Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, during a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) called on her colleagues to pass her Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act – approved by the Senate Commerce Committee last week – which will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publicly identify entities that hold FCC licenses, authorizations, or other grants of authority that are owned, wholly or partially, by foreign adversarial governments.
In her remarks, Fischer highlights the threats the United States faces from companies with strong ties to foreign adversaries. She specifically calls out Huawei, a major global supplier of cellphone network equipment, citing its troubling and potentially dangerous access to critical communications infrastructure.
Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s remarks.
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Following is a transcript of Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:M. President,
Last week, my bill, the Foreign Adversary Communication Transparency Act—or FACT Act— cleared the Commerce Committee unanimously. Now, it will come before us here, on the Senate floor, for a vote.
I stand before you today because the threat our foreign adversaries pose is not a distant concern. It is real, it is relentless, and it is constantly evolving.
We cannot afford to wait and deal with the consequences. The cost of inaction is too great.
Congress must anticipate the threats and we must work together to curb the malign influence of foreign adversaries like Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
For too long now, we have allowed foreign adversarial governments to secure a silent foothold in our telecommunications infrastructure.
Take, for example, Huawei.
Huawei, a Chinese-owned telecommunications giant, is one of the leading producers of cellphone network equipment. This equipment spans across our country and finds its home in most of our cellular devices.
Over a decade ago, our intelligence agencies began noticing a peculiar pattern of Huawei equipment on cell towers across my home state of Nebraska, as well as nearby Colorado and Montana. That Chinese gear was clustered near sensitive military assets, including Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base and our nuclear missile silos.
Then, just four years ago, U.S. intelligence officials sounded the alarm. Their investigations found that Huawei could secretly access mobile phone networks around the world through “back doors” – unbeknownst to carriers.
And perhaps even more concerning: Huawei has had this capability for more than a decade.
And, Huawei’s ownership is bankrolled by billions of dollars from the Chinese government.
What government freely hands over that kind of money without expecting something in return?
Despite being based in China and having deep connections to the Chinese Communist Party—as confirmed by the U.S. intelligence community—the company continues to refuse to acknowledge the Chinese government’s influence.
However, in 2020, under President Trump’s administration, the Federal Communications Commission designated Huawei as a national security threat and banned the sale of its telecommunications equipment in the United States. This past December, Congress also secured the remaining funding to enable smaller, rural communications companies to rip risky Chinese-made equipment out of their networks.
In 2022, the Justice Department charged two Chinese intelligence officers with an unsettling crime: attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into Huawei by stealing sensitive case material from a U.S. District Attorney’s office.
Colleagues, I pose to you this question: Why would the Chinese government go to such lengths to interfere in a case involving a so-called ‘private company’ in which they have no stake? They wouldn’t.
While recent actions to curtail Huawei equipment, and those from other high-risk Chinese firms, are steps in the right direction, they don’t go far enough.
We must have far greater transparency about which companies holding federal communications licenses and authorizations also have influential ties to foreign adversarial governments.
And we must look deeper at: Who has this access? And, how many more companies like Huawei are out there?
Companies like Huawei must be stopped. We can no longer permit authoritarian regimes, like China, to infiltrate our networks and lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. It is not enough to brace ourselves for the aftermath of disaster. We must root out the threat before it has time to fester.
The reality is that our foreign adversaries have stakes in numerous companies operating freely and legally within the United States.
Yet, in many cases, the public remains unaware of which companies are owned – wholly or partially – by these adversaries.
That’s why, today, I call upon the Senate to pass my FACT Act, which takes a much-needed step to strengthen our visibility into our telecommunications market to weed out that access we have seen from malicious foreign adversaries.
Because the first step in defending our national security is understanding the threat.
My bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to publicly identify any companies – with an FCC license or authorization – that are owned by foreign adversarial governments. Under the FACT Act, companies with foreign ties will no longer be able to operate in secrecy. And they will no longer be able to conceal their financial backers or obscure their true loyalties.
Huawei should serve as a warning. China is on the offensive, to undermine the security of America’s communications. An attack on our networks is a direct attack on the United States, and it is not one we should tolerate.
Thank you, M. President, I yield the floor.
A new planning formula to optimise the lifecycle value of Australia’s warships in an era of geopolitical instability has been proposed by researchers at the University of South Australia.
Based on an existing model used in financial decision making – the Real Options Approach (ROA) – but with modifications to address the unique nature of warship planning, the formula has the potential to transform the way the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) manages its fleet.
“Due to diminishing budgets, rapid advances in technology, and emerging threats, it is more important than ever to build a naval framework that is more flexible and cost effective,” according to lead researcher Ben Petersen, a recent UniSA graduate who undertook this research as part of his university degree.
“Military assets such as warships and other naval vessels must maintain high levels of readiness and capability despite constrained financial resources,” Mr Petersen says.
“Warships typically undergo major upgrades every seven to 10 years, with a service life of approximately 30 years, unlike other industries that have much shorter product lifecycles. These upgrades are substantial in scale and complexity, and they often go way over projected budgets.
“Traditional lifecycle planning models for warships are rigid and do not account for uncertainties in long-term naval investments, such as technological advancements, geopolitical shifts or budget constraints.”
Using an adaptation of the ROA model, naval forces will be able to assess multiple future scenarios, reducing the risk of overinvestment or premature commissioning, according to the researchers in a new paper.
The research identified key benefits to adopting a Real Options Approach:
Operational readiness – ensuring that naval assets remain technologically advanced and mission-capable over time
Cost Efficiency – more efficient budgeting, prioritising upgrades and maintenance that deliver the best value
Risk Mitigation – reducing the financial and strategic risks associated with overinvestment in outdated technologies
Sovereign Defence Capability – supporting Australia’s goal of strengthening its defence industry by improving long-term planning for sustainable ship building.
With Australia investing heavily in maritime defence capabilities – including the Hunter-class frigates, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement, and upgrades to existing vessels – Dr Efatmaneshnik says the research is highly relevant.
“By applying financial risk management principles to warship design, acquisition, and maintenance, our study offers a new model for sustaining naval superiority in an era of geopolitical uncertainty,” he says.
“Australia’s defence environment is evolving rapidly. Our research provides a clear pathway for defence planners to ensure that our warships remain at peak capability while maximising taxpayer investment in national security.”
Mr Petersen says the next steps involve improving the model to capture additional nuances in naval warship designs, and to avoid oversimplification.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Heinrich and Luján: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s budget will further tank the economy and throw working families under the bus. As New Mexico’s senators, we’ll fight back”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) released the following statement onPresident Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Preliminary Budget Request, which proposes slashing critical investments that benefit New Mexico families to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk:
“Donald Trump’s budget doesn’t put New Mexico families first — it jeopardizes Medicaid and slashes nutrition programs and services hardworking people rely on, all to fund massive tax handouts to Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire donors.
“This proposal would drive up the cost of health care, groceries, housing, and utilities; gut public school and pre-K funding; defund cancer research; weaken law enforcement’s ability to fight drug trafficking; and strip resources from wildland firefighters, farmers, Tribes, and rural communities. It also threatens our public lands — paving the way for Republicans’ massive sell-off.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s budget will further tank the economy and throw working families under the bus. As New Mexico’s senators, we’ll fight back — to protect Medicaid and Social Security, defend every dollar we’ve secured for our communities, and keep putting New Mexico families first.”
Among all of his proposed cuts, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Preliminary Budget Request:
HEALTH:
Slashes funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by $33 billion (-26%).
Slashes funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by $674 million. CMS helps ensure over 100 million Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
Cuts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $18 billion or more than 40% — decimating funding for lifesaving medical treatments and cures.
Decimates funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by cutting $3.6 billion — hollowing out the agency’s ability to save lives and protect Americans from health threats.
Guts funding for substance use prevention and treatment and mental health services by $1 billion (roughly –15%) and eliminates the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — the agency with expertise in tackling the substance use and mental health crises.
Eliminates the Title X program, which helps nearly 3 million patients get preventative care, birth control, cancer screenings, and more in every state.
EDUCATION:
Guts funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $12 billion (-15%).
Eliminates all funding for Preschool Development Grants, which help states strengthen their early childhood education system and get parents the child care and pre-K they need.
Eliminates and cuts dozens of elementary and secondary education programs (the vast majority of which are not specified), underscoring that President Trump’s vision for returning education to the states means state and local taxpayers will pay more to support students and educators at their local schools as a result of major cuts in federal funding.
Eliminates several higher education programs, including TRIO, GEAR UP, Federal Work Study, Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS), and more, which help Americans pursue a postsecondary education and further their careers.
Slashes funding for the U.S. Department of Labor by $4.6 billion (-35%).
Proposes to “Make America Skilled Again” by cutting workforce training programs that help Americans develop skills and secure good-paying jobs by roughly a third.
Eliminates Job Corps and the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
Eliminates AmeriCorps, which enables over 200,000 Americans to help serve communities across the country, including by responding to natural disasters, supporting veterans, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping older Americans age with dignity, and working in our schools, educating and supporting students.
HOUSING:
Eviscerates the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a 43.6% cut.
Slashes HUD rental assistance programs by 42.8% while foisting responsibility over those programs onto state and local governments. Over 10 million Americans rely on HUD rental assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. This will rip the roofs off Americans’ heads and put even more families at risk of homelessness.
Eliminates or cuts federal programs most targeted to build more affordable housing and address this country’s housing supply shortage, including in Tribal country.
Eliminates the Community Development Block Grant that cities and towns across the country use to improve the quality of life for their citizens every day.
PUBLIC SAFETY:
Slashes the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) budget by at least $3.7 billion (-10%).
Guts funding for grants to help keep communities safe by over $1 billion (-26%).
Cuts funding for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) salaries and expenses by $545 million (-5%), endangering Americans’ safety.
Cuts funding for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) salaries and expenses by $212 million (-7%), weakening the agency’s capacity to crack down on drug trafficking. Also proposes shuttering major DEA offices in countries around the world, noting that those countries “are equipped to counter drug trafficking on their own.”
Cuts funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) salaries and expenses by $468 million (-29%) as part of the administration’s ongoing attempt to dismantle the agency in charge of enforcing our country’s gun laws.
Cuts $1.386 billion (-22%) from the U.S. Forest Service, gutting grant funding for state and Tribal wildfire risk reduction, volunteer fire departments, and much more. The proposal would cut at least 2,000 National Forest System staff positions, which will severely harm the administration’s stated goals of improving forest management.
Cuts funding for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement account by $1.3 billion (-91%) which helps prevent human trafficking, stop drug trafficking, and much more, with direct implications for American communities.
Proposes a reckless $209 million cut for NOAA’s weather satellites, which play a critical role in ensuring Americans have accurate weather forecasting and will result in a gap in observations when the current satellites retire early in the next decade.
NUTRITION:
Eliminates the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides food assistance to low-income individuals 60 years of age and older to supplement diets and addressing potential nutrient deficiencies. The preliminary budget request does not mention any of the other 16 Nutrition Programs, including WIC, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the National School Lunch Program.
PUBLIC LANDS:
Cuts $900 million (- 30%) from National Park Service operations, abandoning national parks the administration says should now be transferred to the states, while providing no funding for states to manage massive new obligations that such a dramatic move would entail. This would incentivize states to sell off public lands to the highest bidder, threatening valued open space and areas of natural and historical value to local communities.
AGRICULTURE:
Guts funding for agricultural research, which is critical to ensuring American agriculture is competitive with the rest of the world and provides key resources to help farmers and ranchers prepare and adapt in an uncertain environment. Zeroes out foreign food aid that supports American farmers and is a lifeline for people living in extreme poverty across the world.
