NewzIntel.com

Category: Military Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 3 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 5 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 5 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USFK, UNC, and CFC Commander Strengthens Multinational Defense Ties During Australia Visit and Talisman Sabre Exercise

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], South Korea — Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, concluded a successful three-day visit to Australia focused on deepening bilateral defense cooperation, including a review of mutually beneficial advanced training, readiness and interoperability outcomes for US and ROK forces while exercising with the Australian Defence Force and other international military units.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Royal Thai Navies Forge Stronger Bonds Through Secure CENTRIX Communications During CARAT Thailand 2025

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (July 13, 2025) – In the Indo-Pacific, effective and secure communication forms the bedrock of strong alliances. This critical principle is at the forefront of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2025, where U.S. Navy personnel and their Royal Thai Navy (RTN) counterparts conducted subject matter expert exchanges on the Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIX)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard to remove the sunken vessel Chaleur

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/15/2025 07:54 PM EDT

    The Coast Guard will be overseeing the removal and destruction of the vessel Chaleur, a historic 140-foot former Canadian Navy minesweeper that sank in Little Potato Slough, causing an environmental pollution event in a navigable waterway.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard to remove the sunken vessel Chaleur near Stockton, Calif.

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/15/2025 07:54 PM EDT

    The Coast Guard will be overseeing the removal and destruction of the vessel Chaleur, a historic 140-foot former Canadian Navy minesweeper that sank in Little Potato Slough, causing an environmental pollution event in a navigable waterway.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz grills Hegseth, calls on Republicans to kill the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, upped his criticism of the Trump administration Wednesday, grilling Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine about the deployment of National Guard and U.S. Marine personnel to quell protests in Los Angeles during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing. He called on Republicans to kill the president’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” in a speech from the Senate floor. 
    At the subcommittee hearing, Schatz asked Caine if, in fact, the United States was being invaded by a foreign nation or if a rebellion was occurring, to which Caine responded: “I do not see any state-sponsored folks invading. There’s definitely some frustrated folks out there.” 
    Turning to Hegseth, Schatz asked, “Did you just potentially mobilize every Guard everywhere and every service member everywhere? I mean, create the framework for that?” 
    Hegseth, a frequent target of Schatz’s criticism dating back to his initial appointment, responded that the deployments were a preemptive move should protests expand to other areas.
    Schatz was more direct in his condemnation of the deployments in his Senate speech, repeating earlier accusations that the real purpose of the military intervention is to shift public attention away from a Republican legislative package he said would gut Medicaid and cut off food assistance for children and families while delivering a $600 billion tax cut for large corporations and the nation’s wealthiest 1%.
    “Trump does what he always does. He creates a spectacle out of nowhere in order to distract people from what is actually happening,” Schatz said. “They are cutting Medicaid. They are slashing nutritional assistance for children and families. They are jacking up everyone’s health insurance premiums and energy bills.”
    The Trump administration has maintained that the bill would in fact benefit nearly all Americans.
    In “50 Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” an overview of benefits posted to the White House website, the administration claimed the legislation would deliver the largest tax cut in American history, with Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 paying about 15% less in taxes.
    And as the bill would make tax cuts initiated during Trump’s first term in office permanent, Americans would also be spared what the administration claimed would be “the largest tax increase in history.”
    Schatz pushed back at the administration’s claims.
    “Here’s what’s going to happen if Republicans pass this bill,” he said. “Anyone making $4 million a year or more will get a very nice tax break, and the more you make, the more you’ll get. So, if you’re a millionaire, you get close to $70,000. But if you’re a billionaire, you’re looking at $300,000. 
    “Now, if you’re wondering, ‘Well, what about me? I’m not a billionaire or a millionaire. What do I get?’” he continued. “Well, next to nothing. Worse than that, you’re going to be subsidizing these enormous tax cuts with cuts to your benefits and services 16 million Americans, including 60,000 people in the state of Hawaii, will lose coverage through Medicaid because of these cuts, meaning even when people get really sick, they’re going to avoid going to the hospital and buying medication because they cannot afford it. And then they’re going to turn to emergency care because they have no choice.”
    Schatz also noted controversial provisions tucked into the bill, including one that would prevent judges from taking action against people for violating court orders and another that would establish a tax credit for the purchase of gun silencers.
    “We’re going to fight as hard as we can,” Schatz told his Senate colleagues. “We’ve only got 47 votes. We need four Republicans to say ‘enough is enough.’”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Experts Agree: Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    From nuclear regulators to foreign policy experts to members of the intelligence community, every knowledgeable person is in agreement that President Donald J. Trump obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities.
    International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi: “Given the power of these devices and the technical characteristics of a centrifuge, we already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational, because they are fairly precise machines: there are rotors, and the vibrations [from the bombs] have completely destroyed them.”
    CIA Director John Ratcliffe: “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”
    Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: “New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do. The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure.”
    Former ODNI National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norman Roule: “I am confident that Iran has suffered a catastrophic — catastrophic — blow … and that this has set them back for a very, very long time.”
    Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove (Ret.): “It went off magnificently … They did it perfectly, so we should have … an expectation that there was significant damage.”
    Institute for Science and International Security President David Albright: “Iran can’t make centrifuges and can’t produce, in a sense, the equivalent of the gas … so their program is severely damaged.”
    President Trump: “Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”
    Israel Atomic Energy Commission: “The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
    IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir: “I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.”
    Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei: “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”
    Vice President JD Vance: “I can say to the American people with great confidence that they are much further away from a nuclear program today than they were 24 hours ago. That was the objective of the mission, to destroy that Fordow nuclear site, and of course, do some damage to the other sites as well, but we feel very confident that the Fordow nuclear site was substantially set back, and that was our goal.”
    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”
    Secretary Hegseth: “Given the 30,000 pounds of explosions and the capability of those munitions, it was DEVASTATION underneath Fordow … Any assessment that tells you otherwise is speculating with other motives.”
    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Razin” Caine: “Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. More than 125 US aircraft participated in this mission, including B2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals.”
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The Iranian program — the nuclear program — today looks nothing like it did just a week ago … That story is a false story and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported because it doesn’t accurately reflect what’s happening.”
    Secretary Rubio: “Everything underneath that mountain is in bad shape … There’s no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing had happened. This was complete and total obliteration. They are in bad shape. They are way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago because of what President Trump did.”
    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff: “We put 12 bunker buster bombs on Fordow. There’s no doubt that it breached the canopy, there’s no doubt that it was well within reach of the depth that these bunker buster bombs go to, and there’s no doubt that it was obliterated — so the reporting out there that in some way suggests that we did not achieve the objective is just completely preposterous.”
    Director Gabbard: “The operation was a resounding success. Our missiles were delivered precisely and accurately, obliterating key Iranian capabilities needed to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.”
    Director General Grossi: “Given the explosive payload utilized, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred. At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit. At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions.”
    Mr. Albright: “Overall, Israel’s and U.S. attacks have effectively destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program. It will be a long time before Iran comes anywhere near the capability it had before the attack.”
    Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director Andrea Stricker: “I think that because of the massive damage and the shock wave that would have been sent by 12 Massive Ordnance Penetrators at the Fordow site, that it likely would render its centrifuges damaged or inoperable.”
    American Enterprise Institute Middle East Portfolio Manager Brian Carter: “There is no question that the bombing campaign ‘badly, badly damaged’ the three sites.”
    Institute for Science and International Security Senior Research Fellow Spencer Faragasso: “Overall, it may possibly take years for Iran to reconstitute the capabilities it lost at these facilities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ciscomani Announces Support for Potential Space Force Mission at Fort Huachuca

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    SIERRA VISTA, AZ – Congressman Ciscomani today announced his strong support for Fort Huachuca’s selection as the U.S. Department of the Air Force considers basing a new space mission at one of four installations nationwide. 

    U.S. Air Force leadership recently briefed the Congressman’s office on the proposed site selection, which aims to establish a new U.S. Space Force mission system and squadron to provide Combatant Commands new space awareness capabilities.  

