Category: Military Intelligence

MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister to participate in ASEAN Summit and the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that he will participate in the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, and the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany.

For almost half a century, Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been partners in promoting peace, prosperity, and progress. As we create good-paying jobs, fight climate change, and grow our economies, Canada and ASEAN stand united to make life better for people in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

At the Summit, from October 10 to 11, 2024, Prime Minister Trudeau will highlight Canada and ASEAN’s long-standing commitment toward building a fairer, more prosperous future for people on both sides of the Pacific. As work toward a Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement continues, the Prime Minister will note progress on last year’s ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and underscore the importance of sustainable long-term growth that works for everyone, empowers women and girls, and is anchored in the clean energy transition.

ASEAN is one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions. That’s why Canada is increasing trade and investment with ASEAN and putting Canadians at the forefront of this immense opportunity. As a group, ASEAN member states represented Canada’s fourth largest merchandise trading partner in 2023, with increased progress in agriculture, agrifood, and digital trade between our peoples. Greater trade and investment mean more jobs, more innovation, and more growth.

Building on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, Prime Minister Trudeau will also meet with ASEAN partners at the ASEAN-Canada Special Summit to enhance collaboration so we can effectively support prosperity and stability throughout the region. He will emphasize Canada’s constructive role in addressing new and emerging challenges to peace and security, including malicious cyber activity and threats from cybercrime.

This visit will mark the first official visit of a Canadian Prime Minister to Laos. As Canada and Laos celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations this year, Prime Minister Trudeau will work to advance shared interests and forge even stronger ties between our two countries.

The Prime Minister will then participate in the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, on October 12, 2024.

Hosted by the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, leaders from the international community will reaffirm global solidarity with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s unjustifiable war of aggression. Building on the progress made at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., United States of America, earlier this year, Prime Minister Trudeau will emphasize the importance of sustained international support for Ukraine and a just and lasting peace for Ukrainians.

The Prime Minister will highlight the importance of addressing Ukraine’s immediate defence and security needs, including the provision of military equipment, security assistance and training, and economic support. He will also highlight Canada’s commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, as evidenced by the Agreement on security cooperation between Canada and Ukraine, which was concluded earlier this year.

Canada will continue to work closely with its international partners to support Ukraine and Ukrainians as they continue to fight for their freedom, independence, and democracy.

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“Shared challenges require shared solutions – that’s what the ASEAN Summit and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are all about. Whether it’s fighting climate change, creating good-paying jobs, or strengthening democracy, Canada is playing a leadership role in creating a better, safer, and fairer future for people across the world.”

Quick Facts
- ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 member states. The objectives of ASEAN are to:
  - Speed up economic growth, social progress, and cultural development.
  - Promote regional peace and stability and respect for justice and the rule of law.
  - Increase collaboration across a range of economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific, and administrative spheres.
- Together, ASEAN as a regional bloc represents Canada’s fourth-largest trading partner, with over $38.8 billion in bilateral trade in 2023.
- Last year, Canada and ASEAN launched a strategic partnership for further collaboration in strategic areas of mutual interest, including peace and security and economic and socio-cultural co-operation.
- Canada became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1977 and is one of 11 partners with this designation.
- ASEAN Dialogue Partners co-operate on political and security issues, regional integration, economic interests, inter-faith dialogue, transnational crime and counterterrorism, disaster risk reduction, and other areas. Other Dialogue Partners include: Australia, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
- Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy advances and defends Canada’s interests by supporting a more secure, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Indo-Pacific region while protecting Canada’s national and economic security at home and abroad.
- The Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) was created by the United States Secretary of Defense in April 2022 to allow Allies and partners to synchronize donations to Ukraine, consult and co-ordinate military assistance, and build up the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Convening monthly at the ministerial level, the UDCG now brings together more than 50 countries.
- Since the launch of Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has trained more than 43,000 members of the AFU. Canada has announced the extension of this mission until March 2026 so the CAF can continue to respond to Ukraine’s training needs.
- Since 2022, Canada has committed over $19.5 billion in multifaceted support to Ukraine. This includes over $12.4 billion in financial assistance, which has helped the Ukrainian government to continue to operate, including by delivering essential government services and pensions to Ukrainians. Other assistance includes over $4.5 billion in military aid and equipment donations, $358.2 million in humanitarian assistance, $442 million in development assistance, and over $210 million in security and stabilization programming.
- Experts estimate that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported, forcibly transferred, or otherwise displaced from Ukraine to temporarily occupied territories and to Russia, for the purpose of erasing their Ukrainian identity. To date, hundreds of children have been returned to Ukraine and reunited with their families.
- Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,000 individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine for their complicity in the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as gross and systematic human rights violations. Many of these sanctions have been implemented in co-ordination with Canada’s partners.
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MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Translation: VATICAN – Pope announces a Consistory: 21 new Cardinals in December

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

Source: The Holy See in Italian

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Vatican Media

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “I am pleased to announce that on December 8th I will hold a Consistory for the nomination of new Cardinals”. Surprisingly, as has often happened in these years of pontificate, Pope Francis, at the Angelus, announces the imposition of the red hat. In total, 21 monsignors will receive the purple: 10 are European, of which 4 are Italian; 6 are from the American continent, of which 5 are South American, 4 Asian, two African. Of these, only one, having reached the age limit, will not be an elector in a future conclave. Among them also Bishop Baldassarre Reina who from today, as specified by the Pontiff, will hold the role of new Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, thus succeeding Cardinal De Donatis, appointed Major Penitentiary last April. Here are the names of the new Cardinals: H.E. Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio; H.E. Monsignor Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Archbishop of Lima, Peru; H.E. Monsignor Vicente Bokalic Iglic, C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Primate of Argentina; H.E. Mons. Cabrera Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador; H.E. Monsignor Natalio Chomalí Garib, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile; H.E. Mons. Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D, Archbishop of Tokyo, Japan; H.E. Monsignor Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines; H.E. Monsignor Ladislav Nemet, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd -Smederevo, Serbia;H.E. Mons. Jaime Spengler, O.F.M, Archbishop of Porto Alegre; H.E. Monsignor Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast; H.E. Monsignor Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., Archbishop of Alger, Algeria; H.E. Mons. Paskalis Bruno Syukur, O.F.M, Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia; H.E. Mons. Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan, Iran; H.E. Monsignor Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin, Italy; H.E. Monsignor Baldassare Reina, from today Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome; H.E. Mons. Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada; H.E. Mons. Rolandas Makrickas, Coadjutor Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore; H.E. Mons. Mykola Bychok, C.Ss.R., Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians; Rev. Father Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P, theologian; Rev. Father Fabio Baggio, C.S., Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development; Mons. George Jacob Koovakad, Official Secretary of State, responsible for Papal Trips. In total, in these almost twelve years of pontificate, Pope Francis has created 142 cardinals of which 113 electors. From Sunday 8 December 2024, the College of Cardinals will be enriched with new members and will therefore be composed of 256 members, of which 141 electors and 115 non-electors. The biographies of the new cardinalsS. E. Monsignor Tarcisio Isao KIKUCHI, S.V.D., Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan). He was born on 1 November 1958 in the prefecture of Iwate, diocese of Sendai. He studied in Japan. He made his perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Missionaries Verbiti in March 1985 and was ordained a priest in March 1986. He completed his studies at the “Spiritual Institute of Sacred Heart” in Melbourne (Australia). He was: 1986-1992: Missionary in the dioceses of Accra and Koforidua, in Ghana; 1993-1994: Trainer and vice-prefect of Verbiti postulants in Japan, and director for vocations of the Institute; 1994-1999: Provincial Councilor of the Verbiti. Since 1994: Teacher at Nanzan University, member of the “International Aid Committee” of the Episcopal Conference of Japan. Since 1996 he has been Coordinator of the “Justice and Peace” Office in the Asia and Pacific area of the Verbiti. Since 1998: Member of Caritas Japan and representative of the Japanese Bishops for various international conferences and meetings. Since 1999: Provincial Superior of the Verbites in Japan (second mandate since 2002). Executive Director of Caritas Japan. Member of the committee for the ongoing formation of the clergy of the diocese of Nagoya. Prior to his installation as archbishop of Tokyo in 2017, he had served as bishop of Niigata since 2004, when he was first appointed as bishop.H.E. Monsignor Pablo Virgilio SIONGCO DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Filipinas) He was born in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga, in the archdiocese of San Fernando, on 2 March 1959. He was ordained a priest on 12 March 1983 for the archdiocese of San Fernando. After a year as assistant parish priest, he was Director of the Mother of God Counsel Seminary until 1986. From 1986 to 1991 he studied abroad, obtaining a licentiate and then a doctorate in Holy Theology at the Catholic University of Louvain, and attending courses at the Ecole Biblique de Jerusalem where he graduated. Upon returning to his homeland he held various management and teaching roles in the educational team of the archdiocesan seminary. In 2002 he became director of the seminary’s Theology Department, continuing to teach Sacred Scripture. In the same year he was elected Vice-President of the Association of Catholic Biblical Scholars of the Philippines and Vice-President of the Archidiocesan Media Apostolate Networks. He is the author, at both an academic and popular level, of several publications on Sacred Scripture. On 27 May 2006 he was appointed titular bishop of Guardialfiera and auxiliary of San Fernando by Benedict XVI, and was consecrated the following 10 July. On 14 October 2015, he was appointed Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines).H.E. Monsignor Paskalis Bruno SYUKUR, O.F.M., Bishop of Bogor (Indonesia) He was born on 17 May 1962 in Ranggu, in the diocese of Ruteng, on the Island of Flores (Indonesia). After primary school, he attended the Pius X minor seminary in Kisol. He completed his philosophical studies at the Faculty of Driyakara Philosophy in Jakarta, then continued his theological studies at the Faculty of Theology in Yogyakarta. He made his solemn profession with the Franciscans Minor on 22 January 1989. He was ordained a priest on 2 February 1991. He then held the following roles: 1991-1993: Ministry in the parish of Moanemani, diocese of Jayapura (West Papua); 1993-1996: Studies for the Licentiate in Spirituality at the Antonianum, in Rome; 1996-2001: Master of Novices at Depok; 1998-2001: Guardian of the O.F.M. Community in Depok and Member of the Provincial Council; 2001-2009: Provincial Minister in Indonesia; since 2009: General Definitor of the O.F.M. for Asia and Oceania in Rome. On 21 November 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the diocese of Bogor (Indonesia).S. E. Mons. Dominique Joseph MATHIEU, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran) He was born on 13 June 1963 in Arlon, Belgium. After his high school studies, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. He made his solemn profession in 1987 and was ordained a priest on 24 September 1989. Since 2013 he has been incardinated in the Provincial Custody of the East and of the Holy Land. Within his Order, he held various positions: Vocational Promoter, Secretary, Vicar and Provincial Minister of the Belgian Province of the Conventual Friars Minor, becoming General Delegate after unification with the Province of France; Rector of the National Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua in Brussels and Director of the related Confraternity. He was also President of two different non-profit associations linked to the presence of the Conventual Friars Minor in Belgium, with roles of responsibility in the Catholic School of Landen. He was President of the Central European Federation of Conventual Friars Minor and a member of the International Commission for the Economy of his Order. Having moved to Lebanon in 2013, he was Custodial Secretary, Formator, Master of Novices and Rector of Postulants and Candidates in the Provincial Custody of the East and the Holy Land. Since 2019 he has been General Definitor and General Assistant for the Central European Federation of Conventual Friars Minor. On 8 January 2021, he was appointed Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran).H.E. Mons. Jean-Paul VESCO, O.P., Archbishop of Alger (Algeria) He was born in Lyon (France) on 10 March 1962. He obtained a degree in Law and practiced law in a lawyer’s office in Lyon, until the choice to enter the Order of Preacher Fathers. In 1995 he began his novitiate year and made his first religious profession on 14 September 1996. He was ordained a priest on 24 June 2001 in Lyon. He arrived in the diocese of Oran (Algeria) on 6 October 2002 at the convent of Tlemcen. In 2004 he was chosen as a delegate of the diocese for the preparation of the Interdiocesan Assembly of Algeria (AIDA). Since 2005 he has been Vicar General of the same diocese and since 2007 he has also assumed the office of diocesan bursar. On 16 October 2007 he was elected Superior of the Dominican Community of Tlemcen, a position he held until January 2011, when he was elected Provincial Superior of France. On 1 December 2012, he was appointed Bishop of Oran (Algeria), until 27 December 2022, when the Holy Father appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop Alger (Algeria).H.E. Mons. Ignace BESSI DOGBO, Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast) He was born on 17 August 1961 in Niangon-Adjamé, Diocese of Yopougon. He was ordained a priest on 2 August 1987. He has held the following positions: parish ministry (1987-1989); License in Exegesis from the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome; diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (1993-1995); Vicar General of Yopougon (1995-2004); parish priest of Yopougon Cathedral (1997-2004); Professor of Biblical Languages in the Saint Paul Major Seminary of Abadjin Kouté; Diocesan Spiritual Assistant of the J.E.C. He was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Katiola on 19 March 2004 and received episcopal consecration on the following 4 July; President of the Episcopal Conference (2017-2023); since 2017, Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Korhogo; from 2021 to 2024, Metropolitan Archbishop of Korhogo. On 20 May 2024, he was appointed Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast).H.E. Mons. Carlos Gustavo CASTILLO MATTASOGLIO Archbishop of Lima (Peru) He was born in Lima on 28 February 1950. Having entered the Santo Toribio major seminary of Mogrovejo of the archdiocese of Lima, he was sent to Rome for his ecclesiastical studies where, in 1979, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and, in 1983, in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest, incardinating in the archdiocese of Lima on 15 July 1984. He obtained the licentiate in 1985 and, in 1987, the doctorate in dogmatic theology, again from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He has held the following positions: Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (from 1987 to the present); Councilor of the National Union of Catholic Students (1987-1998); Parochial vicar in the parish of San Francisco de Asís (1987-1990); Parochial vicar of the parish of La Encarnación (1990-1991); Archdiocesan head of the University Pastoral of Lima and collaborator at the parish of San Juan Apóstol (1991-1999); Vicar for youth ministry of Lima, organizer of the vicar for youth and responsible for vocational ministry (1996-1999); National Councilor of the Episcopal Commission for Youth of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (1990-2001); parochial vicar of the parish of San Juan Apóstol (1999-2001); National councilor for youth ministry (2000); parish priest of the parish of Virgen Medianera (2002-2009); Director of relations with the Church and member of the University Council of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (2003-2006); Parish priest of the parish of San Lázaro (2010-2015). On 25 January 2019 Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of the archdiocese of Lima (Peru).H.E. Monsignor Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Primado de la Argentina). He was born on 11 June 1952 in Lanús (Buenos Aires). In 1970 he entered the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists). He studied philosophy at the Jesuit Maximo College in San Miguel, and theological studies at the Seminary of Buenos Aires. He took his perpetual vows on 5 June 1976. Ordained a priest on 1 April 1978, he was in charge of the vocational and youth ministry of Buenos Aires and, since 1981, he has also exercised the office of Parish Vicar of Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa. From 1983 to 1986 he was a formator and bursar, and from 1987 to 1990 superior in the Seminary of the Congregation of the Mission. From 1991 to 1993 he worked again in the Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish, from 1994 to 1997 he was a missionary in the Prelature of Deán Funes and, from 1997 to 2000, Superior of the Seminary of his Congregation in San Miguel. Missionary and parish priest in the diocese of Goya from 2000 to 2003, from December 2003 to December 2009 he exercised the office of Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Mission. Then he was sent again to the Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa Parish in Buenos Aires. On 15 March 2010 he was appointed titular bishop of Summa and auxiliary of Buenos Aires (Argentina). He received episcopal consecration on May 29 of the same year. On 23 December 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Santiago del Estero (Argentina). On 22 July 2024, the Holy Father elevated the Diocese of Santiago del Estero (Argentina) to the rank of Primatial Archdiocese of Argentina, and appointed him the first Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Argentina).H.E. Mons. Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador). He was born in Azogues on 11 October 1955. He attended the Franciscan minor seminary in Azogues and Quito, studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and he obtained a Doctorate in philosophy from the Antonianum in Rome. He was ordained a priest on 3 September 1983. He held the following roles: assistant to the Master of Novices O.F.M. and then novitiate master of Riobamba; member of the Provincial Council of the Order, responsible for vocational pastoral care and the formation of aspirants of the Franciscan province; Director of the philosophical-theological institute “Card. B. Echeverría” of Quito; Secretary of the ecumenism sector of the Episcopal Commission of Magisterium and Doctrine of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference. In August 2000 he was elected Provincial Minister of the Franciscans of the Province of Ecuador and Vice President of the Conference of Religious. From 2003 until 2009 he was Definitor of the Franciscan Order and Delegate of the Minister General for the Franciscan Provinces of Latin America and the Caribbean. On 20 April 2009 he was appointed Archbishop of Cuenca, receiving episcopal consecration the following 4 July. In the period 2001-2014 he was Vice-President of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference. Since 24 September 2015 he has been Archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador).H.E. Monsignor Fernando Natalio CHOMALÍ GARIB Archbishop of Santiago de Chile (Chile) He was born on 10 March 1957 in Santiago de Chile. After graduating in Civil Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, he completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago. He received priestly ordination on 6 April 1991 for the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. He held the following positions and carried out further studies: Licentiate in Moral Theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome; Doctorate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome; Master in Bioethics at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome; Parish vicar; Episcopal Delegate for University Pastoral; Professor of Moral Theology and Bioethics in the Faculties of Theology and Medicine of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and in the Major Seminary; Parish Priest of Santa María de la Misericordia; Moderator of the Curia and President Delegate of the Economic Council of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile; Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (since 2001). On 6 April 2006 he was appointed titular bishop of Noba and auxiliary of Santiago de Chile, receiving episcopal consecration the following 3 June. On 20 April 2011 he was appointed Archbishop of Concepción and, on 25 October 2023, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile. He is currently Vice President of CECH.S.E. Mons. Jaime SPENGLER, O.F.M., Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brasil) He was born on 6 September 1960, in Blumenau, in the State of Santa Catarina, in the diocese of the same name. He did his Franciscan postulancy in Guaratinguetá (1981) and his novitiate in Rodeio (1982); he made his perpetual profession in 1985 and was ordained a priest on 17 November 1990. He completed his studies in philosophy at the São Boaventura Philosophical Institute in Campo Largo and those in theology, first at the Franciscan Theological Institute in Petrópolis (1986- 1987) and then at the Theological Institute of Jerusalem (1987-1990), where he obtained a license in Sacred Scripture. Subsequently he obtained a degree in Philosophy in Rome, at the Pontifical Athenaeum Antonianum (1995-1998). He has held the following positions: Professor in the Franciscan Novitiate in Rodeio, Master of Postulants (1990); Professor in the Postulancy and Parish Vicar in Guaratinguetá (1991-1994); Professor and Vice-Rector of the São Boaventura Institute of Philosophy in Campo Largo (2000-2003); Religious Assistant of the Federação Brasileira das Irmãs Concepcionistas (2001-2002); local superior and parish vicar of the Senhor Bom Jesus Parish, in the archdiocese of Curitiba (2004-2006), Professor of Philosophy at the São Boaventura Faculty in Curitiba (2000-2003); Vice-president of the Franciscan Association of Ensino Senhor Bom Jesus in Campo Largo and Guardian of the Local Convent. On 10 November 2010 he was appointed titular bishop of Patara and auxiliary of Porto Alegre. He received episcopal ordination on 5 February 2011. On 18 September 2013, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil).H.E. Mons. Francis LEO, Archbishop of Toronto (Canada) He was born on 30 June 1971 in Montreal (Canada). In 1990 he entered the Seminary obtaining the Baccalaureate in Philosophy (1992), the Licentiate and then the Doctorate in Theology (2005), with specialization in Marian Studies, obtained at the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI), University of Dayton (Ohio ). He was ordained a priest on December 14, 1996 for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montreal. After his priestly ordination, he was Deputy Parish Priest of Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolata (1996-2001); Administrator of the Parish Saint-Joseph-de-Rivière-des-Prairies (2003-2005); Chaplain of the Roscelli School and religious teacher of the Collège Reine-Marie (2003-2005); Parish priest of Saint-Raymond-de-Peñafort (2005-2006). From 2006 to 2008 he was sent to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, he worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Australia (2008-2011) and then at the Study Mission of the Holy See in Hong Kong (2011-2012). Returning to Montreal in 2012, he was appointed Director and Professor of Dogmatics of the Major Seminary, Director of the Department of Canon Law of the IFTM and Vice President of the Diocesan Work for Vocations. From 2013 to 2015 he was a member of the Presbyteral Council. From 2015 to 2021 he was General Secretary of the Canadian Episcopal Conference. In 2021 he received the role of Vicar General and Moderator of the Archdiocesan Curia of Montreal. On 16 July 2022 he was appointed titular bishop of Tameda and auxiliary of Montreal, and was consecrated the following 12 September. On 11 February 2023 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montreal.S.E. Monsignor Mykola BYCHOK, C.Ss.R., Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians. He was born on 13 February 1980 in Ternopil in Ukraine. He entered the Redemptorist Order in July 1997, and trained in Ukraine and Poland, obtaining a license in Pastoral Theology. On 17 August 2003 he took his final vows, and on 3 May 2005 he was ordained a priest in Lviv. He has held the following positions: missionary in the Mother Church of Perpetual Help in Prokopyevsk in Russia, Superior of the Monastery of St. Joseph and Parish Priest of the Mother Parish of Perpetual Help in Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine, Bursar of the Redemptorist Province of Lviv and since 2015 Vicar of the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Newark, NJ, Archeparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians. On 15 January 2020 he was appointed Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians. On 7 June 2020 he was consecrated bishop by His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk in St. George’s Cathedral, Lviv. On 12 July 2021, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul in the Julian Calendar, he was enthroned as the third bishop of the Eparchy of Melbourne by His Grace Peter Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Melbourne.S. E. Monsignor Ladislav NEMET, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd – Smederevo, (Serbia) He was born on 7 September 1956 in Odžaci, in the Diocese of Subotica (Serbia). In 1977 he entered the Society of the Divine Word and was ordained a priest on 1 May 1983. He obtained a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He held the following positions: Missionary in the Philippines; Teacher in Poland, Austria and Croatia; Collaborator of the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the UN in Vienna; Provincial of the Hungarian Province of the Society of the Divine Word; General Secretary of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference. He was appointed Bishop of Zrenjanin on 23 April 2008. In 2021, he was re-elected for a second term as President of the International Episcopal Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius; furthermore, he is Vice President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE).H.E. Mons. Rolandas MAKRICKAS, Coadjutor Archpriest Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore He was born in Biržai, Lithuania, on 31 January 1972. Ordained a priest on 20 July 1996 for the Diocese of Panevėžys, from 1996 to 2001 he was under-secretary of the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference and head of the National Committee of the Great Jubilee of 2000. He obtained a Doctorate in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2004. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 2006, he worked at the Pontifical Representations in Georgia, Sweden, the United States of America and Gabon, and at the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State. From 15 December 2021 to 19 March 2024 he was extraordinary commissioner for the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. On 11 February 2023 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Tolentino and on the following 15 April he received episcopal ordination, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness. On 19 March 2024 he was appointed by the Holy Father Coadjutor Archpriest with right of succession of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.H.E. Mons. Baldassare REINA, auxiliary bishop of Rome, former vice-gerent and, from today, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome. He was born on 26 November 1970 in San Giovanni Gemini, in the province and Archdiocese of Agrigento. He entered the Archbishop’s Seminary in 1981. In 1995 he obtained a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and in 1998 a Licentiate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. He was ordained a priest on 8 September 1995. From 1998 to 2001 he was Diocesan Assistant of Catholic Action and Vice-Rector of the Archbishop’s Seminary of Agrigento. From 2001 to 2003 he was parish priest of the Blessed Mary Virgin of Itria in Favara. From 2003 to 2009 he was Prefect of studies of the San Gregorio Agrigentino Theological Study and from 2009 to 2013 Parish Priest of S. Leonead Agrigento. From 2013 to 2022 he was Rector of the Major Seminary of Agrigento. He also held the following roles in the Diocese: Teacher of Sacred Scripture at the Institute of Religious Sciences; Permanent teacher at the San Gregorio Agrigentino Theological Studio; Director of the Culture Office; Canon of the Cathedral Chapter; Member of the Presbyteral Council and of the College of Consultors. On 27 May 2022, he was appointed titular bishop of Acque di Mauritania and auxiliary of Rome. On 6 January 2023, the Holy Father appointed him Vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome.H.E. Mons. Roberto REPOLE, Archbishop of Turin (Italy) He was born in Turin on 29 January 1967. Having entered the Seminary at the age of eleven, he completed his high school studies at the Minor Seminary, obtaining his classical high school diploma at the Valsalice Salesian High School in Turin in 1986. He studied philosophy and theology at the archiepiscopal seminary of Turin and received presbyteral ordination on 13 June 1992. From 1992 to 1996 he was parochial vicar at the parish of Gesù Redentore and collaborator of the parish of Ss. Nome di Maria in Turin. He continued his studies in systematic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, obtaining his licentiate in 1998 and his doctorate in 2001 with a thesis on the thought of Henri de Lubac in dialogue with Gabriel Marcel. Since 2001 he has taught systematic theology at the parallel Turin branch of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy and the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of the same city. Canon of the Royal Church of San Lorenzo in Turin since 2010, he was president of the Italian Theological Association from 2011 to 2019; dean of the Turin section of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy and collaborator of the Santa Maria della Stella parish in Druento. On 19 February 2022, Pope Francis appointed him the 95th Metropolitan Archbishop of Turin and Bishop of Susa, thus uniting the two sees in person as bishops. On 7 May 2022 he received episcopal ordination. In September 2022, the Permanent Episcopal Council of the CEI appointed him as a member of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education, School and University. In October 2022 in Aosta the bishops of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta elected him vice president of the Episcopal Conference of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta (CEP).R.P. Timothy Peter Joseph RADCLIFFE, OP, theologian Born in London in 1945, he joined the Dominican order in 1965. After completing his studies in Oxford and Paris, he began teaching sacred Scripture at the University of Oxford. Ordained a priest in 1971, actively involved in the peace movement, he also carried out pastoral ministry among AIDS sufferers. From 1982 to 1988 he was prior of the convent of Oxford, then provincial of England from 1988 to 1992, and finally master general of the order founded by Saint Dominic from 1992 to 2001. Orator, lecturer, preacher and writer of international fame, he is member of CAFOD (agency of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, involved in charitable support and development in overseas countries) and of the theological commission of international Caritas. He has received honorary degrees from Oxford University and other academic institutions in France, Italy and the United States. In 2007 he was awarded the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writings.R. Fr Fabio BAGGIO, C.S., under secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He was born in Bassano del Grappa in 1965 and, in 1976, entered the Scalabrini-Tirondola Seminary of the Missionaries of San Carlo, making his perpetual profession in 1991. The following year he was ordained a Priest. In 1998 he obtained a doctorate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. From 1995 to 1997, in Santiago de Chile, in addition to exercising the pastoral ministry, he held the position of Advisor to the Episcopal Commission for Migration of Chile (INCAMI). Subsequently, until 2002, he was Director of the Department for Migration of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, also covering, in 1999, the role of National Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Pontifical Mission Societies Argentina. On 14 December 2016 he was appointed Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. On 23 April 2022, the Holy Father confirmed him as Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development also with responsibility for the Migrants and Refugees Section and Special Projects Mons. George Jacob KOOVAKAD, Official of the Secretary of State, responsible for Papal Trips. He was born in Chethipuzha (India) on 11 August 1973. He was ordained a Priest on 24 July 2004, incardinated in Changanacherry. Graduated in Canon Law. Having entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on 1 July 2006, he was assigned to the Apostolic Nunciature in Algeria, as Attache. On March 2, 2009, he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Korea until February 2012, when he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Iran. On February 16, 2015, he was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Costa Rica. Since July 10, 2020, he has worked in the Secretariat of State, General Affairs section. on 10 July 2020. From 2021, Pope Francis has entrusted him with the organization of papal trips.H.E. Mons. Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio He was born on 23 September 1925 in Sesta Godano (Italy) and was ordained a priest on 27 March 1948 for the then Diocese of Pontremoli. Having entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1956, he served in the Papal Representations in Colombia, Brazil, France, Japan and Portugal, as well as in the Council for Public Affairs of the Church of the Secretariat of State. St. Paul VI, on June 22, 1974, appointed him an apostolic pro-nuncio in New Zealand and apostolic delegate in the Pacific Ocean, assigning him the headquarters of Zella and the personal title of Archbishop; The same Holy Pontiff, on the following 30 June, conferred him the episcopal ordination in the papal basilica of San Pietro in the Vatican. St. John Paul II, then, sent him as Nunzio to Colombia – where, together with other diplomats, he was hostage for six weeks by the guerrillas of the Movimiento 19 de Abril – and, subsequently, in Hungary and Moldova and in the Netherlands. From 2001 to 2015 he held the office of prelate of the Sovereign Military Hospital Order of San Giovanni di Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hurricane Helene update #9 from Congressman Edwards
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11)