TRIBES:
Slashes $911 million (-24%) for core Tribal programs that uphold the federal government’s legally-obligated and court-ordered trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal nations.
Decimates core Tribal programs, including road maintenance, housing, and programs for children and families.
Nearly eliminates funding for construction of Tribal schools, which are already too often dilapidated, and cuts Tribal law enforcement funding by 20%.
RURAL COMMUNITIES:
Slashes investments in core Rural Development programs by $721 million, including investments in safe drinking water, affordable housing, and resources to bolster the rural economy.
Cuts funding for the U.S. Department of Commerce by $1.9 billion (-18%). Outright eliminates the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), which helps economically distressed communities across America get ahead.
Eliminates all Community Services Block Grant funding ($770 million) for community-based anti-poverty programs that help individuals and families access services to alleviate the causes of poverty.
Eliminates funding to 27 states by zeroing out funding for 6 of 7 regional commissions, which provide grants in economically distressed communities for disaster mitigation, opioid crisis support programming, workforce training, and much more. This includes eliminating the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC).
The Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) is one of eight authorized federal regional commissions and authorities, which are congressionally-chartered, federal-state partnerships created to promote economic development in their respective regions. Congress first authorized the establishment of the SBRC in 2008 to promote economic development in the southern border regions of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas.
Last year, Heinrich secured an expansion of the SBRC’s jurisdiction to include the following counties in New Mexico: Bernalillo, Cibola, Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt, Torrance, Lea, and Valencia. These are in addition to Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, Socorro, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy, Doña Ana, and Chaves Counties in New Mexico, which are already included within the SBRC’s jurisdiction.
In 2023, Heinrich led the introduction of the Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize and fully fund the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC). The bill was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and former-U.S. Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.).
INFRASTRUCTURE:
Cuts funding for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation by $600 million (-34%), gutting investments in key restoration projects.
Cuts funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by $2 billion (-23%), slashing funding used to maintain our nation’s ports and harbors.
Cuts funding for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) non-disaster grants that help communities prepare for disasters, support efforts to prevent violence and terrorism, prepare emergency responders, and more.
Eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, ending support for more than 1,500 local public television and radio stations.
Eliminates funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the support provided to libraries and museums throughout the United States.
Cuts funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by more than half by abandoning state and Tribal programs that build and maintain drinking water and sewer systems, starving states of longstanding federal funding provided to pay for states’ work enforcing federal laws, and decimating funding for cleaning up toxic Superfund sites. The request would also effectively eliminate research funding used to better understand the impacts on human health from polluted air and water and from toxic chemicals.
ENERGY:
Slashes funding for the Department of Energy overall by $4.7 billion (-9.4%).
Guts funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs by $2.572 billion (-74%) and proposes to rescind $15.25 billion from Infrastructure Law energy programs, which will raise energy costs for American consumers by halting vital innovation and energy projects.
Eliminates the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps 6 million American households heat and cool their homes.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Slashes funding for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Entrepreneurial Development Programs by $167 million, proposing the elimination of nearly all programs, including programs that support veterans as they work to start and grow a small business.
Eliminates $291 million in funding for all current Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) financial assistance awards, which help leverage private capital to support the development of child care centers, housing, health care facilities, and small businesses. Since 2010, CDFIs have financed over 1.3 million businesses and 557,000 affordable homes.
Completely eliminates the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provide funding for every state and every congressional district for cultural economic development and the creative economy.
Guts funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by $1.5 billion, which would eliminate all manner of programs that create good jobs, help local economies, and support ocean research, health, and coastal resilience.
More than halves funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a $5.2 billion (-57%) cut. Cuts funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science by $1.148 billion (-14%). Together, these proposed cuts would decimate America’s edge in essential scientific research that would otherwise drive future economic growth.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE:
Guts funding for the U.S. Department of State and America’s international security, economic, and humanitarian assistance programs by $31.2 billion (-48%).
Cuts funding for lifesaving and other humanitarian assistance by $4.7 billion (-54%), which will lead to preventable deaths and suffering across the globe, and threaten Americans’ safety and well-being by undercutting our efforts to stop disease outbreaks and prevent conflict. A cut of this magnitude will also lead to more migration of people fleeing poverty, conflict, and natural disasters.
Slashes economic growth and development funding across multiple agencies and accounts by $6 billion (67%) and proposes the final dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Guts funding for global health initiatives by $6.2 billion (-62%).
Reneges on our treaty dues for the United Nations (U.N.), U.N. Peacekeeping operations, and a majority of other international organizations.
SPACE EXPLORATION:
Cuts National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funding by $6 billion (-24%), the largest single-year cut to NASA in U.S. history, which would mark an incredible retreat for American leadership and ambition in space. Terminates the Artemis Campaign to establish a human presence on the Moon after the Artemis III mission. Slashes funding for the Science Mission Directorate by $3.43 billion (-47%), which would cancel numerous current and planned missions to better understand our universe, solar system, and Earth.
As the world shifts from passwords to passkeys, we’re excited to join the FIDO Alliance in leaving “World Password Day” behind to celebrate the very first “World Passkey Day.” To commemorate this renaming, Microsoft and dozens of other organizations have taken the Passkey Pledge to work toward increasing the implementation and adoption of passkeys over the coming year. For Microsoft, taking the pledge continues our commitment to a future where every sign in is simple and secure.
The journey toward passwordless sign-in
Ten years ago, Microsoft had a bold idea. Instead of signing in using clumsy and insecure passwords, what if you could simply smile?
With this vision in mind, Microsoft introduced Windows Hello, a new way for users to securely sign in to their accounts with their face, fingerprint, or PIN. Windows Hello helped lay the foundation for an entirely new era of authentication.1 Today, more than 99% of people who sign into their Windows devices with their Microsoft account do so using Windows Hello.
However, as the world and our digital lives evolved, it became clear that just signing into your device without a password isn’t enough. To keep your digital life safe, you need a way to sign into any account without a password. As part of an industry-wide effort, Microsoft has collaborated closely with the FIDO Alliance, and with platform partners to develop passkeys: a standards-based phishing-resistant authentication method that replaces passwords. Now you can sign in to any supported app or website with a passkey using your face, fingerprint, or PIN. Hundreds of websites, representing billions of accounts, now support signing in with a passkey. The world is changing!
For a list of websites that support passkeys, visit Passkey Directory – FIDO Alliance.
Over the past decade, we’ve observed two important, coinciding trends: people have grown increasingly accustomed to signing into their devices without passwords, and the number of password-based cyberattacks has increased dramatically. Bad actors know that the password age is ending, and that the number of easily compromised accounts is shrinking. In response, these bad actors are devoting considerable resources to automating brute force and phishing attacks against any account still protected by a password. Last year, we observed a staggering 7,000 password attacks per second (more than double the rate from 2023).2 As passkeys become the new standard, expect increased pressure from cyberattackers on any accounts still protected by passwords or other phishable sign-in methods.
Our users love signing into their Microsoft accounts with passkeys
Last year, we introduced passkey support for Microsoft accounts for our consumer apps and services like Xbox and Copilot, and now we see nearly a million passkeys registered every day. Because they’re not entering complex characters or one-time codes, users signing in with passkeys are three times more successful at getting into their account than password users (about 98% versus 32%). When you use a passkey, you get into your account much quicker too! Passkey sign-ins are eight times faster than a password and multifactor authentication.
We believe that great usability and great security go hand in hand, so as we continue our transition to a passwordless world, we’re introducing some significant changes:
New sign-in user experience (UX): Earlier this year, we launched a new visual style that simplifies the sign-in and sign-up experience. The new design is modernized and streamlined and prioritizes passwordless methods for sign-in and sign-up.3
New accounts are passwordless by default: As part of this simplified UX, we’re changing the default behavior for new accounts. Brand new Microsoft accounts will now be “passwordless by default.” New users will have several passwordless options for signing into their account and they’ll never need to enroll a password. Existing users can visit their account settings to delete their password.
Passwordless-preferred sign-in: We’re also making it simpler to sign in with safer options. Instead of showing you all the possible ways for you to sign in, we automatically detect the best available method on your account and set that as the default. For example, if you have a password and “one time code” set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey. This simplified experience gets you signed in faster and in our experiments has reduced password use by over 20%. As more people enroll passkeys, the number of password authentications will continue to decline until we can eventually remove password support altogether.
Although passwords have been around for centuries, we hope their reign over our online world is ending. Billions of times a day, people all over the world sign into their accounts. According to the FIDO Alliance, more than 15 billion user accounts can now sign in using passkeys instead of passwords. But we need billions more to make every sign-in passwordless. So, to observe World Passkey Day, take the leap. Start by securing at least one of your accounts—ideally as many as you can—with a passkey. Protect your digital life from unauthorized access and make signing in faster, easier, and most importantly, more secure.
To create a passkey for signing into your Microsoft account, visit here. If you’re using Windows, you can also learn how to save and manage passkeys here: Save a passkey in Windows – Microsoft Support
Learn more with Microsoft Security
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
1A breakthrough year for passwordless technology, Alex Simons. December 17, 2020.
2Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024
3New user experience for customer authentication, Robin Goldstein. March 26, 2025.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, repair work and development of road infrastructure are underway on sections of regional and local roads named in honor of heroes or events of the Great Patriotic War, as well as leading to monuments and memorials dedicated to the events of those years. The work is being carried out under the national project “Infrastructure for Life” and other programs with federal and regional funding. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
“On the eve of one of the most important holidays for our country – Victory Day – the “Victory Street” project is launched in Russian regions, aimed at preserving the memory of the feat of war heroes and home front workers. In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory, we will bring about 180 objects named in honor of the heroes or events of the Great Patriotic War to a standard state. Their total length will be more than 440 km. I would like to note that such objects are always given special attention, including in order to preserve the memory of the feat of the soldiers of the Soviet Army for many years to come,” said Marat Khusnullin.
Let us recall that in 2020, on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, a number of Russian regions came forward with the initiative to hold a patriotic campaign “Victory Street” in the country.
“This idea was, of course, supported by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Then, in 2020, the “Victory Street” project became one of the largest in the country. It involved 83 Russian regions – participants in the national project “Safe High-Quality Roads”. As a result, about 400 objects were updated. Each of these streets preserves the memory of the heroes of our country,” emphasized Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit.
An important task of the Victory Street project is to increase the attention of Russian residents to the history of the country, the feat of the Soviet people – both on the battlefield and in the rear. In this way, a spiritual and moral position, a sense of involvement in the history of the Fatherland, and responsibility for the future of Russia are formed.
“During the Great Patriotic War, road workers made a special contribution to the common cause, helping on the front lines and in the rear. During the years of fighting the Nazi onslaught, workers maintained 359 thousand km of military highways in difficult conditions, restored about 100 thousand km, and also laid more than 5 thousand km of transport arteries with hard surfaces. Today, we continue their work. Streets named in honor of the heroes and events of the Great Patriotic War do not just connect infrastructure facilities, but connect generations, embodying the memory of everyone who, sometimes at the cost of their lives, brought Victory closer,” said Igor Kostyuchenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency.
Thus, in St. Petersburg in 2025, under the national project, the asphalt concrete pavement will be replaced, sidewalks and curbstones will be restored on a 4-kilometer section of Savushkina Street. Hero of the Soviet Union fighter pilot Alexander Petrovich Savushkin made 373 combat sorties on LaGG-3 and P-39 “Airacobra” fighters, shot down 18 enemy aircraft in 49 battles, defending Leningrad from Nazi air raids. In addition, Savushkina Street leads to the Military Pilots Square, where the monument to the Heroes of the Soviet Union is located.