    The briefing, held on July 8th, was to inform Congress of the Department of the Air Force approval of site survey criteria and candidate locations for the new mission.  

    While the Air Force must consider numerous factors in its strategic basing decisions, Congressman Ciscomani expressed strong support of the proposed basing at Fort Huachuca, which would unleash opportunities for the region and strengthen national defense capabilities.  

    “Southern Arizona is the Astronomy Capital of America for a reason, with stark advantages for air and space operations that include beneficial geographic qualities as well as outstanding community investment. Specifically, Fort Huachuca’s unmatched airspace and technical capabilities positions it as an outstanding location to support Air and Space Force innovation. While this is an ongoing process, I am proud to support our district to fullest,” said Ciscomani. 

    Local support echoed the Congressman’s advocacy for this new mission, emphasizing alignment with Sierra Vista’s emerging potential in the aerospace industry. 

    “The possible selection of Fort Huachuca as the principle location for this new USSF mission and squadron could place Sierra Vista and the surrounding community in a lead position for the space economy,” said Dr. Randy Groth, President of the Fort Huachuca 50, “We stand ready to support the Air and Space Forces and Fort Huachuca to make this potential mission a success for our region and nation.” 

    Congressman Ciscomani remains committed to working closely with the Department of Defense and Air Force leadership to advocate for Fort Huachuca’s selection, ensuring Southern Arizona and Fort Huachuca’s key role in national security. 

    Arizona’s 6th congressional district is home to two military installations – Fort Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Both installations house critical missions that ensure our nation’s military readiness in the 21st century. Congressman Ciscomani is proud to represent these military assets as well as the nearly 80,000 veterans who call the 6th district of Arizona home.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ciscomani Announces Support for Potential Space Force Mission at Fort Huachuca

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    SIERRA VISTA, AZ – Congressman Ciscomani today announced his strong support for Fort Huachuca’s selection as the U.S. Department of the Air Force considers basing a new space mission at one of four installations nationwide. 

    U.S. Air Force leadership recently briefed the Congressman’s office on the proposed site selection, which aims to establish a new U.S. Space Force mission system and squadron to provide Combatant Commands new space awareness capabilities.  

    The briefing, held on July 8th, was to inform Congress of the Department of the Air Force approval of site survey criteria and candidate locations for the new mission.  

    While the Air Force must consider numerous factors in its strategic basing decisions, Congressman Ciscomani expressed strong support of the proposed basing at Fort Huachuca, which would unleash opportunities for the region and strengthen national defense capabilities.  

    “Southern Arizona is the Astronomy Capital of America for a reason, with stark advantages for air and space operations that include beneficial geographic qualities as well as outstanding community investment. Specifically, Fort Huachuca’s unmatched airspace and technical capabilities positions it as an outstanding location to support Air and Space Force innovation. While this is an ongoing process, I am proud to support our district to fullest,” said Ciscomani. 

    Local support echoed the Congressman’s advocacy for this new mission, emphasizing alignment with Sierra Vista’s emerging potential in the aerospace industry. 

    “The possible selection of Fort Huachuca as the principle location for this new USSF mission and squadron could place Sierra Vista and the surrounding community in a lead position for the space economy,” said Dr. Randy Groth, President of the Fort Huachuca 50, “We stand ready to support the Air and Space Forces and Fort Huachuca to make this potential mission a success for our region and nation.” 

    Congressman Ciscomani remains committed to working closely with the Department of Defense and Air Force leadership to advocate for Fort Huachuca’s selection, ensuring Southern Arizona and Fort Huachuca’s key role in national security. 

    Arizona’s 6th congressional district is home to two military installations – Fort Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Both installations house critical missions that ensure our nation’s military readiness in the 21st century. Congressman Ciscomani is proud to represent these military assets as well as the nearly 80,000 veterans who call the 6th district of Arizona home.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ciscomani Announces Support for Potential Space Force Mission at Fort Huachuca

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    SIERRA VISTA, AZ – Congressman Ciscomani today announced his strong support for Fort Huachuca’s selection as the U.S. Department of the Air Force considers basing a new space mission at one of four installations nationwide. 

    U.S. Air Force leadership recently briefed the Congressman’s office on the proposed site selection, which aims to establish a new U.S. Space Force mission system and squadron to provide Combatant Commands new space awareness capabilities.  

    The briefing, held on July 8th, was to inform Congress of the Department of the Air Force approval of site survey criteria and candidate locations for the new mission.  

    While the Air Force must consider numerous factors in its strategic basing decisions, Congressman Ciscomani expressed strong support of the proposed basing at Fort Huachuca, which would unleash opportunities for the region and strengthen national defense capabilities.  

    “Southern Arizona is the Astronomy Capital of America for a reason, with stark advantages for air and space operations that include beneficial geographic qualities as well as outstanding community investment. Specifically, Fort Huachuca’s unmatched airspace and technical capabilities positions it as an outstanding location to support Air and Space Force innovation. While this is an ongoing process, I am proud to support our district to fullest,” said Ciscomani. 

    Local support echoed the Congressman’s advocacy for this new mission, emphasizing alignment with Sierra Vista’s emerging potential in the aerospace industry. 

    “The possible selection of Fort Huachuca as the principle location for this new USSF mission and squadron could place Sierra Vista and the surrounding community in a lead position for the space economy,” said Dr. Randy Groth, President of the Fort Huachuca 50, “We stand ready to support the Air and Space Forces and Fort Huachuca to make this potential mission a success for our region and nation.” 

    Congressman Ciscomani remains committed to working closely with the Department of Defense and Air Force leadership to advocate for Fort Huachuca’s selection, ensuring Southern Arizona and Fort Huachuca’s key role in national security. 

    Arizona’s 6th congressional district is home to two military installations – Fort Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Both installations house critical missions that ensure our nation’s military readiness in the 21st century. Congressman Ciscomani is proud to represent these military assets as well as the nearly 80,000 veterans who call the 6th district of Arizona home.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Supports President Trump’s Move to Sell Weapons to Europe in Support of Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    July 15, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in support of President Trump’s move to sell weapons to Europe in support of Ukraine.