Dear Friend,

Happy Sunday. If you’ll give me a point of privilege, I’d like to skip the business talk today and share a bit of positivity. Regardless of your beliefs, Sundays are an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the blessings in our lives.

Today, I’m grateful that I get to represent such strong, resilient, salt-of-the-earth people who continue to show up for each other. I’m grateful for the thousands of people from across the country who have come to serve and help our mountains, and I’m grateful for the local leaders who are working day and night to help us recover and achieve a new normal.

I’m curious, what are you grateful for today?

Today’s update includes the longest list of food and water distribution sites yet. It also includes more information on county trash pickup/debris removal, plans to rebuild and reopen I-40 into Tennessee, and where to find free internet.

Today is update number nine, with more information to follow in the coming days. Please make sure to read everything and share it with your friends and family.

Food and Water
- Supplying drinkable water remains a top priority for emergency crews.
  - 93 water systems are on a boil advisory.
  - 37 treatment plants have reported having no power and 41 systems are out of water.
    
    Water restoration trends continue to move in a positive direction.
- Today, October 6, 12 combined teams from the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be conducting infrastructure assessments on public water supplies in the following counties:
  - Buncombe
  - Henderson
  - McDowell
  - Polk
  - Rutherford
  - Yancey
    
    The results of these assessments are expected on October 7 and will provide insight into the necessary steps to restore water services in each county.
- The state of North Carolina is continuing to provide a minimum of 40 trailer loads of water and 20 trailer loads of food daily through at least October 6, per their promise to the people of Western North Carolina.
  - I’m in conversation with NC Emergency Management to negotiate a new commitment for the people of Western North Carolina since the state’s initial promise of 40 trailers of water and 20 trailers of food expires today.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised 120 truckloads a day of food and water with no specified end date.
  - To date, FEMA has shipped 13 million meals and 13 million liters of water utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit.
- Walmart is hosting activities at the following locations:
  - Hendersonville, NC Store 1242
    
    250 Highlands Square Dr., Hendersonville, NC 28792
    
    Portable restrooms
    
    Serving hot meals at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily
  - Arden, NC Store 1179
    
    60 Airport Rd., Arden, NC 28704
    
    Portable restrooms
    
    Laundry
    
    Showers
    
    Wi-fi hotspot and charging stations
  - Resource pick-up locations are listed below by county. As I learn more, I will keep you posted:
    
    Buncombe County
    
    Buncombe County has begun water distribution at multiple sites. Each will be available daily from 1:00 -7:00 p.m.:
    
    Pack Square Park – you MUST bring your own container for this site
    
    80 Court Plz., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    William W. Estes Elementary School
    
    275 Overlook Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
    
    Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
    
    154 Sand Hill School Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
    
    North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
    
    20 Doan Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787
    
    Fairview Elementary
    
    1355 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
    
    The following major feeding site is available in Buncombe County, where citizens can access food, water and other basic necessities:
    
    Biltmore Baptist Church
    
    35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC 28704
    
    Distribution and bulk pickup for volunteers looking to take bulk loads of supplies to in-need community members
    
    Saturday hours: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
    
    Community drive-thru for anyone in the community needing supplies
    
    Saturday hours: 3:00-6:00 p.m.
    
    First Baptist Church – Weaverville
    
    63 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
    
    Hot showers available from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    
    Unlimited clean drinking water is available, bring your own container.
    
    Supplies and bottled water.
    
    Hot lunch served at 1:30 p.m.
    
    Food and drinking water are available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily at the following locations:
    
    Asheville Middle School
    
    211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    Ingles
    
    550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
    
    This location also has handwashing stations and portable restrooms
    
    Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
    
    121 Shiloh Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
    
    Lucy Herring Elementary
    
    98 Sulphur Springs Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
    
    Oakley Elementary School
    
    753 Fairvew Rd., Asheville, NC 28803
    
    Haywood County
    
    The following locations are providing community members with essential resources such as but not limited to, food, water, cleaning products, baby formula, and pet food, Monday through Fridays:
    
    Pigeon Community Center
    
    450 Pigeon St., Waynesville, NC 28786
    
    Also offering hot meals every day at 2:00 p.m.
    
    Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    
    Cruso Community Center
    
    13186 Cruso Rd., Canton, NC 28716
    
    Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
    
    First United Methodist Church
    
    566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, NC 28786
    
    Includes shower access.
    
    Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
    
    Maggie Valley Pavilion
    
    3935 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
    
    Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    
    Woodland Baptist Church
    
    545 Crabtree Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786
    
    Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    
    Bethel Elementary School
    
    4700 Old River Rd., Canton, NC 28716
    
    Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    
    Jonathan Valley Elementary School
    
    410 Hall Dr., Waynesville, NC 28786
    
    Daily Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    
    Monday through Friday
    
    The following location offers hot meals daily:
    
    Maggie Valley Fire Department
    
    2901 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
    
    The following location offers showers daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.:
    
    Calvary Baptist Church
    
    2701 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 28751
    
    Henderson County
    
    Henderson County has stood up Resource Hub locations for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.
    
    Distribution will be taking place daily from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 at the following locations:
    
    Etowah Elementary: 320 Etowah School Rd., Etowah, NC 28729
    
    Rugby Middle School: 3345 Haywood Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28791
    
    East Henderson High School: 150 Eagle Pride Dr., East Flat Rock, NC 28726
    
    North Henderson High School: 35 Fruitland Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
    
    Mills River Town Hall: 124 Town Center Dr., Mills River, NC 28759
    
    Fletcher Town Hall: 300 Old Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
    
    Each family unit will be provided supplies for one day’s meal and water as available.
    
    Individuals are asked to enter the drive-through and remain in your car unless otherwise instructed by volunteers to ensure an efficient process.
    
    Jackson County
    
    In partnership with the Red Cross, the following is available for citizens of Jackson County:
    
    The Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau are providing shelf-stable meals at the following location:
    
    558 Frank Allen Rd., Cashiers, NC 28717
    
    Hours of operation to come.
    
    The Canada Fire Department is distributing emergency supplies at the following location:
    
    149 Charleys Creek Rd., Tuckasegee, NC 28783
    
    Hours of operation to come.
    
    Madison County
    
    The following locations are offering food, water, and some supply distribution in Madison County:
    
    Beech Glen Community Center
    
    2936 Beech Glen Rd., Mars Hill, 28754
    
    Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
    
    Center Community Center
    
    1300 Grapevine Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    
    Ebbs Chapel Community Center
    
    281 Laurel Valley Rd., Mars Hill, NC 28754
    
    Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Enon Baptist Church
    
    174 Ammons Branch Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Open Sunday 12:00-4:00 p.m.
    
    Freedom Christian Church
    
    7350 US 25/70 Bypass, Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    This location offers additional resources such as hygiene products, blankets, clothes, cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, etc.
    
    Laurel Community Center – also has supplies
    
    4100 NC 212 Hwy., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
    
    Revere-Rice Community Center
    
    3980 Revere Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Mon-Sat)
    
    Spring Creek Community Center
    
    13075 NC 209 Hwy., Hot Springs, NC 28743
    
    Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    This location also has additional resources such as pet food, livestock feed and hay.
    
    Walnut Community Center – also has supplies
    
    46 School Rd., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily hours: Unable to locate daily hours at this time.
    
    N.C. Cooperative Extension – Madison County Center
    
    258 Carolina Ln., Marshall, NC 28753
    
    Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    
    This location is offering drive-thru food distribution only.
    
    McDowell County
    
    McDowell County has established multiple points of distribution that are open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m., depending on supply levels.
    
    Distribution takes place daily at the following locations:
    
    Former TJ’s Discounts – North Cove
    
    8153 US 221 N., Marion, NC 28752
    
    Old Fort Town Hall
    
    38 Catawba Ave., Old Fort, NC 28762
    
    New Manna Baptist Church
    
    225 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752
    
    Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church – Dysartsville
    
    7860 NC 226 S., Nebo, NC 28761
    
    Zion Hill Baptist Church
    
    1036 Zion Hill Rd., Marion, NC 28752
    
    Hot meals are also being provided at the following location:
    
    Grace Community Church
    
    5182 US 70 W., Marion, NC 28752
    
    Lunch is served every day from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    
    Dinner is available from 4:00-5:30 p.m.
    
    First Baptist Church of Marion is offering hot showers, air conditioning, and areas to charge devices.
    
    Current hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
    
    Polk County
    
    The following locations are offering food and water distribution for residents in need from 1:00-5:00 p.m.:
    
    Mill Spring/Green Creek Community
    
    25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
    
    Columbus Community
    
    95 Walker St., Columbus, NC 28722
    
    Saluda Community Bus Parking Lot
    
    214 E. Main St., Saluda, NC 28773
    
    Tryon Community
    
    301 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC 28782
    
    Sunny View
    
    86 Sunny View School Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
    
    Rutherford County
    
    The following locations are open from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. for citizens to get food and emergency supplies:
    
    Thomas Jefferson High School
    
    2527 US-221A Hwy., Mooresboro, NC 28114
    
    Florence Baptist Church
    
    201 S. Broadway St., Forest City, NC 28043
    
    Rutherford County Health Department
    
    221 Callahan Koon Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
    
    Gilkey Church of God
    
    255 Oak Springs Rd., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
    
    Parks, Recreation, & Lake Office
    
    658 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
    
    Lake Lure Baptist Church
    
    6837 US-74 ALT, Lake Lure, NC 28746
    
    Ingles at Lake Lure – meals only
    
    276 NC-9, Lake Lure, NC 28746
    
    Offers hot meals at 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m.
    
    Also offers showers, restrooms, a mobile health van, a tool trailer, a charging station (please bring your own charging cord), and wi-fi.
    
    Father’s Vineyard – also has shower and charging stations
    
    724 Oakland Rd., Spindale, NC 28160
    
    Spencer Baptist Church – water distribution only
    
    187 N Oak St., Spindale, NC 28160
    
    United Way of Rutherford County – water distribution and charging stations only
    
    668 Withrow Rd., Forest City, NC 28043
    
    The Church at Sapphire – through October 10
    
    620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
    
    Daily hours: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
    
    Little River Baptist Church – through October 11
    
    51 Little River Church Rd., Penrose, NC 28766
    
    Breakfast hours: 8:00-10:00 a.m.
    
    Lunch hours: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
    
    Dinner hours: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
    
    Cedar Mountain Community CenterTransylvania County
    
    10635 Greenville Hwy., Cedar Mountain, NC 28718
    
    Breakfast hours: 9:00-11:00 a.m.
    
    Lunch hours: 12:00-2:00 p.m.
    
    Dinner hours: 4:00-6:00 p.m.The following locations are providing hot meals to county residents:
    
    Balsam Grove Community Center – daily until power is fully restored
    
    8732 Parkway Rd., Balsam Grove, NC 28708
    
    Daily hours: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    
    Bottled water is available daily at local fire departments and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Anchor Baptist Church located at:
    
    3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
    
    Water filling stations can be found at the following locations:
    
    City Sports Complex
    
    824 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    
    Cedar Mountain Outpost
    
    8431 Greenville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    No posted daily hours.
    
    Territory Brevard
    
    43 S. Broad St, Brevard, NC 28712
    
    No posted daily hours.
    
    DD Bullwinkles
    
    60 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    No posted daily hours.
    
    First United Methodist Church
    
    325 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Pisgah Forest Baptist Church
    
    494 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
    
    Daily hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    
    Newfound Artisan
    
    22 W. Jordan St., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    Through today, October 6.
    
    Hours: 12:00-5:00 p.m.
    
    Food, water, and other supplies such as hygiene products are being distributed at the following locations:
    
    Anchor Baptist Church
    
    3232 Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
    
    Daily hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    The Church at Sapphire
    
    620 Whitewater Rd., Sapphire, NC 28774
    
    Through October 10.
    
    Daily hours: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
    
    Yancey County
    
    Yancey County has transitioned to one centralized distribution site for water, food and ice located at the following address:
    
    Altec
    
    150 Altec Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
    
    Mobile laundry facilities are available in the GO Grocery parking lot located at the following address:
    
    631 W Hwy. 19E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714
Trash Services and Debris Removal
- If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.
- Additionally, the following counties have resources for where to take debris waste.
  - Buncombe
    
    Curbside collection will begin Monday for City of Asheville sanitation customers.
    