Another 3.2 km will be brought up to standard on Morskaya Embankment. This is a busy street, where more than 5,000 cars pass daily. On Morskaya Embankment there is a monument to the cruiser Kirov, one of the symbols of the defense of Leningrad during the war and blockade. In addition, more than 2 km of Moskovsky Prospekt (from Kuznetsovskaya Street to Ligovsky Prospekt) will be renovated in the hero city. The repair section leads to Moskovsky Victory Park.
Fierce battles took place in the Oryol region during the Great Patriotic War. Thanks to the Victory Street project, everyone will be able to honor the memory of those who fought for their homeland. In the Kolpnyansky District, 5.4 km of the Droskovo-Kolpna-Ushakovo highway will be renovated. It leads to the Field of Soldiers’ Glory. Work will also take place on a 9.6 km section of the Glazunovka-Maloarkhangelsk-Kolpna-Dolgoye highway. This is the route to the memorial in the village of Yakovka. Here, in a mass grave, lie the soldiers who heroically defended their native village from the Nazi invaders.
In the Moscow Region, six road sections associated with the events and names of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War will be repaired. In particular, more than 3 km of the Ostashkovskoye Highway in Mytishchi will be replaced. The Federal War Memorial “Pantheon of Defenders of the Fatherland” is located next to the repair section. Repairs will also be carried out on Bosov Street in Istra. It is named after Hero of the Soviet Union Alexey Petrovich Bosov, and a monument to him has been erected in the Central Square of the city. For the courage and heroism shown in battle, Alexey Petrovich was awarded the Order of Lenin three times, the last time posthumously in February 1942.
Roads to places of military glory and monuments to liberator soldiers are repaired annually. In 2023, under the national project “Safe High-Quality Roads”, work was completed, including on several sections of the Volokolamsk Highway. The road leads to the large memorial complex “Frontier of Glory” in the village of Lenino, before entering Snegiri. In December 1941, Snegiri was the line where the German troops advancing on Moscow were stopped. The Nazis entered the village on the night of November 30, 1941. On December 2 and 4, they attacked the village of Lenino, but were repelled by Soviet troops. As a result of heavy fighting, more than 6.5 thousand people died here.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI from USA TODAY: Meet 5 Republicans in Congress who defined Trump’s first 100 days: Markwayne Mullin: “The Connector”
“It’s only roughly 100 yards to the other side of the Capitol, but a lot of times we’re not talking like we should…”
Washington, D.C. – ICYMI, USA TODAY published the following piece crediting U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as one of the five GOP lawmakers “who defined Trump’s first 100days.” The story highlights Mullin as “The Connector” with “a reputation for getting into the mix” in facilitating communications between his House and Senate GOP colleagues to “pass GOP priorities… as quick as they can.”
Additionally, USA TODAY reported on the senator’s relationship with President Trump, saying, “Mullin is also one of Trump’s closest allies in the Senate. He enjoys a strong relationship with the president, fostered through his personal connection and his public profile of defending Trump’s policies while attacking detractors.”
Read the full story from USA TODAY HERE with excerpts below:
Meet 5 Republicans in Congress who defined Trump’s first 100 days
By Riley Beggin | May 5, 2025
Markwayne Mullin: The Connector
Sen. Markwayne Mullin has a reputation for getting into the mix.
The 47-year-old Oklahoman is a former mixed martial arts fighter who tried to help Capitol police barricade the House doors during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; sought to rescue U.S. citizens from Afghanistan in an unauthorized helicopter mission as American troops pulled out of the country in 2021; and attempted to fight Teamsters President Sean O’Brien during a committee hearing in 2023.
Since Republicans took the House, Senate and White House, Mullin has taken on a new role as an informal liaison between the bodies as they seek to pass GOP priorities in the as quick as they can.
Mullin served five terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2022. He’s kept his finger on the pulse of the House GOP conference throughout the beginning of this year, attending their meetings and checking in with House Speaker Johnson.
“It’s only roughly 100 yards to the other side of the Capitol, but a lot of times we’re not talking like we should,” Mullin said in a brief interview with USA TODAY. “A lot of times, when we’re talking about things, it’s a misunderstanding. And when you can at least get that out of the way and just deal with the issue itself, then you’re able to get to a positive spot.”
Mullin is also one of Trump’s closest allies in the Senate. He enjoys a strong relationship with the president, fostered through his personal connection and his public profile of defending Trump’s policies while attacking detractors.
As Senate Republicans sought to keep their conference together on some of Trump’s more controversial Cabinet nominees, Mullin played a role in helping “open doors” for meetings between Hegseth and other senators. He was an advocate for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearings and continued to support Hegseth as he came under fire for his use of Signal to communicate intelligence information.
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Daniel Zimmerman, Justin Overbaugh, and Matthew Lohmeier, President Trump’s nominees to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, and Under Secretary of the Air Force, respectively.
Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s conversation with the nominees can be found below, and the full conversation can be found on YouTube or Rumble.
ON CENTCOM TARGETING HOUTHIS AS FTO
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, gentlemen, for [your] willingness to serve. Mr. Zimmerman, since March 15th, CENTCOM forces have conducted a sustained campaign targeting the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence. As of April 27th, CENTCOM has struck over 800 targets. These targets have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials. Mr. Zimmerman, in your assessment, have U.S. operations against the Houthis been a success?”
ZIMMERMAN: “Senator, I support the administration’s forcible approach toward the Houthis beginning in the early days of the administration with the Executive Order that called for the elimination of the threat of the Houthis with allies and designated them as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. I don’t think I have access to the classified information that I would like to have to make an assessment about the efficacy of these strikes, but I support what the administration is trying to do.”
ON MSIC IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Mr. Overbaugh, one of the organizations you will help oversee if you are confirmed is the Missile and Space Intelligence Center—we call MSIC—which is a component of DIA and located in my state [in] Huntsville, Alabama. MSIC provides a world-class analysis on the performance of foreign weapons systems, which is critical to ensuring our warfighters dominate the battlefield against our adversaries. Mr. Overbaugh, are you familiar with MSIC and MSIC’s analysis, and if so, can you talk a little bit about how important this mission is?”
OVERBAUGH: “Senator, I am familiar with MSIC and particularly their role in feeding quality intelligence into other entities like DIA to ensure that we have an accurate threat picture. I think even more important is the potential for MSIC to play a key role to ensure we understand the key adversarial threat as it relates to ensuring that our Golden Dome is as effective as it possibly can be.”
TUBERVILLE: “Have you had the opportunity to visit MSIC headquarters in Huntsville?”
OVERBAUGH: “Huntsville, yes. MSIC, no.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Hopefully you get to soon. Thank you.”
ON SUPPORTING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AT DOD
TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Lohmeier, you have an absolutely outstanding unique career path as a military officer. Thank you for your service. You’ve got a breadth of experience in both Air Force and Space Force, which is very uncommon, but none of those experiences are with managing large budgets. Why should you be trusted now with such a heavy responsibility at a time when we are taking [fiscal] responsibility more seriously—thank goodness—than ever before, and while there is a growing demand from the American people that we have a clean audit of the defense department?”
LOHMEIER: “Thanks, Senator. I’m glad that I get to readdress this. While it’s true that I don’t personally have extensive experience with a large budget in a large organization or acquisition experience, I have sound judgment. I’ve demonstrated it throughout my life. I’m a fast learner. Secretary Meink, if he’s confirmed, has demonstrated that you can pass 16 or 17 clean audits at the National Reconnaissance Office. He’ll be a phenomenal leader to work with on this problem in the Department of the Air Force. What I can say is that we’ve got exceptional professionals who’ve been trying administration after administration to solve our problems—our budget problems, our acquisition problems in the Department of the Air Force—and many of them have had extensive acquisition and budgeting experience, but that doesn’t mean you’re able to solve the problems well. And so, if confirmed, what I can commit to this committee and to the American people is that I’m interested in making data-driven decisions. I’m interested in exercising keen judgement and discernments about these budget decisions, and coming to the right decisions that I believe the American people would be grateful for and trust—and doing that in concert with Secretary Meink and in support of the President’s priorities and in support of the Secretary of Defense’s priorities.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, and your knowledge will be very important moving into space. You have a lot of experience in that area. We look forward to working with you in that area because as we know, it is going to be a much, much more important part of our military in the very near future. Thank you, gentlemen. Look forward to confirming you.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
With a convincing win for a second term of government, the pressure is now on the new Labor government to deliver the economic policies central to its win.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is wary of breaking promises and now has the opportunity to back this up. So, what are the key economic policies affecting everyday Australians that Labor is now set to deliver?
In his victory speech, Albanese said Labor would govern for every Australian “who deserves the security of a roof over their head or dreams of owning their own home”.
First home buyers
Labor has budgeted A$10 billion to help more Australians buy their first home. This involves providing an extra 100,000 new homes. The government plans to work with the states from July to identify where they should be located.
Building these homes is expected to take eight years – so the scheme will not be completed during the government’s second term. It will need to work quickly to ensure many of these homes are built while Labor is still in office.
Helping this is Labor’s policy to increase subsidies to housing apprentices and free TAFE education.
Also assisting first home buyers is the expansion of the 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme. This will allow more first home buyers to buy a home with only a 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
The expansion will remove income thresholds and increase eligible property price caps to better reflect the market. Further, more people will be able to apply for the scheme.
The government plans to extend existing and introduce several new policies to help more people buy a home. Fizkes/Shutterstock
In addition, the government is expanding its Help to Buy Scheme by increasing income and property price caps. This enables those on lower incomes to buy a home with a deposit as small as 2%. The government will pay for up to 40% of the cost on their behalf which will ultimately be paid back over time or when the house is sold.
Both the Help to Buy Scheme and Home Guarantee Scheme are extensions of Labor’s existing policies, so the government should be able to deliver this relatively quickly.
Increasing supply for all
Labor’s housing policies are not limited to first home buyers. To further increase housing supply, Labor plans to invest $54 million to speed up the construction of prefabricated and modular homes covered by a new national certification system.
In addition, a $1.5 billion infrastructure program to speed up the building of roads, sewage and water connections should also help increase supply.
Labor is on track to build 55,000 social and affordable homes through the Housing Australia Future Fund and the Social Housing Accelerator. Labor is also offering Build to Rent tax incentives to increase affordable housing rental supply by up to 80,000 new rental properties.
The government has also promised to work with states and territories to strengthen renters’ rights.
Crisis housing
Labor has also made promises for those needing crisis housing.
For women and children fleeing family and domestic violence and for people experiencing homelessness, there is a $1 billion program to provide more crisis and transitional accommodation. There is also $6.2 million of grants for homelessness support.
Workers’ pay rise
Labor has advocated to the Fair Work Commission for a wage increase above inflation for workers in low-paid jobs, such as cleaners, retail workers and early childhood educators.
With inflation currently at 2.4%, we can expect the minimum wage to rise to at least $24.68 an hour. The Fair Work Commission’s next Annual Wage Review should take place before the end of the financial year, with any changes likely to be effective from July.
Labor has backed an above-inflation wage increase for workers in low paid industries. Dejan Dunjerski/Shutterstock
These wage increases are in addition to the substantial pay increase for aged care nurses as part of the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case decision.