    “For over three years, Ukraine has courageously fought and dismantled Russia’s military. Russia is one of our top adversaries. I support President Trump’s move to sell American munitions to NATO in support of Ukraine’s war efforts against Vladimir Putin’s Russia. If Putin succeeds in his brutal war against Ukraine, NATO allies like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland could be next and American lives would be at risk. Military support for Ukraine keeps Americans safe, supports American jobs and our defense industry. Supporting Ukraine keeps our troops at home.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER CALLS ON ARMY TO IMMEDIATELY REVERSE DECISION TO SHUT DOWN CLARKSON UNIVERSITY ROTC PROGRAM THAT WOULD FORCE DOZENS OF NORTH COUNTRY CADETS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN STAYING AT THEIR SCHOOL AND…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Last Month, The Army Announced A Plan To Realign SROTC Resources And Force Structure By Inactivating Host Units At 10 Universities Across the US, Including The Long-Established And Successful “Golden Knight” Battalion At Clarkson University – The Only Army SROTC Host Unit In The North Country
    The Golden Knight Battalion Is Currently A Host To Nearly 45 Cadets And Has Produced More Than 1,600 Commissioned Officers
    Schumer: Army Must Maintain Clarkson University’s Superb SROTC For North Country Cadets
    Following news last month that the Army would be shutting down ROTC programs at dozens of college campuses across the county including in the North Country, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today called on the Army to reverse its unwise decision to inactivate Clarkson University’s top-notch collegiate ROTC program, which would force dozens of North Country cadets to choose between staying at their schools and transferring to another school with an ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduation.
    “Shutting down the North Country’s only collegiate Army ROTC program is harmful for cadets, Fort Drum, the nation and counterproductive at a time when the Army wants to increase recruitment and quality officers. Patriotism and passion for serving our country runs deep in the veins of the North County, but if this decision goes through, our cadets who want to serve their country will be forced to choose between staying at Clarkson University or transferring far away to another Army ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduating,” said Senator Schumer. “The Golden Knight Battalion has a tremendous track record and is the North Country’s only Army SROTC program and hosts cadets from other schools across the region that don’t have their own SROTC unit. The unit has commissioned more than 1,600 Army officers, and inactivating it would degrade the recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers. That is why I’m calling on the Army to immediately reverse these cuts and preserve the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University for these talented and patriotic North Country cadets.”
    Clarkson University hosts one of the only Army Senior ROTC (SROTC) program for college students in the North Country. Schumer, in a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, called on the Army to immediately reverse its decision to shut down Clarkson University Army SROTC and to support young New Yorkers in the North Country who want to serve the country and to keep the Army strong and mission-ready.
    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program is currently home to 45 cadets and has produced more than 1,600 commissioned officers throughout the unit’s history, commissioning at least one cadet for all 17 basic branches of the Army. The Golden Knight Battalion is known for producing more STEM field cadets than other Army SROTC units of the same size and caliber, with more than double the national Army average for cadets who enter STEM fields. The unit also ranks highly for commissioning pre-med officers and sending them to medical school post-graduation, which helps the Army fill medical staffing shortages.
    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program also serves as a host unit for crosstown cadets who attend St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, and SUNY Canton, which don’t have Army SROTC programs of their own. Many cadets at Clarkson University are recruited from high schools across the North Country, including children of military families stationed at Fort Drum. If this inactivation proceeds as planned, none of the students at these schools will be able to continue their participation in Army SROTC unless they transfer to another institution that has an active Army SROTC program.
    Senator Schumer’s letter to Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Driscoll:
    I write to express my strong concerns regarding US Army Cadet Command’s (USACC) SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan announced on June 26, 2025, which alarmingly and unwisely proposes to inactivate the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University – the only Army SROTC unit in the North Country.
    As you know, USACC’s plan entails the inactivation of 10 Army SROTC host units at universities across the United States, including the “Golden Knight” Battalion at Clarkson University. The Golden Knight Battalion is embedded in the fabric of New York State, recruiting and commissioning dozens of cadets every year from not only Clarkson University, but also serving as a host unit for crosstown cadets at St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam. The hurried inactivation of one of 2nd ROTC Brigade’s most successful host units will completely extinguish any presence of Army SROTC host, extension, or crosstown units in Upstate New York’s North Country region—home to Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division—and ultimately degrade recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers for the Total Army.  
    Since the Golden Knight Battalion’s original activation at Clarkson University in 1936, it has commissioned over 1,600 second lieutenants (2LT) for the United States Army. In the last ten years alone, Clarkson University Army SROTC has commissioned at least one of all 17 basic branches of the Army, from cadets that have commissioned as Cyber Warfare Officers (17A) and Financial Managers (36A) to Infantry Officers (11A) and Field Artillery Officers (13A). The Golden Knight Battalion is also among the top Army SROTC programs for producing cadets in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields—to include commissioning dozens of engineers in the last five years alone. I fear that inactivating the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University will constrain the Army’s STEM training pipeline, as the Golden Knight Battalion commissions more than double the national Army SROTC average for cadets who enter STEM career fields.
    I believe the plan to inactivate the SROTC unit at Clarkson University is a misstep, is counterproductive for meeting the Army’s officer commissioning mission requirements, is harmful to cadets presently enrolled in the program, and is harmful to the whole North Country community. Therefore, I strongly believe this decision should be immediately reversed.
    In addition, I respectfully ask that USACC provide answers to the following questions prior to the issuance of any Operation Order (OPORD) to inactivate the host unit at Clarkson University:
    What criteria did USACC use to identify and determine which host units to inactivate, which host units to reclassify to extension units, and which to reclassify to crosstown units?
    What data specific to the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University did USACC review as it developed the SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan? When was this data originally collected?
    Did USACC work with Clarkson University to verify the accuracy of its data before deciding to inactivate the Golden Knight Battalion?
    During its review, did USACC evaluate options to reclassify Clarkson University as an extension unit?
    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER CALLS ON ARMY TO IMMEDIATELY REVERSE DECISION TO SHUT DOWN CLARKSON UNIVERSITY ROTC PROGRAM THAT WOULD FORCE DOZENS OF NORTH COUNTRY CADETS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN STAYING AT THEIR SCHOOL AND…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Last Month, The Army Announced A Plan To Realign SROTC Resources And Force Structure By Inactivating Host Units At 10 Universities Across the US, Including The Long-Established And Successful “Golden Knight” Battalion At Clarkson University – The Only Army SROTC Host Unit In The North Country
    The Golden Knight Battalion Is Currently A Host To Nearly 45 Cadets And Has Produced More Than 1,600 Commissioned Officers
    Schumer: Army Must Maintain Clarkson University’s Superb SROTC For North Country Cadets
    Following news last month that the Army would be shutting down ROTC programs at dozens of college campuses across the county including in the North Country, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today called on the Army to reverse its unwise decision to inactivate Clarkson University’s top-notch collegiate ROTC program, which would force dozens of North Country cadets to choose between staying at their schools and transferring to another school with an ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduation.
    “Shutting down the North Country’s only collegiate Army ROTC program is harmful for cadets, Fort Drum, the nation and counterproductive at a time when the Army wants to increase recruitment and quality officers. Patriotism and passion for serving our country runs deep in the veins of the North County, but if this decision goes through, our cadets who want to serve their country will be forced to choose between staying at Clarkson University or transferring far away to another Army ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduating,” said Senator Schumer. “The Golden Knight Battalion has a tremendous track record and is the North Country’s only Army SROTC program and hosts cadets from other schools across the region that don’t have their own SROTC unit. The unit has commissioned more than 1,600 Army officers, and inactivating it would degrade the recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers. That is why I’m calling on the Army to immediately reverse these cuts and preserve the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University for these talented and patriotic North Country cadets.”
    Clarkson University hosts one of the only Army Senior ROTC (SROTC) program for college students in the North Country. Schumer, in a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, called on the Army to immediately reverse its decision to shut down Clarkson University Army SROTC and to support young New Yorkers in the North Country who want to serve the country and to keep the Army strong and mission-ready.
    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program is currently home to 45 cadets and has produced more than 1,600 commissioned officers throughout the unit’s history, commissioning at least one cadet for all 17 basic branches of the Army. The Golden Knight Battalion is known for producing more STEM field cadets than other Army SROTC units of the same size and caliber, with more than double the national Army average for cadets who enter STEM fields. The unit also ranks highly for commissioning pre-med officers and sending them to medical school post-graduation, which helps the Army fill medical staffing shortages.
    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program also serves as a host unit for crosstown cadets who attend St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, and SUNY Canton, which don’t have Army SROTC programs of their own. Many cadets at Clarkson University are recruited from high schools across the North Country, including children of military families stationed at Fort Drum. If this inactivation proceeds as planned, none of the students at these schools will be able to continue their participation in Army SROTC unless they transfer to another institution that has an active Army SROTC program.
    Senator Schumer’s letter to Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Driscoll:
    I write to express my strong concerns regarding US Army Cadet Command’s (USACC) SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan announced on June 26, 2025, which alarmingly and unwisely proposes to inactivate the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University – the only Army SROTC unit in the North Country.
    As you know, USACC’s plan entails the inactivation of 10 Army SROTC host units at universities across the United States, including the “Golden Knight” Battalion at Clarkson University. The Golden Knight Battalion is embedded in the fabric of New York State, recruiting and commissioning dozens of cadets every year from not only Clarkson University, but also serving as a host unit for crosstown cadets at St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam. The hurried inactivation of one of 2nd ROTC Brigade’s most successful host units will completely extinguish any presence of Army SROTC host, extension, or crosstown units in Upstate New York’s North Country region—home to Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division—and ultimately degrade recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers for the Total Army.  
    Since the Golden Knight Battalion’s original activation at Clarkson University in 1936, it has commissioned over 1,600 second lieutenants (2LT) for the United States Army. In the last ten years alone, Clarkson University Army SROTC has commissioned at least one of all 17 basic branches of the Army, from cadets that have commissioned as Cyber Warfare Officers (17A) and Financial Managers (36A) to Infantry Officers (11A) and Field Artillery Officers (13A). The Golden Knight Battalion is also among the top Army SROTC programs for producing cadets in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields—to include commissioning dozens of engineers in the last five years alone. I fear that inactivating the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University will constrain the Army’s STEM training pipeline, as the Golden Knight Battalion commissions more than double the national Army SROTC average for cadets who enter STEM career fields.
    I believe the plan to inactivate the SROTC unit at Clarkson University is a misstep, is counterproductive for meeting the Army’s officer commissioning mission requirements, is harmful to cadets presently enrolled in the program, and is harmful to the whole North Country community. Therefore, I strongly believe this decision should be immediately reversed.
    In addition, I respectfully ask that USACC provide answers to the following questions prior to the issuance of any Operation Order (OPORD) to inactivate the host unit at Clarkson University:
    What criteria did USACC use to identify and determine which host units to inactivate, which host units to reclassify to extension units, and which to reclassify to crosstown units?
    What data specific to the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University did USACC review as it developed the SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan? When was this data originally collected?
    Did USACC work with Clarkson University to verify the accuracy of its data before deciding to inactivate the Golden Knight Battalion?
    During its review, did USACC evaluate options to reclassify Clarkson University as an extension unit?
    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER CALLS ON ARMY TO IMMEDIATELY REVERSE DECISION TO SHUT DOWN CLARKSON UNIVERSITY ROTC PROGRAM THAT WOULD FORCE DOZENS OF NORTH COUNTRY CADETS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN STAYING AT THEIR SCHOOL AND…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Last Month, The Army Announced A Plan To Realign SROTC Resources And Force Structure By Inactivating Host Units At 10 Universities Across the US, Including The Long-Established And Successful “Golden Knight” Battalion At Clarkson University – The Only Army SROTC Host Unit In The North Country