    There will be no recycling pick up until the recycling plant is operational.
    
    Residents can use both recycling and trash carts for household waste.
    
    The following materials cannot be collected at this time: Mud, construction debris, concrete and other bulky or hazardous items.
    
    Debris collection is estimated to start in mid-October.
    
    The Town of Black Mountain Public Works Department has secured four 15-yard dumpsters located in two sites for Black Mountain residents to throw away household trash ONLY:
    
    Tractor Supply: 125 Old US Hwy. 70 E., Black Mountain, NC 28711
    
    Ingles: 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711
    
    Please Note: Yard waste, bulk item, separate recycling and debris collection are not available at this time.
  - Haywood
    
    Household waste will be accepted at the Materials Recovery Facility at 247 Recycle Rd., Clyde and at Convenience Centers at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove and Highway 110.
    
    White Oak Landfill has reopened.
  - Henderson
    
    Henderson County Transfer Station is open and accepting storm debris with normal fees.
    
    Henderson County has begun curbside storm debris removal to county residents as a free service.
    
    The county will pick up storm debris for free if it is pushed to the right of way of a property.
    
    Storm debris includes tree branches, leaves, logs, building materials, furniture, paint etc.
    
    Please be patient.
    
    The county will pick up storm debris for free as quickly as possible.
  - Madison
    
    The Hot Springs collection center is operating on normal hours for household trash ONLY:
    
    Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    
    Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
    
    Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    
    Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Hot Springs trash pickup is returning to Mondays like usual.
    
    Please only use this pickup service if you cannot bring it to the collection center yourself.
    
    The pickup service is being led by volunteers at this time.
  - Polk
    
    The Polk County landfill is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    
    322 Landfill Rd., Mill Spring, NC 28756
    
    The service fee is waived through October 8.
    
    Beginning on October 9, drop off of residential trash will be $10.
    
    GFL trash services will continue on the regular schedule. However, certain areas may be inaccessible due to ongoing power outages from Hurricane Helene.
    
    Two dumpsters are located on Gibson Street for immediate trash disposal due to road inaccessibility.
  - Transylvania
    
    The City of Brevard has resumed regular trash pickup.
  - Yancey
    
    The Riverside and East Yancey Recycling Centers were expected to resume operations by yesterday, October 5.
    
    No update has been published, but I will keep you posted once I have received confirmation that the facilities have been reopened.
Voter Information
- The North Carolina State Board of Elections has provided pertinent information and recommendations for voters in the Helene disaster area during the 2024 general election.
  - To review information on voting in the 2024 general election after Hurricane Helene, you can follow this link.
    
    The site provides information on absentee voting, how to change your polling location, county board of elections, office closures and more.
    
    For any additional questions on voting post-hurricane, please contact your county Board of Elections.
    
    Please note: Your county Board of Elections is the best place to get any questions answered.
    
    I have been permitted to share the above, nonpartisan information but am prohibited from answering any questions related to the 2024 general election.
United States Postal Service/Mail Services
- USPS anticipates continued improvement of mail delivery operations with local recovery efforts, to include power, connectivity, and roads.
- There are some facilities unable to provide full retail and mail delivery due to road closures and current conditions.
  - No drop shipments will be accepted at any of the locations listed below.
    
    The following sites are closed:
    
    Barnardsville – 28709
    
    Cedar Mountain – 28718
    
    Hot Springs – 28743
    
    Rosman – 28772
    
    Swannanoa – 28778
    
    The following sites are closed with alternative facilities listed:
    
    Alexander – 28701
    
    Alternative location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Bat Cave – 28710
    
    Alternative location: 1800 Four Season Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
    
    Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Chimney Rock – 28720
    
    Alternative location: 2432 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., closed 12:00-1:00 p.m.
    
    Edneyville – 28727
    
    Alternative location: 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Ste. 11, Hendersonville, NC 28739
    
    Daily hours M-F: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Gerton – 28735
    
    Alternative location: 1352 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, NC 28730
    
    Daily Hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Green Mountain – 28740
    
    Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Marshall – 28753
    
    Alternative Location: 270 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Micaville – 28755
    
    Alternative location: 670 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    Montreat – 28757
    
    Alternative location: 2 Tucker Rd., Ridgecrest, NC 28770
    
    Daily hours M-F: 12:30-4:30 p.m.
    
    Penland – 28765
    
    Alternative location: 899 Oak Ave., Spruce Pine, NC 28777
    
    Daily hours M-F: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    
    Open Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    
    The following sites are attempting delivery where safe to do so:
    
    Arden – 28704
    
    Asheville London Rd. – 28803
    
    Asheville S&DC – 28810
    
    Black Mountain – 28711
    
    Brevard – 28712
    
    Burnsville – 28714
    
    Candler – 28715
    
    Clyde – 28721
    
    Columbus – 28722
    
    East Flat Rock – 28726
    
    Etowah – 28729
    
    Fairview – 2873
    
    Fletcher – 28732
    
    Hendersonville Annex – 28792
    
    Horse Shoe – 28742
    
    Lake Toxaway (cash only/PO box) – 28747
    
    Marion – 28752
    
    Mars Hill – 28754
    
    Old Fort – 28762
    
    Rutherfordton – 28139
    
    Saluda – 28773
    
    Sapphire – 28774
    
    Spruce Pine – 28777
    
    Tryon – 28782
    
    Weaverville – 28787
    
    Due to internet outages and connectivity issues, the following sites are providing retail services with cash only, PO Box only:
    
    Dana – 28724
    
    Enka – 28728
    
    Flat Rock – 28731
    
    Hendersonville MPO – 28739
    
    Lake Lure (OIC) – 28746
    
    Little Switzerland – 28749
    
    Mountain Home – 28758
    
    Naples – 28760
    
    Pisgah Forest – 28768
    
    Ridgecrest – 28770
    
    Skyland – 28776
    
    Zirconia – 28790
    
    Bostic – 28018
  - Multiple United Parcel Service (UPS) sites continue to be affected by power, flooding, and downed trees/power and lines/storm related obstacles.
    
    The Hendersonville and Asheville UPS buildings in North Carolina are currently operational and are being powered by portable generators.
    
    Delivery of packages in these areas is increasing as road conditions improve daily.
Pharmacy Access
- The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the Department of Health and Human Services has activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for North Carolinians as of Friday, October 4.
  - The EPAP program helps uninsured residents replace prescription medication or certain medical equipment lost or damaged during Hurricane Helene.
  - Through the program, uninsured residents can:
    
    Request a free 30-day supply of certain prescription medications at any EPAP-participating pharmacy which can be renewed every 30 days while the EPAP is active.
    
    Replace certain medical equipment and supplies such as canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, blood sugar meters and blood sugar test strips for diabetics.
    
    Uninsured North Carolina residents affected by the recent hurricane can call the EPAP hotline, 855-793-7470, or visit the EPAP website to check their eligibility, determine if their medications or medical equipment are covered, or locate a participating pharmacy.
  - Prescription Pad is open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and filling prescriptions for Yancey County residents at the following location:
    
    730 E. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
- For individuals able to safely travel to fill a prescription, CVS at the following locations are actively open as of October 2:
  - 324 Long Shoals Rd., Arden, NC 28704
  - 505 Smokey Park Hwy., Asheville, NC 28806
  - 371 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
  - 3450 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
  - 1605 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
  - 2001 Spartanburg Hwy., Hendersonville, NC 28792
  - 111 S Main St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
  - 773 Russ Ave., Waynesville, NC 28786
- You can also use this link to locate non-CVS pharmacy locations open to the public by county.
- How to Acquire a Prescription:
  - If a store is closed, you can still call the number and the pharmacy’s phone lines have been rerouted to a nearby CVS Pharmacy that is open to help patients access their prescriptions.
  - Patients can visit any CVS Pharmacy for assistance with immediate prescription needs.
Open Urgent Cares/ Health Care Services
- There is a field hospital with physicians, nurses and paramedics who can treat patients at the Burnsville Fire Department. The address is as follows:
  - 305 Pineola St., Burnsville, NC 28714
- The following urgent cares are open and accessible for community members with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries:
  - Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
    
    Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville
    
    61 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC 28787
    
    Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville
    
    1201 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
    
    Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville
    
    120 Frazier St., Ste. 6, Waynesville, NC 28786
  - Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
    
    Mercy Urgent Care Brevard
    
    22 Trust Ln., Brevard, NC 28712
  - Locations open between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:
    
    Mercy Urgent Care Columbus
    
    140 West Mills St., Columbus, NC 28722
  - Locations open between 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.:
    
    Mobile Urgent Care Clinic
    
    12 Florida Ave., Black Mountain, NC 28711
    
    Mental Health & Basic Medical Support Center
    
    130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
    
    Pardee Urgent Care
    
    45 Hendersonville Hwy., Ste. A, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
  - Locations open from 12:00-5:00 p.m.
    
    Hot Springs Elementary School – Art Room (mental health services only)
    
    63 N. Serpentine Ave., Hot Springs, NC 28743
Resources for Veterans
- Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion members and Legion Posts that have been displaced from their primary residence due to damage sustained during Hurricane Helene may be eligible for financial assistance through the American Legion.
  - Legionnaires and Sons of the American Legion members may be eligible for up to $3,000.
  - Legion Posts may be eligible for up to $10,000.
    
    To learn more or to request assistance, please use this link.
    
    Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster: Dec. 26, 2024.
- The Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville and Master Sergeant Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic in Forest City are open for essential and emergency services.
  - Veterans can:
    
    Visit the Asheville VA Hospital pharmacy for medication refills or:
    
    Call the Regional Clinical Contact Center at (855) 679-0074 and press 1 for pharmacy representatives.
  - Local pharmacies in the VA’s community care network will also fill written prescriptions, or prescriptions as they appear on an active VA prescription bottle that is not older than six months and has available refills, to provide a 30-day supply.
- Hickory and Franklin outpatient VA clinics are now operating regularly.
  - Due to the damage and personal losses caused by Hurricane Helene to the staff of the VA, it will take some time to bring staffing to full capacity.
  - Please be patient as the VA works to rebuild their workforce.
Resources for Farmers
- The United States Department of Agriculture is beginning to put together a list of resources for farmers and other agricultural industry members.
  - If your agricultural operation has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, you can review this link, farmers.gov, for emergency and disaster assistance programs.
- On Monday, October 7, at 11:00 a.m., USDA is hosting a virtual briefing to share information on disaster assistance programs.
  - You can join the event on Microsoft Teams using this link.
  - Add the event to your calendar: Google, iCal, or Outlook.
Power and Gas
- 141,000 customers remain without power in Western North Carolina.
- As work on substations conclude, Duke Energy is moving personnel to work on the power grid’s thousands of miles of lines and poles that serve individual homes and businesses.
  - This work can feel slower because the same amount of work restores fewer customers.
- For more information on Duke Energy’s power restoration efforts, you can review the following links:
Roads
- A “DO NOT DRIVE” message remains in place from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for most of Western North Carolina.
  - Unless it is an emergency, please do not travel to the hardest hit communities.
  - Cherokee, Graham, Clay and Swain counties ARE FULLY OPEN to people who can access them through safe routes.
    
    Please DO NOT try to visit or travel through the areas hardest hit by the storm such as Henderson and Buncombe counties.
- USDOT approved an initial $100 million in Emergency Repair funds to NCDOT.
  - Damage to our mountain roads exceeds $100 million but USDOT’s investment is a significant and most welcome start.
  - Since Friday, NCDOT has deployed an additional 450 employees to help respond to storm damage.
  - A total of 2,050 DOT employees are working to restore and repair road access in WNC.
  - NCDOT also has more than 50 personnel from neighboring states on the ground providing assistance.
- There are currently about 650 road closures, 109 of which are to primary routes.
  - About 300 bridges have been identified for further investigation and at least one-third will need to be replaced.
- NCDOT and Tennessee DOT are collaborating on a long-term plan for reconstruction of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.
  - NCDOT is in the process of contracting a project to stabilize the westbound lanes of I-40 where the eastbound lanes no longer exist to mitigate the risk of further damage.
  - NCDOT is working to expedite these repairs to restore mobility to the area as soon as possible.
- Air traffic has sustained at 300 percent above pre-hurricane levels in Western NC.
  - NCDOT’s aviation division continue to work to make sure flight operations are safe coming into and out of airports, including by:
    
    Scheduling landing/unloading times and aircraft parking so aircraft are spaced out and to reduce the risk of incidents.
    
    Establishing a first of its kind “corridors in the sky” to separate civilian and military aircraft in the air.
    
    Having search and rescue partners use short, time and location specific restrictions on air operations to enhance safety when multiple helicopters are engaged in search and rescue efforts.
  - The state of North Carolina is NOT turning away civil aviation support so long as it has been coordinated through the proper channels with NC Emergency Management.
    
    If you or someone you know is interested in providing civil aviation support and don’t know where to coordinate your efforts, please call my office and we will help you get in touch with the right folks.
- NCDOT has launched a detour map to show motorists how to get around closures on I-26 and I-40 at the Tennessee border.
  - You can access the map here.
Internet Access
- Internet providers are working with local energy and cell providers to restore service for customers across Western North Carolina.
- To mitigate the lack of service, Optimum, formerly Altice USA, has set up an Optimum Wi-Fi Trailer that is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following locations:
  - 717 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
  - 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- The following locations are offering free public wi-fi:
  - First Baptist Church – Weaverville
    
    63 N. Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787
  - Downtown Franklin
    
    The Town of Franklin has free wi-fi on the town hill area in downtown.
  - Transylvania County Library – 24/7
    
    212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, NC 28712
  - Newfound Artison through today, October 6
    
    High-speed internet and charging outlets
    
    Available 12:00-5:00 p.m.
  - The Yard Brevard
    
    284 Railroad Ave., Brevard, NC 28712
  - Brevard Visitor Center
    
    175 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
    
    Available daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Cell Service
- Verizon was able to restore service in the Waynesville area.
  - They will be moving the portable cell sites and satellite connections that were in Waynesville to Lake Junaluska, Iron Duff, and other areas north of Waynesville to provide service for the residents and first responders there.
- Engineers have finally been able to clear access for equipment in Rutherford County near Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
  - Providers are currently assessing the extent of the damage and starting repairs.
- Even though you may have service again, you may notice it is different from your pre-storm service.
  - The temporary connection links put in place as a temporary fix while the fiber is being repaired can accommodate smaller amounts of traffic.
    
    Network capacity on temporary connection links may be maxed out more frequently, so service providers are encouraging customers to use the network sparingly to maintain room for first responders and community members who still need to reach help or critical resources.
    
    Support and recovery personnel are also encouraged to minimize cell usage.
  - Service providers are working to add additional capacity to cell sites and move mobile assets where needed to accommodate data increases, so I am requesting a little more patience on their behalf as providers work to fully restore our community’s network.
- Cell service providers have implemented disaster roaming for any phone located in Western North Carolina to maximize phone service for all users.
  - Disaster roaming allows users to connect to any mobile network during a disaster when other networks are down.
    
    This allows users to access emergency services, such as 911, even when their own network is out.
  - If you have service one moment, but experience a reduction in service the next, try restarting your phone to jumpstart disaster roaming again.
- UpCycle Tech in Transylvania County is offering free computers and phones for use at the following location:
  - 470 Asheville Hwy., Brevard, NC 28712
- AT&T has deployed its Mobile Connectivity Center to the following location:
  - Sam’s Club: 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28806
    
    The Mobile Connectivity Center is an air-conditioned mobile unit open to the public, equipped with laptops, charging stations and wi-fi.
    
    The public can use the center for various needs including contacting your insurance company, filling out paperwork or connecting with loved ones.
- Verizon has deployed Wireless Emergency Communication Centers to help hurricane survivors stay connected to their friends, family and other important contacts.
  - Wireless Emergency Communication Centers are generator-powered mobile units that have device charging and computer workstations, along with wireless phones, tablets, and other devices available for use.
  - Verizon’s Wireless Emergency Communication Centers have been set up at the following locations:
    
    A-B Technical Community College
    
    340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    Asheville YMCA
    
    30 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    Family Justice Center
    
    35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    Groce United Methodist Church
    
    954 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
  - Verizon also has charging stations at the following locations:
    
    YMCA of Western North Carolina
    
    348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
    
    Two charging stations at this location
    
    WNC Agricultural Center
    
    761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher, NC 28732
    
    Three charging stations at this location
    
    A-B Technical Community College
    
    340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    One charging station at this location
- T-Mobile has set up satellite cellular on light trucks (SatCOLTs), providing cellular voice and data along with wi-fi and charging stations at the following locations:
  - Asheville Middle School
    
    211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
  - Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center
    
    285 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801
  - First Baptist Church
    
    130 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain, NC 28711
- Additional T-Mobile satellite cell on trucks are located in Hendersonville and at a Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville, with others planned for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center in Murphy, and in Cherokee.
North Carolina National Guard & Department of Defense
- More than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed to provide support to Western North Carolina so far.
  - The total number of deployed guardsmen will continue to increase over the coming days.
- The National Guard has deployed a military liaison officer to each of the affected counties to aid in communication and coordination with each county EMS.
- Although airspace is limited due to ongoing missions by the National Guard and Department of Defense, a process has been established for private pilots seeking to fly in humanitarian relief to coordinate with local authorities.
  - If you are looking to fly in resources and don’t know where to turn, call my office and we will get you in contact with the right coordinators.
- On October 2, the Secretary of Defense authorized the movement of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers, including soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division from Ft. Liberty (formerly Ft. Bragg).
  - Many of these soldiers have arrived in Western North Carolina and are supporting the delivery of food, water and other critical aid to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
    
    400 soldiers have already been stationed in Western North Carolina.
    
    Hundreds of others are positioned nearby, prepared to assume tasks and missions as they are requested by counties and assigned by NC Emergency Management.
  - The Department of Defense has also committed 22 helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.
- Here are a few key phone numbers from the NCNG:
  - HOTLINE: 888-892-1162
  - Emergency management watch: 919-733-3300
  - Donated goods: 919-825-2474
    
    These lines have very high call volumes. If you do not get through the first try, keep calling.
Asheville Regional Airport
- Asheville Regional Airport closed mid-day on Friday, September 27, due to risk of flooding.
- Commercial flights at Asheville Regional Airport have resumed.
- If you parked your car in an Asheville Regional Airport lot and could not retrieve the vehicle due to the storm, great news – none of the airport’s lots flooded and all cars are fine.
  - Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able.
- PLEASE NOTE:
  - No general aviation pilots are allowed to land at Asheville Regional Airport without prior clearance from FEMA to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.
    
    Supply deliveries by civilian pilots ARE permitted to land at Asheville Regional Airport so long as they have prior clearance from FEMA.
    
    FEMA is not turning away any pilot that has gone through the proper channels to coordinate delivery and ensure the safety of his fellow aircraft and personnel.
Federal Nutrition Programs
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has approved flexibilities due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
  - SNAP
    
    North Carolina was granted a waiver for the 10-day reporting requirement for the replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits lost because of the hurricane.
    
    This waiver provides additional time beyond the standard 10-day time frame for households to report food losses and receive replacement benefits for food that was destroyed and previously purchased with SNAP benefits.
  - Child Nutrition
    
    The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was approved for a waiver pertaining to the child nutrition programs.
    
    Under the waiver approval, NCDPI’s local program operators may:
    
    Serve meals in a non-congregate setting
    
    Adjust the time of meal service
    
    Allow parent pick-up
    
    Allow service of meals at school sites
  - Food and Nutrition Services Program
    
    People and families in North Carolina who are enrolled in the Food and Nutrition Services program can now use their EBT card to purchase hot food.
    
