NewzIntel.com

Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Blumenthal, Colleagues Demand Trump Reinstate Illegally Fired Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led a group of 19 senators in a letter calling on President Donald Trump to cease his attack on American veterans in the federal workforce and immediately reinstate all of the estimated 6,000 veterans who were fired under the Administration’s mass terminations of federal employees. The letter also demanded the veterans receive their full benefits and back pay. Veterans make up 30 percent of the federal workforce, with 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies – meaning the Trump Administration’s haphazard efforts to gut the civil service have disproportionately affected veterans.

    “We are increasingly concerned by the real-life negative impacts your Administration’s directives are having on our nation’s military and veteran community,” wrote the senators. “This includes the abrupt and indiscriminate termination of more than 30,000 employees across the federal government. Among those fired are veterans, military spouses, caregivers, survivors, and Guard and Reserve members with exemplary performance reviews … These men and women have dedicated their careers to serving veterans and their nation. In return, your Administration has upended their lives and casually discarded their service without any notice or justification – all for a statistic on a press release.”

    The senators continued, “Federal civil service has long been a preferred path for military-affiliated populations, allowing them to continue serving our country while offering competitive wages, benefits, and much-needed stability…At DOD, where you have announced the imminent firing of 5,400 employees, with plans to cut anywhere from 35,000 to 56,000 in the near future – the percentage of veterans is nearly 50 percent. And at VA, where veterans are able to do work directly impacting their fellow veterans, the percentage of veteran employees is nearly 30 percent. Each and every day, these veterans perform duties vital to the American people, our national security and our way of life.”

    The senators concluded, “Your Administration’s actions are damaging the economic security and morale of our military and veteran families, the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality talent, and ultimately, our national security. We demand that you cease your attacks on our nation’s heroes, who have already given so much in defense of our country, and immediately reinstate those who have beenjacky ros illegally fired with their full back pay and benefits.”

    In addition to Kaine and Blumenthal, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Richard Durbin (D-IL).

    A copy of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear President Trump,

    We are increasingly concerned by the real-life negative impacts your Administration’s directives are having on our nation’s military and veteran community. This includes the abrupt and indiscriminate termination of more than 30,000 employees across the federal government. Among those fired are veterans, military spouses, caregivers, survivors, and Guard and Reserve members with exemplary performance reviews – including 2,400 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and thousands of employees at the Department of Defense (DOD). These men and women have dedicated their careers to serving veterans and their nation. In return, your Administration has upended their lives and casually discarded their service without any notice or justification – all for a statistic on a press release.

    Federal civil service has long been a preferred path for military-affiliated populations, allowing them to continue serving our country while offering competitive wages, benefits, and much-needed stability. In return, every single agency in our government and every single taxpayer benefits from these experienced, talented, and dedicated employees. Across the federal government, veterans make up approximately 30 percent of the workforce – more than 640,000 veterans. At DOD, where you have announced the imminent firing of 5,400 employees, with plans to cut anywhere from 35,000 to 56,000 in the near future – the percentage of veterans is nearly 50 percent. And at VA, where veterans are able to do work directly impacting their fellow veterans, the percentage of veteran employees is nearly 30 percent. Each and every day, these veterans perform duties vital to the American people, our national security and our way of life.

    Rather than leading these employees and utilizing their talents to better serve veterans and taxpayers, you have chosen to fire them in an abrupt, inconsistent, unjustified, and unlawful way with no consultation with Congress and absolutely no transparency or accountability to the American people. Your Administration’s actions are damaging the economic security and morale of our military and veteran families, the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality talent, and ultimately, our national security. We demand that you cease your attacks on our nation’s heroes, who have already given so much in defense of our country, and immediately reinstate those who have been illegally fired with their full back pay and benefits.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: In the Boots of a Combat Medic

    Source: United States Department of Defense (video statements)

    The focus of a combat medic is to provide medical care in a field environment to soldiers, as well as disaster relief to citizens and advise commanders of the associated risks to the patient and mission.

    #DYK Currently known as 68W, the Army’s basic medical MOS was changed from the #VietnamWar era when the MOS code was 91A.

    For more on the Department of Defense, visit: http://www.defense.gov

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfrdL1TgHuM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI China: European countries vow retaliation against Trump’s tariff threat

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Transatlantic trade tensions have escalated following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 percent tariff on European imports, with European countries warning that Europe will react “firmly and immediately” against unjustified barriers.

    The tariff plan announced by Trump on Wednesday covers various European imports, including cars and other goods. Speaking at a White House cabinet meeting, he claimed that the EU has “taken advantage of” the United States by blocking American cars and agricultural products.

    Flags of the European Union fly outside the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

    In response, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Thursday at a press briefing that American businesses have reaped significant profits from investments in Europe.

    “By creating a large and integrated single market, the European Union (EU) has facilitated trade, reduced costs for EU exporters and harmonized standards and regulations across all our member states. As a result, U.S. investments in Europe are highly profitable,” he stressed.

    Regarding the tariffs, the European Commission said on Wednesday that the EU would react “firmly and immediately” against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies.

    Speaking in Washington on Thursday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola underscored that Europe and the United States have shared values and warned against isolation. She reaffirmed that the EU is ready to respond “firmly and immediately against unjust barriers to free and fair trade.”

    France and Spain shared the EU stance on retaliation, calling for unity to defend Europe’s interests.

    According to French media Le Figaro, French Economy Minister Eric Lombard, who is now participating in the G20 finance minister meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, said that the EU must protect its interests by doing the same as what the United States did.

    “We need to have a firm and proportionate reaction,” French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told France Info in an interview on Thursday. “The EU must react in the firmest possible way, in the most immediate way and I insist in the most proportionate way, because that’s how it works,” he said.

    The EU will defend itself “against those who attack it with absolutely unjustified tariffs that threaten our economic sovereignty,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at an event in the Basque Region of northern Spain. He stressed that the EU was “prepared” and the member states will “adopt measures proportionate” in response to the tariffs.

    He emphasized EU’s commitment to open trade and cooperation, in contrast to Trump’s promotion of “isolation.” “We will not abandon that route, because we will keep on looking for collaboration between countries, commercial openness and a multilateral system that is more important than ever,” Sanchez said.

    In addition, he rejected Trump’s statement made on Wednesday that the EU was “formed to screw the United States,” arguing that many of the rich in America are, in fact, “thanks to Europe.”

    On social media platform X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed Sanchez’s stance. He posted: “The EU was not formed to screw anyone. Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship.”

    Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, expressed concern over escalating trade tensions with the United States, noting that Italy, with its export-driven economy, is “obviously worried.” Speaking to the media in Paris on Thursday, he stressed the need to avoid a trade war, emphasizing that the West should remain united rather than divided.

    However, Italian industrial leaders have called for a stronger response, blaming Trump’s policy for hindering Europe’s economic development. Emanuele Orsini, president of the Italian industry association Confindustria, warned that Trump’s tariffs disrupt trade dynamics and threaten European businesses and jobs.

    “The real goal of the U.S. is the deindustrialization of our continent,” he said in a statement. “Europe must change the gear: time is up. The measures announced today in Brussels are insufficient,” he added, calling it a “dark hour” for Europe. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Rips Trump for Firing More Veterans Than Any Other President, Uplifts Impacted Veterans’ Personal Stories During National VoteVets Town Hall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 27, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today at an emergency national town hall hosted by VoteVets, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) who still receives her own health care services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—called out Donald Trump and Elon Musk for inflicting needless pain and chaos on our nation’s Veterans. During the town hall, Veterans who have been fired by Elon Musk’s DOGE bravely came forward—for the first time—to share how Trump’s cuts and layoffs have uprooted their lives. Duckworth pledged to continue advocating for our nation’s heroes and pushing back against the Trump Administration’s harmful policies and employee purges that are leaving Veterans jobless and jeopardizing their access to critical VA care and benefits. Full video of Duckworth’s remarks and Veterans’ testimonies during the town hall can be found on YouTube.

    “Donald Trump is firing more Veterans than any other President in recent history and jeopardizing access to the care and benefits our heroes have earned through their service,” said Duckworth. “How dare a five-time draft dodging coward turn his back on the men and women who, unlike him, actually were brave enough to serve our nation in uniform. Let’s call Trump and Musk’s DOGE cuts what they are: They’re a middle finger to our Veterans, and they’re a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk may not know the first thing about sacrifice and service, but our Veterans sure as hell do. We will not be quiet, and I will never stop working to honor the commitment we’ve made to our nation’s heroes.”

    During the town hall, Veterans courageously came forward to share their stories and detail the real damage Trump and Musk have had on their lives:

    Dustin Conklin—a Veteran from Caseyville, Illinois—said in part: “I’m a Veteran of the United States Navy. This fall, I took a job with the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the USDA. The USDA moved me out here to Illinois. I left where I was secure, I left my support network… On February 13th in the middle of the night, I open up my email and I get a blank email with an attachment saying I was fired… I’m going to lose my health insurance that covers me and my daughter. My health insurance is important because I have regular therapy appointments and access to medication that I’m about to lose… And through this whole time, I see on the internet Elon Musk playing with chainsaws and the President posting things laughing about making people cry. It’s been defeating.”

    Frances Greenley—a Veteran from Lake Stevens, Washington—said in part: “During my time in the Coast Guard, I was a Naval Engineering Officer which meant I ran all of the maintenance contracts on the ships. It was very important for the people managing the contracts to make sure there was no waste, fraud and abuse. When I got out of my service, I went to work for the federal acquisition service—we are on the front lines of fighting waste, fraud and abuse… Like Dustin, my supervisors didn’t know I was terminated, I forwarded them my termination letter… I was fired by a political appointee in a form letter… If [Trump and Elon] want to increase the transparency and best use of the dollar, you would increase personnel who are project management specialists and contracting officers–but they terminated me instead.”

    Kyle Lewis—a Veteran from Columbia, Maryland—said in part: “I joined the Navy back in the 1990s. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in January 2020. I was given 6 weeks to live, my doctor said if you don’t start this experimental and aggressive treatment now, you’re not going to be here much longer. I was fortunate to get into a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins, which was funded by the NIH—I say was funded because it’s not anymore. The cuts that DOGE has made to cancer research as well as other lifesaving medical research has put my cancer research at risk, as well as millions of Americans including Veterans and children who are in far worse situations than I am… I just find this absolutely disgusting as an American. This is not how we take care of our family, our friends and our communities.”

    In the wake of Trump and Musk’s mass federal layoffs, Duckworth has repeatedly expressed her outrage that many Veterans suddenly found themselves jobless. After the first VA purge laid off workers with the Veterans Crisis Line—including several Veterans—Duckworth successfully pushed the Trump Administration to reinstate these devoted public servants that work to support our Veterans in their darkest moments.

    Additionally, Duckworth joined U.S. Senator and SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on VA Secretary Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated earlier this month who serve Veterans and their families nationwide.

    Duckworth’s full remarks as prepared for the town hall can be read below:

    Hello everyone, thank you for being here today.

    I actually invited President Musk—I mean Elon Musk—to join us as well. But I’m not shocked that he didn’t have the courage necessary to show up—after all, he and Trump never actually show up for the Veterans they claim to care about.