    The Golden Knight Battalion Is Currently A Host To Nearly 45 Cadets And Has Produced More Than 1,600 Commissioned Officers

    Schumer: Army Must Maintain Clarkson University’s Superb SROTC For North Country Cadets

    Following news last month that the Army would be shutting down ROTC programs at dozens of college campuses across the county including in the North Country, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today called on the Army to reverse its unwise decision to inactivate Clarkson University’s top-notch collegiate ROTC program, which would force dozens of North Country cadets to choose between staying at their schools and transferring to another school with an ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduation.

    “Shutting down the North Country’s only collegiate Army ROTC program is harmful for cadets, Fort Drum, the nation and counterproductive at a time when the Army wants to increase recruitment and quality officers. Patriotism and passion for serving our country runs deep in the veins of the North County, but if this decision goes through, our cadets who want to serve their country will be forced to choose between staying at Clarkson University or transferring far away to another Army ROTC program if they want to commission into the Army after graduating,” said Senator Schumer. “The Golden Knight Battalion has a tremendous track record and is the North Country’s only Army SROTC program and hosts cadets from other schools across the region that don’t have their own SROTC unit. The unit has commissioned more than 1,600 Army officers, and inactivating it would degrade the recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers. That is why I’m calling on the Army to immediately reverse these cuts and preserve the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University for these talented and patriotic North Country cadets.”

    Clarkson University hosts one of the only Army Senior ROTC (SROTC) program for college students in the North Country. Schumer, in a letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, called on the Army to immediately reverse its decision to shut down Clarkson University Army SROTC and to support young New Yorkers in the North Country who want to serve the country and to keep the Army strong and mission-ready.

    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program is currently home to 45 cadets and has produced more than 1,600 commissioned officers throughout the unit’s history, commissioning at least one cadet for all 17 basic branches of the Army. The Golden Knight Battalion is known for producing more STEM field cadets than other Army SROTC units of the same size and caliber, with more than double the national Army average for cadets who enter STEM fields. The unit also ranks highly for commissioning pre-med officers and sending them to medical school post-graduation, which helps the Army fill medical staffing shortages.

    Clarkson University’s Army SROTC program also serves as a host unit for crosstown cadets who attend St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, and SUNY Canton, which don’t have Army SROTC programs of their own. Many cadets at Clarkson University are recruited from high schools across the North Country, including children of military families stationed at Fort Drum. If this inactivation proceeds as planned, none of the students at these schools will be able to continue their participation in Army SROTC unless they transfer to another institution that has an active Army SROTC program.

    Senator Schumer’s letter to Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll can be found HERE or below:

    Dear Secretary Driscoll:

    I write to express my strong concerns regarding US Army Cadet Command’s (USACC) SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan announced on June 26, 2025, which alarmingly and unwisely proposes to inactivate the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University – the only Army SROTC unit in the North Country.

    As you know, USACC’s plan entails the inactivation of 10 Army SROTC host units at universities across the United States, including the “Golden Knight” Battalion at Clarkson University. The Golden Knight Battalion is embedded in the fabric of New York State, recruiting and commissioning dozens of cadets every year from not only Clarkson University, but also serving as a host unit for crosstown cadets at St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam. The hurried inactivation of one of 2nd ROTC Brigade’s most successful host units will completely extinguish any presence of Army SROTC host, extension, or crosstown units in Upstate New York’s North Country region—home to Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division—and ultimately degrade recruitment, training, and retention of elite commissioned officers for the Total Army.  

    Since the Golden Knight Battalion’s original activation at Clarkson University in 1936, it has commissioned over 1,600 second lieutenants (2LT) for the United States Army. In the last ten years alone, Clarkson University Army SROTC has commissioned at least one of all 17 basic branches of the Army, from cadets that have commissioned as Cyber Warfare Officers (17A) and Financial Managers (36A) to Infantry Officers (11A) and Field Artillery Officers (13A). The Golden Knight Battalion is also among the top Army SROTC programs for producing cadets in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields—to include commissioning dozens of engineers in the last five years alone. I fear that inactivating the Army SROTC host unit at Clarkson University will constrain the Army’s STEM training pipeline, as the Golden Knight Battalion commissions more than double the national Army SROTC average for cadets who enter STEM career fields.

    I believe the plan to inactivate the SROTC unit at Clarkson University is a misstep, is counterproductive for meeting the Army’s officer commissioning mission requirements, is harmful to cadets presently enrolled in the program, and is harmful to the whole North Country community. Therefore, I strongly believe this decision should be immediately reversed.

    In addition, I respectfully ask that USACC provide answers to the following questions prior to the issuance of any Operation Order (OPORD) to inactivate the host unit at Clarkson University:

    1. What criteria did USACC use to identify and determine which host units to inactivate, which host units to reclassify to extension units, and which to reclassify to crosstown units?
    2. What data specific to the Golden Knight Battalion at Clarkson University did USACC review as it developed the SROTC Rebalance and Optimization Plan? When was this data originally collected?
    3. Did USACC work with Clarkson University to verify the accuracy of its data before deciding to inactivate the Golden Knight Battalion?
    4. During its review, did USACC evaluate options to reclassify Clarkson University as an extension unit?