Tax cuts
The much-discussed tax cuts, costing $17 billion, will reduce the 16% tax rate to 15% (for income between $18,201 and $45,000) in the 2026–27 financial year, and to 14% in 2027–28 – just in time for the next election.
This will save taxpayers $268 and $536, respectively. These tax cuts will be welcomed by many and are likely to increase the labour participation rate. However, more tax reform may be needed to address bracket creep and improve equity in the tax system.
This will take effect from the 2026–27 financial year to reduce the burden of record-keeping on taxpayers. It was also promoted as a way of “helping Australians keep more of what they earn”.
This should bring immediate relief to those on lower incomes who will be exempt from paying the Medicare levy or pay a reduced levy when lodging their returns for the 2024–25 financial year.
So, what’s next?
Many of these policy announcements are a step in the right direction – the question lies around their ability to be implemented.
Albanese admitted in his victory speech that he is an optimist and his aim is to ensure nobody is left behind.
Once the election hype settles, Labor will need to prove it is delivering on its promises. And, of course, these policies will ultimately have to be paid for. How Labor approaches this in the longer term will become a talking point for the next election.
Michelle Cull is a member of CPA Australia, the Financial Advice Association Australia and President Elect of the Academy of Financial Services in the United States. Michelle is an academic member of UniSuper’s Consultative Committee. Michelle Cull co-founded the Western Sydney University Tax Clinic which has received funding from the Australian Taxation Office as part of the National Tax Clinic Program. Michelle has previously volunteered as Chair of the Macarthur Advisory Council for the Salvation Army Australia.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
Watch Video Here
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing examining the qualifications of three senior Department of Defense nominees. During his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker underscored the extensive experience of each nominee and the significant responsibilities each of their respective role’s entail.
Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
I welcome all of our witnesses and their families, and I thank them for being here this morning. As I have said many times, we face an axis of aggressors that deepen their cooperation every day. A new cooperative engagement between our enemies strengthens every day. We need qualified people who are willing to step up and serve during these dangerous times.
Matthew Lohmeier has served our country as an active-duty officer in the Air Force and Space Force. Based on his experience in uniform, he has been an outspoken proponent of eliminating the divisive DEI agenda that was a hallmark of Department of Defense in the earlier administration. Fortunately, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have done much toward removing DEI at DOD. Mr. Lohmeier’s nomination for Undersecretary of the Air Force presents an opportunity to evaluate closely the kind of leadership we need in the Air Force and Space Force at this pivotal moment. This role requires a steady, unifying presence, and needs someone who can work across the department to advance readiness, morale, and mission focus. I look forward to hearing how Mr. Lohmeier intends to be that needed presence.
Mr. Justin Overbaugh has been nominated to be the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. In this role, he would serve as the principal assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security overseeing the intelligence, counterintelligence, security, and law enforcement functions of the DoD. Mr. Overbaugh’s deep experience as an Army officer in the fields of intelligence and special operations make him ideal for a candidate of this position. I look forward to hearing his priorities for ensuring our defense intelligence enterprise is best postured to provide timely and accurate intelligence to our warfighters, safeguard DOD’s sensitive information from our adversaries, and inform our acquisitions and investments.
Mr. Daniel Zimmerman has been nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, he would serve as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the lead policy advisor all matters related to Europe, NATO and Russia. Mr. Zimmerman will have responsibility for managing the NATO alliance and countering Russian aggression and malign activities. His background as an intelligence officer and his experience working in Congress make him an ideal candidate for this position. I look forward to hearing his priorities and how he plans to revitalize the NATO alliance and develop initiatives to counter Russian aggression.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 02, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—joined fellow Veteran and SASC member Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and a group of Veteran colleagues in Congress in calling out President Trump and demanding accountability for the reckless mishandling of classified military information by senior administration officials. In the letter, the lawmakers called out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, specifically. The lawmakers warn that these actions put American servicemembers’ lives at risk and undermined the integrity of U.S. national security operations.
“This was a major security breach. There are appropriate and secure places and platforms that all officials are required to use to discuss sensitive and classified information without exposing it to adversaries. Signal is not the correct or DoD and IC sanctioned platform to discuss these matters. Longstanding DoD and IC policy has prohibited the use of unsecured devices and commercial apps for discussing sensitive information,” the lawmakers said.
As former servicemembers, Duckworth, Kelly and their colleagues emphasized the risk of this classified information landing in the wrong hands: “Had this information been released to the public, and more critically accessed by our adversaries, it could have had catastrophic consequences and resulted in American service members being wounded, captured, or killed, and mission failure. This is not an abstract or hypothetical scenario. In 2000, a Sailor on the USS Cole sent an email to his wife outlining the USS Cole’s port call schedule. This communication was intercepted and allowed the Al Qaeda terrorists in the region to orchestrate an attack on the USS Cole. This resulted in 17 Sailors killed and 39 injured and was a direct result of poor operational security.”
They continued: “To highlight Secretary Hegseth’s negligence and wanton disregard for the basic safeguarding of controlled information, even more reporting came out that indicated Secretary Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocol set up in his office to use the Signal messaging application on his personal computer. This unsecured internet line can expose users to hacking and malign surveillance.”
For this reason, the group of Veterans call on President Trump to fire Hegseth: “We expect our service members to put their lives on the line, and if necessary, die for this country, and the Secretary of Defense is flippantly incurring additional risk onto their mission, with no real justification other than expediency and because it’s easier to send a text than it is to do the right thing. We implore you to fire Mr. Hegseth on the grounds that his reckless handling of classified information put the men and women serving our nation at risk and displayed a terrible judgement that will erode confidence among service members.”
In addition to Duckworth and Kelly, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Jason Crow (D-CO-06) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06).
The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 02, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC)—exposed how President Trump’s nominee to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier is unfit to do the job, pointing out that he violated his professional ethics as a military officer by choosing to skirt good order and discipline in order to speak out publicly against lawful orders that he personally didn’t agree with. Drawing from her own military experience, Duckworth warned that confirming Mr. Lohmeier would send troubling signals to our servicemembers that insubordination for personal views is acceptable, eroding combat effectiveness. Duckworth’s full remarks at yesterday’s SASC hearing can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.
“The lethality of our military depends on our servicemembers maintaining good order and discipline—sometimes even when it goes against their own personal opinions,” said Duckworth. “I fought in a war I did not support on the orders of a President I didn’t vote for—but all honorable servicemembers know that circumventing commanders on the battlefield in real time could lead to life-or-death mistakes. By defying the sanctity of military discipline as a commander, Mr. Lohmeier signaled to those under his command that it is okay to do the same—something that would dangerously undermine our military’s lethality and readiness. That is not someone who is fit to serve as a leader for the Air Force and Space Force.”
Ultimately, Mr. Lohmeier’s willingness to neglect good order and discipline is what led to his termination from command in the Space Force.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
May 05, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, in honor of Migratory Bird Day on May 10th, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced two bills to strengthen conservation efforts for protected species of birds across the country. These bills – the Migratory Bird Protection Act and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act – will give the United States the tools to build upon existing efforts to protect migratory birds and the most threatened species of seabirds.
“As the world faces an escalating biodiversity crisis, now is a critical moment to establish strong, clear, and lasting protections for migratory bird species,” said Rep. Huffman. “By codifying the ACAP agreement, the United States can reaffirm its leadership in conservation and encourage other nations to implement robust standards to protect endangered seabirds around the globe. By formalizing the process and providing more tools, our bills will strengthen longstanding protections and help commercial and business interests comply – marking a big step forward in conservation efforts both at home and across the globe.”
“Bucks and Montgomery Counties are home to some of the most ecologically rich bird habitats in America, supporting hundreds of diverse and migratory species,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “But many of these birds are now facing extinction-level threats. As Co-Chair the Animal Protection Caucus, I’m committed to advancing concrete, science-based solutions to protect these vulnerable species, strengthen habitat conservation, and ensure long-term ecological resilience. This bipartisan legislation is a critical step toward that mission.”
The Migratory Bird Protection Act will safeguard and strengthen longstanding protections for millions of North America’s migratory birds by providing clarity on how the United States implements the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). This legislation directs the Department of Interior to provide regulatory certainty on “incidental take” – killing or injuring birds by otherwise legal activities – by commercial activity. The bill will help ensure the United States meets the conservation goals of the MBTA, which has formed the backbone of our nation’s migratory bird conservation efforts for over 100 years.
The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act will help implement the International Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) – which protects some of the world’s most endangered seabirds from international fishing threats. Every year, thousands of albatrosses and petrels die from encountering longline fishing equipment during their migration to nest and find food. Although the United States has attended and contributed to ACAP meetings regularly since the Agreement’s signing in 2001, it has not yet joined the 13 member countries that have signed as parties.
Today’s bills will build upon existing efforts to protect migratory bird species by codifying and clarifying crucial conservation standards.
“Together the Migratory Bird Protection Act and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act strengthen bird conservation,” said Steve Holmer, Vice President of Policy at American Bird Conservancy. “By respectively encouraging industries to adopt best mitigation practices and advancing international collaboration these bills prevent bird mortality. Thank you to Representatives Huffman and Fitzpatrick for their steadfast leadership.”
“The Migratory Bird Protection Act and the Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act are critical steps for reversing the alarming decline in bird populations, which has seen the loss of over 3 billion birds since 1970. These bills will enhance vital protections and foster international cooperation to help ensure the survival of migratory birds and seabird species. Thank you, Representatives Huffman (D-CA) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA), for introducing these important bills that will help preserve America’s birds for current and future generations,” said Jesse Walls, Senior Director of Government Affairs at National Audubon Society.
“Bird watching in America is more popular than ever, and yet our backyards and skies are graced with a decreasing number of our feathered friends,” said Steve Blackledge, Senior Director of Conservation Campaigns at Environment America. “We’re grateful to Representatives Jared Huffman and Brian Fitzpatrick for their bipartisan bill, which will protect long-distance flyers and make sure the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is enforced.”
“Now more than ever, Congressional action is needed to conserve our country’s migratory birds,” said Ed Arnett, CEO of The Wildlife Society. “Thanks to the leadership of Representative Huffman, the Migratory Bird Protection Act will implement a streamlined permitting approach that provides greater certainty for project stakeholders as well as long-term benefits for migratory bird species. Given that more than three billion birds have been lost in the past half century, we encourage Congress to swiftly pass this commonsense bill.”
“Defenders of Wildlife applauds Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) for introducing this critical bill at a time when North American birds are increasingly under threat,” said Robert Dewey, Vice President of Government Relations at Defenders of Wildlife. “Migratory birds, ranging from greater flamingos and American white pelicans to red-winged blackbirds and bald eagles, represent some of our most iconic species, but damage from industrial waste, overdevelopment and climate change has led to an estimated loss of 2.9 billion North American birds since 1970. This bill counters the ongoing and politically motivated attacks on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by ensuring that migratory birds unintentionally killed or harmed by industrialization, development and other human activities are protected under the Act. We urge all those in Congress to support what has historically been a bipartisan endeavor to protect North American birds.”
“With three-quarters of North America’s birds in decline it’s now more important than ever to step up and provide strong protections for them. It’s crucial for the federal government to adhere to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and I encourage Congress to pass this commonsense legislation and give birds a fighting chance at survival,” said Tara Zuardo, Senior Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“America’s bird populations are under unprecedented threat from a variety of hazards,” saidAbby Tinsley, Vice President for Conservation Policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “The bipartisan Migratory Bird Protection Act would help address these challenges by clarifying protections passed more than a century ago while encouraging measures that will limit unnecessary deaths. Congress should act swiftly to pass this commonsense bill.”