    They never actually have our backs.

    But the good news is that my Democratic colleagues do, including Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and Baltimore County Councilmember Pat Young, who are both here with me this afternoon.

    Look, on the campaign trail, Trump promised to look out for Veterans and servicemembers. Obviously, this was a lie.

    Obviously, a man who claims to “know more” than our generals who have served honorably for decades… A man who calls our fallen servicemembers “suckers and losers”… A man who cried “bone spurs” when his nation needed him the most…

    Obviously someone as ignorant as this wouldn’t mind executing the most craven political move imaginable: Using our heroes as political pawns to get elected, then abandoning them once he takes office.

    To give a quick summary of the past few weeks:

    Trump and Musk have slashed roughly 2,400 VA jobs…A decision that won’t make things more efficient, like they claimed, but will actually lead to longer wait times, more backlog and more chaos for Veterans.

    They’ve also launched a wider purge of federal workers—firing, in total, an estimated 6,000 Veterans, including the folks behind the Veterans Crisis Line.

    The only reason they are doing this is to try to find enough loose change behind the couch cushions so that they can give even bigger tax breaks to the rich guys they pal around with on the golf course.

    Let me say that another way: They care more about making sure Mar-a-Lago billionaires can buy yet another private jet than ensuring our Veterans have access to the benefits and care they have earned.

    So let’s call this what it is: It’s a middle finger to our heroes. It’s a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s BS, frankly. And every one of us who has served should feel insulted.

    Donald Trump has fired more Veterans than any other President in recent history.

    How dare a five-time draft dodging coward turn his back on the men and women who, unlike him, actually were brave enough to serve our nation in uniform?

    How dare he call himself king, and act like servicemembers are his subjects—as if they are not the reason America is already great?

    How dare he and Elon Musk sit in their ivory towers and use their power to stomp on those feeling powerless?

    Listen, I heard Secretary Collins’ lie last week that not one Veterans Crisis Line worker was fired in this purge.

    But the thing is, I’ve also heard directly from Veterans nationwide who’ve proven that this is untrue—who’ve reached out and personally shared with me their actual letters of termination.

    I fought to get these folks reinstated, and I’m grateful that after such a loud outcry, we were able to get them their jobs back.

    But there are so many others still left out in the cold, unsure how they’ll be able to put food on the table for their families next week…

    Veterans who’ve been abandoned by the VA Secretary who is supposed to have their backs.

    Secretary Collins has either been lied to about these firings or is knowingly, repeatedly lying to the American people.

    If it’s the former, then all he has to do is check his casework inbox. If it’s the latter… then, well, shame on you, Secretary. Shame. On. You.

    Think about it: The Crisis Line is where Veterans turn when they are considering suicide or self-harm.

    The public servants working there are doing some of the toughest work imaginable to support our heroes in their absolute darkest hour.

    These are the people Trump and Musk are happy to throw by the wayside. That should tell you everything you need to know about how this Administration actually feels about our Veterans. That should tell you how patriotic they really are. Trump may like to wrap himself in the flag with one hand, but with the other, he’s signing off on the orders that sell out our heroes to line his own pockets.

    There are countless tragic examples of how DOGE’s purge has already caused havoc. To name just a few: A health care appointments have been cancelled due to staffing shortages…The number of beds and operating rooms at VA facilities have been cut down… And suicide prevention training sessions have been postponed or canceled. These jobs should’ve never been threatened in the first place. 

    And for Secretary Collins to say that no damage was done here is a straight-up betrayal of the people he is supposed to be serving.

    It’s an insult to Americans like Chelsea Milburn… A Navy reservist who, after being fired from her job in the Department of Education, said, quote: “I feel like I have served my country admirably, and now it has betrayed me.”

    It’s an insult to folks like Francis Greenley, who you’ll hear from shortly: Francis is a Coast Guard Veteran whose decades-long job was quite literally putting out fires on military ships as well as fighting waste and fraud in the military budget.

    I guess Musk didn’t see the irony behind firing someone that—unlike DOGE—was actually making our government more efficient.

    And it’s an insult to people like Jacob Adam Bushno…A disabled Veteran and a constituent of mine who joined the Army his junior year, right after 9/11.

    Jacob served two tours in Iraq. Then, when he came home, despite suffering from PTSD, he dedicated his life to continuing his service, this time for the federal government—working as a wildland firefighter and forest technician among other jobs.

    Jacob was part of this month’s purge. As he told my team this week: “I’ve always served this country. In some way, shape or form, I’ve always served. I’ve either tried to protect our country from terrorism or bad guys or Mother Nature.

    “So this has been a gut-shot—a pretty bad one—and it’s taken its toll on me. If [Trump and Musk] actually cared about Veterans, they wouldn’t be treating any of us like this… They aren’t making our country better. They’re making it worse.”

    Jacob is right.

    So let me just close with this: Everyone on this call today knows how much our Veterans have done for our nation.

    Trump and Musk may not know the first thing about sacrifice and service. But our Veterans sure as hell do.

    So please know that I will never stop fighting for our heroes, no matter who’s in the White House.

    But I’m counting on each of you to be my partners in this work.

    After all, we’ve already seen proof that our collective pressure campaign is working: Trump’s VA was ready to cut hundreds of contracts that would’ve even further hurt Veterans health services from providing cancer care to assessing toxic exposure.

    But they were forced to backtrack—because we spoke out. Because we made noise. So we can’t stop there.

    Look, I get how in this moment, it’d be easy to feel defeated… to want to tune out rather than turn on the news. 

    But now more than ever, we can’t let ourselves become disengaged. We have to channel our outrage into action. Because there’s too much at stake to get discouraged.

    There will always be people in hallowed halls who try to use their power to only look out for themselves. But here’s what I know: the power of the people is always greater than the people in power.

    And if we want tomorrow to be better than yesterday, we have to come together…We have to recognize that our voices DO matter… Then we have to use those voices to speak out… even if—especially when—anyone tries to silence us.

    You have my word that I am with you. That I am listening to you. That I am one of you. And that I will never abandon you.

    It’s an absolute honor to call myself part of this team… and to have you all as my partners on the front lines of this fight.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Signs First Bill of Legislative Session into Law Strengthening Colorado’s Healthcare Workforce

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed bipartisan HB25-1022 – Qualified Medication Administration Personnel, sponsored by Representatives Cecelia Espenoza and Karen McCormick, and Senators Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Janice Rich. The bill helps expand qualifications for healthcare professionals and strengthen Colorado’s healthcare workforce. 

    “In Colorado we are committed to cutting costs and supporting quality health care that is affordable and accessible to all Coloradans. By boosting our workforce and setting high standards for our medical staff, we can continue to deliver the quality services all Coloradans deserve,” said Governor Polis. 

    Governor Polis also signed the following bills into law administratively: 

    • SB25-088 – Department of Agriculture Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-089 – Department of Corrections Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-090 – Department of Early Childhood Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-091 – Department of Education Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-092 – Department of Governor, Lt. Governor, and Office of State Planning & Budgeting Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-093 – Department of Health Care Policy & Financing Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-094 – Department of Higher Education Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-095 – Department of Human Services Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-096 – Judicial Department Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-097 – Department of Labor & Employment Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-098 – Department of Law Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-099 – Legislative Department Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-100 – Department of Local Affairs Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-101 – Department of Military Affairs Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-102 – Department of Natural Resources Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-103 – Department of Personnel Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-104 – Department of Public Health & Environment Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-105 – Department of Public Safety Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-106 – Department of Regulatory Agencies Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-107 – Department of Revenue Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-108 – Department of State Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-109 – Department of Transportation Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-110 – Department of Treasury Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25- 111 – Capital Construction Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-112 – Capital Construction Information Technology Supplemental, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges and Representative Shannon Bird. 
    • SB25-113 – Mid-Year Adjustments to School Funding, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges, Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Representative Shannon Bird, and Representative Rick Taggart. 
    • SB25-114 – Repeal of the FLEX Program, sponsored by Senator Judy Amabile, Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Representative Shannon Bird, and Representative Rick Taggart. 
    • SB25-115 – Seedling Tree Nursery Spending Authority Extension, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges, Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Representative Emily Sirota, and Representative Rick Taggart. 
    • HJR25-1004 – Water Project Eligibility Lists, sponsored by Representatives Karen McCormick and Ty Winter, and Senators Dylan Roberts and Cleave Simpson. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Rosen, Husted, & Ricketts Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect American Government Devices from PRC-Controlled AI Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of DeepSeek — a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party — on all government devices and networks. DeepSeek poses a potentially major national security threat, as data collected from the program is being shared directly with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government and its intelligence agencies. Several U.S. states and allied nations have already moved to block DeepSeek from government devices due to critical security concerns.
    “As the artificial intelligence landscape continues to rapidly expand, the U.S. must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and government systems remain protected against platforms — like DeepSeek — that are linked to our adversaries,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation takes proactive steps to ban DeepSeek on all U.S. government devices, helping to further safeguard sensitive government data from the Chinese Communist Party.”
    “DeepSeek is a tool that perpetuates Communist China’s agenda—full stop,” said Senator Husted. “It exposes Americans’ data to our adversary’s government, lies to its users, and exploits American workers’ AI advances. We can’t afford for U.S. officials to play into Beijing’s hands by hosting this hostile bot on their devices. Our bill is an urgent first step toward protecting our citizens, government, and economy from China’s Communist Party.”
    “DeepSeek poses serious security risks to Americans who use the platform. It should not be on government devices,” said Senator Ricketts. “This bipartisan bill ensures that DeepSeek does not expose our government to potential national security risks—or give our data to Communist China.”
    As the first and only former computer programmer to serve in the Senate, Senator Rosen has led the fight to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity. Last year, Rosen called on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to create a plan to help health care systems respond to cyber attacks like the recent ransomware attack on Change Healthcare. Additionally, Rosen’s bipartisan Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act became law to recruit civilian cybersecurity personnel to serve in reserve capacities and respond to cyberattacks during times of need. Senator Rosen has introduced bipartisan bills to bolster the cybersecurity of medical devices and records from the Department of Veterans Affairs, both of which were signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cook Islands government to seek update on China’s naval exercises

    By Talaia Mika of the Cook Islands News

    As concerns continue to emerge over China’s “unusual” naval exercises in the Tasman Sea, raising eyebrows from New Zealand and Australia, the Cook Islands government was questioned for an update in Parliament.

    This follows the newly established bilateral relations between the Cook Islands and China through a five-year agreement and Prime Minister Mark Brown’s accusations of the New Zealand media and experts looking down on the Cook Islands.

    A Chinese Navy convoy held two live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand on Friday and Saturday, prompting passenger planes to change course mid-flight and pressuring officials in both countries.

    Akaoa MP Robert Heather queried the Prime Minister whether the government had spoken to Chinese embassy officials in New Zealand for a response in this breach of Australian waters?

    “One thing I do know is that just in the recent weeks, New Zealand navy was part of an exercise with the Australians and Americans conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea and perhaps that’s why China decided to exercise naval exercises in the international waters off the coast of Australia,” he said.

    “And I also know that in the last two weeks, the government of Australia and China signed a security treaty between the two countries.

    “However in due course, we may be informed more about these naval exercises that these countries conduct in international waters off each other’s coasts.”