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Joins Hudson Institute Panel: “Drone Warfare and Securing America’s Military Against Emerging Threats”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    Sen. John Boozman Joins Panelists Thomas Shugart and Timothy Walton at the Hudson Institute
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, joined the Hudson Institute for a discussion on the threat weaponized drones pose to American military installations and assets and the potential impact on current and future defense capabilities. 
    Joined by panelists Thomas Shugart and Timothy Walton, Center for a New American Security Senior Fellow and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow, respectively, the senator discussed the threat drones pose to military assets and how the United States and allies can and must adapt.
    Discussion began with drawing comparisons between Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb,” a drone-based attack on grounded Russian aircraft, and Israel’s usage of drones during their campaign against Iran. The senator noted the use of inexpensive drones to attack and destroy costly military assets, and how the ability of geographical distance and barriers to provide sanctuary can be mitigated by smuggling and assembling drones behind enemy lines.
    “I think it really woke up our military leaders to the fact that we are so vulnerable. I think it woke our nation up, hopefully,” said Boozman. “It has dramatically changed the way we think.”
    The senator also discussed his role as chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee when asked about the importance of accelerating military construction while managing costs at home and abroad. He underlined the importance of providing flexibility and ensuring funding for the tools, resources and personnel needed to protect American interests. 
    Further, Boozman highlighted the role and responsibility Arkansas has in our national defense, from investments into vocational training and career opportunities and the state’s status as a critical industrial defense hub.
    “Camden, Arkansas, is one of the big defense hubs in the country right now – right at the very top,” said Boozman. “Also, Mississippi county in Arkansas is the biggest steel producing county in the country, with the most modern steel plants in the world.”
    Boozman previously discussed the threat of drone attacks on U.S. domestic military installations and assets with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, among others.
    To view the panel’s discussion, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: USS Mount Whitney Returns to Homeport

    Source: United States Navy

    GAETA, Italy – The Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) returned to homeport in Gaeta, Italy, after operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Baltic Sea. The underway underscored the U.S. Navy’s commitment to regional security and strong partnerships with European and African nations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Talisman Sabre 2025 Begins with Record Participation and Enduring Purpose

    Source: United States Navy

    SYDNEY, Australia — Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 formally commenced today from the flight deck of HMAS Adelaide in Sydney Harbor, launching military activities involving 19 nations and over 30,000 service members across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. This marks the largest bilateral military training event between the United States and Australia to date.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Letters from Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement (DARR), UK Ministry of Defence, to Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) individuals regarding 2022 data incident

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    Letters from Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement (DARR), UK Ministry of Defence, to Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) individuals regarding 2022 data incident

    Letters on a data incident that took place in February 2022 and its implications.

    Documents

    Letter from DARR to individuals who have relocated to the UK under the ARP regarding the 2022 data incident

    HTML

    Letter from DARR to ARP-eligible individuals who remain outside the UK regarding the 2022 data incident

    HTML

    Details

    Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement (DARR) address a data incident which took place in February 2022 affecting some applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme and its predecessor, the Ex-Gratia Scheme (EGS).

    The first letter addresses individuals who are currently in the UK, having relocated under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP).

    The second letter addresses individuals who are ARP-eligible and are in the process of relocating to the UK.

    The letters provide information on the nature of the incident, its implications for affected individuals, and the protective measures implemented by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Guidance is also provided, including links to further support and resources.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ambassador Chen Mingjian Meets with Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Salum Othman

    Source: APO


    .