The Migratory Bird Protection Act is endorsed by Defenders of Wildlife, Audubon, Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, The National Wildlife Federation, National Resource Defense Council, and Environment America.
The Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act is endorsed by Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy.
The withdrawal of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks a new chapter in regional peacekeeping efforts, said Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga.
“This withdrawal is a structured process designed to ensure safe return of both our troops and equipment. All our logistical support will continue during this phase,” she said.
The Minister said the announcement follows “high level consultation with several role-players in the peacekeeping efforts within the eastern DRC.”
Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday, the Minister said that over the past four months, the region has witnessed renewed momentum towards peace and stability in the eastern provinces of the DRC.
“These political engagements have progress with great momentum and led to the recent outcome of the recent DRC Summit of heads of States and governments which was held in March. The outcome of these meetings has led to a decision for the termination of the mission and withdrawal to allow political and diplomatic intervention to resolve the security issues in the DRC,” she explained.
The Minister further appreciated the commitment shown by the SANDF members who served with honour, pride, professionalism and commitment under very challenging circumstances.
“I want to say to them that your contribution has helped to lay the groundwork for peace in the region. And to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, your loss is shared by a very grateful nation full of appreciation.
“Their memories will forever be in the history of our commitment to peace on the African continent. South Africa remains committed to a peaceful state, stable, prosperous and a prosperous DRC,” she said.
This is after 14 troop members lost their lives and others sustained injuries at the hands of the M23 as fighting in the Goma region escalated.
The rebel group fought intensely against the Congolese armed forces, resulting in the deaths of soldiers from 23 to 27 January 2025 during M23’s advance on Sake and Goma.
These soldiers were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), which aims to help restore peace, security, and stability in Africa’s second-largest country.
“Our diplomatic developments and humanitarian engagements will continue. As we transit out of the active combat deployment, we reinforce our commitment to African led solutions in the values of African Union Agenda 2063,” said the Minister at the briefing held at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) offices.
The SANDF troops will arrive back in the country in phases.
Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya said the withdrawal of the troops in the DRC is not accidental. “This withdrawal is not an accidental withdrawal, and withdrawal is not a sign of weakness,” he said.
He said that they were seeing “elements of peace” due to the M23 rebel groups “committed to cessation of hostilities.”
“Let me also pay my respects to the fallen soldiers that during combat… laid down their lives for the betterment of the lives of others. I would also like to pay homage to those that were injured and are currently recovering,” he said.
The SANDF withdrawal is expected to be completed by the end of May 2025, this as movement began on 29 April 2025.
“Today as we speak, the second batch will be going and this movement will be concluded by the end of this month,” he said.
He added that SANDF equipment will be shipped via air and land travel. – SAnews.gov.za
A Yemeni soldier inspects the damage reportedly caused by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 27, 2025.AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman
In the first 100 days of his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a willingness to lean on airpower when his administration decides that military force is necessary abroad.
This turn to airpower for Trump makes sense to me. Airpower is cheap when compared with ground wars, and it usually comes with fewer casualties for those conducting the strikes. This helps explain why U.S. leaders, including Trump as a self-proclaimed “anti-war president,” typically find it attractive.
But if the Trump administration is not careful, it could fall into what military strategists informally call the “airpower trap.” This happens when the stated objectives of military force are too big for airpower alone to achieve, potentially leading to a face-saving escalation of conflict that could – if history is a guide – draw in ground forces from the U.S. or their local allies.
U.S. presidents such as Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all fell into this trap. In Vietnam, the Balkans and Syria, respectively, all ended up with far bigger wars than they bargained for, with consequences for civilian casualties, international peace and damage to America’s reputation abroad.
As an expert on U.S. national security policy and the Middle East region, I believe the Trump administration is in danger of falling into the airpower trap in Yemen and could potentially do the same in Iran should it elect to use direct force against Tehran. Recognizing this military and historical risk, and opting for some kind of off ramp from continued airstrikes, might be the best hope the U.S. government has to avoid a further escalation into full-scale war.
The limits of air bombardment
Research shows airpower is most effective when it’s used for limited objectives – things like taking out leaders of terrorist groups or degrading rival capabilities – or in support of ground operations for more ambitious ends, like bolstering or overturning governments.
Given the sophistication of U.S. airpower, a common fallacy among American strategists in particular is to think big strategic gains can be achieved solely by dropping bombs from above.
But when airpower alone fails, leaders can feel the pressure to expand the scope of conflict and end up with bigger military commitments than expected.
Johnson’s initial airpower-only strategy for attempting to stop communism in South Vietnam failed miserably, leading to his decision to commit half a million U.S. troops into war. That expanded conflict presaged years of war, with massive humanitarian and political consequences for people in Southeast Asia and America, as well as lasting reputational damage to the U.S.
Yemenis carry the coffins of civilians killed in U.S. airstrikes while participating in their funeral procession on May 1, 2025, in Sanaa, Yemen. Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
Worried about U.S. and NATO credibility, Clinton escalated airstrikes – nearly to the point of introducing ground troops – for the ambitious end of stopping genocide in the Balkans during the early 1990s. Likewise, Obama’s initial airpower-only strategy to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State group quickly faltered, leading Obama, under intense pressure at home and abroad, to introduce thousands of ground troops to combat the group’s territorial gains across Syria and Iraq.
In each case, relying on airpower alone ultimately failed to meet their objectives.
The airpower trap in Yemen
There are reasons to believe that conditions in Yemen mean that Trump, too, could be falling into a similar trap.
The humanitarian crisis from the brutal bombing campaign by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in the late 2010s had a similar effect.
Airpower played a big part then, too. The Saudi coalition, supported by the U.S., engaged in some 25,000 air raids against the Houthis, killing or maiming approximately 19,000 civilians. Yet despite such overwhelming force, the Houthis kept seizing territory and eventually won the civil war, according to experts.
They have been the country’s de facto rulers ever since.
Now, Trump is exploring options to further escalate to defeat the Houthis. Reports indicate his administration is considering arming, training and enabling anti-Houthi resistance fighters who are loosely affiliated with Yemen’s government in exile to launch ground operations.
Often, U.S. proxies fail on both strategic and humanitarian terms, leading to further escalation, strategic quagmires for the U.S., and loss of life and political sovereignty for the people under attack. South Vietnam was an instructive example.
Riven by corruption, poor governance, weakness and political infighting, the South Vietnamese army and government proved so ineffective at fighting the North Vietnamese that Johnson decided to launch a ground war once U.S. airpower failed.
Today, the anti-Houthi resistance in Yemen looks a lot more like the South Vietnamese government than the Kurdish YPG. According to a 2025 report from the Soufan Center, a security think tank, the anti-Houthi forces are poorly trained and considered incapable of pulling off victories over the Houthis without major U.S. support.
Meanwhile, the anti-Houthi resistance consists of an estimated 85,000 fighters, compared with some 350,000 for the Houthis.
Absent continuing the air war or escalating it into a more all-encompassing conflict, U.S. officials can still pursue diplomacy in order to try to find a political solution to the Yemen conflict.
Despite the Trump’s administration public threats, the U.S. is already negotiating with the Houthis’ main sponsor, Iran.
For their part, the Houthis continue to insist that they will stop attacking ships in the Red Sea if the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Gaza halts, something that happened during the recent Gaza ceasefire.
The Trump administration might consider seeking alternatives, such as direct or indirect talks, if it wants to avoid getting stuck in a widening conflict in Yemen. History is full of examples of what happens when airpower takes on a logic of its own.
Charles Walldorf is a Senior Fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities.
H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, instructed the House Committee on Armed Services to recommend legislative changes that would increase deficits up to a specified amount over the 2025-2034 period. As part of the reconciliation process, the House Committee on Armed Services approved legislation on April 29, 2025, that would increase deficits.
Estimated Federal Cost
In CBO’s estimation, the reconciliation recommendations of the House Committee on Armed Services would increase deficits by $144.0 billion over the 2025-2034 period. The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 050 (national defense) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of Reconciliation Recommendations Title ll, House Committee on Armed Services, as Ordered Reported on April 29, 2025
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2025-2029
2025-2034
Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Budget Authority
150,273
125
-2,290
-708
180
0
0
0
0
0
147,580
147,580
Estimated Outlays
1,957
40,299
42,019
23,548
16,779
9,367
4,878
2,889
1,514
742
124,602
143,992
Basis of Estimate
For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted in summer 2025. CBO’s estimates are relative to its January 2025 baseline and cover the period from 2025 through 2034. Outlays of appropriated amounts were estimated using historical obligation and spending rates for similar programs.
Direct Spending
Enacting this legislation would increase direct spending by $144.0 billion over the 2025‑2034 period. (see Table 2). Almost all of that amount would result from specified direct appropriations for defense activities ($142.8 billion in outlays), with additional estimated amounts related to changes to military housing privatization authorities ($1.2 billion in outlays).
Appropriated Amounts
The legislation would appropriate $150.3 billion for 2025. Of that amount, almost all would be for the Department of Defense (DoD), with the remainder for nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy ($3.2 billion) and the Armed Forces Retirement Home ($6 million). CBO expects that amounts appropriated by this legislation would be subject to sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. CBO estimates that a portion of any unobligated balances from those appropriations would be canceled in 2027, 2028, and 2029, which would reduce the budget authority provided by this legislation. After adjusting for the effects of sequestration, CBO estimates that, on net, specified budget authority would total about $146.3 billion and outlays from that budget authority would total $142.8 billion over the 2025-2034 period. The following sections would appropriate specific amounts for the following purposes:
Section 20002 would appropriate $33.8 billion for shipbuilding programs, increasing outlays by $31.8 billion;
Section 20003 would appropriate $24.7 billion for air and missile defense activities, increasing outlays by $23.5 billion;
Section 20004 would provide $20.7 billion for the acquisition of munitions and sustainment of the defense industrial base, increasing outlays by $19.5 billion;
Section 20005 would appropriate $13.5 billion to expedite the delivery of low-cost weapons and capabilities, increasing outlays by $13.0 billion;
Section 20006 would appropriate $0.4 billion to improve the audit readiness of DoD’s financial statements and for cybersecurity programs, increasing outlays by $0.4 billion;
Section 20007 would provide $7.3 billion for air superiority programs, increasing outlays by $6.8 billion;
Section 20008 would provide $12.9 billion for improvements to nuclear forces (of which $3.2 billion would be for the Department of Energy), increasing outlays by $12.6 billion;
Section 20009 would appropriate $11.1 billion to improve the capabilities of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, increasing outlays by $10.5 billion;
Section 20010 would appropriate $11.5 billion to improve military readiness, increasing outlays by $10.9 billion;
Section 20011 would appropriate $5.0 billion for border security activities, increasing outlays by $4.9 billion;
Section 20012 would appropriate $2.0 billion for military intelligence programs, increasing outlays by $1.9 billion;
Section 20013 would appropriate $10 million for oversight activities by the DoD Inspector General, increasing outlays by $9 million; and
Section 20001 would increase budget authority by $8.5 billion. Of that amount, $7.3 billion would be specifically appropriated for efforts to improve the quality of life for members of the armed forces, increasing outlays by $6.9 billion.[1] The remaining budget authority and outlays in section 20001 would arise from changes to housing privatization authorities, described in the next section.
Estimated Amounts
Section 20001 would modify authorities related to the privatization of military housing that CBO estimates would increase direct spending by $1.2 billion over the 2025-2034 period.
