District of Columbia | November 9, 2021
Pentagon: China’s navy is now world’s largest with 460 warships by 2030
District of Columbia | November 9, 2021
China‘s navy is now the world’s largest maritime military force and will deploy 460 warships by the end of the decade, according to the Pentagon‘s latest annual report on Chinese military power.
The current warship arsenal for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) includes 355 naval platforms, including major surface ships, submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious warships and mine warfare craft.
By contrast, the U.S. Navy currently has 296 warships, but that arsenal includes 11 aircraft carriers capable of projecting power at long distances. Other Navy ships include 115 cruisers and destroyers, 68 submarines, 31 amphibious warfare ships and 59 small surface combatants and combat logistics ships…. (Excerpts from the Washington Times)
District of Columbia | November 4, 2021
Service member investigated for Trump rally appearance will not be disciplined
District of Columbia | November 4, 2021
The Marine who was under investigation for appearing at a Trump rally will not be disciplined, the Washington Examiner has learned.
Lance Cpl. Hunter Clark was investigated for potentially violating the political activities directive within the Department of Defense policy for coming onstage at former President Donald Trump’s Sept. 25 “Save America” rally in Perry, Georgia. The inspector general, II MEF, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, cleared him of wrongdoing…. (Excerpts from the Washington Examiner)
District of Columbia | October 26, 2021
Marine Corps Warns Marines Will Be Kicked Out for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine
District of Columbia | October 26, 2021
New guidance from the U.S. Marines has said that Marines who don’t get the COVID-19 vaccine face separation.
A Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN) was posted to the Marine Corps’ website over the weekend, saying that “Marines refusing the COVID-19 vaccination, absent an approved administrative or medical exemption, religious accommodation, or pending appeal shall be processed for administrative separation [in accordance with] this MARADMIN and supporting references.”
“General Court-Martial Convening Authorities (GCMCA) retain authority to take any additional adverse administrative or disciplinary action they deem appropriate,” said the message, which was signed Oct. 23. It applies to both active-duty and reservists.
An order handed down by the Department of Defense several months ago stipulates that active-duty Marines face a Nov. 28 deadline to get fully vaccinated, while reservists face a Dec. 28 deadline to do the same…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
District of Columbia, International | October 22, 2021
‘Plan Z’: With Afghanistan lost, U.S. weighs help from Taliban, adversaries in terror fight
District of Columbia, International | October 22, 2021
America’s top generals say a counterterrorism partnership with the Taliban is a possibility. They have even explored a potential deal with Vladimir Putin to use Russian military bases as a launchpad for U.S. strikes on extremists. The drastic measures under serious consideration in the Biden administration underscore the daunting challenges facing the U.S. in its effort to halt the expansion of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, slow a seemingly inevitable resurgence of al Qaeda and otherwise manage threats emanating from a country that is on the fast track to once again become the global epicenter of Islamist terrorism. That such moves are even on the table, critics say, offers more proof that President Biden’s decision to proceed with the military withdrawal from Afghanistan has left America and its allies in a dangerous, compromised position…. (Excerpts from the Washington Times)
District of Columbia | October 21, 2021
Over 12,000 Air Force Personnel Poised Not to Meet COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Deadline
District of Columbia | October 21, 2021
Over 12,000 active-duty Air Force personnel are poised not meet an upcoming deadline to be fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to newly released data from the military branch.
In a new update on compliance with the Air Force’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, officials said 3.8 percent of the force remains unvaccinated as of Oct. 18.
That amounts to approximately 12,100 active-duty personnel, down from 13,055 the week prior, according to an Epoch Times analysis of Air Force data.
Fully vaccinated means an airman must get the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna jab, or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, no later than two weeks before the Nov. 2 mandate deadline.
The mandate details were announced by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Sept. 3 under the direction of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
District of Columbia | October 21, 2021
Space Force commander warns of China’s growing threat to U.S. in space
District of Columbia | October 21, 2021
China is threatening to overtake the U.S. military as the most dominant force in space, says the second in command of the now 3-year-old U.S. Space Force, who warns that Washington must dramatically accelerate its rollout of critical new technologies if it wants to retain superiority over the futuristic war-fighting domain. The good news, said Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson, is that the Pentagon’s newest branch is showing promise in speeding up the deployment of key assets to counter China’s rapidly advancing capacities, including its growing capability to attack U.S. satellites…. (Excerpts from the Washington Times)