    On July 11, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania H.E. Chen Mingjian met with Lieutenant General Salum Othman, Chief of Staff of Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces in Dar es Salaam. They discussed bilateral military relations and committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Republic of Tanzania.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Secures Key Provisions to Protect Rock Island Arsenal, Support Illinois Quantum Technology Research and Safeguard Care for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    July 15, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), secured several important provisions to support our state’s residents, Servicemembers, Veterans and economy in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that SASC recently approved last week and the full Senate will now consider. Some of the priorities Duckworth secured to help Illinoisans include protecting Rock Island Arsenal from any restructuring until the Army provides more information about their proposed plans, expanding access to vital health care services for our state’s servicemembers, Veterans as well as military families and supporting research and development at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago.  
    “The brave Illinoisans who serve our nation in uniform at home and abroad deserve to know that our country fully supports them as they and their families sacrifice to defend our country,”?said Senator Duckworth.?“While I do not support every provision in this bipartisan compromise, I’m proud I was able to secure several important provisions to benefit our state by protecting operations at Rock Island Arsenal, protecting health care access for our military and Veteran families and supporting groundbreaking quantum computing research in Chicago. I’m glad the Armed Services Committee included these important provisions in this year’s NDAA and I hope the full Senate approves it as soon possible.” 
    Key Duckworth provisions secured in this year’s Committee-passed NDAA that would support Illinoisans include:
    Supporting and Protecting Rock Island Arsenal Operations:
    By Protecting Jobs: This provision would restrict the Secretary of the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about their proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping ensure operations at Rock Island Arsenal are not affected unnecessarily.
    By Sustaining Workload and Industrial Base: This provision would establish a 5-year pilot program requiring DoD to give preference to public-private partnerships in arsenals, especially those non-public partners that ensure equitable workshare to DoD employees to protect critical skills. This provision would help ensure arsenals and factories, like Rock Island Arsenal, remain active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment and production capacity critical to the nation’s defense industrial base.
    By Constructing a Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal: The bill authorizes $50 million in Major Construction funds for a new addition to the Child Development Center at Rock Island Arsenal and to consolidate the existing facilities and make upgrades to meet DoD guidelines and safety requirements, ensuring that eligible families at Rock Island Arsenal have a safe, modern facility for childcare. 
    By Improving Predictive Manufacturing Analytics at Army Arsenals: Language urging the continued implementation of industrial control networks across our Army’s arsenals to enable the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data associated with the manufacture and repair of equipment and supplies. This work completed by MxD, the nation’s digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute, located in Chicago, helps ensure the efficiency and security of the critical manufacturing completed at Rock Island Arsenal and the Army’s other arsenals.? 
    By Expanding Robotic Enhancements for Armaments Manufacturing: Language authorizing an additional $5 million for the Secretary of the Army to expand prototyping and production capacity by integrating robotics, automation and digital manufacturing into the munitions industrial base, further modernizing production at Rock Island Arsenal with technology pioneered by innovators in Chicago.? 
    By Improving the Governance of the Organic Industrial Base: Language directing the Army to analyze the effectiveness of their current governance and resourcing model for the Army’s arsenals, depots as well as ammunition plants and identify opportunities for changes to ensure the enterprise and its workforce can support the military’s munitions and sustainment requirements now and in the future. The Senator helped secure this provision alongside Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK). ? 
    Safeguarding Veteran Medical Care in North Chicago: This provision, led with Senator Durbin, would secure a one-year extension of the Joint Medical Facility Demonstration Fund, which supports the operations of the North Chicago-based Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC). This provision will help safeguard continued access to vital services for military families and Veterans in the area.  
    Protecting Cities Like Chicago from the Trump Administration’s Overreach with the Military: A modified version of a provision of Senator Duckworth’s Military In Law Enforcement Accountability Act (MiLEAA) requires servicemembers identify themselves as part of the military when assisting federal law enforcement when operating in the United States. As the Trump Administration continues to send federal agents and our nation’s military into our communities to intimidate their fellow Americans, this provision ensures that servicemembers identify themselves properly—to avoid public misunderstanding about who is providing logistical support versus conducting arrests or law enforcement duties. 
    In light of the Trump administration’s increasing use of troops to support law enforcement within the United States, another provision will help ensure troops know how to responsibly operate within the bounds of domestic laws and protect American civil rights. This provision requires DoD to provide legal training to all servicemembers, including a refresher within 90 days of any mobilization or deployment, on their responsibilities under the law of armed conflict, rules of engagement, defense support for civil authorities and standing rules for the use of force within the United States.
    Strengthening Domestic Suppliers of Critical Uniform Components: Language prohibiting the Department of Defense from sourcing clothing, fabrics or components from countries of concern—such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia—when using domestic sourcing waivers under the Berry Amendment, to prevent further weakening of the U.S. clothing and textile industrial base and bolstering Chicago’s top-quality garment industry.
    Investing in Quantum Technology in Chicago: Language recognizing the importance of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) program, which aims to build a commercially useful FTQC by 2033, and encouraging the Department to concurrently prepare algorithms to operate those machines, while the hardware is being built. This provision recognizes the importance of the development of the first FTQC, which is being built at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago, Illinois. 
    Championing Domestic Manufacturing in Belleville: Language requesting DoD provide data and analysis on the necessary war reserves for footwear and textiles, and the accompanying surge needs in the event of crisis or conflict. This report language is a modified version of the Senator’s Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, which recognizes that our defense industrial base for combat boots needs investment in order for it to support our troops and help ensure they have the sturdiest and most protective boots in a possible war, like those manufactured in Illinois at Belleville’s Belleville Boot Manufacturing Co.
    Advancing U.S. Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation in Champaign: This provision would support the innovative work being done at advanced facilities like the University of Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) by requiring more information on how DoD is investing in this technology critical for national security.
    Encouraging Investment in Nuclear Energy and Domestic Printed Circuit Boards: Language allowing the Office of Strategic Capital to enter into investments in nuclear fusion and fission energy and directing OSC to explore printed circuit boards (PCBs) and PCB assemblies, to ensure these critical technologies—which Illinois plays a central role in manufacturing and advancing—has sufficient capital investments to scale for warfighting. 
    Protecting Servicemembers from Dangerous PFAS in their Protective Garments: Language requiring the DoD to articulate its plan for acquiring chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat protective garments free from toxic PFAS chemicals as soon as possible.?Innovative Illinois research and development and manufacturing is leading the way on alternatives that protect servicemembers without relying on toxic chemicals.  
    Designing a New Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Scott Air Force Base: The bill authorizes $6 million in Planning and Design funds for the construction of a new aircraft maintenance hangar to support the training and operational mission of the 126th Aerial Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base. The current hangar was constructed in 1956, remains in disrepair and no longer meets Department of Defense standards or mission requirements, making a new hangar critical to the Wing’s mission. 
    Renovating General Jones Readiness Center: The bill authorizes $5 million in Planning and Design funds for major alternations to the General Richard L. Jones National Guard Readiness Center in Chicago. This facility was built in 1931 and remains one of the largest readiness centers in the country. Renovating it to meet mission requirements is a top priority for the Illinois National Guard. 
    In addition to these provisions, Senator Duckworth also successfully worked to protect Universities like Northwestern University and University of Illinois from having their DoD funding for critical technological research cut unnecessarily. 
    Other key funding for Illinois projects contained in the committee-passed bill include:
    $5 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support forging annex at Rock Island Arsenal.
    $3.05 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support range control at Marseilles Training Center.
    $8 million authorized in Planning and Design funds to support the Peoria Armory Readiness Center.
    $36 million authorized to boost Fort Sheridan area maintenance support activity.
    A full list of Duckworth’s priorities included in the FY26 NDAA can be found here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REMARKS: Senator Coons grills U.N. nominee Mike Waltz over his role in leaking sensitive information at confirmation hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today pushed Mike Waltz – President Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations – during a confirmation hearing to take accountability for his mishandling of sensitive military information that could have endangered the lives of U.S. servicemembers.
    Waltz was questioned by lawmakers for the first time since he was ousted as national security adviser in May, weeks after The Atlantic reported that Waltz added the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat where senior administration officials, including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Vice President J.D. Vance discussed sensitive military plans for airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including real-time updates about the strike. If the information in the chat had fallen into the wrong hands, Houthi rebels would have been able to prepare for the strikes and target the servicemembers carrying them out.
    “We both know signal is not an appropriate, secure means of communicating highly sensitive information, and yet, on March 24, The Atlantic published a series of Signal messages including sensitive information about a U.S. military operation against the Houthis involving you and several other Trump officials,” said Senator Coons. “Were you investigated for this disclosure of sensitive operational information?”
    In his response, Waltz repeatedly insisted that the information shared in the group chat was not “classified.” However, multiple military and intelligence officials have asserted that the information could have endangered servicemembers regardless of its classification. Sarah Streyder, Executive Director of the Secure Families Initiative, which advocates for military families, said her group had heard from members that they were feeling “a range of emotions, from heartbroken, disappointment, pretty angry … it feels like we’re being let down by our leaders who are at the bare minimum, supposed to be keeping us safe from unnecessary and preventable harm.”
    Waltz acknowledged he built the Signal chain but has downplayed the security risks. While the National Security Council and the White House Counsel’s office claimed they were investigating how the breach occurred, the White House closed the case shortly after and failed to provide any details.
    “We both know Signal is not a secure way to convey classified information, and I was hoping to hear from you that you had some sense of regret over sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app, that’s not, as we both know, the appropriate way to share such critical information,” said Senator Coons.
    A full video of his remarks and transcript are below.
    WATCH HERE.
    Senator Coons: I want to get to the larger questions of the U.N. and the U.N. Mission but – in your role in the army, in the house, as national security advisor, you have long handled classified and sensitive information.
    We both know Signal is not an appropriate, secure means of communicating highly sensitive information, and yet, on March 24, The Atlantic magazine published a series of Signal messages including sensitive information about a U.S. military operation against the Houthis in Yemen involving you and several other Trump officials. Were you investigated for this disclosure of sensitive operational information? 
    Waltz: Thank you, senator, and that engagement was driven by and recommended by the cyber security – infrastructure security agency – by the Biden administration CISA guidance. 
    Senator Coons: I’m sorry –
    Waltz: And I have here – well, just the use of Signal
    Senator Coons: Your sharing this information on Signal was driven by –
    Waltz: No excuse me, the use of Signal is not only – as an encrypted app – is not only authorized, it was recommended in the Biden-era CISA guidance, and in fact, it says here, I’ll read it to you: “Use only end-to-end encrypted communications. Adopt a free messaging application to secure communications that guarantees end-to-end encryption – particularly if you are a highly targeted individual, such as Signal or similar apps. CISA recommends end-to-end encryption messaging on both government and personal devices.
    Senator Coons: For sensitive military information? 
    Waltz: Oh, of course, of course. Senator, there was no classified information exchanged. 
    Senator Coons: For sensitive military operations… You were sharing details about an upcoming airstrike and the time of launch and the potential targets. This was demonstrably sensitive information. And the question I asked was, were you investigated for this expansion of the Signal group to include a journalist?
    Waltz: The White House conducted an investigation, and my understanding is the Department of Defense is still conducting an investigation. 
    Senator Coons: Was any disciplinary action taken?
    Waltz: From the White House investigation, senator?
    Senator Coons: Yes.
    Waltz: No. The use of Signal was not only authorized, it’s still authorized and highly recommended. 
    Senator Coons: Would you recommend the use of Signal for classified information to be shared between folks who have access to classified information? 
    Waltz: Again, we followed the recommendation, almost the demand, to use end-to-end encryption, but there was no classified information shared. 
    Senator Coons: Did you speak to Secretary Hegseth about his decision to share detailed information on the specifics of an imminent military strike? 
    Waltz: What we spoke about, senator, was a highly successful mission that did something that, something that the Biden administration did not do, was actually target the Houthi leadership. We subsequently saw a ceasefire, an increase in shipping and a drop in attacks on our ships. 
    Senator Coons: Well, look, here’s what I hear on this exchange, and I want to get to the U.N. point. At the time you took responsibility for having added a journalist inadvertently to a Signal chat, but it doesn’t seem to me that the administration has taken any action to make sure this doesn’t happen again, there’s been no consequences, and yet the president continues to denounce those who leak information. We both know Signal is not a secure way to convey classified information, and I was hoping to hear from you that you had some sense of regret over sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app, that’s not, as we both know, the appropriate way to share such critical information.
    Waltz: Again, senator, I think, where we have a fundamental disagreement is there was no classified information on that – uh, on that chat.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oral Statement on Afghan data breach

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Oral Statement on Afghan data breach

    Statement on a significant data protection breach from February 2022, relating to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. 

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on a significant data protection breach from February 2022, relating to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.  This led to the High Court granting an unprecedented superinjunction. And the previous government establishing a secret Afghan resettlement route. 

    Today, I am announcing to the House a change in government policy. I am closing this resettlement route; I’m disclosing the data loss and confirm that the Court Order was lifted at 12 noon today. Members of the House, including you Mr Speaker, have been subject to this superinjunction. It is unprecedented.  

    And to be clear, the Court has always recognised the parliamentary privilege of proceedings in this House and Ministers decided not to tell Parliamentarians at an earlier stage about the data incident, as the widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taleban obtaining the dataset. 

    But, as Parliamentarians – and as Government Ministers – it has been deeply uncomfortable to be constrained in reporting to this House. 

    And I am grateful today to be able to disclose the details to Parliament. 

    And I trust you, Mr Speaker – and Members – will bear with me, if I take the time to ensure the House now has the fullest information possible, something I discussed with you Mr Speaker, yesterday.   