To finance housing privatization projects, DoD typically enters into long-term contracts with private-sector developers to renovate, construct, operate, and maintain military housing. Those developers leverage DoD contributions, along with expected future Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) payments for military personnel, to borrow additional capital to complete the projects.
CBO considers acquiring housing for military personnel in that manner to be a governmental activity, and that amounts expended by such public-private ventures should be recorded in the federal budget as outlays at the time they occur. When proposed legislation would affect transactions involving third-party financing of governmental activities, CBO’s cost estimate for the legislation shows budget authority for the full cost of the project at the time the project is initiated. Outlays are shown over the construction period for each project. In cost estimates, CBO classifies those cash flows as direct spending.
Subsection 20001(b) would increase, through 2029, the limit on the amount of funding that DoD can contribute to privatization projects. Measured by the total capital costs of a project, the section would raise DoD’s authorized contribution threshold from 33.3 percent to 60 percent. CBO expects that providing additional funding would facilitate DoD privatization projects that are not financially viable under current law.
CBO estimates that extra funding would allow DoD to initiate one additional privatized housing project by 2029. Based on the cost of previous projects, CBO estimates that the new project would cost $500 million. To account for the uncertainty regarding the timing of that project, CBO evenly distributed the estimated budget authority over the 2026‑2029 period. Thus, after accounting for the time needed to complete the construction of the project, CBO estimates that increasing the funding limit would increase direct spending by $450 million over the 2025-2034 period.
Subsection 20001(c) would authorize DoD to pay higher rates of BAH through 2029 to unaccompanied service members living in military housing (such as barracks) provided under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. CBO expects that the increased payments would facilitate DoD privatization projects that are not financially viable under the current amounts for that allowance.
CBO estimates that in each year from 2027 through 2029, DoD would initiate one project for unaccompanied housing as a result of the higher rates. Based on the cost of previous projects and adjusting for inflation, CBO estimates that, on average, projects would cost $270 million each. Accounting for the time necessary to complete each project, CBO estimates that enacting the higher BAH would increase direct spending by $780 million over the 2025‑2034 period.
Uncertainty
Unobligated balances of appropriations provided by this legislation would be subject to sequestration procedures. The amount sequestered would depend on how quickly the agencies can obligate the provided amounts. If obligation rates differ from CBO’s estimates, the amount of balances canceled through sequestration could be greater or less than estimated here.
In addition, the cost and number of the military housing privatization projects arising from the temporary authorities in section 20001 could differ from CBO’s estimates.
Pay-As-You-Go Considerations
The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 1.
Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits
CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on‑budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2035.
Mandates
The legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Mandates: Brandon Lever
Estimate Reviewed By
David Newman Chief, Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs Cost Estimates Unit
Kathleen FitzGerald Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit
Christina Hawley Anthony Deputy Director of Budget Analysis
H. Samuel Papenfuss Deputy Director of Budget Analysis
Chad Chirico Director of Budget Analysis
Phillip L. Swagel
Director, Congressional Budget Office
[Table 2 begins on the next page.]
Estimated Changes in Direct Spending Under Reconciliation Recommendations Title ll, House Committee on Armed Services, as Ordered Reported on April 29, 2025
(Continued)
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2025-2029
2025-2034
Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Sec. 20011, Border Security
Budget Authority
5,000
0
-21
-12
-4
0
0
0
0
0
4,963
4,963
Estimated Outlays
151
3,569
958
113
41
19
10
0
0
0
4,832
4,861
Sec. 20012, Intelligence Programs
Budget Authority
2,000
0
-13
-8
-3
0
0
0
0
0
1,976
1,976
Estimated Outlays
42
1,006
573
178
81
32
14
4
2
0
1,880
1,932
Sec. 20013, Inspector General
Budget Authority
10
0
-1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
9
Estimated Outlays
0
2
1
3
3
0
0
0
0
0
9
9
Sec. 20001, Quality of Lifea
Budget Authority
7,315
125
243
381
400
0
0
0
0
0
8,464
8,464
Estimated Outlays
463
4,218
2,010
257
308
350
275
164
70
30
7,256
8,145
Total Changes
Budget Authority
150,273
125
-2,290
-708
180
0
0
0
0
0
147,580
147,580
Estimated Outlays
1,957
40,299
42,019
23,548
16,779
9,367
4,878
2,889
1,514
742
124,602
143,992
Memorandums:
Military Housing Privatizationa
Estimated Budget Authority
0
125
395
395
405
0
0
0
0
0
1,320
1,320
Estimated Outlays
0
0
30
130
240
310
260
160
70
30
400
1,230
Sequestrationb
Estimated Budget Authority
0
0
-2,685
-1,103
-225
0
0
0
0
0
-4,013
-4,013
Estimated Outlays
0
0
-2,685
-1,103
-225
0
0
0
0
0
-4,013
-4,013
a.In addition to the amounts specifically appropriated, section 20001 would modify military housing privatization authorities, which CBO estimates would increase direct spending by $1.2 billion over the 2025-2034 period. Those amounts are included in the $8.5 billion in budget authority and $8.1 billion in outlays for section 20001. The amounts shown here are included in the estimate for section 20001.
b.In total, this legislation would specifically appropriate $150.3 billion. Unobligated balances from those amounts would be subject to sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. CBO estimates that a portion of any unobligated balances from those appropriations would be canceled in 2027, 2028, and 2029, which could reduce the budget authority provided in this legislation. The estimated reductions in budget authority and outlays from the sequestration of unobligated balances are included in each section for which CBO estimates there would be unobligated balances and in the Total Changes above.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on April 25th, 2025. Cmdr. Brittany Kaluscak relieved Cmdr. Rich Ray as commanding officer during a ceremony surrounded by crew, friends, and family.
1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Lt. Col. Travis Michelena, center, the theater support team chief assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), speaks with Maj. Joshua Veal, left, a theater sustainment planner assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), and their Tunisian Armed Forces counterpart during port operations in preparation for Exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025.Multiple units joined the port operations in an effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. This photo has been altered for security purposes by blurring out the license plate. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
Back to
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)
GABES, Tunisia — A stevedore shouted over the diesel hum of cranes as the first storage container was lifted out of the cargo ship and onto Tunisian soil. For the untrained eye, it may have looked like just another port delivery. But for the Soldiers and civilians waiting at the port of Gabes, it marked the start of something much bigger.
This was the opening move in setting the theater for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25).
Without the shipment of 95 pieces of cargo, including vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, the exercise would be dead in the Mediterranean water.
“We’re not just moving cargo; we’re enabling the entire exercise to happen,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin VanFleet, a mobility officer assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command.
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload the very first shipping container from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
Along with setting the theater, VanFleet also set the record straight. A stevedore, he clarified, is a longshoreman who works at a port and is responsible for moving goods on and off ships.
“We’re the first ones in,” VanFleet explained. “Before troops land or vehicles roll, we’re on the ground establishing the logistical foundation that allows the rest of the force to operate. That’s how we set the theater.”
This does not happen overnight.
Setting the theater is a strategic concept that goes beyond logistics. It means having an adaptable and agile military with the infrastructure, agreements and relationships in place to shape conditions for successful Army, joint and combined operations. The combined force in Gabes validated those capabilities in a real-world environment.
“This is my first time participating in African Lion and working with the Tunisians. It’s been a seamless process allowing for the clearance of cargo at a rapid pace,” said VanFleet.
The Portuguese-flagged vessel, BBC Bergen, arrived to a welcome-party of Italians, Americans and Tunisians, highlighting the multinational effort involved. The Bergen’s journey took two and a half days across the Mediterranean from Livorno, Italy and all 95 pieces — including shipping containers filled with equipment, trailers, water purification systems, air defense vehicles and M119 howitzers — were offloaded in less than a day and a half.
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload a generator trailer during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL
Multiple units joined the 839th Transportation Battalion’s offloading effort, including Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-57 ADAR) and the 240th Composite Supply Company (240th CSC) — all there to ensure a successful offloading process.
Two members of the 1-57 ADAR accompanied the crew of the Bergen on its voyage from Italy. The escort is a requirement anytime sensitive U.S. military equipment, dubbed “super cargo,” is transported on a foreign-flagged vessel.
“Without the port operation, nothing downstream moves forward,” said VanFleet.
This first port operation in Tunisia set the foundation for the broader SETAF-AF-led African Lion exercise, showcasing the U.S. Army’s ability to operate in complex environments. Gabes was simply the first stop.
Immediately after offloading, equipment was loaded onto Tunisian Armed Forces vehicles and transported to exercise locations throughout the country.
The 839th Transportation Battalion is unique compared to most Army units. Along with Soldiers, it also employs two U.S. Army civilians and up to 10 local nationals per detachment. During port operations, the assigned detachment leads contract responsibilities, documentation and cargo handling, while the battalion sends military leadership to provide command oversight.
“Utilizing our local nationals is a huge asset,” said VanFleet. “Some individuals have been doing this for more than 30 years. Their knowledge of the area of operations and relationships with host-nation authorities are critical to mission success.”
1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, work with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials to offload a shipping container during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) (Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros) VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin VanFleet, second from left, a mobility officer assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, speaks with civilian officials prior to offloading equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Soldiers and civilians assigned to the 839th Transportation Battalion, 598th Transportation Brigade, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, U.S. Transportation Command, speak with the Tunisian Armed Forces and civilian officials prior to offloading equipment from the Portuguese-flagged BBC Bergen during port operations in preparation for exercise African Lion 2025 (AL25) in Gabes, Tunisia, April 8, 2025. Multiple units joined the 839th’s offloading effort to set the exercise theater, validating their ability to deploy personnel and equipment over long distances while maintaining operational readiness. AL25 is U.S. Africa Command’s premier annual exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), that strengthens the U.S. military’s ability to respond rapidly, operate forward and train alongside allies and partners. Designed to address shared security challenges, AL25 enhances readiness, reinforces strategic reach and fosters innovative solutions. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)VIEW ORIGINAL
In the first months of 2025 alone, the battalion supported missions in Poland, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Italy and Croatia, with additional deployments planned throughout the year.
“It’s vital we keep exercising these ports and working with our partners,” said VanFleet. “It allows everyone to create that muscle memory that only makes our relationships stronger.”
AL25, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual exercise, brings together more than 10,000 troops from over 40 nations to enhance interoperability and strengthen multinational readiness. But before the first formation steps into the training area, port operations like the one in Gabes must succeed.
Every stevedore handshake and each offloaded vehicle contributes to the larger picture: the ability to quickly and efficiently project lethality anywhere, anytime.
About the 839th Transportation Battalion
The 839th supports both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, functioning as the single port manager for U.S. military cargo entering and exiting strategic seaports in both theaters. Its responsibilities include staging, reception, onward movement, customs clearance, agricultural inspections and overall integration of DoD assets at ports of embarkation and debarkation.
About African Lion
African Lion 25 (AL25) is set to be the largest annual military exercise in Africa, bringing together 41 nations, including seven NATO allies, and about 10,000 troops. Led by U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), the exercise will take place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.
AL25 is designed to restore the warrior ethos, sharpen lethality and strengthen military readiness alongside our African partners and allies. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win when it matters most.
African Lion provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command; as well as strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.
Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)
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Last week, ATSD for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell shared words of appreciation with @UMDPublicPolicy graduate students at the Pentagon. He commended them as they presented their capstone projects, which tackled some of the DOD’s biggest challenges.