    This flexibility will remain in effect until November 3.
  - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
    
    Families participating in WIC who may have relocated to a new area can go to any NC WIC agency to:
    
    Have a new eWIC card issued
    
    Request replacement breastfeeding supplies or breast pumps
    
    Request replacement food that was purchased with current WIC benefits and lost due to Hurricane Helene
For NC-11 Medical Providers
- If you own a medical practice in NC-11 and are experiencing financial hardship due to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Medical Society will be reactivating its Financial Recovery Program (FRP) to help you recover and open your doors again.
  - The FRP will be back online to provide much needed assistance soon.
  - More information to follow.
- The Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available:
  - Accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers affected by Hurricane Helene
  - Advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene
For Local Government Resource Requests
- For county leaders: This is a reminder to make sure your Emergency Operation Center has submitted the request for gasoline, food, water, cell service deployables, etc. with North Carolina Emergency Management to have your request processed and resources delivered.
  - My office stands ready to assist with checking the status of your request if the county or municipality has not heard back from NC Emergency Management within 24 hours.
For Individual Assistance through FEMA

North Carolina received a Major Disaster Declaration for the following counties: Buncombe, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in one of the above-listed counties should apply for Individual Assistance through FEMA, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies.
- Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.
Individual Assistance provides financial aid and services to eligible individuals and households that have been affected by a disaster to assist with the recovery process. Individuals can officially begin applying for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling the application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. EST.
- To date, FEMA has paid out more than $26 million in housing and other types of assistance to more than 19,000 North Carolina households.
To Connect with a Loved One
- Residents trying to connect with family members may call NC 211 (or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state) to report missing loved ones or request a welfare check.
- People in the impacted areas can indicate that they are safe by reporting themselves safe through Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
  - Please only use 911 for life-threatening emergencies so the lines remain open for critical situations.
- If you are still trying to locate a friend or family member, please complete this form to notify local officials of their missing status.
  - The form was created by Buncombe County but information is being shared amongst all counties.
  - Regardless of which county your loved one was last known to be in, you can still submit the form.
    
    Buncombe County will share the information with the appropriate officials to initiate search and rescue efforts.
  - United Way is also fielding missing person/welfare check requests.
    
    Text PERSON to 40403 to add a loved one to search and rescue efforts or fill out this form.
Resources for Utility & Other Status Updates

For information on the status of utilities, debris sites, etc., we want to share the following resources. As communications are restored and more information becomes available, these sites will continue to be updated.

Free Legal Assistance
- Legal Aid of North Carolina stands ready to provide free advice and legal counsel regarding natural disaster needs, including legal representation if necessary, including for civil legal issues involving:
  - Filing FEMA claims and appeals (a process which can be overwhelmingly bureaucratic and burdensome)
  - Replacement of lost or destroyed legal and government documents, including driver’s licenses and identification cards
  - Medical and insurance claims
  - Home repair contracts
  - Utility disputes related to restoration of services
  - Consumer protection issues like construction fraud, price-gouging on repairs and identity theft
  - Housing issues such as unlawful eviction and foreclosures
  - Bankruptcy
  - Probate and clearing title for survivors living in generational homes without a clear title
  - Family law cases and children in need of services (unfortunately, domestic violence tends to rise following a natural disaster)
- If you need civil legal assistance, please contact Legal Aid of North Carolina via the following toll-free hotline:
  - (866) 219-LANC or (866) 219-5262
    
    The hotline is available from:
    
    8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday and Thursdays.
    
    Constituents can also apply online at legalaidnc.org/get-help/ between 1:00-4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.
IRS Guidance for Taxpayers Impacted by Hurricane Helene
- Extension of certain tax filing deadlines:
  - IRS has extended various filing deadlines for taxpayers in impacted areas, including 2024 individual/business returns, certain quarterly estimated income tax payments, and certain payroll/excise taxes.
  - Tax relief for qualified payments, disaster-related losses:
    
    IRS released provided guidance to taxpayers on how to address disaster-related losses in their 2024 tax return, as well as providing guidance on how qualified disaster relief payments – like government assistance payments – are generally excluded from gross income.
Shelters
- For those unable to evacuate to a safe location or in need of a place to go, the following shelters are currently open and available as of October 5:
  - Buncombe
    
    A-B Technical Community College
    
    340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
    
    Gold’s Gym
    
    801 Fairview Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
    
    WNC Agricultural Center
    
    1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732
  - Haywood
    
    Haywood County Government Armory
    
    285 Armory Dr., Clyde, NC 28781
  - Henderson
    
    Edneyville Elementary School
    
    2875 Pace Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28792
    
    Henderson County Recreation Center
    
    708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
  - Madison
    
    Madison Early College High School
    
    5374 US Hwy 25-70, Marshall, NC 28755
  - McDowell
    
    Glenwood Baptist Church
    
    1550 Glenwood Baptist Church Rd., Marion, NC 29640
    
    YMCA of Western North Carolina
    
    348 Grace Corpening Dr., Marion, NC 28752
  - Polk
    
    Polk County High School
    
    1681 NC 108 Hwy. E., Columbus, NC 28722
  - Rutherford
    
    Rutherfordton/Spindale Central High School
    
    641 US 221 Hwy. N., Rutherfordton, NC 28139
  - Transylvania
    
    Transylvania Parks & Rec
    
    1078 Ecusta Rd., Brevard, NC 28712
  - Yancey
    
    Blue Ridge Elementary
    
    910 Cane River School Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
    
    Cane River Middle School
    
    1128 Cane River School Rd., Burnsville, NC 28714
With my warmest regards,

Chuck Edwards
Member of Congress

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK trade mission visits Kyiv to deepen industry ties
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Trade mission agrees key requirements for Ukraine’s future equipment and capability needs.
A UK trade mission, formed of representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Department for Business and Trade, and the defence trade association ADS, visited Ukraine to hold meetings with Ukrainian Government and industry representatives.

It is the latest step in the growing relationship between the UK’s defence industrial sector and Ukraine’s, following the signing of a major agreement in July which will enable Ukraine to harness the power of UK industry by drawing on £3.5 billion worth of export finance to purchase further military capabilities.

The cross-government group, led by the Minister for the Armed Forces, travelled to Kyiv, where the trade mission visited the Ukraine Defence Industrial Forum to take part in a series of meetings and forum discussions.

Whilst there the minister discussed the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine as long as it takes, the ever-growing relationship between the UK and Ukraine’s defence industry and the government’s pledge to continue to boost investment into our own industry which will in turn support Ukraine’s fight.

Agreements were made with Ukrainian officials on their requirements for complex weapons and land systems support during the event, which provides a signal to UK industry as to the types of equipment they most need and for which the MOD will now contract with UK industry on Ukraine’s behalf.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP said:

The UK’s support for Ukraine is ironclad. We continue to lead the way in providing military aid, but our support is much broader than simply providing equipment. Our flourishing defence industrial relationship symbolises the work happening across Government and the private sector to ramp up and speed up our support.

By deepening our ties with Ukraine’s defence industry, we are expanding own industrial capacity, while boosting Ukraine’s own capabilities. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and we will provide support for as long as it takes.

The MOD already placed contracts with Thales for air defence missiles and Sheffield Forgemasters for artillery gun barrels forgings, in order to warm up industry in preparation for further orders. Future orders are in the pipeline and will be funded by Ukraine, drawing on their own reserves and the £3.5 billion of United Kingdom export finance made available by the UK to support Ukraine’s war effort.

Task Force HIRST is the UK cross-government team incorporating MOD, DBT and UK Export Finance to stimulate UK industrial production and international collaboration in support of Ukraine, including collaboration with Ukrainian companies.

Last week, the Defence Secretary confirmed the Government is delivering on its commitment to speed up and ramp up deliveries of support for Ukraine, surpassing its pledge to deliver 12 AS90 artillery guns within 100 days of taking office.

A total of 16 units are now on course to be delivered, with 10 already provided, and six more to follow in the coming weeks.

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Updates to this page

Published 6 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Federal Assistance for Hurricane Helene Survivors Surpasses $137 Million as Biden-Harris Administration Continues Response and Recovery Efforts in Southeast and Closely Monitors Storm in the Gulf
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: Federal Assistance for Hurricane Helene Survivors Surpasses $137 Million as Biden-Harris Administration Continues Response and Recovery Efforts in Southeast and Closely Monitors Storm in the Gulf

Federal Assistance for Hurricane Helene Survivors Surpasses $137 Million as Biden-Harris Administration Continues Response and Recovery Efforts in Southeast and Closely Monitors Storm in the Gulf
WASHINGTON — FEMA continues its robust response and recovery efforts in the Southeast following the devastation caused by Helene. Federal assistance for survivors has now surpassed $137 million, with FEMA’s mission remaining steadfast in helping communities recover and rebuild.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is leading one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel, partners and resources in recent history to heed the call of helping survivors and bolstering efforts across all levels of government. The agency is actively working alongside state, local and tribal partners to assess damage and support those affected by the disaster. Nearly 7,000 personnel from across the federal workforce are deployed, including FEMA staff. To date, FEMA has shipped over 14.9 million meals, more than 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and more than 505,000 tarps to the region.

As response and recovery efforts continue in the Southeast, FEMA is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton, which has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. FEMA has the resources and capacity to address multiple disasters simultaneously and is fully prepared to support affected communities wherever and whenever needed. Preparedness efforts are underway and FEMA stands ready to respond to any potential impacts on communities in the storm’s path while also prioritizing search and rescue, response and recovery efforts in in the affected areas. People in Milton’s path should take the storm seriously and prepare now.

Disaster survivors in certain areas of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA. People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in the designated areas should apply for assistance, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Helene.

There are three ways to apply for FEMA assistance:

Support for North Carolina

Financial Support: FEMA has approved more than $30 million in housing and other types of assistance for over 27,000 households.

Staffing: As response efforts continue in North Carolina, more than 700 FEMA staff are on the ground, with more arriving daily. Over 1,200 Urban Search and Rescue personnel remain in the field helping people. These teamshave rescued or supported over 3,200 survivors to date. Dozens of Disaster Survivor Assistance staff are on the ground in affected areas to help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources. Over 1,000 National Guard Bureau troops have deployed to North Carolina to support response and recovery efforts. To date, troops have delivered nearly one million pounds of food, water and other supplies. Experienced FEMA leaders from around the country are in the field to bolster response efforts.

Sheltering: Over 800 people who cannot return home are staying in safe and clean lodging through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. Transitional Sheltering Assistance is available for North Carolinians displaced by Helene. Residents in declared counties who have applied for disaster assistance may be eligible to stay temporarily in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA while they work on their long-term housing plan. People do not need to request this assistance. FEMA will notify them of their eligibility through an automated phone call, text message and/or email, depending upon the method of communication they selected at the time of application for disaster assistance.

Shelter numbers continue to decline, with 22 shelters housing just under 1,000 occupants. Mobile feeding operations continue to help survivors in heavily impacted areas, including three mass feeding sites in Buncombe, McDowell and Watauga counties.

Power and Cellular Restoration: As of today, more than 86% of originally reported power outages have been restored. Cellular restoration continues to improve, with less than 20% of cellular sites down. FEMA is boosting response coordination by providing Starlink units to ensure first responders can communicate with each other.

Commodities: Commodity distribution, mass feeding and hydration operations are underway in areas of western North Carolina. FEMA commodity shipments are enroute to support operations. The agency is on track to meet requested delivery timelines for meals and water. Voluntary organizations are supporting feeding operations with bulk food and water deliveries coming via truck and aircraft. The Salvation Army has nine mobile feeding units supporting the massive operation and has provided emotional and spiritual care to more than 900 people. To date, The Salvation Army has served over 12,600 meals, 9,600 drinks and 5,600 snacks. The American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage.

Resources
- Residents can visit: ncdps.gov/helene to get information and additional assistance.
- Residents can get in touch with loved ones by calling 2-1-1 or visiting unitedwaync.org to add them to search and rescue efforts.
Support for Florida

As recovery efforts continue in Florida, FEMA has approved more than $71 million for over 11,000 households. FEMA specialists are canvassing Florida communities affected by Helene to help survivors apply for assistance. Additionally, FEMA inspectors are visiting applicants’ homes to verify disaster-caused damage.

Residents in need of information or resources should call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-342-3557. English, Spanish and Creole speakers are available to answer questions.

Support for South Carolina

As recovery efforts continue in South Carolina, FEMA has approved over $5.7 million for more than 5,500 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties continuing to help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Residents with questions on Helene can call the state’s toll-free hotline, open 24 hours a day, at 1-866-246-0133.

Residents who are dependent on medical equipment at home and who are without power due to Helene may be eligible for a medical needs shelter. Call the state’s Department of Public Health Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for more information.

Support for Georgia

FEMA has approved over $30 million for more than 38,000 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Resources: Residents can find resources like shelters and feeding sites at gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene.

Support for Virginia

To date, FEMA has approved more than $330,000 for over 60 households. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Residents can find resources like shelters and feeding sites at: Recover – Hurricane Helene | VDEM (vaemergency.gov)

Support for Tennessee

FEMA has approved more than $175,000 for disaster assistance. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.
- Residents can call 1-800-824-3463 to report a missing person. Callers should be prepared to provide as much information as possible including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification and last known whereabouts.
Counties have started establishing donation centers. For the evolving list, visit TEMA’s website.

Voluntary Organizations

Voluntary organizations are also providing personnel and resources to the hardest hit areas. The American Red Cross has hundreds of trained disaster workers providing comfort and operating shelters. Additionally, they are helping find loved ones through their helpline 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Reunification page where people can enter pertinent information about the person they’re looking for. If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then 1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

People can receive free services like cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs and mold mitigation with the help of Crisis Cleanup by calling 844-965-1386. The hotline is open through October 11 and can connect people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups and the faith-based community who may be able to assist.
amy.ashbridge
Sun, 10/06/2024 – 15:06

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 403rd Army Field Support Brigade Unit Spotlight: Logistics Readiness Center-Honshu

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

CAMP ZAMA, Japan –

Located near the cities of Zama and Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Camp Zama is about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu.

Camp Zama is home to U.S. Army Japan, I Corps (Forward), U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 78th Signal Battalion, 765th Terminal Transportation Battalion, Japan Engineer District (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), and the Bilateral Coordination Department and 4th Engineer Group of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

USARJ facilitates multilateral cooperation with regional partners and allies through engagements, training, and exercises; partnering with the JGSDF to enhance interoperability, capability and capacity while coordinating through United States Forces Japan for forces, footprints and agreements between the U.S. Government and the Government of Japan to set conditions for successful deterrence and execution of contingency operations.

USARJ is not structured as a conventional command, as it is resourced as an economy of force operation, forward positioned in Japan for contingency purposes should circumstances require a larger U.S. Army presence within the region.

Under the Status of Forces Agreement, the Government of Japan contributes a portion of the resources necessary for the sustainment of U.S. Forces within Japan in the form of facilities, personnel, and utilities. U.S. Army Sustainment Command benefits from this agreement in the form of significantly reduced operating costs. LRC-Honshu’s workforce primarily consists of host nation Master Labor Contract employees fully funded by the Government of Japan.

LRC-Honshu provides maintenance, supply, transportation, and logistical support to USARJ, I Corps (Forward), U.S. Army Garrison-Japan, installation partner units, and Department of Defense activities within its area of responsibility to ensure mission readiness and quality of life for Soldiers, civilians, and families within mainland Japan.

LRC-Honshu reports to the 403d Army Field Support Brigade, headquartered at Camp Henry, South Korea, which is a subordinate unit of ASC whose higher headquarters is the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

The LRC-Honshu, Transportation Division, Area Transportation Office in Kure, near Hiroshima, Japan, 485 miles away from Camp Zama, provides area specific installation transportation through the utilization of non-tactical vehicles in several different fleet configurations coordinated by the Fleet Management Operations Office, including traffic management, general freight, oversized freight, intra-depot ammunition movement, and retail fuel points for Kure Ammunition Depot, an AMC special installation. On average, ATO Kure supports more than 220 intra-depot ammunition movements and 140 general cargo shipments per year.

Prior to August 2024, LRC-Honshu experienced challenges in executing its Installation Logistics Base Line Services in support of USAG-Japan at Kure Ammunition Depot. The Maintenance Division provides base operations maintenance support to Army-owned NTVs, tactical vehicles and non-standard equipment in support of installation services, as well as organic maintenance capability for units’ tactical equipment lacking organic authorizations.

The 10th Support Group performed these duties in Kure by overseeing 14 authorized host nation employees assigned to the 10th SG AD Equipment Branch but authorized on the Host Nation Table of Distribution and Allowances, facilities, and maintenance management functions for its assigned vehicles and equipment, as well as equipment for USAG-Japan and LRC-Honshu at Kure’s Akizuki, Kawakami, and Hiro Ammunition Depots.

Over the past two years, LRC-Honshu worked closely with 10th SG and USARJ G4, while keeping 403d AFSB staff informed, to initiate efforts to appropriately restructure maintenance support operations under LRC-Honshu in Kure in alignment with Army Regulation 750-1 and the ILBLS program guidance. LRC-Honshu coordinated with 10th SG to establish a series of working groups, developed and provided a final decision brief to the 403rd AFSB and 10th SG commanders, and conducted an on-site visit to Kure AD involving all stakeholders, culminating in in a briefing to the USARJ Steering Committee.

“Taking full responsibility for maintenance in Kure will greatly enhance our oversight of maintenance operations, ensuring that we can effectively meet the needs of USAG-Japan while enabling our partners to focus on their primary mission,” said Michael J. Moore, Maintenance Division Chief.

On Aug. 1, 2024, LRC-Honshu assumed overall responsibility of maintenance operations in Kure following the transfer of 14 authorized host nation positions from 10th SG to LRC-Honshu to and meet 403rd AFSB’s requirement of maintaining USAG-Japan and LRC-Honshu vehicles and equipment.

In September 2024, LRC-Honshu leadership from Camp Zama visited Kure to speak to the new employees, conduct a joint inventory of all associated tools and equipment, and coordinated with the USAG-Japan Department of Public Works to assign three major facilities and several sub-facilities used by mechanics in Kure’s Akizuki, Kawakami, and Hiro Ammunition Depots. By October 2024, LRC-Honshu will successfully achieve full operational capability of maintenance operations in Kure.

“By assuming full responsibility of maintenance operations in Kure, LRC-Honshu will improve oversight of maintenance procedures, increase overall equipment readiness rates, and streamline processes to better support USAG Japan,” said Sean B. Mager, director, LRC-Honshu. “This transition will allow the 10th Support Group to focus on their core mission, enhancing overall operational effectiveness in the region.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: UPDATE: Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Sparing No Resource to Support Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Source: The White House

President Biden ordered 500 additional active-duty troops to support on-the-ground efforts; 1,500 troops now mobilized to assist National Guard and Federal personnel

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s direction, the Administration continues to mobilize a robust, intensive, and whole-of-government response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. As life-saving response efforts continue in heavily impacted areas, the Administration is also working to ensure communities across the Southeast have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding.

Today, in response to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s request for additional support, President Biden ordered that another 500 active-duty troops move into Western North Carolina. With a total of 1,500 troops now supplementing a robust on-the-ground effort – including more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and more than 7,000 Federal personnel – the Biden-Harris Administration is mobilizing all relevant resources to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding.

The Administration has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more than $137 million in Federal assistance – with more to come. Over the last several days, the Administration has contacted nearly 450 state, city, and county officials in impacted states to ensure they have the support and resources they need.

The Administration is committed to ensuring that all communities receive accurate information that is essential to their recovery. The Administration, including FEMA, has been tracking and combatting the significant amount of false information circulating online related to the Federal response – which can discourage people from seeking critical and life-saving assistance. The Administration is actively working to identify and combat this misinformation and disinformation and support survivors in every possible way.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have traveled throughout the Southeast this week to meet with impacted communities and, during their travels, have reaffirmed that the Administration will be with impacted communities every step of the way, no matter how long it takes, to ensure they have the support and resources they need to recover and rebuild. While there is a long way to go on the road to full recovery and rebuilding, Republican and Democratic leaders from across the country have praised the Administration’s well-coordinated response and surge of resources in the aftermath of Helene’s landfall – including South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer.

Additionally, the Federal government is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton in the Gulf of Mexico, which has the potential to have significant impacts along the West coast of the Florida Peninsula by mid-next week. Residents in Florida should remain alert, listen to local officials, and make additional preparations as needed.

Additional updates on the Federal response include:

Active-Duty Service Members Delivering Life-Saving Supplies to North Carolinians

In response to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s request for additional support, today President Biden directed another 500 troops move into Western North Carolina. These troops have advanced technological assets to provide greater situational awareness on the ground and will assist with future resource planning across the region. These additional 500 troops supplement the nearly 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who have already been mobilized through the Department of Defense and in coordination with FEMA to support the residents and affected counties in Western North Carolina.

In support of the state and North Carolina National Guard, these active-duty troops are focusing their efforts on moving valuable commodities—like food and water—to distribution sites, getting those commodities to survivors in areas that are hard to reach. They are also working on road stabilization and route clearance activities.

In addition, the Department of Defense is providing rotary wing assets from the Army and Navy for personnel movement and commodity distribution across the affected region. Fixed and rotary wing assets from the Air Force are conducting search and rescue activities.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has established 12 Emergency Operations Centers across the southeast, with three in North Carolina. The Army Corps of Engineers also has emergency power teams conducting assessments in North Carolina and Georgia as well as water/wastewater assessments, bridge and road inspections, and debris removal efforts in North Carolina and Florida.