    Mr Speaker, the facts are as follows… 

    In February 2022… ten months after the Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, introduced the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and six months after the fall of Kabul a Defence official emailed an ARAP caseworking file outside of authorised government systems. 

    ARAP as the House knows is the resettlement scheme that this country established for Afghan citizens who worked for or with UK Armed Forces over the combat years of Afghanistan. 

    Both in Opposition – and in Government – we have backed this scheme and I know ARAP has had full support from across this House.  

    Now this official mistakenly believed they were sending the names of 150 applicants. 

    However, the spreadsheet in fact contained personal information associated to 18 714 Afghan who had applied to either the Ex Gratia or ARAP scheme on or before 7 January 2022. 

    It contained names and contact details of applicants – and some instances, information relating to the applicants’ family members.  

    In a small number of cases Mr Speaker, the names of Members of Parliament, senior military officers and government officials were noted as supporting the application. 

    This was a serious departmental error. 

    It was in clear breach of strict data protection protocols. 

    And it was one of many data losses relating to the ARAP scheme during this period.  

    Previous Government Ministers first became aware of the data loss in mid-August 2023 – 18 months after the incident. They became aware of the loss when personal details of nine individuals from the dataset appeared online. 

    Action was taken to ensure they were swiftly removed, an internal investigation was conducted and the incident was reported to both the Metropolitan Police and the Information Commissioner. 

    The Met deemed that no criminal investigation was necessary. 

    And the Information Commissioner has continued to work with the department throughout. 

    However, journalists were almost immediately aware of the breach and the previous administration applied to the High Court for an injunction to prevent the data loss becoming public. 

    The Judge deemed the risk warranted going further and on 1 September 2023, granted a superinjunction, which prevented disclosure of the very existence of the injunction. 

    Mr Speaker, that superinjunction has been in place for nearly two years, during which time 8 media organisations and their journalists have been served to prohibit any reporting. 

    And no government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner. 

    In Autumn 2023, previous Ministers started work on establishing a new settlement scheme specifically designed for people in the compromised dataset who were not eligible for ARAP, not eligible for ARAP but judged to be at the highest risk of reprisals by the Taleban. 

    It is known as the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR). It was covered by the superinjunction. 

    The then-Government initially established the ARR to resettle a target cohort of around 200 principals but in early 2024, a combination of the Minister’s decisions on the scheme’s policy design and the court’s views had broadened this category to nearly 3,000 principals. 

    I want to provide assurance Mr Speaker – both to the House and the British public – that all individuals relocated under the Afghanistan Response Route, ARAP or the Home Office’s ACRS undergo strict national security checks before being able to enter our country. 

    And the full number of Afghan arrivals under all schemes have been reported in the regular Home Office statistics, meaning they are already counted in existing migration figures. 

    As Shadow Defence Secretary, I was initially briefed on the ARR by James Heappey – former Armed Forces Minister – on 12 December 2023; and issued with the super injunction at the start of the meeting.  

    Other Members of the present Cabinet were only informed of the evidence of the data breach, the operation of the ARR, and the existence of the super injunction on taking office after the General Election. 

    By this time, the ARR scheme was fully established and in operation. By this time it was nearly two and a half years since the data loss.  

    I have felt deeply concerned about the lack of transparency to parliament and the public.  

    I felt it only right to reassess the decision-making criteria for the ARR. 

    So, we began straightway to take a hard look at the policy complexities, costs, risks, court hearings and the range of Afghan relocation schemes being run across government. 

    Cabinet colleagues endorsed the need for new insights in the scheme in the Autumn last year while the scheme kept running. 

    In December 2024, I announced a streamlining of the range of government schemes we inherited into the Afghan Resettlement Programme, to better establish  

    value for money, establish a single set of time-limited entitlements and support to get families resettled. 

    And I would on behalf of the House, Mr Speaker, like to thank our colleagues in local government, without whom this unified resettlement programme would simply not have been possible. 

    And at the beginning of this year, I commissioned Paul Rimmer – a former senior civil servant and ex-Deputy Director of Chief of Defence Intelligence – to conduct an independent review.  

    This Review was concluded and reported to Ministers last month. 

    Today, I am releasing a public version of the Rimmer Review and I am placing a copy of the report in the Library of the House. 

    I am very grateful to him for his work.  

    Mr Speaker, despite brutal human rights abuses in Afghanistan, the Rimmer Review notes the passage of time – nearly four years after the fall of Kabul – and concludes… 

    First and I quote.. there is little evidence of intent by the Taleban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials… 

    Second…those who pose a challenge to the Taleban rule now are at greater risk of a reaction from the regime… 

    Three… and the wealth of data inherited from the former Government by the Taleban would already enable them to target individuals if they wish to do so which means fourthly he concludes, and I quote it is “highly unlikely” that merely being on the spreadsheet would be the piece of information enabling or prompting the Taleban to act. 

    However, Rimmer is clear – he stresses the uncertainty in any judgments… and he does not rule out any risk. Yet he concludes given this updated context, the current policy we inherited appears an “extremely significant intervention” to address the potentially limited net additional risk the incident likely presents. 

    Mr Speaker, the Rimmer Review is a very significant, but not the sole element in the Government’s decision to change policy, to change policy to close the ARR and to ensure that the Court Order is lifted today. 

    Policy concerns about proportionality, about public accountability, about cost and about fairness were also important factors to the Government. 

    And this was not a decision taken lightly.  

    It follows a lengthy process, including the Rimmer review, detailed ministerial discussions, and repeated consultations with legal advisors.  

    And just as I have changed government policy in light of the Rimmer Review, so the High Court today in light of the Rimmer Review ruled that there is no tenable basis for the continuation of the superinjunction. 

    Mr Speaker, to date, around 900 ARR principals are in Britain or in transit, with 3 600 family members at the cost of £400 million. 

    From today, there will be no new ARR offers of relocation to Britain.  

    From today the route is now closed. 

    However, we will honour the 600 invitations already made to any named person still in Afghanistan and their immediate family.  

    When this nation makes a promise, we should keep it. 

    Today, Mr Speaker, I am also restoring full accountability for the government’s Afghanistan relocations schemes to Parliament. 

    And I would expect select committees to hold us to account now, through in-depth inquiries. 

    Let me turn now if I may, to the practical action we have taken, as a result of this policy change and in preparation for the Court’s lifting of the superinjunction today. 

    Mr Speaker, my first concern has been to notify as many as possible affected by the data incident, and provide them with further advice. 

    The MOD has done this this morning, although I have to say to this House it has not been possible to contact every individual on the dataset due to its incomplete and out-of-date information. 

    Anyone who may be concerned can head to our new dedicated gov.uk website wherein they will find: 

    … more information about the data loss incident… 

    … further security guidance… 

    … a self-checker tool which will inform them whether their application has been affected … 

    … and contact steps for the dedicated Information Services Centre, which the MOD has established. 

    Mr Speaker, this serious data incident should never have happened. 

    It may have occurred 3 years ago under the previous government… 

    But to all those whose information was compromised, I offer a sincere apology today on behalf of the British government. 

    And I trust the Shadow Defence Secretary – as a former Defence Minister – will join me in this.   

    Mr Speaker, to date, 36 000 Afghans have been accepted by Britain through the range of relocation schemes. 

    Britain has honoured the duty we owe to those who worked and fought alongside our troops in Afghanistan.  

    The British people have welcomed them to our country, and in turn this is their chance to rebuild their lives the chance to contribute to – and share in – the prosperity of our great country.  

    However, none of these relocation schemes can carry on in perpetuity, nor were they conceived to do so. 

    That’s why, on 1 July, we announced that we would no longer accept new applicants to ARAP. 

    However, I will reiterate the commitment we made then to process every outstanding ARAP application and relocate those who may prove eligible.  

    And we will complete our commitment to the continuing the review of the Triples. 

    Mr Speaker, I recognise my statement will prompt many questions.  

    I would have wanted to settle these matters sooner – because full accountability to Parliament and freedom of the press matter deeply to me… 

    They are fundamental to our British way of life. 