#BeyondtheBattlefield
For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
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Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
05.05.25
Cantwell, Murray Call on President Trump to Secure Release of Joseph St. Clair
St. Clair, a Washingtonian and military vet, is being wrongfully detained in Venezuela
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter asking President Donald Trump to secure the release of Joseph St. Clair, a Washingtonian who is being wrongfully detained in Venezuela.
“[St. Clair] is a decorated U.S Air Force veteran who served four tours in Afghanistan and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each day he is held, it prolongs his suffering, and the suffering of his friends and family,” the Senators write. “We must have decisive action by the U.S. Government to secure his release along with other Americans being wrongfully detained by Venezuela.”
Both senators met with members of St. Clair’s family this week.
The full text of the letter is HERE and below.
Mr. President:
We are writing to urge your personal involvement in pressing for the release of Joseph St. Clair, who is being wrongfully detained in Venezuela. He is a decorated U.S Air Force veteran who served four tours in Afghanistan and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each day he is held, it prolongs his suffering, and the suffering of his friends and family.
We must have decisive action by the U.S. Government to secure his release along with other Americans being wrongfully detained by Venezuela.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
By Liu Jimei and Yu Hongchun
CAIRO, May 5 — The China-Egypt “Eagles of Civilization 2025” joint air force training concluded at an Egyptian air force base on the morning of May 4, 2025.
This joint training is the first time that the Chinese PLA Air Force has dispatched its various types of troops to Africa to systematical conduct the joint training, demonstrating the long-range force projection, agile force deployment and systematic combat capabilities of the Chinese PLA Air Force.
During the 18-day joint training, the two sides conducted discussions and exchanges on such topics as training mode, air combat tactics, and aerial refueling operations. Participating troops from both sides completed training subjects including counterair operations, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), battlefield search and rescue, and mixed grouping, marking a new starting point and milestone for the military cooperation between the two countries.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
Chinese President Xi Jinping watches the military parade during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2015. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) — In the stately Conference Building at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, a 65-inch-tall resplendent bronze vessel gleams under soft light, its cloisonne enamel blazing in vibrant Chinese red.
The “Zun of Peace,” presented by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2015 as a special gift for the United Nations’ 70th anniversary, is not merely a delicate artifact. It embodies the aspiration and conviction of the Chinese people to seek peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, Xi said at its unveiling.
A decade later, as the top Chinese leader travels to Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, his presence both carries the weight of history and reaffirms a vision of the future.
Leading a nation always aspiring for peace and harmony in its long history and further strengthened by its battles against militarism, imperialism and fascism in its recent past, Xi commands a unique insight into the value of peace, and has steadfastly championed the building of a peaceful world, a cause of great urgency given the tensions and conflicts on the global landscape today.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) attends a presentation ceremony on which the Chinese government gives the “Zun of Peace” to the United Nations as a gift in New York, the United States, Sept. 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Tao)
Xi sees history as a mirror from which humanity should draw lessons to avoid repeating past calamities.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in what is commonly known in China as the World Anti-Fascist War or, more globally, as World War II. Almost every part of the world was involved, and more than 100 million were killed or wounded in what was described as the most destructive conflict in human history.
The bravery and tremendous sacrifice of the Chinese people played a decisive role in defeating Fascist Japan and offered strategic support to the Allies on the European and Pacific battlefields.
“History has told us to stay on high alert against war, which, like a demon and nightmare, would bring disaster and pain to the people,” Xi once said. “History has also told us to preserve peace with great care, as peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it, but none of us can live without it.”
This historical observation features prominently in Xi’s unrelenting pursuit of peace. He has repeatedly reiterated China’s commitment to peaceful development, pledging that China will never seek hegemony, expansion or any sphere of influence, no matter how strong it may grow.
During a 2014 visit to France, Xi reshaped Napoleon’s metaphor of China as a “sleeping lion” that would shake the world upon awakening. “Now China the lion has awakened. But it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion,” Xi said when illustrating the peaceful dimension of the Chinese Dream.
Xi’s philosophy stems from the millennia-old Chinese culture. An avid reader of traditional Chinese classics, he once expounded how ancient Chinese wisdom views war and peace by quoting “The Art of War,” a Chinese classic written more than 2,000 years ago.
The book’s key message “is that every effort should be made to prevent a war and great caution must be exercised when it comes to fighting a war,” Xi said when delivering a keynote speech in the UN Office at Geneva in 2017.
Xi’s view on prudence in warfare is also reflected in his exchanges with foreign leaders and officials.
“It has long been known that the real experts on military affairs do not want to employ military means to solve issues,” he quoted a Chinese aphorism when meeting with then U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Beijing in 2018.
Chinese President Xi Jinping straightens the ribbon on a flower basket during a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen heroes at Tian’anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
A clear manifestation of Xi’s reflection is to cherish history and honor heroes. “A nation of hope cannot be without heroes,” Xi once said. Every year since 2014, Xi has paid tribute to China’s fallen heroes on Martyrs’ Day, which falls on Sept. 30, a day ahead of the country’s National Day.
In 2015, when China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its victory in World War II, Xi presented medals to Chinese veterans and representatives from Russia and other countries who assisted Chinese soldiers on the battlefields.
Nikolai Chuikov, the grandson of Soviet General Marshal Vasily Chuikov, was among those who received a peace medal from Xi. “Of all the honors I have won, I hold the highest regard for the peace medal,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R, front) shakes hands with a Russian veteran in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow/Chongqing, May 5 (Xinhua) — The Yangtze River flows swiftly in Wanzhou District of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, not far from the Three Gorges Dam. There is a quiet cemetery in the picturesque Xishan Park. Under the shade of pine and cypress trees, a white dove of peace spreads its wings on a marble tombstone, preparing to take off, while a fighter jet pierces the sky.
The monument is engraved with an inscription in Russian and Chinese: “Here lie the ashes of the commander of the Soviet volunteer air squadron, who died heroically in the war of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders, Grigory Akimovich Kulishenko /1903-1939/. July 7, 1958.” A bronze bust of the hero is installed in front of the tombstone.
“When the war of resistance against the Japanese invaders was going on, Soviet Air Force Captain G. Kulishenko arrived in China to fight side by side with the Chinese people. “I am experiencing the misfortune of the Chinese workers as if I were experiencing the misfortune of my homeland,” he said with feeling. The pilot died heroically on Chinese soil. The Chinese people have not forgotten the hero, and ordinary Chinese people – mother and son – have been guarding his grave for more than half a century,” – during his visit to Russia in 2013, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping told the story of G. Kulishenko with deep emotion, speaking at MGIMO.
Today, tall and majestic camphor trees grow around G. Kulishenko’s tombstone, planted by Chinese cemetery guardians many years ago.
“IT IS OUR DUTY”
After the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered the phase of a conflict of attrition, Kulishenko and his colleagues led two squadrons of DB-3 heavy bombers (the pilots affectionately called them “Dasha”) to Chengdu. Liu Qun, who worked as a translator for Kulishenko at the time, wrote an article in which he recalled that this “heavenly warrior” had a simple face and a strong build, “slightly black hair, the color of the eyes like those of the Chinese, thick eyebrows and tall stature” and was somewhat similar to a Shandong resident (a resident of Shandong, one of the provinces of China – Xinhua note).
In addition to carrying out air strikes against the Japanese army, Kulishenko also had the important task of training Chinese pilots. Liu Qun says that before each flight, he would explain to each Chinese pilot the daily flight program, the aircraft control method, etc. Before sitting in the front cockpit, he would watch the other pilots sit in the control cabin and press the brake. Kulishenko also gave detailed comments after landing and sometimes flew three or four flights in a row as an instructor to correct mistakes. “I never saw him show the slightest impatience or fear of difficulties in front of the young pilots who were learning to fly,” Liu Qun writes.
On October 14, 1939, G. Kulishenko, leading a bomber group of the volunteer air force to aid China, raided the Japanese airfield in Hankou, causing heavy losses to the Japanese army. On the way back, he was intercepted by the enemy. The Soviet pilot received gunshot wounds to the chest and left shoulder. The enemy also hit one of the engines of his bomber. In order to protect the planes and people on the ground, G. Kulishenko refused to jump with a parachute and decided to make an emergency landing on the Yangtze in the Chenjiaba area of Wanxian County /now Wanzhou District of Chongqing – Xinhua note/. Two of his comrades swam to the shore, but the wounded Kulishenko was carried away by the current, and he died a heroic death.
Upon learning of this, the residents of Wanxian, without any agreement, set out to search along the river and 20 days later found the pilot’s body more than 10 kilometers from the crash site. They held a memorial service and a funeral according to Chinese custom.
In 1958, the Wanxian County People’s Government built a special cemetery for G. Kulishenko and ceremoniously reburied him. For more than 60 years, Chinese woman Tan Zhonghui took over as the grave’s caretaker, and her son Wei Yingxiang continued the work. “This is our duty, gratitude, and the conscience inherent in the Chinese people,” Wei Yingxiang said. He told reporters that his greatest wish is to ensure that the heroes buried in a foreign country are not alone, and that their heroic deeds and stories of friendship are passed down from generation to generation.
“THE PEACE MEDAL” – “THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE AWARDS FOR ME”
Nikolai Chuikov, the grandson of Soviet Marshal Vasily Chuikov, emotionally told journalists that he had heard many stories similar to that of Captain G. Kulishenko, and the Chinese people have always had deep feelings for the Soviet heroes buried on Chinese soil. According to him, the Soviet Union helped China fight the Japanese invaders, and China resolutely supported the USSR in the Great Patriotic War. The friendship that arose during the World Anti-Fascist War is a common heritage of both sides, our interlocutor is sure.
Marshal Vasily Chuikov had close ties to China. He had studied Chinese, was familiar with China’s national characteristics, and visited the country four times. From late 1940 to March 1942, he served as the chief Soviet military adviser in China. The Marshal was directly involved in developing the war plan against Japan and maintained close contacts with the commanders of the Eighth Army and the New Fourth Army, which operated under the CPC.
On the main battlefield of World War II in Asia, the Chinese people and army fought tenaciously against Japanese aggression, destroyed and tied up a large number of Japanese aggressor forces. With the sacrifice of 35 million lives, they finally won a great victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and made a great contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
N. Chuikov, 65, heard many stories about China from his grandfather as a child. For many years, he has been devoted to promoting good relations between Russia and China and is currently the deputy chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society. He has a medal that means a lot. In May 2015, during a visit to Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of Russian veterans and presented them with commemorative medals. N. Chuikov was among them.
He called the Peace Medal the most valuable award for himself, as it was presented personally by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. Our interlocutor said that he is proud of the medal, which inspires him to work harder.
“The Chinese and Russian peoples have cemented a deep friendship with their blood and lives, laying a solid foundation for Chinese-Russian relations and friendship between the two peoples for generations,” Xi Jinping’s words at the meeting with veterans made a particularly deep impression on N. Chuikov. “This is also an important reason why relations between Russia and China remain at a high level,” he said.
In September 2015, he was invited to China to attend the commemorative celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The grand military parade was amazing, and China impressed him with its national strength and pace of development, he said.
Speaking at the anniversary celebration, Xi Jinping said: “Let us firmly remember the great truth of history: Justice wins! Peace wins! The people win!”
It was unforgettable! – said N. Chuikov. – This is the voice of China, conveying to the world the need to adhere to justice, protect peace and cooperate.
UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND PASS ON FRIENDSHIP FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
The fallen heroes “will never be forgotten by the Russian people, the Chinese people and the peoples of the world,” wrote Chinese President Xi Jinping in an opinion piece published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta 10 years ago, on the eve of his participation in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and his visit to the Russian Federation.