Over 6,000 National Guard personnel from 18 States are spearheading the response effort across the impacted region, providing critical life-saving and life-sustaining support to the victims of this unprecedented natural disaster. 

Supporting On-The-Ground Response Efforts

The Biden-Harris Administration is actively working alongside state, local and Tribal partners to assess damage and support those affected by the disaster.

The Federal government has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more than $137 million in federal assistance. More than 7,000 personnel from across the Federal workforce are deployed, including U.S. Forest Service Saw Teams to help clear debris in remote areas. To date, FEMA has shipped over 14.9 million meals, more than 13.9 million liters of water, more than 505,000 tarps to the region, and installed 157 generators at critical facilities such as hospitals and water treatment plants.

President Biden has approved 100 percent Federal cost share for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This means that the Federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs associated with things like debris removal, first responders, search and rescue, shelters, and mass feeding.

Disaster survivors in certain areas of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA. People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in the designated areas should apply for assistance, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.

Repairing Roads and Re-Establishing Critical Routes

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate availability of $100 million in Emergency Relief funds for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help pay for the costs of immediate emergency work resulting from Hurricane Helene flood damage. The Department also announced $32 million for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. This is in addition to the $2 million announced for use by the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

These funds will allow the states to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities. FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides funding to states, territories, Tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These Emergency Relief funds, provided through the “quick release” process, are an initial installment of funds toward restoring this essential transportation link. Additional funds needed to repair damage will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations.

Restoring Power and Critical Communications

As of this morning, approximately 384,000 customers are without power, down more than 91 percent from the region-wide peak of 4.6 million on September 27. At least 50,000 personnel from 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada are responding to power outages in the Southeast and Appalachia.

Additionally, FirstNet, an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has been instrumental in providing critical communication support during Hurricane Helene. The FirstNet Response Operations Group deployed 19 SatCOLTs (light trucks with mounted cellular towers) and numerous portable cellular sites to the hardest-hit areas, including North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. So far, FirstNet has provided cell service and internet access to over 75,000 first responders and survivors affected by the storm, while power and connectivity is being restored.

Calling on Congress to Provide More Disaster Assistance to Communities

President Biden wrote a letter to Congressional leaders calling on them to provide more funding for disaster relief efforts. President Biden warned that most urgently, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program will run out of funding in a matter of weeks and well before the Congress is planning to reconvene. Small businesses and individuals in affected areas depend on disaster loans as a critical lifeline during difficult times. In fact, for individual disaster survivors, SBA loans are often the largest source of Federal disaster recovery funds. Renters and homeowners use these loans to repair and rebuild their homes as well as replace or repair damaged property including their personal vehicles, while businesses use them to cover basic operating expenses. President Biden urged the Congress to restore this funding immediately. SBA is already receiving over 3,000 loan applications a day from people affected by Hurricane Helene.

The President also warned that, while FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year. Without additional funding, FEMA would be required to forego longer-term recovery activities in favor of meeting urgent needs. He called on the Congress to provide FEMA additional resources to avoid forcing that kind of unnecessary trade-off and to give the communities we serve the certainty of knowing that help will be ongoing, both for the short- and long-term.

Administration’s Ongoing Response Efforts Supplement Significant Pre-Landfall Preparations

The Biden-Harris Administration took significant steps and made extensive preparations prior to Helene making landfall. Two days in advance of Helene making landfall on September 26, the Administration began preparations in coordination with State and local partners.

On September 24, FEMA stood up their National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., charged with monitoring the storm’s track and coordinating national-level emergency response teams. FEMA Region V also activated its Regional Response Coordination Center in Atlanta on September 24, gathering personnel to monitor the storm on the ground close to the anticipated impact and begin planning a response and deployed Incident Management Teams to state Emergency Operations Centers in the storm’s path to coordinate and speed Federal support to response operations.

At the President’s direction, 1,500 Federal personnel were deployed to the region, including 14 Urban Search and Rescue teams (940 personnel) to potentially affected states, including eight teams to Florida; two teams to Georgia; and four teams to North Carolina and FEMA setup up an incident support base in coordination with the 42d Air Base Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

The Federal government pre-staged in the region:
- More than 2.7 million meals, 1.6 million liters of water, 50,000 tarps, 10,000 cots, and 20,000 blankets to support sheltering needs in impacted communities;
- Tanker trucks with 70,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 40,000 gallons of gasoline to surge to impacted communities once the storm passed to help alleviate any fuel shortages; and;
- Hundreds of ambulances to assist with the movement of any patients out of impacted hospitals or other facilities.
In advance of landfall, President Biden approved five Governors’ Emergency Declaration requests for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina prior to Helene’s landfall. He also immediately approved Emergency Declaration requests that the Governors of Tennessee and Virginia submitted shortly after landfall. These declarations authorized FEMA to reimburse State and local jurisdictions for costs incurred for pre-storm emergency measures including: evacuating and sheltering residents, search and rescue operations, sandbagging, covering costs associated with Emergency Operation Centers, and first responder activation.

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MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Echoes of the past: U.S. and Korea commemorate POW/MIA Recognition Day

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

SEOUL, South Korea –

The candle flickered briefly at the solemn table that, despite being set, remained empty. A red rose stood alone in a vase with a yellow ribbon tied firmly. Service members are all too familiar with the “missing man table,” in which each element carries meaning, but none so prevalent as the empty chair, the absence of someone not present, held as prisoner of war or missing in action.

While the Eighth Army Band played, the crowd of nearly 300 Korean citizens, U.S. service members, and veterans stood vigil for the first Republic of Korea-U.S. POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the War Memorial of Korea on Sept. 21, 2024. Meanwhile, the lone table was next to the podium, serving as a reminder of those not in attendance.

Each element of the table holds significance, as explained by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which were echoed during the event.
– The table is round, to show everlasting concern.
– The tablecloth is white to symbolize the purity of the missing and their motives.
– The glass is inverted to symbolize their inability to share in today’s toast.
– The candle symbolizes everlasting hope.
– The single red rose as a reminder of their families and loved ones.
– The slice of lemon as a reminder of their bitter fate.
– The salt symbolizes the tears of their families.
– The chair is empty … they are missing.

More than 81,000 service members remain missing. However, in the last decade, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified remains of more than 1,500 U.S. service members, including more than 300 from the Korean War.

“Events like this and the support that you bring to the recovery mission in general will move the mission forward and help find the answer we all hope for,” wrote Richard Downes, president and executive director of the Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, in a letter read aloud during the ceremony. “Thank you again for what each of you are doing to bring closure to many families who have waited so long.”

Although there were many agencies involved, the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Religious Support Office helped put the event together.

“All Americans should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation’s call to serve the cause of freedom,” said Chaplain Chan Ham, deputy garrison chaplain, USAG Humphreys, who was the principal narrator during the event. “Our motto is no man left behind, which is core to our principles and values.”

Many of the U.S. Soldiers who attended the event also serve as chaplains assistants across Camp Humphreys.

“Not all of our brothers and sisters get to come home,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Mateo D. Boldt, chaplain assistant with the 8th Army Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. “By participating in this event, we can ensure their legacy is not forgotten.”

Boldt’s words are echoed on the POW/MIA flags that waved in the wind, “You are not forgotten.”

The ceremony included a reading of each of the names of the missing, which echoed through the exterior of the memorial. Once complete, the bugle played Taps.

Afterward, guests placed flowers at the foot of the exterior wall, which has the words inscribed, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Those same words are at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Service members saluted their missing comrades, while civilians bowed in recognition as if in silent promise to never forget.

POW/MIA Recognition Day, established in 1979, serves as a solemn reminder of the thousands of service members who remain unaccounted for. It is observed annually on the third Friday in September.

“During National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we recognize the absolute bravery of our nation’s service members who are missing and unaccounted for, and we recommit to bringing them home,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a White House proclamation. “We offer our gratitude and steadfast support for their families, who have given so much to our Nation.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Gen Z knowledge about the Holocaust matters for ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Regan Lipes, Extended Sessional Instructor, English and Comparative Literature, MacEwan University

Since last Oct. 7, the world has seen mass death catalyzed by terrorist attacks in Israel, Israel’s mission to recover hostages still being detained and retaliation in Gaza — and now a long-dreaded war erupting through the Middle East.

As a scholar of Jewish and Holocaust literature, in the past year following Oct. 7, I have been aware that how students engage with the history of the Holocaust has been impacted.

Eighty thousand Israelis remain displaced from their homes in the north. Over 40,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza, and and following a United Nations expert accusing Israel of acts of genocide, UN delegates have amplified calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Others assert Israel’s actions are a defensive response. While all Israeli citizens have been affected by violence in Israel, Israel is a Jewish state, and the kind of violence and hate directed at Israel is being felt by Jews globally. For many Jews the Oct. 7 attacks themselves resonated hauntingly of Kristallnacht, with the Jewish people again put in a position of needing to defend their right to exist.

Read more:
Holocaust comparisons are overused — but in the case of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel they may reflect more than just the emotional response of a traumatized people

The definition of genocide acknowledged in the international Genocide Convention drew on the term coined by Polish-born lawyer Raphael Lemkin who fled persecution of the meticulously orchestrated genocide against European Jewry during the Second World War.

Globally, we are seeing a time of re-aligning geopolitics, including both the Global South and West becoming increasingly aware of pro-Palestinian perspectives. Many Gen Zs have been quick to rally against Zionism.

At the same time, Holocaust denialism, antisemitic hate acts and terrorist threats have accompanied a rise in anti-Israel sentiment — with frightening effects on Jews globally, sometimes fanned by propagandists seeking to exploit and augment conflict and polarization.

Even before events of the past year, as the 1940s recede in time, fewer and fewer Gen Zs have identified themselves as feeling knowledgeable about the Holocaust. The way knowledge is transmitted must adapt with the times.

Memory through time

In 2019 I was the faculty fellow for a partnership between the Auschwitz Jewish Center and the Museum of Jewish Heritage (MJH). As a scholar I have had the benefit of meeting with Holocaust survivors to learn about their experiences.

During my fellowship, the ongoing question rattling in my brain was how to safeguard the lived testimonies of survivors as their numbers dwindle.

When I teach literature of the Holocaust and second-generation efforts to preserve memory, I have noticed students’ limited knowledge of the Holocaust when I do an informal poll of what they know already. Many students admit an awareness limited exclusively to Hollywood films.

Six-part documentary

Director Joe Berlinger’s recent documentary Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial is conscious of deficits in Gen Z education and seeks to remedy this.

‘Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial,’ documentary by Joe Berlinger.

Berlinger’s six-part Netflix documentary takes a unique approach to examining and exploring Hitler’s rise to power and the lasting global impact.

He frames this analysis by using the writings and broadcasts of journalist and foreign corespondent William L. Shirer, who authored the iconic The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), in concert with narration from Shirer’s granddaughter, Deirdre van Dyk.

Within the context of her grandfather’s historically significant coverage of the European political landscape throughout the 1930s and 40s, van Dyk is able to offer insights regarding how Shirer spoke about this period going beyond his public writings.

Preserving history

On an online discussion panel organized by the MJH in July 2024, Berlinger acknowledged the plethora of documentaries examining the Second World War, but explained that this work is a targeted effort to preserve history while connecting and resonating with Gen Z viewers.

Van Dyk’s participation plays a key role in bridging the present with the lived experience of Shirer, a witness of Nazi corruption and totalitarianism.

Similarly second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors are instrumental in ensuring that their parents and grandparents’ suffering and trauma can be used to caution current learners who will be the politicians, jurists and educators of the future about dangers of antisemitism.

Online discussion with director Joe Berlinger with Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Alberta initiative

An initiative in Alberta, the Second Voices Project is working to help Gen Z students understand the Holocaust in a way that feels authentic and less like distant history.

The initiative, with the support of the Government of Alberta, uses video testimony given by survivors, and pairs this with discussion, commentary and observations provided by their children and grandchildren.

Robert Jackson, chief counsel of the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg, noted in his opening statement at the Nuremberg Trial in 1945:

“The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant and so devastating that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated.”

Jackson’s remarks now seem prophetic as society reexamines how best to impart this vital knowledge.

Increased consciousness

When the Second Voices Project travels to secondary and post-secondary institutions it is with the hope that seeds for increased tolerance and social consciousness be planted.

‘The Pages In Between’ by Erin Einhorn.
(Simon and Schuster)

During the winter 2024 semester, in a Jewish literature course I taught, I saw the Second Voices Project in action. The course sees students examine the search for resolution in untenable situations, with reporter Erin Einhorn’s The Pages In Between.

They grapple with depictions of trauma and extreme loss in Cynthia Ozick’s short story The Shawl and examine how American-born Jews negotiated feelings of misplaced guilt following learning about the extent of the Holocaust.

Accompanied by a Holocaust education specialist from the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, my students met second-generation survivor and retired physician Dr. Francie Cyngiser.

Cyngiser’s parents survived the Nazi concentration camps, and she brought her father, Sidney Cyngiser’s, recorded Shoah Foundation testimony, narrated by her son and nephew, to my class.

Sidney Cyngiser was dedicated to combating Holocaust denial by sharing his story. Instead of simply watching a video of Cyngiser testifying, the documentary was contextualized for students by inter-generational survivors not much younger than their parents.

Addressing trauma fatigue

Although Berlinger’s viewers cannot speak directly with van Dyk the way my students did with Dr. Cyngiser, his documentary is an important innovation to engage Gen Z learners.

To appeal to this targeted viewership, the Shirer family consented to use AI voice approximations of William Shirer’s writings to help narrate Berlinger’s documentary. Although original recordings from his news broadcasts also feature prominently, many of his diaries, smuggled out of Nazi Germany at great risk, needed vocalization for the film.

By adapting, Holocaust educators can also combat trauma fatigue which can impair capacity for awareness, recognition and response. In Germany, where Holocaust education is mandatory, feelings of frustration over inherited guilt for the Holocaust can breed apathy and resentment.

Both pro-Zionist and Zionist-critical Jews have highlighted that such sentiments are dangerous in the current global climate.

Apathy fails to serve any humanitarian function and dangerously anaesthetises all sides to the pain of others.

Read more:
Middle East student dialogue: As an expert in deep conflict, what I’ve learned about making conversation possible

The German term Vergangenheitsbewältigung describes the process of ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history. The past is a reality that humanity as whole must contend with, but a lack of understanding is fertile ground for denial, revisionism and antisemitism.

I cannot help but wonder if greater awareness of Holocaust history, and political and cultural histories of how to safeguard human rights, would promote more tolerance and compassion universally.

Regan Lipes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Gen Z knowledge about the Holocaust matters for ongoing reconciliation with a troubled history – https://theconversation.com/gen-z-knowledge-about-the-holocaust-matters-for-ongoing-reconciliation-with-a-troubled-history-235296

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: A year of devastation: with hope and trust shattered, what can bring an end to the violence in Israel-Palestine?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a savage attack on southern Israel, massacring around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 240 people. The following day, I wrote in an analysis for The Conversation:

For many Palestinians, this weekend’s events offered Israelis a small taste of what their own lives have been like under decades of occupation. However, the early celebrations will likely soon turn into anger and frustration as the numbers of Palestinian civilian casualties will continue to rise. Violence begets violence.

As the Israeli retaliation had only just begun, no one could have imagined how devastating it would end up being for the people of Gaza. There are now well over 40,000 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, and countless wounded. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced within the coastal strip.

The ferociousness of the Israel Defence Forces’ aerial bombings – and its subsequent ground invasion of Gaza – triggered intense global pressure to stop the violence. This was coupled with a worldwide campaign to end Israel’s decades-long illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.

This popular movement was able to place its agenda at the forefront of the international media’s attention and sustain it there for many months.

A year later, however, concern for the people of Gaza – and for the dozens of Israeli hostages still locked up in Hamas’ tunnels – has begun to wane. The world’s focus is shifting to the fast-expanding misery along the Israel–Lebanon border, and to a possible full-scale war between Israel and Iran.

As the fighting in Gaza grinds on with no end in sight, the prospects for resolving the most intractable conflict in the world between Israeli-Jews and Palestinians seem ever dimmer. But is it so?

One conflict, two peoples and many onlookers

In a century-long struggle between two societies over the same small parcel of land, the cycle of violence has barely stopped.

The challenges today remain frustratingly robust – entrenched territorial claims, grave errors by leaders on both sides and many missed opportunities. Years of polarising narratives have also bred mistrust, competing accounts of victimisation, debilitating fears and animosity — to the point of mutual dehumanisation.

On the Israeli-Jewish side, there’s a strong sense of an existential security threat, compounded by the inter-generational trauma of the Holocaust and ongoing fears of terrorist attacks. This sharply contrasts with Palestinians’ experiences of decades of dispossession, humiliation, continuous rights violations and feelings of abandonment by the world.

To further undermine a solution to the conflict, religious and radical nationalist influences – on both sides – have turned an already complex, asymmetric conflict into an unyielding impasse.

Over the years, international failures to help resolve the conflict drove many states to recalibrate their foreign policies away from constructive engagement. Arguably, this was to avoid harmful impacts to their reputations over future failures, or accusations of bias, from one or both sides.

Fear, victimhood and tit-for-tat revenge

The 1948 Nakba, or “catastrophe”, followed by decades of oppressive Israeli occupation, have inflicted immeasurable suffering on Palestinians. In turn, this occupation has also inflicted significant and often unappreciated damage to Israel’s social fabric, cohesion, economy, international standing, security and moral stature.

Hamas’ brutal massacres and Israel’s vicious retaliations have only exacerbated these effects, for both sides. And they are now threatening to extinguish what tiny hope may have existed before October 2023 for a path towards a liveable future for both people.

Should the tit-for-tat cycle of violence continue, the blowback will hurt not only Israel’s efforts to attain safety and security for its citizens, but the prospects for a political future for the Palestinians, as well.

Arguably, existential fear may be the most underappreciated and damaging element behind the conflict’s intractability.

Outside observers tend to view security concerns rationally, and as a national concern, based on the threat to the state or to the people as a whole.

But in the Israel-Palestine conflict, people react to such fears emotionally, focusing first on their own safety. And the fear is ever-present – a rocket exploding in my house, or my child being shot at by a sniper on the way to school.

These worries and experiences have been etched in the minds of generations of Palestinians and Israelis. We need to appreciate this fact to make sense of how both sides have dehumanised one another and excluded the “other” from their spheres of moral concern, particularly following the October 7 attack and in the weeks and months after.

The late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist for engaging in peace efforts, once said you don’t make peace with friends, but with enemies.

However, absent a minimum sense of safety and trust – if not in the other side, than at least in the mediators and future outside guarantors – the security arrangements required to sustain a peace agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, for both sides to agree on.

Read more:
10 books to help you understand Israel and Palestine, recommended by experts

Entrenched views and dangerous simplifications

As the war in Gaza has not yet ended, a detailed assessment of the successes and failures of the campaign for a Palestinian state is still ahead of us.

During the fighting, misinformation and disinformation have been rife. With both sides waging a propaganda war, the manipulation of facts ratcheted up divisions and increased polarisation between “pro-Israel” and “pro-Palestine” groups across the globe.

Selectively embracing information that could validate one’s own position and omitting or rejecting everything else have become the norm.

Once we choose a side, we can go to great lengths to defend its actions. Our conditioned responses challenge or cast doubt on any claim or information put forth by the other side. And the more emotionally invested we become, the harder it is for us to empathise with the suffering of the “other”.

Simplistic misconceptions, for example, that an aggressor cannot also be a victim or vice versa, have added fuel to the fire and to the conflict’s polarisation. This has had negative consequences for empathy, reconciliation, trust and peace-building.

We could debate without end who has suffered more. But how useful would that be, at this stage, for the prospects of a future peace?

Despite the strong emphasis in the global debate on the “pro-Palestinian” versus “pro-Israeli” dichotomy, an important reality is that meeting the basic needs of one side could never be achieved without addressing those of the other.

These needs for peace, safety, security and dignity are mutual. As such, they should be promoted in the public debate over the incompatible needs ramped up by minorities in the two camps.

Rather than taking sides, efforts should focus on reconciling both parties’ objectives: a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the unjust occupation, self-determination for Palestinians, and safety and security for Israelis.

As the future welfare of one side is inextricably linked to the security needs of the other, zero-sum solutions won’t achieve anything. Rather, they will only fan the suspicions, animosities and victimhood grievances on both sides, and lead to more violence.

Read more:
Why is the Gaza war tearing us apart?