    According to Brown, he had not been briefed by any government whether it’s New Zealand, Australia, or China about these developments.

    Asking for an update
    He added that while the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elikana was currently in the Solomon Islands attending a forum on fisheries together with other ministers of the Pacific Region, he would ask him about whether he could make any inquiries to find out whether the government could be updated or briefed on this issue.

    Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, that lack of sufficient warning from China about the live-fire exercises was a “failure” in the New Zealand-China relationship.

    A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defence, Wu Qian explained that China’s actions were entirely in accordance with international law and established practices and would not impact on aviation safety.

    He added that the live-fire training was conducted with repeated safety notices that had been issued in advance.

    Republished with permission from the Cook Islands News.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Scott, Kelly Introduce Strategic Ports Reporting Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Strategic Ports Reporting Act, which requires the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to monitor efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to build, buy, or own strategic ports around the world.

    Specifically, this bill requires the development of a map of foreign and domestic ports of importance to the United States for military, diplomatic, economic, or resource exploration purposes and to identify efforts by the PRC to build, buy, or otherwise control such ports.

    This bill would also require the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on activities and plans of the PRC as it relates to strategic ports to include an assessment of vulnerabilities of ports operated and controlled by the United States and a strategy to secure trusted investment and ownership of strategic ports.

    The House companion bill is led by Representatives Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), and Johnny Olszewski (D-MD).

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “In January, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on PRC influence on the Panama Canal and potential impacts to U.S. national security. This hearing highlighted China’s increasing malign activities around the world and efforts to control global trade. The United States must face this reality head on, and the first step is comprehensive monitoring of PRC activities at domestic and foreign ports that threaten our national interest.”

    Senator Scott said:

    “The Chinese Communist Party’s increasing influence over global trade routes and strategic infrastructure poses a direct threat to the United States’ national security and economic stability. From the Panama Canal to ports across the world, Communist China is working to grow its economic and military presence to threaten and undermine American interests. The United States must respond decisively and accordingly to eliminate any influence or access Communist China has to the critical infrastructure of the U.S. and its allies that may be used against us. The Strategic Ports Reporting Act is a crucial step to safeguarding critical ports and securing our supply chains, and protecting our national security.”

    Senator Kelly said:

    “China’s growing influence over the oceans can have serious consequences for our national security and economy. That’s why we need the State and Defense Departments to protect our strategic ports from China’s interference. This bipartisan bill will strengthen our global maritime leadership.”   

    Congressman Huizenga said:

    “The Chinese Communist Party continues to advance economic and military objectives that undermine the security of the United States. The expansionist policies and strategic investments being pursued by the Chinese Communist Party near the Panama Canal, across the Western Hemisphere, and around the globe are challenges that Republicans and Democrats must confront together in order to put American interests first. The Strategic Ports Reporting Act creates a bipartisan opportunity to not only evaluate these growing concerns but counter them as well.”

    Congressman Wittman said:

    “China’s Belt and Road Initiative is spreading Chinese money and influence around the world, while degrading our ability to operate in strategic ports necessary for commercial and military purposes. It is crucial for the Departments of State and Defense to identify ways in which the Chinese Communist Party is expanding its maritime reach while providing recommendations for how the United States can counter those efforts and secure access to essential ports and infrastructure. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort and look forward to championing it over the finish line.”

    Congressman Auchincloss said:

    “Control over ports is a pathway to global power. For millennia, these linchpins of trade and military might have been vital strategic assets. The United States must not allow China the upper hand.”

    Congressman Olszewski said:

    “China’s growing control over global ports threatens our national security and economic stability here at home. The Strategic Ports Reporting Act will ensure the U.S. has the necessary tools to monitor and counter this Chinese influence, protecting supply chains and our global standing. I’m proud to join Congressman Huizenga in co-leading this bipartisan effort to safeguard our ports and boost our economy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 3d MLR Conducts its first Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation across the Hawaiian Islands

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    “This MCCRE was unique given the very exquisite capabilities of the MLR to work across domains, and with commands multiple echelons higher than other Colonel-led formations,” said Col. John G. Lehane, commanding officer, 3d MLR. “That uniqueness required supporting organizations including Training & Education Command (TECOM), Marine Aviation Weapons & Tactics Squadron (MAWTS), Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group (MCTOG), Tactical Training Exercise Control Ground (TTECG), Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group (MCLOG), and the 3d Marine Division Staff augmented by representatives from across the joint force to present a realistic complex scenario that stressed the formation from the individual and team, up through the Regimental level.”

    When 3d MLR redesignated from 3d Marines in 2022, the formation was redesigned with a seven-fold value proposition in mind. 3d MLR would 1) conduct Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), 2) support maritime domain awareness, 3) attack enemy maritime targets, 4) conduct expeditionary strike, 5) support operations in the information environment, 6) coordinate air and missile defense, and 7) plan and direct crisis response operations. During the MCCRE, 3d MLR demonstrated these seven core capabilities and resolidified itself as a formation capable of disrupting the adversary in a contested littoral environment through reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, and sea denial operations to support the maritime campaign.

    In accordance with 3d MLR’s deployment model, the regimental headquarters and its subordinate battalions divided into task units and dispersed across the Hawaiian archipelago. This model, reflective of the EABO concept developed underneath Force Design, allows 3d MLR to maximize its mobility, minimize its signature, and cover a large area of operations.

    On Oahu, Marines with 3d MLR’s headquarters element conducted distributed command and control operations and executed a tactical displacement drill. On the Big Island of Hawaii, Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team participated in 3d MLR’s certification exercise while executing battalion-level live-fire ranges at Pohakuloa Training Area. Across the Hawaiian archipelago, 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion facilitated the logistical coordination and movement of personnel and equipment around the island chain. Other key players included 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and 3d Littoral Anti-Air Battalion, whose Air Control Battery conducted air space surveillance and passed relevant information to the Ground Based Air Defense Battery in support of air defense.

    “The MCCRE is a snapshot of a unit’s combat readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Christian F. Wortman, the commanding general of 3d Marine Division. “It gives us a clear picture of where commanders need to direct training efforts in order to ensure that the Marines are prepared to face any threat, any place, time now.”

    3d MLR’s MCCRE culminated with a 2-week field exercise – the first week focusing on staff planning and orders development and the second week being a scenario-based, tactical exercise. Evaluators observed as the formation operated against a living, breathing, and thinking “adversary force” played by the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division.
    As the scenario progressed, 25th ID sought to track, target, and destroy 3d MLR’s fighting capabilities.
    Scenario injects also incorporated representation from the Joint Force, with 3d MLR’s Fire Support Coordination Center conducting notional strikes alongside simulated U.S. Navy warships and the Intelligence Operations Center utilizing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collected by a simulated MQ-9 Reaper from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3.

    “As the culminating event of an eight-month pre-deployment workup, the 3d MLR’s Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) was a litmus test on the effectiveness of our training. It validated our ability to deploy and be ready to support and integrate with the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), the Numbered Fleet, and the joint force and our allies,” said Lehane. “It also helped me, as a commander, identify areas where we could invest more training for our Marines and Sailors to ensure they are put in the best position of advantage possible. It was a genuinely fantastic exercise, and I am grateful to all that supported it. For the first time, it will allow our senior leaders to look their naval and joint counterparts in the eye, and tell them that this Regiment has been manned, trained, equipped and tested and is ready for competition, crisis or conflict.”

    3d Marine Littoral Regiment is a dedicated U.S. Marine Corps unit specializing in amphibious and littoral warfare operations. Stationed on Oahu, Hawaii, and deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, 3d MLR is committed to promoting regional security and stability through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with partner nations and Allies.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fort Cavazos Soldier Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A former soldier was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 200 months in prison for the attempted murder of another soldier while he was stationed at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in June 2000.

    According to court documents, Allen Houston James, 46, of Suffolk, Virginia, entered the barracks room of another soldier while she was sleeping and attempted to rape her at knifepoint. The victim resisted and was repeatedly stabbed. After James left the room, she escaped and reported the incident before she was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery for stab wounds. Medical records revealed that one of the victim’s neck wounds was within millimeters of her jugular vein and penetrated from the front to the back, nearly reaching her spine. As a result of the stabbing, the victim sustained permanent nerve damage.

    When a DNA profile did not produce a match and a suspect was not identified, the case went cold until 2019. Through new DNA analysis by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL), the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was able to identify James as the perpetrator and locate him while he was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in March 2021.

    James was indicted July 13, 2021 for one count of attempt to commit murder and arrested the following day in the Eastern District of Virginia. He was transferred to Waco July 19, 2021, then reassigned to Chief Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio Nov. 13, 2023. James was found guilty by jury trial on Feb. 23, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    Army CID investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Frazier, Mary Kucera and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Siddharth Dadhich prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Junction Woman Sentenced for Interfering with Joint Military Operations with a High-Powered Laser

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Delta Junction woman was sentenced today to three years’ probation after she interfered with joint military operations by pointing a high-powered laser at two helicopters.

    According to court documents, on Feb. 11, 2024, Canadian Military Aircrews were flying in two tactical helicopter squadrons near Allen Army Airfield near Delta Junction. Anchorage Airport Traffic Control contacted the Alaska State Troopers regarding a report from a Canadian Military Pilot that lasers were being pointed at his aircraft.

    Court documents explain that the pilot stated the aircraft was at about 4,200 feet of elevation, well above minimum flight requirements for that area, and in a holding pattern when one of the crew reported they were being hit with a green laser. The aircraft was orbiting for around 20 minutes and every time they passed over a certain cabin, they got hit with a laser. The aircraft descended to around 500 feet to prepare to land at Allen Army Airfield and got hit with the laser again. One of the crew pinpointed the laser to the certain cabin.

    Court documents further explain that Alaska State Troopers responded to the specific cabin and contacted Heide Goodermote, 49. Goodermote told law enforcement that the helicopters angered her, and further stated the helicopters had no right to fly over her property so she pointed a laser at them.

    On Feb. 15, 2024, law enforcement returned to seize the laser and identified it to be a class IIIB laser, which is a laser that emits between 5 and 500 milliwatts of output power and can cause immediate eye damage or skin burns. Three of the Canadian Air Force helicopter crew members reported injuries to their eyes because of Goodermote’s conduct.

    On Nov. 26, 2024, Goodermote pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting or impeding certain officers or employees engaged in performing official duties.

    “Ms. Goodermote wrongly believed the helicopters had no right to fly over her property and decided to take matters into her own hands by shining a dangerous laser at the helicopters and crew that could have caused serious damage,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “We are thankful the incident did not result in substantial loss of life or property, but this case should serve as a reminder that putting other people’s well-being at risk when they are performing official duties as part of U.S. government operations, like a joint military exercise with foreign allies, is a prosecutable offense.”

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UNC Members Honor Legacy of Chipyong-ri at 74th Victory Ceremony

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The annual ceremony in Chipyong-ni, South Korea, paid tribute to the French Battalion and the U.S. Army’s 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Their victory in February 1951 is credited with halting the Chinese offensive and turning the tide of the war.