Where they once shared a common hatred of the enemy and fought against aggression, the history of China and Russia fighting side by side touches people even in peacetime. Every Qingming Festival, Chinese people lay flowers at memorial sites in Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Changchun and elsewhere to show that they have not forgotten. The names of more than 200 Soviet pilot heroes who died resisting Japanese occupation are engraved on a monument in the Nanjing Pilots’ Memorial Hall. During this year’s festival, an elementary school student wrote in childish handwriting, “I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” while an 89-year-old man left a wish, “Peace in the world.”
“Thank you, Grandpa, for the Victory!” — read the banners on the streets of Moscow in May. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. For Natalia Khryukina, chairwoman of the Association of Descendants of Volunteer Pilots Who Fought in China in 1937-40, the upcoming May 9 will have a special memorable significance.
Her father, Timofey Khryukin, was a bomber squadron commander in the Soviet Air Force volunteer squadron that helped China. He flew combat aircraft, fighting the Japanese in the skies over Nanjing, Wuhan, and other places. Returning to the USSR, he fought valiantly in the Great Patriotic War.
N. Khryukina said that her father described China’s terrain as difficult, with high mountains and numerous gorges. Flying a bomber in such conditions was a difficult test and valuable experience for Soviet pilots of that time. “When my father returned home and went to fight in the North, his Chinese experience was very useful to him,” she recalls.
According to our interlocutor, her generation grew up listening to songs such as “Russians and Chinese are brothers forever.” The friendship established by the Russian and Chinese peoples who fought side by side is still being passed down from generation to generation without weakening, N. Khryukina emphasized. With close interaction and under the strategic leadership of the leaders of the two countries, Russian-Chinese relations maintain a high level of development, she said.
In recent years, N. Khryukina has been collecting historical materials, organizing exchange events in primary and secondary schools, and inviting Chinese teenagers to communicate with their Russian peers. This gives young people the opportunity to understand the history of their ancestors’ persistent struggle, to understand the origins of friendship between Russia and China and to continue to pass it on from generation to generation, she is sure. –0–
Alexandria, Egypt — U.S. Navy Vice Adm. George M. Wikoff, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, presented Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Navy Vice Adm. Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa Megahed with a personal military decoration from U.S. Central Command during a reception aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) in Alexandria, Egypt, May 1.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
May 05, 2025
General Tata has a record of bigoted remarks and conspiracy theories, which originally sank his nomination to a top Pentagon role in 2020
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, led six Senate Democrats in calling for retired Brigadier General Anthony Tata, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD[P&R]), to withdraw his nomination and explain his past attacks on military leaders and calls to politicize the military.
Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined in signing the letter. Senators Duckworth and Hirono are also members of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel.
“Given your history related to DoD personnel and other matters, we are concerned that, if confirmed, you will not be able to effectively support servicemembers and their families, risking the military’s ability to recruit and retain personnel and undermining military readiness,” wrote the senators.
In 2020, Tata was nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the third-highest-ranking DoD official. His nomination fell apart after reports revealed several bigoted and false remarks, including calling President Obama a “terrorist leader,” and the Army watchdog found he violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice by committing adultery. Senator Warren led the call for him to withdraw his nomination and resign his position as a senior advisor to the Defense Secretary.
Now, the senators are pressing him to withdraw and explain more recent comments, including
Calling for a purge of senior military leaders, including “every 4 star appointed by Biden,” and
Calling for politicizing the military by choosing leaders who are “[a]ll oars in the water to achieve Trump agenda 47” and suspending a law that prevents the military from being used against the American people.
“These comments are especially disturbing given the destructive actions the DoD has already taken with regard to servicemembers and civilians,” said the senators in reference to the Pentagon’s recent elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with attacks on female military heroes and military heroes of color.
If confirmed, Tata would be responsible for establishing, implementing, and overseeing policies and recruitment impacting millions of servicemembers, civilian employees, and their families.
“Given your past disparaging remarks about servicemembers, and your history of inappropriate activity we are concerned that, if confirmed, you will not be able to effectively support servicemembers and their families, risking the military’s ability to recruit and retain personnel and undermining military readiness… We urge you to withdraw your nomination,” concluded the lawmakers.
The senators asked Tata, should he choose to not withdraw his nomination, to clarify, by May 12, 2025, his past bigoted remarks, conspiracy theories, calls to politicize the military, views on transgender people and women serving in the military, and make ethics commitments related to 4Ever Charge, an EV charging station franchise for which he currently serves as the director.
The Crucible, conducted at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., serves as the culminating event of Marine Corps recruit training.
This rigorous 54-hour exercise challenges recruits to demonstrate the teamwork, endurance, and knowledge acquired throughout their training in order to earn the title of United States Marine.
Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)
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Thank you, President Donald J. Trump, our troops, and the American people for the honor of serving the American warfighter.
100 days in, and we’re just getting started…
For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov
#military #usa #departmentofdefense
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Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands:
“On May 5, 1945, occupying German forces in the Netherlands surrendered to the Allies, ending five years under the brutal Nazi regime. The Canadian First Army played a central role in defeating the enemy, engaging in fierce battles to remove the occupiers village by village, town by town, canal by canal. Joyous crowds of civilians cheered Canadian troops as the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague were finally liberated.
“The Dutch also endured a deliberate famine known as the Hunger Winter, during which about 20,000 Dutch people died. With liberation, Canadians and our allies delivered food and other provisions to a grateful people.
“Canada also provided refuge for the Dutch royal family during the Second World War. During their stay, the Canadian government temporarily declared an Ottawa hospital ward to be extraterritorial land in 1943 so Princess Juliana’s third daughter, Princess Margriet, could be born as a Dutch national. Princess Margriet is scheduled to visit Ottawa later this month to take part in commemorative events, including officially opening the famous Canadian Tulip Festival, which helps keep alive the memory of Canada’s role in liberating her homeland.
“Our two nations forged lasting bonds from that wartime experience. Many Dutch people immigrated to Canada after the war, including more than 1,800 war brides, leaving their devastated homeland to start new lives in a new nation.
“The connection between our peoples endures eight decades later. Along with strong commercial ties, the people of the Netherlands have never forgotten the sacrifices made by Canadians in freeing their country from fascist tyranny. Every Christmas Eve, local schoolchildren light a candle for every fallen soldier at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery and the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.
“The liberation came at a terrible price. More than 7,600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen died in the eight-month campaign to free the Netherlands from Nazi oppression.
“Today, symbols of the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands can be found across our land. In Victoria, the Netherlands Centennial Carillon with its 62 bells was a gift from British Columbia’s Dutch community to celebrate Canada’s Centennial in 1967.
“May the ties between our two democratic and peace-loving countries strengthen in an age when authoritarianism is once again on the rise. And may we never forget the sacrifice required to defeat those forces. Lest we forget.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)
Today, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) recognized students from Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District on their acceptance to one of the U.S. Military Service Academies at 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard. All of the students were nominated by Congressman Latta and have received offers of appointment for the Class of 2029 at their respective academies.
“It was an honor to nominate these students from Ohio’s Fifth District to attend one of our U.S. Military Service Academies,”Latta said. “I thank each and every student for stepping up to serve our country, and I know they will do well as they embark on this new journey.”
Students honored at today’s event and their respective appointments:
Sarah Connor, Avon, U.S. Military Academy
Grace Anderson, Norwalk, U.S. Naval Academy Jayden Saxton, Fort Jennings, U.S. Naval Academy
Connor Bender, Avon Lake, U.S. Naval Academy
Garrett Cook, Norwalk, U.S. Military Academy
John Paul Gray, Findlay, U.S. Military Academy
Charles Knight, Republic, U.S. Military Academy
Christian Soltis, North Ridgeville, U.S. Air Force Academy
Samsung Electronics America today announced the expansion of its Tactical Edition lineup with the new Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition. The latest in the evolution of Samsung’s tactical mobile technology, the new tablet delivers military-grade1 security and compatibility with a range of mission-ready software applications that special operations teams use.
“Samsung’s Tactical Edition solutions combine the power of our proven commercial, off-the-shelf devices with highly customized software and features to meet the demands of military personnel operating in high-stakes environments,” said Tyler Gipson, Senior Vice President, GM of B2B at Samsung Electronics America. “With the Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition, we are introducing our most powerful purpose-built tactical solution yet – in a larger format to enhance precision Situational Awareness capabilities in the field.”
Samsung’s Tactical Edition mobile solutions stem from the company’s longstanding collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and are actively deployed across all branches of the U.S. military. They are also ideal solutions for first responders. The Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition retains all key features from previous Tactical Edition generations – including tactical radio interoperability and mission-ready software support – while introducing new hardware enhancements that support the safe and secure transmission of classified information.
TAMPA, Fla., May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SMX®, a leader in digital innovation and mission solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with DZYNE Technologies to advance the future of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Together, the two organizations are redefining ISR capabilities through the integration of SMX’s Elevate ISR platform and DZYNE’s cutting-edge autonomous systems.
This collaboration represents a bold leap forward in ISR operations, combining AI-driven analytics, autonomous unmanned platforms, and dynamic data integration to provide persistent, scalable, and adaptive intelligence solutions. The partnership empowers military, homeland security, and humanitarian operations to act decisively in complex and contested environments.
“By pairing Elevate ISR with DZYNE’s autonomous technologies, we are enhancing the entire intelligence cycle—from tasking to dissemination,” said Dana Dewey, SMX President of Global Defense. “This partnership accelerates decision-makers’ ability to act with unprecedented speed, precision, and foresight.”
Together, SMX and DZYNE are delivering enhanced situational awareness through the fusion of autonomous sensing and real-time analytics, while enabling ISR systems to dynamically adapt to evolving conditions using commercial and publicly available data. The combined solution is highly scalable, supporting both wide-area surveillance such as border security, and more localized applications like environmental monitoring. The modular, best-of-breed approach future-proofs ISR capabilities, ensuring they remain agile and relevant in the face of rapidly changing mission demands. Moreover, the partnership enables persistent surveillance even in contested, denied, or degraded environments, providing continuous coverage where traditional systems are challenged.
Matt McCue, CEO of DZYNE, noted “This collaboration enables scalable, adaptive ISR solutions for wide-area surveillance needs across a variety of domains. We are excited to partner with SMX to integrate Elevate ISR across our LEAP and ULTRA autonomous flight vehicles and look forward to delivering unmatched value for our customers.”
As global challenges outpace traditional ISR capacity, SMX and DZYNE’s combined approach ensures stakeholders are equipped with the intelligence infrastructure needed for today’s missions and to combat tomorrow’s threats. To learn more about Elevate ISR or explore how SMX and DZYNE can support your mission, please visit SMX | SMX Elevate ISR.
About SMX SMX is an industry leader providing digital solutions for mission-oriented clients, operating in close proximity to a vast set of clients across the United States and around the globe. SMX delivers scalable and secure solutions combined with the mission expertise needed to accelerate outcomes for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Public Sector, Fortune 1000, and other public and private sector clients. For more information on our solutions, please visit https://www.smxtech.com/.
About DZYNE DZYNE is a leading technology developer and manufacturer of airborne and ground-based autonomous defense solutions purpose-built to meet modern defense needs around the globe. The company’s solutions encompass the entire autonomous defense lifecycle and include multiple U.S. Government Programs of Record across UAS and C-UAS technologies. DZYNE is proud to support U.S. and allied military and civil defense partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.dzyne.com.
