Daniel, head of agricultural infrastructure in the Central Region, stated that construction of the dam began in December 2023 and was completed in April 2025 with strong participation from the public and members of the Defense Forces.

    Commending the initiative as a lasting solution to the potable water supply problem of the residents, Mr. Omar Ibrahim, administrator of the area, expressed readiness to conduct regular follow-up for the sustainability of the dam.

    Noting that the project provided valuable hands-on experience, the Commander of the Defense Forces involved in the construction said it would significantly contribute to their future participation in similar national development projects.

    Mr. Fesehaye Haile, for his part, noted that in the past two years, new dams have been constructed in the administrative areas of Gul-i, Temameo, Adi-Qe, and Arbe Robu, and that the Dirfo dam is a continuation of the same initiative.

    Certificates of recognition were awarded to individuals and groups who contributed to the project.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Libyan lawmakers, military and security officials discuss strengthening legislative role in national security

    Source: APO


    .

    Members of the House of Representatives and senior military and security officials gathered in the Tunisian capital this week for a two-day forum aimed at bolstering the role of legislators in shaping Libya’s national security legislations.  

    Organized and facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, the event was attended by the Defense and National Security Committee, the Interior Committee, the Legislative Committee, and the Women and Children Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives. The UN Security Sector Reform Standing Capacity also participated. 

    Participants conducted a deep dive into shortcomings in the current legislation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reforms that reflect Libya’s evolving security landscape. Key priorities included strengthening border security and enhancing the legislative authority’s capacity to modernize relevant laws. 

    The forum also spotlighted successful national initiatives, such as the development of a code of conduct for military and security personnel, raising the minimum age for recruitment, updating the police law, and intensifying efforts to secure Libya’s land borders. These measures were presented as foundational steps toward building more professional, effective, and responsive security and military institutions. 

    On the second day, discussions turned to election security. Participants stressed the importance of updating the legislation pertaining to elections security to ensure a safe and transparent electoral process—regardless of the type of elections. UNSMIL presented categories of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, outlining its risks to electoral integrity. The session underscored the urgent need to update relevant legislation to keep pace with rapid developments in the digital information space. 

    In the context of Libya’s ongoing transitional phase, participants and UNSMIL experts reviewed a proposed action plan aimed at strengthening the role of the House of Representatives in security sector reform. The plan calls for the creation of specialized parliamentary sub-committees tasked with reviewing and updating security legislation, in collaboration with national and international experts and under UNSMIL’s technical guidance. 

    The plan, which received broad consensus, places citizen protection and human rights at the core of any future security legislation. It also calls for adherence to international standards and a stronger role for civil society in delivering security services. 

    “This dialogue between key Libyan institutions is a vital step toward strengthening the rule of law and fostering constructive engagement between the executive and legislative branches,” said Badreddine El Harti, Chief of Security Institution Services at UNSMIL. “It lays the foundation for sustainable peace and long-term state-building.”  

    The next meeting is scheduled for the second half of September, with UNSMIL set to coordinate preparations and mobilize international support to advance the implementation of the action plan.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

    MIL OSI Africa –