    “It is a chilling reminder of the courage, discipline, effort, and will to win in the hardest of conditions that have to be inculcated in each of us to ensure victory and freedom,” said U.S. Army Col. Chris Choi, Future Operations Division Chief for the UNC, who represented the command at the ceremony.

    The ceremony drew representatives from several UNC member nations, including French Army Col. Olivier LeClercq, Director of Policy and Plans; New Zealand Warrant Officer Class One Grant Collins, Senior Enlisted Advisor; Netherlands Army Maj. Ekrem Karadeniz, Strategic Communication Staff Officer; and Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Trembath, Public Affairs Officer.

    Distinguished guests included the French ambassador to South Korea, the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division commander, the South Korean 11th Maneuver Division commander, and surviving veterans of the Korean War.

    The battle, also known as Jipyeong-ri, was a decisive victory for U.S. and French units of the 23rd Infantry Regiment against units of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. French Army Lt. Gen. Ralph Monclar famously volunteered to step down in rank to Lieutenant Colonel to fight in the war, demonstrating unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.

    The annual commemoration serves as a powerful reminder of the shared sacrifice and enduring partnership between South Korea and the UNC in ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USARPAC General Travels to Cambodia

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    In addition to the Prime Minister, Clark met with Minister of Defense General Tea Seiha, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Commander-in-Chief General Vong Pisen, and RCAF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Mao Sophan.

    In their discussions, the officials explored ways to enhance the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship to promote Indo-Pacific peace and security. Talks covered military training exchanges focused on disaster relief, United Nations Peacekeeping, and efforts to make Cambodia mine-free.

    Officials of both nations expressed their support for ongoing dialogue regarding these matters.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Opening ceremony kicks off 44th iteration of Cobra Gold

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    The opening ceremony marks the 44th iteration of Cobra Gold, which started in 1982 and is the largest exercise in mainland Asia. This year, more than 3,200 U.S. service members are participating in the exercise, where they will be working side by side with allies and partners to participate in joint training, multinational engagements, and humanitarian projects.

    “We share a goal in this region: to prevent war by remaining ready together,” said Gen. Ronald P. Clark, the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. “Preventing war requires many thanks, so thank you to Thailand for putting in the effort this year for the 44th annual Cobra Gold Exercise.” 

    CG25 has evolved over the years to incorporate more facets. Still, each exercise has been designed to strengthen the capabilities of participating nations to plan and conduct combined and joint operations, as well as build relationships among those nations. 

    “Cobra Gold is about our partnerships,” Clark said. “Partnerships that are long-term and require investment.”

    This year, CG25 will focus on three primary events: a command and control exercise, humanitarian civic assistance projects, and a field training exercise. Approximately 30 nations will participate either directly or as observers throughout CG25.

    “Cobra Gold is the longest-running international military exercise in the world,” said Robert F. Godec, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand. “It affirms the enduring Thai and U.S. security partnership and is a pillar of our commitment to the region. Cobra Gold helps build interoperability, advances our common interests, and is a concrete demonstration of our ongoing promise to our allies and partners to work together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

    The continued commitment to Cobra Gold and exercises like it demonstrates the dedication of all nations involved to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships, which enhances capabilities across all partnership forces.

    “Putting the work in to rehearse our ability to work together and train together never stops,” Clark said. “We see our increased ability to work together for our collective security and sovereignty, and in every Cobra Gold, we better understand each other’s capabilities and build upon our collective partnerships.”

    This year’s iteration of Cobra Gold will conclude on March 7, but the nations involved will continue to build lasting partnerships through other joint, multinational exercises and future iterations of Cobra Gold.

    “Cobra Gold will continue to help us strengthen our land power network, our partnerships built on trust that demonstrate our interoperability, and multiple new capabilities during this exercise,” said Clark.

    “The benefits of Cobra Gold have been demonstrated time and again over the years,” Godec said. “Cobra Gold prepares us for future multi-national crisis responses to new and emerging challenges, and in the last 20 years, the 30 nations represented…have put the joint training to operational use in responding to disasters and life-threatening crisis. To tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, and in non-combatant evacuation operations, we have put the lessons of Cobra Gold to work. In doing so, we have saved lives and helped countless people in this region.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner and Boozman Introduce Legislation to Expand Veteran Suicide Prevention Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced legislation to renew and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-administered program that provides essential funding for mental health outreach in veteran communities. The Fox Grant Program was created through a Warner- and Boozman-led bill, passed as part of the broader Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, and it has distributed millions in grants to community and veteran service organizations (VSOs), as well as mental health providers across the country. Without further intervention, the program is scheduled to sunset later this year.

    “Veterans put an enormous amount on the line to serve our nation, and we owe them the best benefits available when they come home – including robust mental health resources,” said Sen. Warner. “For the past several years, the Staff Sergeant Fox Grant Program has played an invaluable role getting organizations already doing life-saving mental health outreach more support, including many incredible organizations in Virginia. We cannot back down on our commitment to preventing suicide in veteran communities – it’s time for us to extend and expand this essential grant program.”

    “Veterans who struggle with mental health have responded well to support provided by those they know and trust,” said Sen. Boozman. “When our former servicemembers have access to assistance within their own communities, from organizations with demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and foster hope, they are less likely to take their own lives. Reauthorizing funding for this life-saving initiative is part of the commitment we made to fulfilling what was promised to our veterans struggling to carry the invisible weight of their mental and physical sacrifice.”

    Suicide is the 12th-leading cause of death for veterans, and the 2nd-leading cause for veterans under 45. Over 131,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001, withveterans being 72% more likely than the civilian population to die by suicide. Since its original passage, the Fox Grant Program has worked to end this crisis by distributing hundreds of millions in funding to organizations that provide critical, frontline mental health services to veterans. In 2024 alone, Virginia organizations received $4.5 million from these grants. The program honors Veteran Parker Gordon Fox, a veteran and former sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA. SSG Fox died by suicide on July 21, 2020 at the age of 25.

    Specifically, this reauthorization of the Fox Grant Program would:

    • Reauthorize the Fox Grant Program until Sept. 30, 2028.
    • Increase the total authorized funding for the grant program from $174 million to $285 million.
    • Expand the maximum potential award from $750,000 to $1.25 million.
    • Direct the VA to collect additional measures and metrics on performance to better serve veterans.
    • Require annual briefings for VA medical personnel to improve awareness of the program, and coordination with providers.

    The legislation has strong support from Veterans of Foreign Wars and Blue Star Families.

    “The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) strongly supports the bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Warner and Boozman to reauthorize and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program,” said Joy Craig, Associate Director of Service Member Affairs with the VFW’s National Legislative Service. “Veteran suicide remains a national crisis, and increasing the maximum grant amount while improving oversight and coordination will help ensure life-saving resources reach those in need. The VFW has long advocated for community-based solutions, and this legislation strengthens critical partnerships between the VA and local organizations working to prevent suicide. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill and reaffirm its commitment to those who have sacrificed for our nation.” 

    “The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program is a lifeline for Veterans and military families facing the invisible wounds of service,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO, Blue Star Families. “Blue Star Families has seen firsthand the impact of these critical resources—support that saves lives and strengthens communities. This program ensures that Veterans and their loved ones get the help they need before a crisis turns tragic. We are proud to support its reauthorization and urge Congress to continue investing in solutions that honor the service and sacrifice of those who’ve given so much for our country.”   

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mount Vernon Native Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Orchestrating $7.6 Million COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacob Carter Personally Received Over $1.7 Million in Kickbacks for Obtaining U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Over 1,000 Applicants

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JACOB CARTER, who led a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $7.6 million, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 11 years in prison.  CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin were convicted at trial on February 9, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jacob Carter took advantage of a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses in desperate need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some small businesses that were eligible for and deserving of this money did not get it because funds ran out.  Carter used his ill-gotten gains for far more selfish pursuits, including expensive jewelry and a Lamborghini.  Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, Carter has now received just punishment.”

    According to the Indictment, publics filings, public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing:

    The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program.  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020, in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses are experiencing due to COVID-19.  Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also now permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA has generally provided while the loan application was pending.

    From March through July 2020, CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Crystal Ransom, used the identities of more than 1,000 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit more than 1,000 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $10 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom falsely represented to the SBA that the Applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees.  However, that was a lie – the individuals did not own businesses or employ people.  Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of more than $7.6 million to the Applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom.  After the defendants collected millions of dollars in kickback payments, CARTER took photographs of his stacks of cash, purchased expensive jewelry, and leased a Lamborghini.

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, CARTER, 39, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  CARTER was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,737,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $1,720,950.

    Ransom pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on April 24, 2024, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with the first six months under home confinement. The Court also ordered that Ransom pay restitution in the amount of $7,577,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $99,000. Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin are scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

    The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman, Courtney L. Heavey, and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Security Events – NATO JAPCC annual conference to be held jointly with defence trade fair

    Source: Euro Defence Expo

    • Euro Defence Expo gains further cooperation partner
    • Exhibitors obtain access to a high-calibre international audience.
    Essen, February 27, 2025 – Two events, one common goal: Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX) and the annual conference of the NATO Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) will be held in parallel in 2026. 
    While the NATO event brings together high-ranking military representatives from the 32 member nations, the new defence trade fair will showcase innovative security and defence technologies. Together, these events will create a unique platform for exchange, innovation and business relationships at Messe Essen from September 22 to 25, 2026.

    The JAPCC Conference gathers over 400 senior military representatives, providing an exclusive opportunity for strategic dialogue. Simultaneously, defence technology companies at EUDEX will present their solutions and applications for current military challenges—directly to the key decision-makers.

    Maximum networking, direct exchange

    The close integration of the two events creates numerous additional opportunities for valuable discussions between industry and the military. Planned activities so far include a joint evening reception as well as the chance for attendees to visit both events.

    Lieutenant Colonel André Haider from the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC): “Through this collaboration, we strengthen the dialogue between the military and industry. We look forward to engaging with relevant partners, identifying innovative solutions more efficiently and integrating them more effectively.”

    I N F O R M AT I O N

    A unique combination of military and civil security

    As a new platform for the defence industry, EUDEX offers numerous opportunities for decision-makers, experts and innovators to explore the latest developments in security and defence technologies. A top-class conference program organized by CPM Verlag complements the trade fair. Additionally, EUDEX will run alongside Security Essen, the leading trade fair for civil security – creating a seamless connection between military and civil security.

    Julia Jacob, project manager EUDEX: “The JAPCC Conference is another essential component of our holistic approach to security. This partnership creates our exhibitors unique synergies: direct access to international decision-makers, targeted presentation of innovations and strategic partnerships at the highest level. 

    By combining trade fairs, conferences, and networking opportunities, we are shaping a must-attend event for companies aiming to actively shape the future of the defence and security industries.“

    Further information on the trade fair at www.eurodefenceexpo.de For details on the NATO conference and separate registration, visit https://www.japcc.org/conference/

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Hearing

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe will hold a public hearing titled “Bridging the Gap: Turkey Between East and West” on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

    What: House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Hearing

    Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025

    Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

    Location: 2172 Rayburn

    Subject: Bridging the Gap: Turkey Between East and West

    Witnesses:

    Dr. Anna Borschevskaya

    Harold Grinspoon Senior Fellow

    Washington Institute for Near East Policy

    Dr. Jonathan Schanzer

    Executive Director

    Foundation for Defense of Democracies

    The Honorable Celeste Wallander

    Adjunct Senior Fellow

    Center for a New American Security

    ***Check here for updates. The hearing will be webcast live here and open to the public and press. Members of the media who would like to attend in-person should RSVP with Joe Clark at joseph.clark@mail.house.gov by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, 2025. ***

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Military Sealift Command Continues Support to Operation Deep Freeze 2025

    Source: United States Navy

    The Military Sealift Command chartered ship MV Ocean Gladiator is conducting a cargo offload of supplies at McMurdo Station, Antarctica in support of the annual resupply mission Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025.