It’s the world’s turn

Most Palestinians and Israelis have lost what little desire or capacity they had prior to October 7 for trusting or empathising with the misery of the other. The anger, fear and suffering today are too overwhelming.

In the short term, meaningful solutions must come from the outside.

In addition to a critically needed change of leadership on both sides, it is time for more sincere collaborative efforts by key states in the international community.

It is time to replace years of empty condemnations with more meaningful and sustained commitments.

It is time to help both societies, through carrots but also strong sticks, to free themselves from the chokeholds of illusory, all-or-nothing radical ideologies that have brought so much suffering and devastation to all.

It is time for a better future for both Palestinian and Israeli children, even at the price of painful concessions. And concessions will have to be made on both sides for the promise of a lasting peace.

To pressure governments to do more, protests should continue, but their voices should call for peace for all and against harming innocents on all sides, regardless of who they are.

Peace, or at this stage an end to violence, has to come first – even if this would slow down (not prevent!) accountability and justice for all victims.

Hate comes easily in the face of injustices. It is hard to empathise with the misfortunes of “others” who may or may not have brought their miseries upon themselves. But selective denunciation of crimes perpetrated by the other side, based on one’s support or rejection of a cause, is not only morally flawed, but counterproductive.

Those who have been severely aggrieved by this human tragedy may struggle to apply the same yardstick to others, certainly in the near future. But the rest of us can, and should, do better.

Eyal Mayroz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. A year of devastation: with hope and trust shattered, what can bring an end to the violence in Israel-Palestine? – https://theconversation.com/a-year-of-devastation-with-hope-and-trust-shattered-what-can-bring-an-end-to-the-violence-in-israel-palestine-239204

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: News 10/4/2024 Blackburn on McGhee Tyson ANG Base’s Advancement in Competition to Become Main Operating Base for KC-46 Aircraft
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the 134^th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard (ANG) Base outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, was selected for the final phase of competition to house the U.S. Department of the Air Force’s next generation of air refueling aircraft, the KC-46 Pegasus:

“With decades of proven experience and service, McGhee Tyson ANG Base would be the perfect fit to receive and employ the KC-46, and I applaud the Air Force’s decision to keep Tennessee in the running,” said Senator Blackburn.

Earlier this year, Senator Blackburn led the entire Tennessee congressional delegation in sending a letter urging U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III to make McGhee Tyson ANG Base the seventh main operating base for the KC-46. Senator Blackburn recently spoke with Air Force officials, who informed her of the Department’s decision to keep Tennessee in the running between seven possible locations.

Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn with Airmen of Tennessee’s 134^th Air Refueling Wing.

BACKGROUND:
- McGhee Tyson ANG Base boasts over 68 years of volunteer excellence and service to the Air Force. The unit has received a remarkable 16 Air Force Outstanding Unit awards and is one of the most decorated air refueling units in Air Force history.
- KC-46 acquisition is the Tennessee Air National Guard’s number one short-term priority. Securing KC-46 aircraft for McGhee Tyson ANG Base will preserve over 1,500 jobs and $203 million annually for decades to come.
MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rescue Teams Continue to Locate Survivors as Communications Improve and More Military Assets Join Storm Response Efforts
Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Rescue Teams Continue to Locate Survivors as Communications Improve and More Military Assets Join Storm Response Efforts

Rescue Teams Continue to Locate Survivors as Communications Improve and More Military Assets Join Storm Response Efforts
mseets
Sun, 10/06/2024 – 17:33
Air search and rescue teams flew 48 additional missions on Saturday, locating 39 survivors stranded in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to the region. So far 6,586 people and counting have been rescued, evacuated or assisted by search and rescue teams since the storm hit.

Almost 50 search and rescue teams have deployed more than 1,600 responders to the region over the past 10 days. Local and state emergency responders now have the assistance of approximately 1,700 North Carolina National Guard and 1,000 active-duty military personnel.

“Continuing search and rescue missions in rough terrain, better communications and more resources on the ground are helping as we race to find missing people, reunite families and coordinate the delivery of supplies,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “The people of Western North Carolina are strong, and they deserve every bit of help we can get them. I’m so grateful for everyone stepping up to help as we dig out from this unprecedented storm.”

At Gov. Cooper’s request, nearly 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty and Fort Campbell have been mobilized to assist with search and rescue and coordination of air traffic to ensure the safety of relief missions. They are partnering with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help speed the clearing of roads, and with county emergency managers to distribute commodities including food and water. An additional 500 active-duty soldiers will join those already deployed.

Communications in the region are improving rapidly, making it easier to identify help needed by communities and people. Cellphone providers reported significant gains in service coverage Sunday, with an estimated 80% of access to cell service in the region restored. Federal Emergency Management Agency teams will install a fiber optic cable to support telecom partners in restoring communications to the remaining inaccessible areas. An additional 30 Starlink satellite systems have arrived and will support search and rescue efforts underway at the North Carolina Emergency Response Center and at mobile locations.

People and crews in hard hit areas are urged to be careful when removing debris, to ensure they do not disrupt fiber optic cables or cell tower infrastructure critical to keeping communications open. People in the area should restart their cell phones periodically to allow the devices to reconnect to repaired infrastructure.

North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

Gov. Cooper activated more than 1,700 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen who are conducting ongoing search and rescue operations and delivering critical supplies. Active-duty military personnel and equipment requested by the Governor are now also part of response efforts.

National Guard and military personnel from NC and other states are operating more than 50 helicopters and more than 716 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through a website launched on Saturday.

FEMA Assistance

More than $30.2 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC disaster survivors and more than 96,747 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Nearly 1,700 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Federal partners have delivered more than 6.1 million liters of water and more than 4.1 individual meals in North Carolina to support both responders and people living in the affected communities.

More than 700 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes 27 North Carolina counties (Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

Help from Other States

More than 1,600 responders from 35 state and local agencies have performed 102 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

Beware of Misinformation

North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution

Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. More than 20,000 hot meals a day are being prepared and served by mobile kitchens. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

Missing Persons

To report a missing person or request non-emergency support, please call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. NC 211 also has a registry page for missing persons and welfare check requests.

Shelters

A total of 22 shelters are open in Western North Carolina and Saturday night served more than 825 people and 94 pets.

Storm Damage Cleanup

If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

Power Outages

Across Western North Carolina, approximately 142,000 customers remained without power at 12:30 p.m., down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

Road Closures

Travel remains dangerous, with approximately 650 roads closed as of Sunday morning. More than 100 of those roads are primary routes connecting the region. As connectivity and reporting measures improve, these number may increase.

NCDOT is asking people to avoid unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid western N.C. NCDOT currently has more than 2,050 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on more than 3,200 damaged road sites.

Fatalities

Seventy-seven storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. We expect that this number will continue to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911. To report that you have been unable to reach a person in Western North Carolina, please call 211.

Volunteers and Donations

Due to dangerous road conditions and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is strongly discouraged. Instead, consider the following options for donations and volunteer opportunities:
- If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.
- For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc
Additional Assistance

There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

###
Oct 6, 2024

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Day 6 – Army Best Squad 2024 Highlight Reel

Source: US Army (video statements)

Competitors conducted their zeroing and qualification on multiple weapon systems to include the M4 / 50 Cal. / MK 19 and M17 to include day and night requirements.

The competition assesses each squad on their technical and tactical proficiency, knowledge, and implementation, as well as their ability to work as a disciplined and cohesive team. Afterward, the top four teams of the week will travel to Washington, D.C. for a board-style interview that will test their knowledge and professionalism in front of top Army leaders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA3KodsNKVA

MIL OSI Video –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tillis Discusses Helene Recovery Efforts on Face the Nation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan to discuss North Carolina’s recovery efforts from Helene.
Watch the full interview HERE.

Senator Tillis on the state and federal disaster response:
“Resources are beginning to move. I think they’re moving a little bit more slowly than I hoped, but that is why we’re working on the ground. I want to thank all of the local, state, federal responders out there. They’re doing extraordinary work, but we’ve got to plus up the resources out there into some of the hardest hit areas, areas that we haven’t reached yet. I think that could be done through the leadership of active-duty DOD personnel working with the state and with the National Guard. We just need to surge more resources.”
Senator Tillis on calling for a military leader to take charge of recovery efforts:
“We’ve got to clear roads, most roads are closed in Western North Carolina. I’ve been out there twice last week and [will be out] every day this week. Just the basics of debris removal, rescue operations, things that the Department of Defense, the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne are accustomed to doing in battle situations are exactly what we need in Western North Carolina…It has to be a coordinated response and FEMA knows how to do this well. They’ve done it in other major disaster events. The American people and people in North Carolina need to understand the scope of this storm is more like Katrina. It may look like a flood to the observer, but again, this is a land mass roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts with damage distributed throughout. We have to get the maximum resources on the ground immediately to finish rescue operations and then sadly be there for recovery and rebuilding.”
Senator Tillis on the spread of misinformation during recovery efforts:
“I’ve been involved in a number of storm responses and this is when I believe discipline is absolutely essential…Many of the observations are not even from people on the ground. I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don’t need any of these distractions on the ground. It is at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives…If there are any challenges, call my office and we’ll track them down if there are real issues, but most of what I’ve seen is a distraction and not helping the core of the effort right here which is to save lives and start rebuilding.”
Senator Tillis on North Carolina protecting voting access for residents affected by Helene:
“North Carolina is doing a great job. I’ve spoken with state leaders and they’re coming back and taking lessons from Louisiana and a number of other states that have had to provide ballot and voting access in difficult situations like this. They’ll be passing legislative matters this week to address it and I think that North Carolina will be prepared to make sure that everybody who wants to vote will have access to the ballot and vote before election day or on election day.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Police conduct enquiries in Marokopa area after sighting of missing children

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Please attribute to Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders:

Waikato Police are continuing to make enquiries after a sighting of Tom Phillips and his children was reported on Thursday evening.

Investigators received information about 7pm on Thursday that Tom had been seen in bush area west of Coutts Road in Marokopa with Jayda, Maverick and Ember.

Our enquiries have established that this was a credible sighting, and Police believe it was indeed Tom and his children.

Police dispatched staff to the Marokopa area on Thursday night and a three-day search was commenced.

Part of the search phase included air support from the Police Eagle helicopter and a Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter.

While nothing further of significance was located, investigators will now assess information gathered to determine any next steps.

This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family.

Police continue to urge those in the Marokopa community to remain alert and report any suspicious activity, no matter how minor, to us.

If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

Please use reference number 211218/5611.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese, Pakistani nationals killed, injured in terrorist attack in Pakistan’s Karachi

Source: China State Council Information Office

Two Chinese nationals were killed, one Chinese national injured, and several Pakistani nationals were killed and injured in a terrorist attack in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Sunday night, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan confirmed.

The attack happened at about 11:00 p.m. local time on Sunday (1800 GMT) when a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked by terrorists near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the capital city of the country’s south Sindh province, the embassy said in a statement.

“The Chinese Embassy and Consulate in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, express deep condolences to the victims of the two countries, and extend sincere condolences to the injured and their relatives,” the statement said, adding that the Chinese side has been working with the Pakistani side to do their best to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

A big fire following a huge blast on Sunday night engulfed several vehicles near an airport in Karachi, police said.

The Chinese missions in Pakistan have initiated emergency response work as soon as possible, requiring Pakistan to do its best to treat the injured, conduct a thorough investigation of the attack, and severely punish the perpetrators, the statement said.

The embassy stressed that practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions, and projects in Pakistan should be taken by the Pakistani side at the same time.

“The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan remind Chinese citizens and companies in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the local security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions,” said the statement.

The banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack through a statement on a social media platform, while the Pakistani authorities have not confirmed it.

MIL OSI China News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: BNZ offers support for Otago customers affected by severe rainfall
Source: BNZ statements

BNZ is offering an assistance package to customers affected by severe rainfall in the Otago region.

Available immediately, the assistance package includes:
- Ability to review home lending facilities on a case-by-case basis.
- Access to temporary personal overdrafts to support customers who require access to funds urgently while they await insurance pay-outs. Standard interest rates and credit criteria applies.
- Access to temporary overdrafts of up to $10,000 with no application fee for Small Business customers. Standard interest rates and credit criteria applies.
- Access to temporary overdrafts for Agri, Business, and Commercial customers up to $100,000, with no application fee. Standard interest rates and credit criteria applies.
“We understand the challenges that can be posed to households, businesses and communities as a result of severe weather events,” says Anna Flower, BNZ Executive Personal and Business Banking.

“We’ve put together a range of practical support options to help ease some of the immediate financial pressure our customers might be facing.

“We also have a range of other options available, especially for customers who are facing hardship, so I encourage people to get in touch so we can see how we can help,” says Flower.

To discuss support options, business and agribusiness customers should reach out to their BNZ Partner. Small business owners can call 0800 BNZSME, while personal banking customers can access support through BNZ’s digital platforms or by calling 0800 ASKBNZ.

BNZ PremierCare Insurance customers who need assistance can call IAG NZ on 0800 248 888 or submit an online claim https://iagnz.custhelp.com/app/bnz

With local authorities in Otago, including Civil Defence, advising locals to avoid any unnecessary travel, BNZ is temporarily closing its Dunedin branches and Partner Centre.

“It’s important that our customers and our BNZers stay safe. Our teams in Dunedin can work from home and our people who would normally be working in our branches will instead be available to support customers via telephone banking and they continue to do their banking online or through our BNZ app,” says Flower.

BNZ’s ATM network in the affected areas remains operational, ensuring customers have continued access to cash and basic banking services.

Customers can check whether their local BNZ branch is open here: http://www.bnz.co.nz/locations

The post BNZ offers support for Otago customers affected by severe rainfall   appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warren Demands John Deere Explain “Disgraceful” Attempts to Prevent Farmers from Repairing Their Own Equipment

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
October 03, 2024
Raises Concern about Company Undermining Right-to-Repair Agreements, Violating Clean Air Act
Repair restrictions like John Deere’s hurt farmers and consumers across the country; cost American farmers $4.2 billion per year
“John Deere has repeatedly interfered with farmers’ ability to repair the equipment they own, including by blocking independent repairs to maximize profit, negotiating an MOU in bad faith, and failing to inform farmers of their rights in potential violation of the Clean Air Act.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Boston, MA – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Deere & Company (John Deere) accusing the company of undermining its own “right-to-repair” agreements and evading its responsibilities under the Clean Air Act by failing to grant its customers the right to repair their own agricultural equipment.
John Deere restricts farmers from repairing broken equipment themselves, even when they have the knowledge and tools to do so, instead forcing them to wait for weeks until a John Deere technician is available, and risking missed crop windows on which farmers’ livelihoods rely. In Massachusetts, there are just three John Deere dealerships for 470,000 acres of farm operations, or 2,400 farms per dealership. Farmers nationwide lose an average of $3,348 per year “directly tied to downtime and repair restrictions imposed by equipment manufacturers.” Repair restrictions cost U.S. farmers $4.2 billion per year.
“While John Deere’s profits spike thanks to this strategy, farmers suffer,” wrote Senator Warren.
In fact, by overcharging for repair services, John Deere has seen its profits streaming in. Since 2020 the company has seen a 270% increase in profits, despite labor strikes, supply disruptions, a drop in sales, and a global pandemic.
After years of legal battles, in January 2023, John Deere signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) promising to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the diagnostic tools and information they need to make repairs to their machines. But the MOU appeared to be a veiled attempt to hold off the passage of “right-to-repair” legislation. In exchange for pledges to provide the information and tools needed for farmers to make repairs, John Deere secured a politically valuable promise from the American Farm Bureau Federation to encourage American farmers not to introduce, promote, or support federal or state right-to-repair legislation that imposed obligations beyond the MOU’s commitments.
John Deere is not upholding its side of the bargain, and appears to have negotiated the MOU in bad faith. Rather than allow farmers meaningful opportunity to repair their equipment, John Deere has provided inadequate tools and disclosures.
The software tool offered to farmers redacts or obfuscates functions and information required to complete repairs. Further, earlier this year, John Deere admitted to omitting a legally required addendum about repair rights from its manuals.
The exclusion of this information may violate the Clean Air Act, which requires manufacturers to “provide in boldface type on the first page of the written maintenance instructions notice that maintenance, replacement, or repair … may be performed by any automotive repair establishment or individual.” The EPA warned John Deere that its manuals were not in compliance with EPA regulations.
“John Deere has repeatedly interfered with farmers’ ability to repair the equipment they own, including by blocking independent repairs to maximize profit, negotiating an MOU in bad faith, and failing to inform farmers of their rights in potential violation of the Clean Air Act,” wrote Senator Warren. “Deere’s attempts to stave off right-to-repair reforms that would save American farmers $4.2 billion per year are disgraceful.”
Senator Warren asked John Deere to respond to questions related to the company’s repair restrictions and apparent failure to comply with the law by October 17, 2024.
Senator Warren has repeatedly sought to bolster competition and fight back against costly restrictions on repairs for cars, military equipment, and other goods:
In September 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren sent two letters regarding the costly restrictions imposed on the Department of Defense that bar the military from repairing its own military equipment and instead force it to pay billions of dollars extra to military contractors.
In July 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren included a provision in the Senate Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA that would require contractors to provide DoD with “fair and reasonable” access to repair materials.
In August 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), celebrated the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reversing course and allowing enforcement of Massachusetts’ pro-consumer Right to Repair law.
In June 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reverse its course after it sent a recent letter to auto manufacturers, advising them not to comply with Massachusetts’ Right to Repair law.
In February 2022, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Angus King (I-Maine), and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) urged the Department of Health and Human Services to move forward with the march-in petition submitted for the prostate cancer drug Xtandi.
In July 2021, Senator Warren and Representative Doggett (D-Texas) sent a letter to the Department of Defense requesting information about steps taken to reduce costs of DoD-funded prescription drugs and medical products.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: White House Appoints 2024-2025 Class of White House Fellows