    However, lives may have been at stake… 

    And I’ve spent many hours thinking about this decision – thinking about the safety of and the lives of people I will never meet – in a far off land in which 457 of our servicemen and women lost their lives. 

    So this weighs heavily on me – and it’s why no government could take such decisions lightly, without sound grounds and hard deliberation. 

    During this last year, we have conducted and have now completed this work. 

    And I commend this statement to this House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Announces FY2026 Defense Bill Wins

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that several of her provisions were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. 
    “I’m proud to see that this year’s NDAA includes provisions that will expand protections for service members and make our country more secure,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill prioritizes the service members who put their lives on the line for our country, and it includes provisions that will expand health care for service members, help victims of sexual assault, and address brain-related health incidents. I’m also pleased to see that this bill expands my Cyber Service Academy scholarship program—which provides students with full scholarships in exchange for public service after school—and includes millions in funding for Fort Drum, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and other New York military installations.”
    A list of Senator Gillibrand’s priorities included in the FY2026 NDAA is below:
    Personnel: 
    Expanding access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations by requiring the Secretary of Defense to authorize military medical treatment facilities to provide sexual assault medical forensic examinations to all victims, not just victims who are eligible for military health care.   
    Bolstering OBGYN care at Fort Drum by directing a briefing on the adequacy and sufficiency of OBGYN care for TRICARE beneficiaries in the installation’s vicinity.
    Protecting service members’ brain health by conducting blast exposure monitoring within Special Operations Command. 
    Helping victims of anomalous health incidents by encouraging the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide the cross-functional team addressing anomalous health incidents (AHIs) with adequate resources to continue its efforts, particularly treatment of those affected by AHIs, and by ensuring timely compensation under the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021. 
    Cyber: 
    In the FY2023 NDAA, Gillibrand created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program to address the widespread shortage in government cyber personnel. The program grants students a full scholarship in return for public service in a cyber-related discipline in DoD or the Intelligence Community. Successful applicants are provided a scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend, purchase of a laptop, and more. The following Cyber Service Academy provisions were included in this year’s NDAA:
    Funding to roughly double the number of scholarships available through the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program.
    Encouraging DoD to expand eligibility for the scholarship to freshmen and sophomores.
    Other cyber provisions:
    $10 million in additional funding for the Critical Infrastructure Defense Analysis Center (CIDAC), which works to identify DoD’s reliance on critical infrastructure such as power grids, water treatment, and telecommunications infrastructure and improve DoD’s resiliency against potential cyber and kinetic attacks by adversaries.
    Requires the development of implementation plans for the creation of Joint Task Force-Cyber elements across the geographic combatant commands, starting with United States Indo-Pacific Command, that would have operational control over cyber forces in their areas of operations. This will better align operational control of cyber forces worldwide to better support combatant commanders.
    New York Priorities: 
    Senator Gillibrand secured millions in funding for New York institutions in the NDAA, including: 
    $90 million for the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters Readiness Center, which will also clear the way for separate investments and construction at Watervliet Arsenal.
    $300 million for LC-130J aircraft, and an additional $70 million for LC-130J non-recurring engineering, which enables the NY Air National Guard to prepare the aircraft for Arctic conditions
    $54 million for the Combined Operations Facility at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
    $31 million for the Fort Hamilton Child Development Center 
    $21 million for the planning and design of future construction projects at Fort Drum:
    $9.8 for Fort Drum aircraft maintenance hangar addition design
    $8.7 million for Fort Drum Operational Readiness Training Center barracks design.  
    $2.5 million for Fort Drum Range 41c, Automated Record Fire Plus range design

    Strategic Forces: 
    $500 million for Israeli Missile Defense Cooperative Programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. 
    Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs):
    Secured language to update congressional briefing requirements for UAP.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle –A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 19, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least ten victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang of the Western District of Washington and Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: Indra Group to step up research and development of defence and space technologies with €385 million in EIB financing

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • Credit marks EIB’s largest financing operation in Spain to strengthen EU security and defence capabilities.
    • Financing to enable Indra to build a technological research and development centre, Indra Technology Hub, and push ahead in radar, electronic defence and other technologies.
    • Agreement supports technological innovation in Europe and is part of the EIB Group’s efforts to strengthen European security and defence capabilities, one of its cross-cutting priorities. It also contributes to the TechEU initiative.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €385 million financing agreement with Spanish technology company Indra Group to boost research, development and innovation of cutting-edge technologies for the defence and space sector. This is the largest EIB’s financing agreement in Spain to date to strengthen the European Union security and defence capabilities.

    The loan is aimed at spurring cutting-edge technologies in areas such as radar, electronic defence, electro-optics, command and control communications and advanced digitalisation. The EIB support will enable Indra to build an integrated technology centre in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid region. The planned Indra Technology Hub will be equipped with laboratories and advanced manufacturing technologies to serve the defence and space sector.

    The financing agreement was signed today at the EIB headquarters in Luxembourg. EIB President Nadia Calviño and Vice-President Robert de Groot attended the event along with Indra Chaiman Angel Escribano.

    “Today we are signing a strategic agreement with Indra to boost research and development of cutting-edge technologies. In the current geopolitical context, it is more important than ever to strengthen Europe’s security capabilities, with a pan-European approach and strategic projects. Investing in innovation and technology is investing in security, and the EIB’s support is key to enabling companies to develop projects that contribute to the security of all Europeans,” said Nadia Calviño, President of the EIB Group.

    “This agreement is about turning new ideas into real capabilities across Europe’s defence and space ecosystem,” said EIB Vice-President de Groot. “Space in particular has a critical role in Europe’s security and defence. By backing Indra’s innovation and supporting the creation of its Technology Hub, we are helping Europe stay ahead of the curve in technology, in resilience and in its ability to act with greater autonomy in a fast-changing world.”

    The project will boost the competitiveness of European industry and strengthen the resilience of the EU aerospace, security and defence supply chain. It supports the EIB’s  goal of strengthening European security and defence capabilities as well as the priorities included in its Strategic Roadmap to strengthen the European security and defence industry and accelerate digitalisation and technological innovation. It also contributes to the EIB’s TechEU initiative.

    “The EIB’s financing will boost our industrial and technological development supporting our ’Leading the Future’ strategic plan and our vision of becoming a key player in Europe’s security, defence and aerospace sectors,” said Indra Chairman Ángel Escribano. “The support of this public funding will enable Indra to accelerate the deployment of our industrial and innovation capabilities as well as strengthen our leadership in the security and defence field amidst the new European sovereignty environment.”

    EIB Group support for European security and defence

    Since 2024, the EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), has significantly stepped up its support for European security and defence. This line of activities is now a permanent cross-cutting public policy goal for the Group and one of its eight strategic priorities for 2024-2027.

    The Group has updated its lending policy, broadening the eligibility criteria and the range of security and defence projects it can finance. It has also set up a Security and Defence Office to ensure a rapid and effective response to project proposals.

    The EIB Group aims to allocate 3.5% – or about €3.5 billion  – of its total planned financing for 2025 to security and defence projects.

    As a result of ongoing fruitful dialogue with industry, financial intermediaries, defence ministries and key institutions such as the European Commission, the European Defence Agency and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Group currently has a solid pipeline of 80 projects contributing to Europe’s security and defence capabilities.

    For more information on EIB support for the European security and defence sector, click here.

    Background information

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Agreement, as pledged in its Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

    In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. In France, the EIB Group signed €12.6 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the green and digital transition of both countries, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

    Indra Group

    Indra Group (www.indracompany.com) is a holding company that promotes technological progress, which includes Indra, a leading global defence, air traffic and space company; and Minsait, a leader in digital transformation and information technologies in Spain and Latin America. Indra Group drives a safer, more secure and connected future through innovative solutions, trusted relationships and the best talent. Sustainability is part of its strategy and culture, in order to respond to present and future social and environmental challenges. At year-end 2024, Indra Group had revenues of 4,843 million euros, local presence in 49 countries and commercial operations in more than 140 countries.

    MIL OSI Europe News –