    The second of two MSC chartered ships supporting ODF 2025, Ocean Gladiator arrived at McMurdo Station on Feb. 20, where they were met by members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE and began conducting the offload. The ship is delivering 321 pieces of cargo, consisting of containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials including cement pilings for a pier project, food, electronics equipment and comfort items; supplies needed to sustain the next year of operations at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

    Following the offload, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with 149 containers of retrograde cargo for transportation off the continent. This includes trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station, as well as the 65-ton floating Modular Causeway System, which has been used in lieu of the ice-pier for cargo operations. Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in a sub-zero freezer. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study.
    Logistics moves are nothing new for MSC, in fact, they are almost a daily occurrence. Moving cargo in the harshest environment on Earth is a mission unto itself, as Marie Morrow, MSC’s ship liaison to the Joint Support Forces Antarctica staff can attest. On her third ODF mission, she has become something of an expert on how to move cargo while moored next to an ice-pier or a movable causeway, in sub zero temperatures and with high winds that whip over a snow-covered mountain and across an island.

    Working in Antarctica wasn’t something Morrow had even considered when she came to work at MSC’s Pacific area command, MSCPAC. In fact, a job in San Diego seemed like the perfect place to be, for someone who doesn’t like the cold.

    “I thought, San Diego, Southern California, that is exactly what I’m looking for,” said Morrow. “Then I got assigned to go to Antarctica. It wasn’t something I was looking for, or had even thought about to be honest, but, I really enjoy this mission. It is an experience that I share with only a very few people.”

    Few world travelers ever get the coveted passport stamp for all seven continents. Access to Antarctica is strictly controlled. As Morrow explained, the journey to the southern most part of the planet isn’t an easy, or short commute. Morrow’s journey began in San Diego, with a flight to San Francisco, followed by an 14-hour flight to New Zealand, and then an 8-hour flight on a military C-130, sitting in a mesh cargo seat.

    On the ice, Morrow serves as part of a team consisting of representatives of numerous government agencies including the National Science Foundation, Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Coast Guard. All working together to ensure a successful mission.

    “Nothing can happen without all of us working together,” said Morrow. “It is super cooperative and interoperative.”

    Everyone who is part of the ODF mission live in barracks at McMurdo Station, or on the ships. Life is communal with shared rooms and a dining hall. Those supporting the mission get to know each other personally and, like a combat unit, create their own support structure for each other.

    “Being at McMurdo Station is like being at summer camp for adults,” laughed Morrow. “It’s a very tight-knit group of people, working and living in a challenging environment. We get very close.”

    Weather is a constant factor in Antarctica. The continent is known for its extreme environment, particularly subzero temperatures and high winds. February is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. In this small window of just a few weeks, ODF takes place. And while it is summer, temperatures on the ice still hover around freezing during the day and below zero at night. Cargo operations can move forward, despite the temperatures, but high winds can put a pause on work for hours, with the ships’ cranes unable to move cargo in winds over 25 knots.

    “The weather is everything,” explained Morrow. “The Southern Ocean is the most unforgiving and treacherous water way on Earth. The weather can keep flights and ships from coming into port. The weather can put the offload on pause. This can mean that some of the cargo may not be offloaded. It is the National Science Foundation who has to make the decisions on how to stay inside the mission window.”

    With all the challenges and unpredictabilities of the ODF missions, those who support these operations come away with a feeling of being a part of something special and important, something outside the normal course of their job description.

    “I never thought I would get to go on a mission to Antarctica,” said Morrow. “But I love going to McMurdo Station, and I’m proud to be a part of it and to represent MSC.”

    Following operations in Antarctica, Ocean Gladiator will travel to Japan to deliver the floating modular causeway, before sailing for Port Hueneme, Calif., where they will offload cargo, completing their mission.

    Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities mission in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of Defense civilians and attached non-DOD civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. MSC-chartered ships have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines – SSBN

    Source: United States Navy

    Features

    The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as “boomers,” serve as an undetectable launch platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). They are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads.

    Ohio Class

    Each of the 14 Ohio-class SSBNs originally carried up to 24 SLBMs with multiple, independently targeted warheads. However, under provisions of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, each submarine has had four of its missile tubes permanently deactivated and now carry a maximum of 20 missiles. The SSBN’s strategic weapon is the Trident II D5 missile, which provides increased range and accuracy over the now out-of-service Trident I C4 missile.

    SSBNs are specifically designed for extended deterrent patrols. To decrease the amount of time required for replenishment and maintenance, Ohio-class submarines have three large-diameter logistics hatches that allow sailors to rapidly transfer supply pallets, equipment replacement modules and machinery components, thereby increasing their operational availability.

    The Ohio-class design allows the submarines to operate for 15 or more years between major overhauls. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in-port for maintenance. Each SSBN has two crews, Blue and Gold, which alternate manning the submarines and taking them on patrol. This maximizes the SSBN’s strategic availability, reduces the number of submarines required to meet strategic requirements, and allows for proper crew training, readiness and morale.

    Columbia Class

    The Columbia-class SSBN is the nation’s future Sea Based Strategic Deterrent, is the Navy’s number one acquisition priority, and will provide the most survivable leg of the Nation’s strategic triad. It replaces the currently serving Ohio-class SSBNs and must be ready for patrol no later than October 2030 to meet United States Strategic Command requirements.

    Representing a generational recapitalization of the SSBN force, Columbia-class will ensure continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s. The Columbia-class will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine produced by our nation.

    General Characteristics, Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Submarines – SSBN

    Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division

    Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

    Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters)

    Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)

    Displacement: 16,764 tons (17,033.03 metric tons) surfaced; 18,750 tons (19,000.1 metric tons) submerged

    Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8+ kph)

    Crew: 15 Officers, 144 Enlisted

    Armament: Trident II D5 (LE), 20 missile tubes, Mk48 torpedoes 

    Ships:
    USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) Bangor, Washington
    USS Alabama (SSBN 731) Bangor, Washington
    USS Alaska (SSBN 732) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Nevada (SSBN 733) Bangor, Washington
    USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) Bangor, Washington
    USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) Bangor, Washington
    USS Maryland (SSBN 738) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) Bangor, Washington
    USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Maine (SSBN 741) Bangor, Washington
    USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) Kings Bay, Georgia
    USS Louisiana (SSBN 743) Bangor, WashingtonPoint of Contact
    Naval Sea Systems Command
    Office of Corporate Communications (SEA 00D

    General Characteristics, Columbia Class

    Lead Design Shipbuilder: General Dynamics – Electric Boat

    Propulsion: Electric-drive propulsion system

    Length: 560 feet

    Beam: 43 feet

    Displacement: 20,800 long tons

    Speed: 20+ knots (23+ mph)

    Crew: 15 Officers, 140 Enlisted

    Armament: Trident II D5 (LE), 16 missile tubes, MK48 torpedoes

    Ships:

    District of Columbia (SSBN 826) – Under construction

    Wisconsin (SSN 827) – Under construction

    Groton (SSBN 828)

    Point of Contact
    Naval Sea Systems Command
    Office of Corporate Communications

    Washington, D.C. 20376

    (202) 781-4123Washington, D.C. 20376

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Mines will Launch the 1st Tranche of Auction of Exploration License Soon: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Mines will Launch the 1st Tranche of Auction of Exploration License Soon: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy

    Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala and Assam will join the Mineral Auction Regime Soon: Mines Minister

    Posted On: 27 FEB 2025 6:25PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Mines will launch the 1st Tranche auction of Exploration License blocks in March 2025, said Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G Kishan Reddy today. Speaking at a press conference held in New Delhi, minister informed that the provision of grant of Exploration License for critical and deep-seated minerals through auction was made through an amendment in the MMDR Act in 2023. Shri Reddy also said that Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala will also join the mineral auction regime soon, expanding the mineral auction map of India to 17 states. The Union Minister highlighted several key achievements and upcoming initiatives aimed at strengthening the mining ecosystem in the country.

    Expanding Exploration Activities

    • Geological Survey of India (GSI): GSI undertook 438 exploration projects in field season 2024-25, including 195 critical mineral projects, a significant increase from 360 projects (including 127 critical mineral projects) of the previous field season, 2023-24. Advanced technologies such as heliborne geophysical surveys, AI/ML tools, and drone technologies have been deployed to accelerate data acquisition and mineral discovery. In the field season 2025-26, GSI have taken up 450 exploration projects, including 227 critical mineral projects.
    • Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL): Exploratory drilling by MECL increased by 35%, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, 33 geological reports were handed over in 2024, strengthening the National Mineral Inventory.
    • National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET): 146 exploration and procurement projects worth ₹712 crore were approved during 1st January 2024 to 31st January 2025. Innovative schemes, including partial reimbursement of exploration expenses and funding for private exploration agencies, have been introduced to boost mineral exploration.

    Enhancing Private Sector Participation & Policy Reforms

    • 12 new Notified Private Exploration Agencies (NPEAs) were added in 2024, bringing the total to 28, further encouraging private sector participation.
    • Guidelines for exploration in border areas were relaxed, removing restrictions beyond 20 km from the border and streamlining the process within 20 km in coordination with the Ministry of Defence.

    Strengthening Technology & Data-Driven Decision Making

    • The Geological Survey of India is setting up an AI-enabled Data Processing Centre in Bengaluru to enhance mineral targeting through AI/ML. Complementing this, the Ministry of Mines organized the Mineral Exploration Hackathon in July 2024 to promote emerging technologies for geophysical data analysis and integrating multiple exploration datasets.
    • Mining Tenement System (MTS): A dedicated module for average sale price based on real-time price data was launched on 22nd January, 2024. Further, two new modules – Final Mine Closure Plan module and Exploration License/ Composite License/ Prospecting License module of MTS were launch

    Strategic Initiatives for Critical Minerals

    • The National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) was approved with an expenditure of ₹16,300 crore and an expected investment of ₹18,000 crore, focusing on areas including domestic production, recycling, overseas acquisitions, and R&D.
    • A new Tailings Policy will be introduced to recover critical minerals such as Gallium, Tellurium, and Selenium from the overburden dumps & tailings ensuring resource optimization.

    Expanding the Mining Sector Across States

    • Since 2024, 335 mineral blocks have been put up for auction, with 106 successfully auctioned. First-time auctions were conducted in Telangana, Bihar, and Arunachal Pradesh, expanding India’s mineral auction landscape to 14 states. Assam has also notified blocks for auction, with Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala expected to join soon.
    • A dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) has been set up to expedite the operationalization of auctioned mines, ensuring smoother execution and faster mineral production. The dedicated PMU with 4 professionals in Delhi and 8 in different States will support expediting operationalization of mineral blocks by monitoring progress, identifying bottlenecks, and facilitating coordination among various stakeholders.