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
The President’s Commission on White House Fellows is pleased to announce the appointment of the 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking Administration officials, and leave the Administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan basis.
This year’s Fellows advanced through a highly competitive selection process, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished group. These Fellows bring experience from across the country and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, state government, academia, non-profits, medicine, and the armed forces.
Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship year will be accepted starting November 1, 2024. The application link and additional information is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/fellows/.
Class of 2024-2025 White House Fellows
Patrick Branco is from Kailua, Hawai‘i, and is placed at the Department of the Navy. He has been the Director of External Affairs with Hawai‘i Green Growth, a United Nations (UN) hub catalyzing action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Asia-Pacific region. Branco is the first from Hawai‘i to receive the Congressman Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funding his master’s degree at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served at the State Department in Colombia, Pakistan, Venezuela and the Secretary of State’s Operations Center. In 2020, he was elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives. Branco currently serves as a U.S. Navy officer reservist and is proficient in Spanish, Korean, and Hawaiian.
Nicholas Dockery is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and is placed at the Office of the First Lady: Joining Forces Initiative. With a distinguished career in the Infantry and Special Operations Community, Nick has deployed to numerous combat zones and operational areas worldwide. For bravery and wounds in combat, Nick was awarded two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. His military experience is complemented by his academic and advisory roles; he served as a research fellow at the Modern War Institute and as an advisor to the Military Times Charitable Foundation. Nick has received the West Point Nininger Award for Valor at Arms, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and the title of 2022 Soldier of the Year. An advocate for equine therapy, Nick passionately supports its use in helping veterans cope with PTSD. Nick holds a Master of Public Policy from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Tawny Holmes Hlibok, Esq. is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and is placed at the Domestic Policy Council. As a third-generation Deaf person and attorney, she is a dedicated advocate for deaf children’s education rights and language equity including access to sign languages. Tawny is a tenured associate professor in Deaf Studies at the world’s only university for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, where she recently won $3.75 million funding to lead a national implementation and change center for early intervention with deaf babies and their families in partnership with HRSA and NICHQ. She also serves as the executive director of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
DeAnna Hoskins is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is placed at the Department of the Army. She has served as President/CEO of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), a national nonprofit that empowers people directly impacted by the criminal justice system. DeAnna is a nationally- recognized advocate and policy expert who has shifted the national narrative on the disparities and limitations of having a criminal background. She has served as Senior Policy Advisor and as Deputy Director of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council at the U.S. Department of Justice. DeAnna was also the founding Director of Reentry for Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners in Ohio.
Michael Kennedy is from Morehead City, North Carolina, and is placed at the United States Coast Guard. As a nurse practitioner, her career involves direct patient care while leading process improvement in rural and underserved settings. Michael attended Lenoir Community College to become a Registered Nurse and later earned a B.S. Nursing from Barton College. Witnessing disparities in practice led Michael to East Carolina University for an M.S. Adult Nurse Practitioner, Post-M.S. Nursing Leadership, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, and Post-DNP Nursing Education. To better serve her community, Michael completed a Post-M.S. Adult-Gerontological Acute Care NP and Post-DNP Psychiatric-Mental Health NP at Duke University. Michael is a Great 100 Nurse and Bonnie Jones Friedman Humanitarian Award recipient.
Hoa Nguyen is from Silver Spring, Maryland, and is placed at the National Economic Council and the United States Coast Guard. At Montgomery College, she is an associate professor and chair of the business department, where she helped implement a zero-textbook-cost Business degree, saving students thousands of dollars in education costs. Under her leadership, faculty and students have won multiple local, state and national awards and recognitions. Hoa also co-led numerous initiatives that led to the launch of the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Taskforce at the college. Hoa received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona.
Amnahir Peña-Alcántara is from Bronx, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University funded by the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Her research focuses on polymer blends for stretchable electronics. She graduated from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, and was a researcher at Northwestern University, Oxford University, and MIT. She has interned in wearable technology and textile fabrication companies in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and India.
Padmini Pillai is from Newton, Massachusetts, and is placed at the Social Security Administration. Padmini is an immunoengineer bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease. She has led a team at MIT developing a tumor-selective nanotherapy to eliminate hard-to-treat cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Padmini was featured in several media outlets including CNBC, The Atlantic, and The New York Times to discuss vaccination, immunity, and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities. Padmini received her Ph.D. in immunobiology from Yale University and a B.A. in biochemistry from Regis College.
Maddy Sharp is from San Diego, California, and is placed at the Office of the Second Gentleman. She is a physician leader committed to securing a healthier and more equitable future for all Americans. She has served as a health policy fellow for Senator Amy Klobuchar and a policy research fellow for Secretary John Kerry. Madison has performed clinical work and research in Nicaragua, Jordan, and the Navajo Nation to reduce health disparities and championed policies to enhance healthcare delivery. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Madison holds an M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine and B.A. from Yale University, where she captained the NCAA Division I field hockey team.
Jason Spencer is from Medford, New York, and is placed at the Department of Commerce. Jason is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy serving as an Information Warfare and Intelligence Officer. At sea, he was assigned to aircraft carriers and destroyers deployed to the Middle East and Europe. Ashore, Jason served as Targeting Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and later as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. At the Pentagon, he served as Senior Intelligence Briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations – Intelligence Plot and as an Executive Officer to the Joint Staff’s Director for Intelligence. Jason earned a B.A. in international studies and political science from Virginia Military Institute, an M.A. from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Nalini Tata is from New York City, New York, and is placed at the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. She is a neurosurgery resident at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she helps treat the spectrum of emergency and elective neurosurgical conditions between a level I trauma center and a world-renowned cancer institute. Her published work spans clinical and non-scientific journals with a focus on advancing equity in access to care. Her career in neurosurgery and long-standing interest in public policy are closely bound by a deep-rooted dedication to public service. She received her BSc in neurobiology from Brown University, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, M.D. from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Alexander Tenorio is from Los Angeles, California, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neurological surgery resident at the University of California, San Diego. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants and dedicated to improving health disparities. He has led a research team investigating neurological traumatic injuries at the U.S.-Mexico border with his published work featured in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. In his commitment for health equity, he partnered with Hospital General de Tijuana in Mexico to improve their neurosurgical care. He earned an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco and B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Zachary White II is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is placed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a Radiation Oncology resident physician and cancer researcher at Stanford University. Passionate about health equity, Zach co-chairs Stanford Medicine’s GME Diversity Committee, promoting diverse medical trainees’ recruitment and development, and provides health education to communities to improve health literacy. Zach graduated summa cum laude from Tuskegee University with a B.S. in biology and earned an M.S. in biomedical and health sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his M.D. from the University of South Alabama, where he served as class president.
Ryan Wisz is from Aiken, South Carolina, and is placed at the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy serving as a Submarine Warfare officer. At sea, he has served aboard Attack and Ballistic Missile submarines and has deployed seven times, including missions vital to national security. Ashore, he has served as aide-de-camp to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and as the Submarine Squadron Engineer in San Diego, California. Prior to military service, he was a Page in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate. He received his B.S. in economics from the University of South Carolina and is a Distinguished Graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School with his MBA and published master’s thesis. He has received numerous personal and unit awards during his Navy service, is active in local tutoring, and passionate about financial education and physical fitness.
Mark York is a seventh-generation farmer from Lake Wilson, Minnesota, and is placed at the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital. He is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Harvard, where he researches crowdsourcing and reinforcement learning algorithms in collaboration with MIT. He is the co-founder and President of Farm Yield Africa, a non-profit providing tractor services and microcredit to 1,500 farmers in Ghana since 2016. Mark has worked as a consultant, and before that he led a data science team at a startup building agricultural risk models. He began his career at Cargill as a commodity trader and data scientist. Mark studied agronomy and mathematics at South Dakota State University, where as Student Body President he introduced legislation at the state and local level.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Biden-Harris Administration Provides More Than $20 Million to Hurricane Helene Survivors, Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations Continue in North Carolina
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: Biden-Harris Administration Provides More Than $20 Million to Hurricane Helene Survivors, Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations Continue in North Carolina

Biden-Harris Administration Provides More Than $20 Million to Hurricane Helene Survivors, Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations Continue in North Carolina
Today, President Biden will travel to Georgia and Florida to survey damage, meet with local officials, community leaders and first responders

WASHINGTON — As search and rescue, power restoration and communication capabilities remain top priorities throughout the Southeast, FEMA has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more than $20 million in flexible, upfront funding.

More than 5,000 personnel from across the federal workforce are deployed, including more than 1,500 from FEMA. To date, FEMA has shipped over 9.3 million meals, more than 11.2 million liters of water, 150 generators and more than 260,000 tarps to the region.

President Biden has approved a Major Disaster declaration for eight counties in Tennessee. This declaration comes in addition to areas in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Yesterday, the President announced an increase in federal cost share for each state to help state, tribal and local governments and non-profit organizations cover the cost of recovery.

Disaster survivors in declared areas can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA. People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in the designated counties should apply for assistance, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.

There are three ways apply for FEMA assistance:

Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.

Voluntary organizations are also providing personnel and resources to the hardest hit areas. The American Red Cross has more than 850 trained disaster workers providing comfort and operating shelters. Additionally, they are helping find loved ones through their helpline 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by visiting the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Reunification page, where you can enter pertinent information about the person you’re looking for. If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then 1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

People can receive free services like cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs and mold mitigation with the help of Crisis Cleanup by calling 844-965-1386. The hotline is open through October 11 and can connect people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups and the faith-based community who may be able to assist.

Connectivity is crucial for disaster response and lifesaving operations. With areas still experiencing mass communications outages, it’s critical that local, state and federal first responders can communicate with each other to conduct lifesaving operations like search and rescue. Fortunately, FEMA has resources that can ensure communications support in even the most remote areas affected by Helene.

One of FEMA’s tools for emergency communications is Starlink, a mobile unit that allows customers high-speed internet by connecting to satellites. FEMA has successfully deployed Starlink in previous disasters including Guam, Hawaii and Alaska. Because the unit is portable and weighs less than 15 pounds, FEMA can deliver it to the areas that need it most, bringing connectivity to over 100 users.

Over 60 Starlink units have been sent to multiple states in support of Hurricane Helene response efforts, including 40 units to North Carolina with more on the way. FEMA is in the process of purchasing additional units for use in other areas affected by the storm.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, more than 500 FEMA staff are on the ground in North Carolina, with more arriving daily. over 30 Disaster Survivor Assistance staff are on the ground in affected areas to help survivors to apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Over 38 state and federal Urban Search and Rescue teams are in North Carolina helping people. As of today, these have rescued or supported over 2,100 survivors. Additional federal search and rescue teams have arrived to support the mission.

Wednesday, President Biden visited the state to survey damage and meet with community leaders and state officials. Administrator Criswell remains in North Carolina and will be on the ground until the situation has stabilized.

FEMA has activated Transitional Sheltering Assistance for North Carolinians displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. Residents in declared counties who have applied for disaster assistance may be eligible to stay temporarily in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA while they work on their long-term housing plan. People do not need to request this assistance. FEMA will notify them of their eligibility through an automated phone call, text message and/or email, depending upon the method of communication they selected at the time of application for disaster assistance.

As of today, more than 70% of originally reported power outages have been restored. Nearly 8,000 crews continue to assist with remaining power restoration efforts.

To date, over 40,000 people have applied for disaster assistance and FEMA has paid out more than $6.2 million in Individual Assistance directly to survivors.

Cellular restoration continues to improve, with less than 38% of cellular sites down as of today. Ten counties have 50% or more cell sites down. Two Federal Communications Commission surveillance teams are conducting inspection operations on equipment in targeted counties. FEMA is boosting response coordination by providing 40 Starlink units to ensure first responders can communicate with each other.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has full mobile cellular service.

Commodity distribution, mass feeding and hydration operations are underway in areas of western North Carolina. FEMA commodity shipments are enroute to support operations.

Voluntary organizations are supporting mass feeding operations with bulk food and water deliveries coming via truck and aircraft.

The American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage.

Twenty-six shelters are housing over 1,000 occupants. Mobile feeding operations continue to help survivors in heavily impacted areas, including 3 mass feeding sites in Buncombe, McDowell and Watauga counties.

The North Carolina National Guard has delivered 12 aircraft pallets, totaling more than 100,000lbs of food and over 38,000lbs of water to Asheville.

Information for Residents
- Residents can visit: ncdps.gov/helene to get information and additional assistance.
- Residents should not travel to western North Carolina to keep the roadways clear for search and rescue teams and utility crews.
- Residents can get in touch with loved ones by calling 2-1-1 or visiting unitedwaync.org to add them to search and rescue efforts.
Florida

Today, President Biden will visit the state to survey damage and meet with state and local leaders.

On Wednesday, five counties were added to the disaster declaration, bringing the total eligible for Individual Assistance to 22 counties. Survivors in Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Leon and Suwannee counties may now apply for FEMA disaster assistance. FEMA specialists are canvassing Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Helene to help survivors apply for assistance. Additionally, FEMA inspectors have begun visiting applicants’ homes to verify disaster-caused damage.

FEMA has received over 85,000 applications for assistance and has provided more than $7.5 million to survivors.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting either debris assessments or water/wastewater assessments across seven counties.

The American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage. More than 450 volunteers continue conducting direct emergency feeding and working with feeding partners to provide distribution in support of partner production. Sixteen shelters remain open with less than 475 occupants.

The Salvation Army has active mobile feeding units serving meals and distributing supplies in 13 counties.

Residents in need of information or resources should call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-342-3557. English, Spanish and Creole speakers are available to answer questions.

Georgia

Today, President Biden will visit to survey damage in various affected areas of Georgia. On Wednesday, Vice President Harris visited Richmond County to meet with community leaders. On Wednesday, Vice President Harris was in Augusta to survey damage and meet with local officials.

FEMA has received nearly 100,000 applications for assistance. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

The Salvation Army has 26 active mobile feeding units providing meals and support to 10 counties in the affected areas.

The American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage. The organization continues to conduct direct emergency feeding and working with feeding partners to provide distribution in support of partner production. Two new shelters opened yesterday, totaling 10 shelters with over 500 occupants.

Residents can find resources like shelters and feeding sites at gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene.

South Carolina

Today, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties helping survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Region 10 Regional Administrator Willie Nunn is on the ground to help oversee response and recovery operations in the state.

In South Carolina, FEMA has received over 88,000 applications and distributed more than $4.4 million to survivors.

The American Red Cross is engaging in targeted distribution of emergency supplies in low-income communities with high levels of minor or affected residential damage. One shelter closed yesterday. Nine shelters remain open with less than 175 occupants.

Team Rubicon is continuing to route clearance operations in Spartanburg County and continues planning for clearing other areas.

The state has established a Mass Feeding Task Force to include multiple voluntary agencies. Three Salvation Army mobile feeding units are in hard hit areas. FEMA is supporting the state’s feeding mission with Meals Ready to Eat and drinking water.

Information for Residents
- Residents with questions on Hurricane Helene can call the state’s toll-free hotline, open 24 hours a day, at 1-866-246-0133.
- Residents who are dependent on medical equipment at home and who are without power due to Helene may be eligible for a medical needs shelter. Call the state’s Department of Public Health Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for more information.
Virginia

Several federal agencies, including FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, are already in Virginia and working hard with their counterparts with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and other state agencies. Priorities include coordinating the removal of debris and restoration of critical infrastructure.

Today, the first Disaster Survivor Assistance staff will start working on the ground in neighborhoods across the affected counties. These teams help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources.

Residents of Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe counties, as well as residents of the city of Galax, are eligible to apply for assistance from FEMA to help with costs from damage and losses due to Tropical Storm Helene.

Tennessee

On Wednesday, President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the state. This includes individual assistance for Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties.

Individual Assistance provides money to survivors for serious needs, including food, gas and medication. It also provides money for the repair and/or replacement of personal property and repairs to a disaster-damaged home.

Shelter and mass feeding operations have expanded with support from National Guard, delivering food to Unicoi, Washington and Carter counties via aircraft.

Ten shelters remain open with decreasing populations, as people are able to safely return home.

Power and cellular restoration continues to improve. Power has been restored to nearly all customers and less than 13% of cellular sites are down across the affected area.

Information for Residents
- Residents can call 1-800-824-3463 to report a missing person. Callers should be prepared to provide as much information as possible including names, phone numbers, vehicle identification and last known whereabouts.
- Counties have started establishing donation centers. For the evolving list, visit TEMA’s website.
mashana.davis
Thu, 10/03/2024 – 14:42

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and US Secretary of Commerce Ms. Gina Raimondo co-chair India-U.S. CEO Forum

Source: Government of India (2)

Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and US Secretary of Commerce Ms. Gina Raimondo co-chair India-U.S. CEO Forum

Forum stands as indispensable catalyst for economic cooperation between India and US; serves as key advisory body to India-US Commercial Dialogue

Posted On: 03 OCT 2024 5:59PM by PIB Delhi

The India-U.S. CEO Forum, chaired jointly by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Shri Piyush Goyal, and US Secretary of Commerce, Ms. Gina Raimondo was held today in Washington D.C., USA.

The India-U.S. CEO Forum convened as a platform to allow private sector members to develop and provide recommendations to the Indian and US governments that reflect the private sector’s views, concerns and suggestions about the creation of an environment in which the bilateral economic links are strengthened. The Forum works in tandem with, and provides inputs to, government-to-government U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue.

The Forum is co-chaired from Private Sector by Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, and Mr. James Taiclet, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin. This is the third time the Forum has been convened since its reconstitution in November 2022 by the Governments of India and the USA and saw participation from 16 CEOs. Both governments appreciated the Forum’s progress on initiatives and its achievements over the past two years.

The CEOs, under the seven working groups, presented priority areas to create stronger partnerships and boost growth across various critical areas such as Entrepreneurship and Promoting Small Businesses, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Aerospace and Defence, ICT and Digital Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Environment, Infrastructure and Manufacturing, Financial Services, Trade and Investments, among others.

Both sides deliberated on the progress made as of the last meeting of the Forum in March 2023, including the launching of innovation handshake and a knowledge sharing platform called NIHIT (Network for Innovation and Harnessing Investments and Trade).

Government representatives and CEOs reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening commercial and trade ties, driving economic growth and innovation, and fostering a resilient bilateral partnership.

Earlier during the day, Minister Goyal began his third day of the U.S. tour with the offering of a floral tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial across the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. in remembrance of his 155th birth anniversary.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry met with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ms. Gina Raimondo over a luncheon meeting and discussed areas of mutual interests. They discussed the pathway for strengthening bilateral cooperation in critical minerals supply chains as recommended by the US-India CEO forum. They also discussed opportunities to increase US investments in India especially in some of the new industrial cities being planned in India.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Shorten interview on the Today Show with Sarah Abo and Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton

Source: Ministers for Social Services

4 October 2024

Program:

Today Show

Interviewer:

Sarah Abo

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

SUBJECTS: Planned protests to mark one year anniversary of Oct 7 attacks; Australians in Lebanon; NRL grand final

SARAH ABO, HOST: Well, thousands of protesters will take to the streets this weekend to mark a year of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with authorities calling for calm after the rallies were given the green light. For more, we’re joined by NDIS and Government Services Minister Bill Shorten in Melbourne and opposition leader Peter Dutton in Brisbane. Good to see you both. Pete, I’ll start with you. So, New South Wales tried to block this rally, that was overruled. The SA, in South Australia, the police say they don’t oppose it. Those attending say it’ll be peaceful. So how do we strike the right balance here?

PETER DUTTON, LIBERAL PARTY: Well, Sarah, this is the biggest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. And that’s what October 7th is. So, it’s the anniversary of the terrorist attack in the kibbutz’s and where people were slaughtered in the Nova music festival. So, there were no attacks, no rockets launched by Israel on October 7th or October 8th or October 9th. The response came after that, as we know. So, this is an anniversary of 1200 people losing their lives. And that’s why the protests shouldn’t go ahead. And you would only be protesting the anniversary of that loss of life if you were trying to be provocative or difficult. If you were marking the anniversary of the Holocaust, people would be outraged. And I just think it’s completely unacceptable that people would be using this opportunity to essentially rub, you know, I just think they’re compounding the grief of people who have lost lives. And it’s completely unacceptable.

ABO: Yeah, I mean, Pete, I guess despite all of that, they are still going ahead. I mean, there’s nothing we can do to stop it. So, it’s really just about upholding the peaceful intended nature of it.

DUTTON: Well, just again, Sarah, I mean, why would people why would people want to do this? And I think there are people within the community, leaders so-called within the community, who should show greater sensitivity and there are other dates that they can commemorate. But October 7th is an anniversary where 1200 people were killed by a terrorist organization and people who were sympathizers to the terrorist organization in this country, frankly, are at odds with our values and our rule of law.

ABO: And, Bill, there are obviously significant sensitivities around this. And as we know, the tensions are escalating currently in the Middle East. There’s a lot of heat in the community, and it seems little is being done to sort of turn down that temperature. Is the government concerned that these protests may cause further rifts in the community?

BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNENT SERVICES: Well, I agree with a fair bit of what Peter was saying there. October the 7th was a massacre of Israelis. Hamas crossed the border. They killed young people at a concert. They committed shocking crimes. They kidnapped people. They sexually abused people. I don’t know what someone who’s – I don’t know why someone would protest about that or be in some fashion being seen to lend their weight to it. I mean, we are a free country. We don’t want to become like the countries that we criticize. But I just think on October the 7th, that was a massacre of innocent people. Now, there might be some people watching who say, oh, what about, you know, my side of the argument and my hurt and my pain. I accept that, but one, you’ve got to keep it peaceful. Two, why do it on the day where – you know, if you really think that Hamas was right. I do not understand how you think. I do not understand how people would want to celebrate Hamas’ actions.

ABO: Yeah.

SHORTEN: So yeah, but I think most Australians don’t want to see these arguments from overseas coming to these shores. They certainly expect it to be peaceful. And I’ll just say to any protesters, if you think somehow, you’re convincing or changing anyone’s mind, think again.

ABO: It is truly horrific, that’s for sure. The fresh wave of attacks that we’re seeing, bill in Lebanon at the moment. The UN has called this truly catastrophic. We know that the Australian government is doing what it can, deploying the RAAF planes there to try and evacuate some. How is that all tracking at the moment?

SHORTEN: Yeah. I want to thank our people in the Australian Defence Force. We have military resources to help evacuate people pre-positioned in Cyprus. I know the government’s assisted people on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday to get commercial flights out. I know there’ll be opportunities on Saturday for 500 Australian citizens and immediate family members. But also, I have to say that the Prime Minister and the government has been saying since last November, please do not go to Lebanon. Whilst it might have been a surprise on which particular day the fighting escalated, the point is there was a big chance the fighting was going to escalate. So please get out now. Do not go to Lebanon. Please get out now. The Australian Government has a phone number. I think it’s 6261 3305. 6261 3305. But yeah, just let’s get out of there. It’s just – there’s nothing going to be good about being in Lebanon right now.

ABO: Yeah. I think both sides are in agreement on that. Look, it’s all very heavy and really tragic and awful. So, let’s focus on something a little bit different now because this weekend of course we have the big NRL grand final decider. It’s less than 48 hours away with the Storm taking on the Panthers. Pete, I wanted to ask you. I mean, seeing as you’re single handedly responsible for the turning of the political tide in Victoria, you would, of course, be backing the Storm right now, right?