    Sustainable Mining & State-Level Performance Index

    • A State Mining Index will be introduced in 2025 to evaluate states on parameters such as regulatory environment, technical expertise, and sustainability practices. The State Mining Index is expected to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
    • The National Mining Ministers’ Conference, held in Bhubaneswar in January 2025, facilitated discussions on auction performance, regulatory frameworks, and state best practices.

    Commemorating 175 Years of GSI

    • A year-long celebration from March 2025 to March 2026 will mark the 175th anniversary of the Geological Survey of India, featuring international and national seminars, outreach programs, and cultural events.

    The Ministry of Mines remains committed to fostering a robust and sustainable mining sector through continuous innovation, policy reforms, and collaborative engagement with industry stakeholders. These initiatives are set to enhance India’s mineral security, boost economic growth, and position the country as a global leader in mineral exploration and mining.

    ****

    Shuhaib T

    (Release ID: 2106686) Visitor Counter : 64

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales partners with Cubic to launch next-generation eSIM solutions for connected vehicles

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales partners with Cubic to launch next-generation eSIM solutions for connected vehicles

    • Cubic, a leading global provider of software-defined vehicle (SDV) solutions integrates Thales’s eSIM technology to address the rising need for smart and efficient connectivity that matches the latest GSMA standards.
    • Thales, a worldwide eSIM management platform leader, has driven reliable successful deployments in high-volume device markets, making it ideally suited to support Cubic.

    MEUDON, France, Feb 27th, 2025 – Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies, and Cubic, a leading global provider of software-defined vehicle (SDV) solutions, have announced a collaboration to drive innovation and simplify connectivity management. Leveraging Thales’s eSIM management platform, Cubic will enhance its eSIM solution capabilities to align with the latest GSMA standards, ensuring seamless global connectivity across industries such as automotive, transportation, and agriculture.

    With the adoption of the GSMA SGP.32* standard for IoT, the stakes for the sector are significant. This standard outlines several important technical and business requirements for eSIM management in the IoT, including enhanced security, interoperability across devices and network operators, and scalability for high-volume deployments. This new framework is critical for enabling the large-scale deployment of eSIM technology across a variety of devices, addressing the need for smart and seamless connectivity management.

    This partnership introduces Thales’s eSIM management platform – compliant with the GSMA SGP.32 standard – to Cubic’s existing multi-network and global connectivity management ecosystem. This innovation enables the continued mass deployment of eSIMs across Cubic’s vast footprint of over 200 countries, while simplifying connectivity management across multiple devices by automating subscription activation and updates remotely. This dramatically reduces the need for manual intervention, physical SIM swaps or device recalls.

    Cubic’s customers, including Volkswagen AG, Cariad, General Motors, SEAT, IVECO and CNH could benefit from enhanced solutions such as this, to help ensure managing vehicle connectivity becomes effortless. Vehicles equipped with Cubic’s solution which now integrates Thales’s platform can automatically connect to local networks when crossing borders, eliminating the need for complex development or additional costs. This ensures a seamless global experience for automotive manufacturers and their customers as cars can be pre-configured with connectivity profiles at the factory level and activated dynamically as they are deployed in the field.

    “Thales has been a trusted partner of Cubic since 2017″, said Nick Power, CTO at Cubic. “For OEMs, adopting GSMA M2M eSIM has been anything but simple. Technical complexity, vendor lock-in, and managing multi-MNO connectivity at a global scale have all slowed adoption. Transitioning to a leaner, more efficient GSMA eSIM IoT architecture will be essential. This collaboration highlights our commitment to standardisation, interoperability and innovation ensuring Cubic customers can enjoy a more flexible, cost efficient and a future-proof approach to global connectivity.”

    “With this upgrade, Cubic aims to remain at the forefront of IoT connectivity by addressing evolving market demands. The integration of Thales’s “On-Demand Subscription Manager” platform will enable Cubic to maximize end-to-end connectivity management for OEMs, ensuring devices are seamlessly connected from factory to field,” said Eva Rudin, VP Mobile Connectivity Solutions at Thales. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to standardization, interoperability, and innovation for IoT.”

    * GSMA SGP. 32 contains the technical specifications for the remote eSIM management of Internet of things (IoT) devices and other types of mobile device deployments.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital.

    It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    About Cubic Telecom

    Cubic Telecom delivers advanced software-defined vehicle solutions in over 200 countries and regions around the world. Working with the world’s leading automotive, transportation and agriculture OEMs, we connect 23 million cars and vehicles globally and enable 1 billion mobile internet data transmissions daily. To compete globally, OEMs must manage the complexities of connecting with different technologies while complying with regulatory mandates in different countries. Cubic Telecom cuts through this complexity through providing a single, global solution that enables any vehicle shipped anywhere in the world to have fully compliant built-in connectivity regardless of local market requirements.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon announces new savings & VIP benefits for customers who bring together Mobile & Home

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon announces new savings & VIP benefits for customers who bring together Mobile & Home

    Only Verizon lets you bundle your mobile and home plan and get…

    • Incredible savings, with Verizon Home Internet plans for as low as $35/mo
    • Your favorite entertainment subscriptions like Netflix and Max, the Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+), Apple Music Family or YouTube Premium included on us1 (up to $10/mo) with our fastest Verizon Home Internet plans
    • Priority customer support, with benefits like faster access to expert support representatives.

    NEW YORK – Verizon today announced an industry-leading converged offer for Mobile and Home Internet customers, providing savings for myPlan mobility and myHome internet joint customers. Customers who combine their mobile and home services with Verizon can now unlock incredible savings as well as exciting entertainment options and premium customer support in a simplified experience.

    Verizon Consumer CEO Sowmynarayan Sampath shared:

    “We built the Verizon model of convergence to meet the changing habits of our customers’ lives and provide them with the most choice in the industry. Customers deserve an amazing network experience at home and on the go, and value on entertainment they cannot get anywhere else. You get more value from Verizon across our full portfolio of products and services versus anyone else in the industry.”

    Combining Verizon’s Mobile and Home Internet services gives customers $15 off home internet every month, ways to save on entertainment they love and priority customer treatment.

    Here’s how it works:

    • Simplicity and Savings: Customers with Verizon Home Internet will be eligible for a $15/mo discount when combined with any postpaid mobile phone plan. That means access to Verizon Home Internet for as low as $35/mo2. This discount can be combined with the discounts Verizon offers to Military, First Responders, Students, and Teachers to save even more, and Verizon doesn’t reduce the device offers available to these segments like some other carriers do.
    • The best of entertainment, on us: Verizon mobile customers who add a premium home internet plan3 are eligible for a perk credit on us – up to $10/mo toward great entertainment options like Netflix & Max (With Ads). That’s up to $215/year3 in savings when you are a mobile and home customer with Verizon!
    • Priority Care: Mobile + Home customers will receive premium customer care, including personalized greetings and expedited support when they contact us by phone or live messaging/chat.

    Learn more about these benefits at verizon.com/promos/mobile-and-home.

    Enjoy exclusive entertainment experiences with Verizon partners at your local Verizon store, like Max’s new season of HBO Original The White Lotus

    Beginning March 1st through April 4th, select Verizon stores across the country will feature an immersive experience where fans can explore a mini pop-up inspired by the show’s scenic resort and discover their hidden aura colors with a personality quiz.

    For more information on Mobile + Home benefits – including a perk on us (like Max!) – and to participate in the immersive retail experience–please visit your local Verizon retail store.

    Verizon Value Customers get exclusive home internet deals too

    This May, Verizon Value customers who have both an eligible Verizon Fios Home Internet plan and a mobile service plan from Verizon Value brands including Verizon Prepaid, Total Wireless, Straight Talk Wireless, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family, and Visible, will receive a $15/mo discount off of their Fios bill excluding Verizon Forward.

    1 Perk On Us Credit: Availability of each perk is subject to specific terms, and age requirements. Requires one paid perk on eligible Verizon mobile phone line or eligible home internet plan. Up to $10/month credit will be applied to your mobile or Fios Internet bill as long as one paid perk remains active on either account. Perk credit canceled if paid perk removed, mobile line or home internet plan canceled, or home internet moved to ineligible plan. Perk promotional offers are not eligible for the perk discount. Credit applied in 1-2 billing cycles.

    2 Verizon Home Internet: General: Verizon Home Internet includes 5G Home, LTE Home and Fios internet services. Availability varies. Auto Pay & paper-free billing req’d. Subject to credit approval. 5G Home/LTE Home/Fios 300 Mbps: Plans start at $35/mo. when combined with postpaid Verizon mobile phone plan (excludes business and data-only plans). Fios 300 Mbps: Mobile + Home Discount enrollment req’d. $99 setup and other terms apply.

    3 Versus the retail rate for $17.98/month.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human Rights Council: Türk calls out ‘dehumanizing’ narratives on Gaza

    Source: United Nations 2

    Mr. Türk – making his closing remarks during the session reporting on the Occupied Palestinian Territory at the Human Rights Council – said he was deeply troubled by the “dangerous manipulation of language” and disinformation that surrounds discussions over the Palestine-Israel conflict.

    “We need to make sure that we resist all efforts to spread fear or incite hatred, including abhorrent, dehumanizing narratives, whether they’re insidious or explicit,” he said.

    “My Office will continue to work for justice for every victim and survivor by establishing and documenting the facts and standing firmly for accountability and the rule of law without exception.”

    Eritrean troops continue grave violations in Ethiopia

    The rights body then turned its focus to Eritrea on Thursday, where despite some long-awaited progress in improving the lives of ordinary Eritreans, the country’s authorities remain responsible for widespread alleged serious crimes including inside neighbouring Ethiopia, the forum heard.

    Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said that the Eritrean Defence Forces have continued to carry out grave crimes in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and elsewhere with total impunity.

    “Our Office (OHCHR) has credible information that Eritrean Defence Forces remain in Tigray and are committing violations, including abductions, rape, property looting, and arbitrary arrests,” she told the Council, before calling for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean soldiers.

    After a rapprochement between former enemies Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2018, Asmara sent troops to fight alongside Ethiopian federal troops against separatist rebels during the two-year conflict in Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia.

    No justice in sight

    “In the current context, there is no likely prospect that the domestic judicial system will hold perpetrators accountable for the violations committed in the context of the Tigray conflict and in other cases,” the UN official told the Council, the world’s foremost human rights body.

    In a debate seeking to address the Council’s longstanding concerns about Eritrea’s human rights record, Ms. Brands Kehris acknowledged the efforts being made by the authorities in boosting essential health services to more than one million newborns, children and women last year with the help of the UN – and in ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December.

    Conscription abuses continue

    However, “serious concerns remain” about Eritrea’s system of indefinite forced military conscription, the UN official continued.

    The practice has long been linked to abusive labour, torture and sexual violence which continues to compel young people to escape from the country, Ms. Brands-Kehris insisted.

    Furthermore, “the punishment of families of draft deserters remains very common – an inhumane practice, against which no steps have been taken”, she said.

    Echoing previous disturbing reports requested by the Human Rights on Eritrea’s rights record, the UN official said that detention without trial “remains the norm” – with many politicians, journalists, religious believers and draft deserters held incommunicado.

    There is no evidence that impunity will be tackled for well-documented past human rights violations, the senior UN official said.

    In response for Eritrea, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, Chargé d’affaires a.i. to the UN in Geneva, denied the accusations, calling them exaggerated and misleading.

    Sudan: We are looking into the abyss, Türk warns

    Next in the spotlight was the plight of Sudan’s war-ravaged people who have been subjected to appalling crimes by all parties to the conflict – some possibly constituting war crimes and other atrocity crimes.

    Today, more than 600,000 Sudanese “are on the brink of starvation”, said rights chief Volker Türk. “Famine is reported to have taken hold in five areas, including Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, where the World Food Programme has just been forced to suspend its lifesaving operations due to intense fighting.”

    Another five areas could face famine in the next three months and 17 more are at risk, he said, calling on all Member States to push urgently for a ceasefire and to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.

    Presenting his Office’s annual report on the situation in Sudan, Mr. Türk noted that the armed conflict between rival militaries that erupted in April 2023 following the breakdown in a transfer to civilian rule had generated “the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe”.

    The High Commissioner’s report details myriad violations and abuses committed in Sudan and underscores the need for accountability.

    ‘Utter impunity’

    “We are looking into the abyss. Humanitarian agencies warn that without action to end the war, deliver emergency aid, and get agriculture back on its feet, hundreds of thousands of people could die,” Mr. Türk insisted.

    He added that the spiralling situation in Sudan was “the result of grave and flagrant violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and a culture of utter impunity”.

    “As the fighting has spread across the country, appalling levels of sexual violence have followed. More than half of reported rape incidents took the form of gang rape – an indication that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war,” Mr. Türk explained.

    “Sudan is a powder keg, on the verge of a further explosion into chaos,” said the UN’s top human rights official.

    Responding on behalf of Sudan, Minister of Justice Moawia Osman Mohamed Khair Mohamed Ahmed, rejected allegations that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) were responsible for any of the rights violations detailed in the High Commissioner’s report.

    Indifferent to suffering

    Sudanese civil society representative Hanaa Eltigani described multiple mass killings of civilians attributed to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries including in Geneina, their shelling of Zamzan displacement camp in North Darfur and other extreme rights abuses including gang rape and the forced recruitment of children, including South Sudanese refugees.

    In addition, the SAF “launched airstrikes and ground assaults, attacking Meneigo and Al-Igibesh villages in West Kordofan, bombing civilian areas in Nyala, South Darfur,” continued Ms Eltigani, Assistant Secretary-General of Youth Citizens Observers Network (YCON), insisting that while the suffering of her country’s people was “met with indifference, the flow of weapons [from abroad] continues unchecked”.

    The SAF also carried out executions in Al-Jazira, Ms. Eltigani maintained, “where victims were slaughtered or thrown alive into the Nile”.

    Taliban oppression deepens in Afghanistan

    Turning to Afghanistan, the Council then heard that the de facto authorities’ oppression and persecution of women, girls and minorities has worsened, with no signs of improvement. 

    “Some 23 million people, almost half the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance, a situation drastically worsened by the pauses and cuts to international aid,” said Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett.

    The independent rights expert, who is not a UN staff member, warned that left unchecked, the Taliban was likely to “intensify, expand and further entrench its rights-violating measures on the people of Afghanistan, in particular women and girls and likely religious and ethnic minorities”.

    “The lack of a strong, unified response from the international community has already emboldened the Taliban. We owe it to the people of Afghanistan to not embolden them still further through continued inaction.”

    The Taliban seized power in 2021 and since then have passed a raft of laws that have severely stifled the freedoms of women and girls.

    These include banning women and girls from most classrooms, singing or speaking outside their homes, as well as from travelling without a male guardian.

    Institutionalised oppression

    Women were also barred from studying medicine in December. Windows in residential buildings have also been banned on the grounds that women could be seen through them.

    “Afghanistan is now the epicentre of an institutionalised system of gender-based discrimination, oppression, and domination which amounts to crimes against humanity, including the crime of gender persecution,” Mr. Bennett said, presenting his report. 

    Mr. Bennett urged States to ensure that any normalization of diplomatic ties with the Taliban should be dependent on demonstrated improvements in human rights.  

    “We must not allow history to repeat itself,” Mr. Bennett said. “Doing so will have catastrophic consequences in and beyond Afghanistan.”

    Independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are independent of any organisation or government.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – European military mobility infrastructure – E-000700/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000700/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mihai Tudose (S&D)

    According to the latest report of the European Court of Auditors on the EU Action Plan on Military Mobility, Europe’s troops and military equipment are still not able to move around swiftly enough.

    The Court of Auditors draws attention to errors committed by the Commission. First, the estimated budget was not commensurate with the objectives. The EUR 1.7 billion allocated under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 had already been spent by the end of 2023. Demand far exceeded what was a very modest budget given the purposes for which it was designed.

    Then there is the problem of project selection. The Court of Auditors notes that the selection of dual-use infrastructure projects did not take sufficient account of geopolitical factors.

    What measures is the Commission considering to better coordinate the projects, in particular with the Member States, so as to simplify bureaucracy under the action plan and redirect EU funding that is under-used in other areas towards a genuine EU blind spot – military mobility?

    Submitted: 14.2.2025

    Last updated: 27 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Navy and Marine Corps Installations Increase Mission Readiness Through Expanded Use of Title 10 Authorities

    Source: United States Navy

    Over the course of three days, over 100 military and civilian installation planners and commanding officers participated in the workshop geared towards increasing their knowledge of installation management-related Title 10 authorities related to real estate, intergovernmental support agreements (IGSA), energy and other transactional authorities.

    Over 240 installation management personnel across Navy and Marine Corps Installation commands attended the interactive educational sessions on authorities granted by Congress in public law. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Facilities, Ms. Brenda Johnson-Turner, spearheaded the series in 2024 with east coast and west coast workshops where Navy lawyers provide foundational education on authorities while subject matter experts from Navy and Marine Corps installations share how they leverage them. The combination of experts assists participants in finding creative solutions to installation and infrastructure challenges, providing best practice examples and solutions for the unique challenges they face.

    The mix of educational material and focused time and recommendations from subject matter experts at the workshops has supercharged Navy and Marine Corps installation personnel to work together to find creative solutions beyond traditional military construction, and facilities sustainment and modernization funding.

    “Over the last two plus decades, the Navy and Marine Corps have had to make tough budget decisions on where to take risk, and often, that risk has been taken in installation infrastructure and facilities by not funding required maintenance and sustainment,” said Ms. Johnson-Turner. “Increasing our knowledge of the numerous authorities Congress has granted to the Department of Defense across real estate, energy, and IGSAs, in particular, will allow installation planners and commanding officers to develop creative solutions to these infrastructure challenges as demands for military construction and facility sustainment dollars far outpace available funding.”

    The DON will host additional Title 10 workshops in April and May 2025 to train over 300 installation support personnel this year.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Blumenthal, Duckworth Ramp Up Investigation Into MOHELA’s Predatory Website Terms of Use

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 27, 2025

    Lawmakers hit loan servicer for efforts to infringe on borrowers’ legal rights 

    With Education Department’s future uncertain, MOHELA’s behavior raises concerns about ability to keep student loan servicers in check

    “MOHELA has imposed an exploitative set of Terms upon all borrowers that set up an account on its website…(Y)our response indicates a worrying disregard for borrowers’ rights.” 

    Text of Letter (PDF) | MOHELA Response to November 2024 Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to the student loan servicer Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) with continued concerns over its website’s Terms of Use (TOU), which appear to be written with the intent to relieve MOHELA of liability for severe misconduct and may infringe upon student loan borrowers’ legal rights.  

    MOHELA has repeatedly shirked its basic responsibilities as a federal student loan servicer and has been repeatedly penalized by ED for doing so. In November 2024, the Senators wrote to MOHELA to raise their initial concerns about the company’s tactics. The loan servicer’s response evaded questions, failed to provide a reasonable justification for the predatory provisions in its TOU, and made multiple false assertions. 

     In its response, MOHELA: 

    • Falsely claimed its TOU are in line with industry standards, even though MOHELA appears to have written its TOU to absolve it of much more severe wrongdoing compared to other major federal loan servicers’ TOU;
    • Provided unconvincing explanations for its TOU provisions disclaiming any responsibility that its website contain “accurate or reliable” information and disclaiming any responsibility for correcting any “defects” on the website; and
    • Failed to justify exploitative TOU sections that appear to undermine borrowers’ rights to hold MOHELA accountable for financial harms, including by limiting its liability to $100 “for all claims arising” from use of its website and making borrowers’ “sole (legal) remedy” for dissatisfaction with MOHELA’s website to stop using the website.  

    “MOHELA’s explanations fail to provide persuasive justifications for these provisions…(and the t)erms are clearly written and designed to absolve MOHELA of wide swaths of damages even in the cases of significant wrongdoing,” wrote the senators. 

    MOHELA’s terms may also violate federal consumer protection law. The Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) prohibits abusive contracts, including those that take “unreasonable advantage” of “unequal bargaining power.” That could apply to MOHELA’s TOU, since borrowers assigned to MOHELA have no choice but to sign the TOU and cannot choose a different loan servicer. MOHELA did not address the senators’ concerns in this area. 

    The lawmakers urged the loan servicer to remove all predatory provisions from its TOU and asked MOHELA to provide clarity on its decision to impose it on borrowers by March 13, 2025.   