DUTTON: Well, I’ve picked. I’ve picked Penrith, I think. Just an amazing –

ABO: What? Pete.

DUTTON: They are an amazing team. They are an amazing team.

ABO: You need to win Melbourne over mate, come on.

DUTTON: I’m still celebrating the Lions win. I’m still, I’m still – every Victorian was going against the New South Wales team last weekend. So, they were all on the Lions and we were on a unity ticket. So, this week – you know I just think I mean storms had had an incredible season as well. But I just think Penrith will be too strong.

ABO: Billy, surely you’ve got the storm, right?

SHORTEN: Yeah. No, I think the Storm’s a really well-run club. I’ve been lucky enough to have a bit to do with them over the journey and, you know they did beat Penrith in 2020. Craig Bellamy, ten grand finals. Penrith is a really strong team. One thing’s for sure. The two best teams are playing in the grand final. But, you know, Pete, there was that chance for you to sort of cement the deal in Victoria, but given two choices –

ABO: I know, I gave him an opportunity.

SHORTEN: But you went the wrong way, I know

ABO: He didn’t take it.
.
SHORTEN: Sarah just laid it out in the red carpet. I don’t know. I don’t know.

DUTTON: Hey, Bill, I’m just glad that you know there’s an NRL team in in Victoria. Well done.

ABO: We couldn’t leave this chat without a sledge. Right? Okay.

SHORTEN: That’s good. And do you know what? Even though we’re not an NRL, even though we’re not an NRL state, we can still win the flag. I love it. When Victorians turn their mind to something. We’re unstoppable.

ABO: Yes. Let’s go with that.

SHORTEN: It’s actually the third Queensland team anyway.

ABO: Thank you both very much for joining us.

MIL OSI News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor enters agreement with Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics to resolve alleged gender pay discrimination at Delaware facility

Source: US Department of Labor

NEWARK, DE – The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a conciliation agreement with Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc. to resolve alleged pay discrimination against female employees at its manufacturing facility in Newark.

A routine OFCCP compliance review found that, beginning Jan. 1, 2020, the employer paid females in system engineer roles less than male counterparts in similar positions at the laboratory diagnostics manufacturing center. Such action violates Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

In addition to paying eight female system engineers $57,200 in back wages and interest, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics made $24,821 in salary adjustments for three women. The company also agreed to review its compensation practices and policies and train managers to ensure future compliance.

“Our conciliation agreement with Siemens reflects the U.S. Department of Labor’s continued efforts to bridge gender wage gaps and hold federal contractors accountable when they fail to comply with the law,” said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Regional Director Samuel B. Maiden in Philadelphia.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc. is contracted by the National Institutes of Health and employs about 1,300 workers in Newark. Since 2020, the company has held at least $882 million in federal contracts with numerous federal agencies including the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. is the holding company of Siemens Healthineers AG’s U.S., based in Germany.

In addition to Executive Order 11246, OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. These laws, as amended, prohibit federal contractors and subcontractors from discrimination in employment because of disability or status as a protected veteran.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Executive at Irvine-Based Company That Marketed Faulty Stem Cell Products Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison

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

LOS ANGELES – The imprisoned founder and CEO of an Orange County-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison – consecutive to his current prison sentence.

John Warrington Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Rancho Santa Margarita, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also scheduled a December 3 restitution hearing in this case.

Kosolcharoen pleaded guilty on August 26 to one count of introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction.

“Exploiting the hopes of patients suffering from serious illnesses is not merely greedy, it’s cruel,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take advantage of victims’ fears and anxieties to line their pockets.”

“Misleading the public about the safety and effectiveness of purported cures and treatments is illegal,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who market potentially dangerous products for personal gain.”

Beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, the Irvine-based Liveyon LLC and the San Diego-based Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.”

Kosolcharoen and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.

In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.

Kosolcharoen misled the FDA about Liveyon’s activities by directing Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.

FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the FBI; Amtrak Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration; and the California Department of Health Care Services investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section and David H. Chao of the General Crimes Section, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted this case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals New Orleans Task Force Concludes Fiscal Year 2024 Operations With Over 500 Arrests, 24 Missing Endangered Children Recovered Across Eastern District Of Louisiana
Source: US Marshals Service

New Orleans, LA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force conducted multiple violent fugitive and sex offender fugitive operations during fiscal year (FY) 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023—Sept. 30, 2024) along with several USMS Missing Endangered Children operations. The task force also participated in the FBI New Orleans Field Office’s Operation Clean House. The USMS New Orleans Task Force fugitive operations included Boo Dat, New Orleans Saints and Sinners, and Baseline. The fugitives arrested by the task force included 107 persons arrested on murder related offenses, 41 suspects arrested on rape/sex assault related cases, nine individuals for kidnapping, 41 persons for robbery, 100 individuals for assault/battery, 32 for sex offender registration violations, and 20 suspects on felony narcotics offenses. In total 531 fugitives were arrested and over 150 firearms were recovered during FY 2024 as a direct result of USMS New Orleans Task Force investigations across E/LA. The USMS New Orleans Task Force also worked 95 collateral lead requests from USMS offices outside of the Eastern District of Louisiana (E/LA).

Missing Child Unit (MCU) operations Fresh Start, Crawfish Boil, and other MCU work done during FY 2024 resulted in the recovery of 24 missing/endangered children, with five persons arrested related to recoveries.

Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans (GNO) provided support for several of the arrests made during the year and helped to sponsor Operation Boo Dat with a fugitive photo spread sent out to New Orleans metro area media outlets.

Highlights of FY 2024 cases worked across E/LA include:
- In Tangipahoa Parish two children, 3 and 6, were abducted allegedly abducted by Daniel Callihan. Callihan is believed to have murdered the children’s mother and kidnapped the children from her residence before fleeing the state. USMS along with FBI, state police, and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office started a manhunt in attempts to locate/apprehend Callihan. USMS E/LA was able to identify Callihan’s whereabouts in Jackson, Mississippi, and a collateral lead request was sent by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and USMS S/MS Jackson Office. Members of the GCRFTF observed Callihan near an abandoned house on Boozier Drive in Jackson. As members of the GCRFTF approached the house, Callihan ran from the house and was taken into custody. Members of the GCRFTF located a hole on the back side of the house where both missing girls were located, one of whom was deceased.
- A teen girl was one of several runaway juveniles associating in a suspected human trafficking ring orchestrated by local gangs in the greater New Orleans metro. During the investigation, another teen girl was also identified as a missing/endangered runaway. USMS, along with Homeland Security Investigations, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the NOPD Special Victims Division – Child Abuse Unit began working these cases together and identified two additional missing juveniles. All four girls were believed to be involved in a sex trafficking and prostitution ring. During the course of the investigation, the four girls were recovered, one arrest was made on scene and two men were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation. By the end of the investigation another arrest was made of a man charged with raping one of the juveniles and the individual responsible for setting up the juveniles’ appointments for sex was deported.
- A teen girl was recovered after running away from her foster parent in Ouachita Parish. She was alleged to have been a previous victim of sex trafficking and sexual assault/rape. USMS, along with HIS, located her in New Orleans and recovered her. During an interview with the teen, she disclosed that a high school teacher in New Orleans picked her up from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and transported her to New Orleans approximately one week prior to her recovery. HSI after a several months investigation obtained an E/LA federal arrest warrant for Aaron Johnson for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution and coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. The USMS New Orleans Task Force with HSI located Johnson at a New Orleans East apartment complex and arrested him on the warrant Aug. 15. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was working as a teacher at a local New Orleans high school.
- Ernest Cortney Dixon III was arrested May 22 for an alleged rape that occurred in May 2024 in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Dixon is alleged to have gone into a French Quarter business with a firearm and raped an adult female employee of that business. At the time of the alleged rape, he was already wanted on an April 2024 NOPD warrant for domestic violence assault with a firearm stemming from an incident where he was alleged to have fired a handgun at an ex-girlfriend. During Dixon’s arrest at a French Quarter business, the USMS New Orleans Task Force recovered a loaded stolen firearm alleged to have belonged to Dixon.
- Wayne D. Bennett was arrested Sept. 23 by USMS Northern District of Florida and USMS Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force in Altha, Florida. Investigators with the USMS New Orleans Task Force and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office tracked Bennett to the Altha area before sending a request to the USMS FCRFTF, who were able to locate and arrest him. Bennett was wanted by the TPSO for first-degree rape, third-degree rape, five counts of trafficking of children for sexual purposes and three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
- Marrio Haynes was arrested Feb. 28 on a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for second-degree murder. On Dec. 26, 2023, Haynes allegedly murdered a Lacombe man at a gas station using an AR-15 style rifle. Later that night officers located his vehicle and arrested his girlfriend in connection with the murder, but Haynes was able to flee on foot avoiding arrest. He went on the run and was featured in multiple Crimestoppers GNO news reports. After a two-month investigation he was arrested by the USMS New Orleans Task Force at a home in Kentwood. His girlfriend, who was present at the residence, was rearrested for harboring a fugitive during his arrest.
- Fugitives Davonn Davis and Carlos Taylor were arrested Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge by the USMS Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force. Davis was wanted on a NOPD charge of second-degree murder in connection with a shooting outside of The Shamrock Bar in New Orleans. Taylor escaped from the Orleans Juvenile Justice Center, and then is alleged to have carjacked a woman, almost running her over. He was featured across the state of Louisiana in news outlets as a dangerous fugitive with a previous violent history. He and Davis were located together in Baton Rouge where Taylor initially attempted to flee on foot.
- Leon Ruffin was arrested Feb. 27 on a JPSO warrant for escape. During the escape Ruffin assaulted a JPSO deputy during a medical transport and stole her police vehicle. Ruffin was awaiting trial on a murder related charge. He was tracked by the USMS New Orleans Task Force to a motel in New Orleans East and arrested.
“The U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Task Force successfully apprehended over 500 fugitives and recovered 24 missing and endangered children in 2024,” said Enix Smith III, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These significant accomplishments underscore the critical importance of vigilance and collaboration between law enforcement and the community. Together, we can create a safer environment where justice is upheld, and our neighborhoods can thrive.”

The USMS New Orleans Task Force is sponsored by USMS E/LA and includes the following law enforcement agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Kenner Police Department, LA Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, LA Probation and Parole, LA State Police, New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The task force also frequently works with the local ATF, DEA, and FBI field offices.

Any information about wanted felony fugitives can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service at (504) 589-6872 or via email at usms.wanted@usdoj.gov. Crimestoppers GNO may also be contacted with tips at (504) 822-1111.

MIL Security OSI –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Subnet Solutions Inc. PowerSYSTEM Center
News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

View CSAF

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- CVSS v3 7.5
- ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/Low attack complexity
- Vendor: Subnet Solutions Inc.
- Equipment: PowerSYSTEM Center
- Vulnerabilities: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity, Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
2. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could result in an attacker bypassing a proxy, creating a denial-of-service condition, or viewing sensitive information.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following versions of PowerSYSTEM Center are affected:
- PowerSYSTEM Center: PSC 2020 v5.21.x and prior
3.2 Vulnerability Overview

3.2.1 SERVER-SIDE REQUEST FORGERY (SSRF) CWE-918

Vulnerable versions of PowerSYSTEM Center utilize Axios NPM package 0.21.0, which contains a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability where an attacker is able to bypass a proxy by providing a URL that responds with a redirect to a restricted host or IP address.

CVE-2020-28168 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 5.9 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

3.2.2 INEFFICIENT REGULAR EXPRESSION COMPLEXITY CWE-1333

Vulnerable versions of PowerSYSTEM Center utilize Axios, which is vulnerable to Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity.

CVE-2021-3749 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

3.2.3 CROSS-SITE REQUEST FORGERY (CSRF) CWE-352

Vulnerable versions of PowerSYSTEM Center utilize Axios 1.5.1, which can inadvertently reveal the confidential XSRF-TOKEN stored in cookies by including it in the HTTP header X-XSRF-TOKEN for every request made to any host, allowing attackers to view sensitive information.

CVE-2023-45857 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 6.5 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

3.3 BACKGROUND
- CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing, Energy
- COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
- COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Canada
3.4 RESEARCHER

Subnet Solutions Inc. reported this vulnerability to CISA.

4. MITIGATIONS

Subnet Solutions Inc. recommends users update to PowerSYSTEM Center 2020 Update 22, which can be located in the PowerSYSTEM Center by accessing Settings > Overview > Version. Users may also contact Subnet Solution’s Customer Service.

Subnet Solutions Inc. strongly recommends users update to the latest version. If this is not possible, the following paragraphs describe the security control compensation(s), mitigation(s), or workaround(s) available for identified vulnerabilities:
- For all vulnerabilities, users can disable usage of previous UI extensions.
- For CVE-2020-28168 and CVE-2023-45857, users can limit outbound connection requests from the PowerSYSTEM Center security zone to external websites.
- For CVE-2023-45857 and CVE-2021-3749, users can disable PowerSYSTEM Center Client Access Server user’s ability to access the browser’s F12 Developer Tools to limit user ability to see HTTP headers and corresponding XSRF-TOKEN, and to manipulate requests to the PowerSYSTEM Center website.
CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities, such as:
- Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
- Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
- When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.
CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:

No known public exploitation specifically targeting these vulnerabilities has been reported to CISA at this time.

5. UPDATE HISTORY
- October 3, 2024: Initial Publication
MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Army Best Squad: Day Three| U.S. Army

Source: US Army (video statements)

Day three of the 2024 U.S. Army Best Squad competition! Day three assessed Soldier expertise in various tasks with E3B lanes.

: AMVID

About the U.S. Army:
The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #ArmyBestSquad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGSDV84MWxY

MIL OSI Video –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Navy Sailor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Meet a 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual Activity

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Michael Buck Brockway (40, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Brockway was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, pay $48,000 in restitution to child victims, and register as a sex offender. Brockway was arrested on July 28, 2023, and has been detained since that date.

According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), posing as a 13-year-old child, began an undercover investigation designed to identify individuals who were seeking to meet children in person for sexual activity. The undercover agent, acting as the “child,” began an online conversation on a particular social media application (app) with user “Telly_Rider,” who was later identified as Brockway. From that day, continuing through July 28, 2023, Brockway and the “child” engaged in numerous sexually explicit conversations using two different social media apps and text messaging. During these online conversations, Brockway confirmed that the “child” was 13 years old, inquired about the “child’s” sexual experience, and asked if the “child” wanted to meet him in person for sex.

On July 27, 2023, Brockway asked the “child” if “she” was alone for the next few days, and he confirmed that the “child” was living at a particular apartment complex in Jacksonville. Brockway sent the “child” explicit videos of himself that he produced while on duty as a sailor onboard a U.S. Navy ship docked at Naval Station Mayport. The following day, Brockway drove into the apartment complex where the “child” purportedly lived, then over to a nearby restaurant where the “child” agreed to meet him. Brockway exited his car, entered the restaurant to meet the “child,” and was arrested by detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. During a search incident to his arrest, Brockway’s cellphone and three condoms were found in his pockets. A search of Brockway’s car revealed a container of personal lubricant, an unopened bottle of vodka, and a sex toy. A search of Brockway’s cellphone revealed numerous photos and videos that depicted children being sexually abused.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: PP24-2 COM-FSM Visit [Image 7 of 15]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

240909-N-BB269-1105
YAP, Federated States of Micronesia (Sept. 9, 2024) – U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73, introduces himself at the College of Micronesia-Fisheries and Maritime Institute during a campus visit with Pacific Partnership 2024-2 mission personnel in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, Sept. 9, 2024. Now in its 20th iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Raymond D. Diaz III/Released)

Date Taken: 09.09.2024

Date Posted: 10.01.2024 02:12

Photo ID: 8670644

VIRIN: 240909-N-BB269-1105

Resolution: 6977×4656

Size: 937.13 KB

Location: FM

Web Views: 2

Downloads: 0

PUBLIC DOMAIN

This work, PP24-2 COM-FSM Visit [Image 15 of 15], by CPO Raymond Diaz III, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Navy Unit in Singapore Recognizes Guyana, Brooklyn Native as Top Sailor

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Once a young boy from Brooklyn, petty officer first class Jamal Thompson’s journey began with the dreams of his Guyanese parents who sought freedom, democracy, and prosperity in New York City. As he grew up, he found solace in the cheers for the New York Yankees and the rhythm of music from Nas. Venturing south to Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia, he not only found love in meeting his future spouse, but also discovered his calling by joining the U.S. Navy. Fast forward seven years, Brooklyn’s finest, Thompson, stood tall as he was honored with the prestigious title of the 2023 U.S. Navy Sailor of the Year (S.O.Y.) for Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73) in Singapore. Equipped with a no-nonsense New York state of mind, Thompson was unanimously recognized as S.O.Y. by senior leaders for operating as a personified Swiss Army knife, successfully balancing five jobs simultaneously in a single calendar year.
“I’m honored to be the CTF-73 Sailor of the Year, yet, I take more pride in serving and caring for my Sailors,” said Thompson. “Whether it is ensuring their award recognition or helping them achieve their goals, I’m there to serve and support. Whether their ambitions are to be a chief petty officer, a commissioned officer, or to transition to the corporate world, I take pride in helping junior personnel reach their professional goals, whether in the Navy or after.”
Thompson practices what he preaches, as in 2023, he operated as second in command for CTF-73’s human resources (admin) department, where he approved hundreds of urgent travel claims for personnel. He also served as a victim’s advocate for the command’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program while operating as the then-elected president of the non-profit first class petty officer association (FCPOA). Thompson continued setting the example by also leading weekly early morning group fitness sessions for fellow Sailors and Marines through a program called Sailor 360, and stood over 100 hours of security watch — often on nights and weekends.
“Sailor 360 coordinator is my favorite collateral duty because I can impact the entire command with just 30 minutes of morning fitness,” said Thompson. “It’s a great way to let our hair down because of the physicality of the workouts before we all start the workday. I never waste anyone’s time because I truly enjoy helping co-workers improve themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.”
The six-foot four Brooklynite who grew up in a predominantly Caribbean-cultured household, credits his unmatched work ethic to his upbringing and “humble beginnings, where I saw a lot of people financially struggle,” he said.
According to the American Forces Network (AFN), Thompson is among the approximately 19 percent of Hispanic Americans currently serving in the Armed Forces today. Cuban-born Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro echoed this year’s theme, ‘Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together’, when he said, “Hispanic Americans have had a profound and positive influence on our country. As we discover more of these stories and honor their ultimate impact, we enrich our understanding and strengthen our collective identity.”
Thompson identifies as Guyanese-American or Afro-Latino, with his collective South American, Caribbean, and North American identities making him the man he is today. A man whose profound influence is strengthening the U.S. Navy by investing in his fellow Sailors in Southeast Asia.
When Thompson isn’t juggling multiple roles, he says he likes to enjoy the sights and tastes of Singapore with his spouse and young children because “it reminds me of home with the train system and the melting pot of different cultures. You can walk the streets of downtown and hear countless different languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, French, Japanese, or English. Singapore feels a lot like New York.” Thompson says he also enjoys the Lion City’s spicy Indian cuisine as it “reminds me of the food I ate growing up like Roti and Chicken Curry,” he said.
While Thompson is more than 15,000 kilometers from the Big Apple and over 17,000 kilometers from South America, he says childhood lessons from his heritage are always with him, regardless of his geographic location. Thompson says he was taught, “Haz con los demás, lo que te gustaría que te hicieran a ti, or in other words, ’Just pay it forward.’ We don’t need to backstab or belittle to get ahead in the workplace. If you continue to work hard to the best of your ability, everything will work itself out.”
Thompson is living proof of how the U.S. Navy is strengthened by the diversity and inclusion of our people from the rich tapestry of the United States. Thompson plans to continue his humble servant-style leadership at his forthcoming duty station in Spain where he aspires to promote to the rank of chief petty officer.
For more information on Sailors and Marines like Thompson serving in Singapore, visit https://www.clwp.navy.mil/

[END]

Date Taken: 09.23.2024

Date Posted: 10.04.2024 00:10

Story ID: 482499

Location: SG

Hometown: BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, US

Web Views: 5

Downloads: 0

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This work, U.S. Navy Unit in Singapore Recognizes Guyana, Brooklyn Native as Top Sailor, by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025

Date Taken:	09.09.2024
Date Posted:	10.01.2024 02:12
Photo ID:	8670644
VIRIN:	240909-N-BB269-1105
Resolution:	6977×4656
Size:	937.13 KB
Location:	FM

Date Taken:	09.23.2024
Date Posted:	10.04.2024 00:10
Story ID:	482499
Location:	SG
Hometown:	BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, US

Web Views:	2
Downloads:	0

Web Views:	5
Downloads:	0

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