    Senator Warren has led the fight to reform our higher education system, cancel student loan debt, and hold student loan servicers accountable:

    • In February 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) released responses to Committee questions for the record from Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, in which McMahon states that she “wholeheartedly” agrees with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
    • In February 2025, during the Senate’s consideration of the Republican budget resolution, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) proposed an amendment to protect higher education funding in Massachusetts.   
    • In February 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), led 32 Democratic senators in writing to President Donald Trump, demanding that he reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living, including education costs, for Americans after pledging to lower costs on “Day One” of his presidency.
    • In February 2025, in advance of her confirmation hearing, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim (D-N.J.), sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on her policy views. 
    • In February 2025, following Elon Musk and DOGE forcing their way into the Department of Education, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minority Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) led a coalition of Democrats in demanding the Department of Education launch an investigation into Musk and DOGE’s access to federal student loan data. 
    • In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren sent Elon Musk, Chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a letter detailing over 30 proposals that would cut at least $2 trillion of wasteful government spending over the next decade, including through saving on education programs. 
    • In December 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) revealed the alarming findings of a Senate investigation into millions of consumer credit reporting errors that occurred during the transfer of student loan accounts from Nelnet to MOHELA in 2023. The senators urged the CFPB and ED to investigate these errors and use their supervisory and enforcement authority to hold the appropriate parties accountable.
    • In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA) led 24 lawmakers in sending a bicameral letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra and Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, revealing the results of their investigation into Navient regarding its cancellation process for the predatory, for-profit student loans in its portfolio and urging the agencies to hold the student loan servicer accountable for any violations of federal law. 
    • In November 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) sent a letter blasting MOHELA for abusing borrowers with potentially illegal, exploitative terms of use.
    • In October 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) commending the agencies on their progress in helping borrowers who are struggling financially to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy and asking them to continue expanding awareness of the Biden-Harris administration’s new policy.
    • In October 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) celebrated new federal student debt relief, bringing the total number of Americans who have had their debt canceled under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program during the Biden-Harris Administration to a historic 1 million people and counting.
    • In September 2024, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Merkley (D-Ore.) released a new report examining the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s new Higher Education Act rule, finding that low- and middle-income borrowers, seniors, women, and Black borrowers will receive enormous benefits from the new rule.
    • In August 2024, Senator Warren joined Senators Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to launch an investigation into the reported mishandling of student loan transfers by MOHELA, Nelnet and credit reporting agencies.
    • In August 2024, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) led over 30 lawmakers in a letter urging student loan servicer Navient to reform its flawed process to cancel the private student loans of borrowers who attended fraudulent, for-profit colleges.
    • In July 2024, Senators Warren, Ron Wyden, Chris Van Hollen, and Bernie Sanders, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, cautioning the Department of Education on Federal Student Aid’s transition to the Unified Servicing and Data Solution system.
    • In July 2024, Senators Warren, Schumer, and Sanders released a joint statement on the American Federation of Teachers’ lawsuit against MOHELA for allegedly overcharging and misleading student loan borrowers.
    • In May 2024, Senators Warren and King led their colleagues in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, urging them to provide guidance and communication to borrowers as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program transfers from MOHELA to the Department of Education. 
    • In May 2024, Senator Warren led a growing coalition of senators in urging the Department of Education to hold student loan servicer MOHELA accountable for its failures.
    • In May 2024, Senator Warren and 24 members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to Senator Tammy Baldwin, Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, encouraging them to provide $2.7 billion in funding to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) in fiscal year (FY) 2025.
    • In May 2024, Senators Warren, Carper, Kaine, and Representative Don Davis (D-N.C.) called on the Department of Defense (DoD) to release data on the Postsecondary Education Complaint System (PECS), a centralized database to track complaints against schools who participate in the Tuition Assistance (TA) and My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA) program.
    • In April 2024, Senator Warren led eight of her colleagues in sending a letter to David L. Yowan, President and Chief Executive Officer of student loan servicer Navient, urging the servicer to cancel decades-old private student loans pushed onto borrowers attending fraudulent, for-profit colleges.
    • In April 2024, Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Markey, and Van Hollen released a new report: Servicing Scandals: Student Loan Servicers’ Failures During Return to Repayment, which reveals a decades-long pattern of student loan servicer incompetence and misconduct that has affected millions of borrowers nationwide.
    • In April 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren led a hearing on student loan servicer Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA) and its failures during borrowers’ return to repayment, including MOHELA’s mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. 
    • In March 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, along with U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and John Larson (D-Conn.), led their colleagues in calling on the Social Security Administration (SSA), the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), and the U.S. Department of Education to end the practice of offsetting Social Security benefits to pay off defaulted student loans. 
    • In February 2024, Senator Warren, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released a statement calling for an investigation into student loan mismanagement by MOHELA.
    • In January 2024, Senators Warren, Schumer, Sanders, Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), along with Representative Ayanna Pressley, Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Representative Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), led their colleagues in calling on the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to host a fourth session of the student debt negotiated rulemaking to consider relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship.
    • In December 2023, U.S. Senators Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ed Markey,, and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent follow-up letters to student loan servicers – MOHELA, EdFinancial, Nelnet, and Maximus – raising concerns about borrowers’ problems with return to repayment, requesting information about the borrower experience, and pushing back on the servicers’ claim that budget shortfalls limit their ability provide quality customer service to millions of borrowers.
    • In December 2023, Senators Warren, Schumer, Sanders, Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging him to leverage his existing and full authority under the Higher Education Act to provide expanded student debt relief to working and middle-class borrowers.
    • In August 2023, Senator Warren, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senators Alex Padilla and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar, Jim Clyburn, and Frederica Wilson led 79 other lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to swiftly deliver on his promise to deliver student debt cancellation to working and middle class families by early 2024.
    • In October 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) visited communities across Massachusetts to celebrate the Biden administration’s student debt cancellation plan and help residents sign up for student loan relief. 
    • In March 2022, Senator Warren, along with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senator Brown and Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Mark Takano (D-Calif.), urged Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to swiftly discharge the loans of borrowers defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges and universities, including those operated by Corinthian College. 
    • In January 2022, Senator Warren, along with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Representatives Jayapal, Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) led more than 80 colleagues in a bicameral letter to the Department of Education calling for it to release the memo outlining the Biden administration’s legal authority to cancel federal student loan debt and immediately cancel up to $50,000 of debt for Federal student loan borrowers.
    • In April 2021, Senators Warren and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) led a group of colleagues in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona urging the Department of Education to take swift action to automatically remove all federally-held student loan borrowers from default.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Plotting To Attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill.

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A former Navy sailor has pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to plotting to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill., purportedly on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

    XUANYU HARRY PANG, 38, of North Chicago, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States.  The guilty plea was entered on Nov. 5, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and ordered unsealed today.

    Pang is currently detained without bond in law enforcement custody. U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel has not yet set a sentencing date.  The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Bond, Vikas Didwania, and Brandon Stone of the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from Trial Attorneys John Cella and Charles Kovats of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    According to court records filed in the case, Pang communicated in the summer of 2021 with an individual in Colombia about potentially assisting with a plan involving Iranian actors to conduct an attack against the United States to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, a general of the IRGC Quds Force who was killed by the U.S. military in 2020. The Quds Force is a branch of the IRGC that conducts unconventional warfare and intelligence activities outside of Iran.

    A covert FBI employee, posing as an affiliate of the Quds Force, subsequently communicated online with the individual in Colombia about conducting an attack.  The individual in Colombia put the covert FBI employee in touch with Pang, who at the time was stationed and residing at Naval Station Great Lakes, court records show.  The pair communicated online through an encrypted messaging application about possible targets for the attack, including the Naval Station Great Lakes and other locations in the Chicago area.  Pang and the individual in Colombia agreed to help the covert FBI employee and his purported associates with their operation to conduct the attack in the United States, court records state.

    On three occasions in the fall of 2022, Pang personally met with another individual working with the FBI who was posing as an associate of the covert FBI employee.  The first meeting took place outside of the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, and the two other meetings were held at a train station in Lake Bluff, Ill., court records show.  During the meetings in Lake Bluff, as the plot coalesced into an attack on the Naval Station, Pang displayed photos and videos on his phone of multiple locations inside the Naval Station.  He also provided two U.S. military uniforms – for operatives to wear inside the base during the attack – and a cell phone that could be used as a test for a detonator, the records show. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Witness on Anti-Drug Trafficking Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Yesterday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, questioned Director of the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program Shannon Kelly on the program to locate and intercept illegal drugs within the United States. She highlighted HIDTA’s successes in Nebraska, especially for the Panhandle’s Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force.  
    During the hearing, Senator Fischer asked Ms. Kelly what future challenges she anticipates in achieving the program’s goals. She also asked about the benefits of a government-wide shared map to identify the reach of transnational drug trafficking organizations.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Senator Fischer questions Shannon Kelly:
    Senator Fischer: Ms. Kelly, I think a key step in addressing the illicit drug threat is ensuring the existing programs within the government are working. As you know, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, known as HIDTA, is a cornerstone of how we combat regional drug trafficking throughout the United States. And I have seen firsthand in my state of Nebraska, especially for law enforcement in rural areas with fewer local resources, how important this is. For example, HIDTA is the primary resource for the WING Task Force that covers 11 of our Panhandle counties. Through HIDTA, the task force has developed a uniquely cooperative investigative program, which is helping Western Nebraska law enforcement more actively manage narcotic and criminal investigations. In your view, how would you evaluate HIDTA’s effectiveness nationwide?
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much, Senator Fischer, for your support and for the question. Nationwide, we’re extremely proud of the work that HIDTA’s been doing. One of the things that we often tout is that for every dollar invested in the HIDTA program, the rate of return is $63, which is a pretty phenomenal testament to the success of the program overall. In 2023, HIDTA has collectively disrupted or dismantled more than 3,000 drug trafficking organizations or money laundering organizations, and collectively they seized more than 2,000 metric tons of drugs, which I think also completes the narrative here. Often when we’re talking about drug interdiction, we have a tendency to focus on the ports of entry and at the borders, which is critical to our overall success. But we often like to point to the work of the HIDTAs interdicting drugs within the interior of the United States. And I think the success rate there is phenomenal as well.Senator Fischer: What challenges do you see or that you possibly anticipate in the future in meeting your goals that you have out there?
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you, Senator, for asking that question. We do face a myriad of challenges. In some communities, the focus on drug trafficking is often subordinate to other threats, which is certainly a challenge in terms of making sure that there are state and local resources to put on HIDTA task forces. I would also say fatigue is a huge element for us, and I think it’s why the focus on border security and interdiction at the ports of entry and at the borders is key because I think we’re asking an awful lot of our state and local task force officers when they are being asked to interdict drugs that did evade the borders, and when they’re being asked to investigate the types of networks that are directly linked to cartels. That’s a huge challenge. It’s a training challenge, and it’s a resource challenge for all of our task forces. 
    Senator Fischer: You know, you brought up the border, and obviously the southern border is a major disruption zone. In years past, we’ve struggled with all the different agencies out there using different intel, using different maps, whether it’s DEA or FBI or CBP or the Department of Defense, as well. I think we have to have a shared map, government-wide shared map, to identify the threats that we have. In your testimony, you noted efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration to map out this data comprehensively. Can you speak about that further please? 
    Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much for that question, Senator Fischer. I agree. I think we all agree that a common operating picture is imperative, and a big challenge for us too is making sure that we are in a place where we can share information freely—from the fed, from the IC, all the way down to our state and local partners. This is where we really rely on the work of our federal agencies to be the bridge so that, as you say, the map, the common operating picture, can be not just conceived, but then communicated from top to bottom.
    Senator Fischer: And how do we achieve that?
    Shannon Kelly: How we achieve that is a work in progress. It is, I won’t lie, it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge both in terms of the security levels, but it’s also a challenge in terms of culture and promoting information sharing. We’re talking about people who are accustomed to building trust with each other as people to share information, and sometimes, when we’re working across communities like that, we have to figure out not just one bridge but multiple ways to bridge that gap.
    Senator Fischer: Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pentagon Releases Digital Content Refresh Memorandum

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    In alignment with President Trump’s Executive Orders and Secretary Hegseth’s directives, this memorandum mandates a digital content refresh across all DoD public platforms. By March 5, 2025, all Components must remove and archive DoD news articles, photos, and videos promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), including content related to critical race theory, gender ideology, and identity-based programs. The Defense Media Activity (DMA) will support systematic content removal from DVIDS and AFPIMS platforms, but Components remain responsible for ensuring compliance across all digital properties. A blanket public acknowledgment of content removal should be posted on social media and other platforms. Exceptions or extension requests must be submitted before noon on March 5, 2025. A link to the memorandum can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –