Volume 9, No. 45 ©SS 2017
‘A VERY SERIOUS MISTAKE’ Bergdahl pleads guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty Monday at Fort Bragg, N.C., to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. A NDREW C RAFT, THE FAYETTEVILLE (N.C.) O BSERVER /AP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017
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COVER STORY
Bergdahl pleads guilty to desertion and misbehavior BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he deserted his combat post in Afghanistan and misbehaved before the enemy, acts he told a judge were “very inexcusable” and endangered his fellow troops. The former Taliban captive entered the pleas during a hearing at Fort Bragg, N.C., without any pretrial agreement with prosecutors to cap his maximum punishment, leaving his fate entirely in the hands of the judge overseeing his case, Army Col. Jeffery Nance. The more serious misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty that includes life imprisonment. The desertion charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Bergdahl, 31, told Nance that he agreed walking off Observation Post Mest on June 30, 2009, in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan was wrong and amounted to misconduct. “I left my platoon on a battlefield, in an area where there were a lot of enemy, one man short,” Bergdahl said, adding he did not consider the greater consequences of his actions — including spawning dangerous search-and-rescue operations — when he left. “Sir, at the time, I had no thinking that anyone would come searching for me,” Bergdahl said, speaking softly as Nance questioned him for nearly an hour following his plea. “However, looking back, I understand it was a very serious mistake.” The soldier’s plea sets up a pre-sentence trial to begin Oct. 23 at Fort Bragg. That trial is likely to span several days and to include potentially
dramatic testimony about three servicemembers seriously injured on two separate search-and-rescue missions launched in the days after Bergdahl’s disappearance. Two of those injured servicemembers suffered career-ending and permanently disabling injuries. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Mark Allen was shot in the head July 8, 2009, while on a mission in Paktika province to find Bergdahl, leaving him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. Senior Chief Petty Officer Jimmy Hatch, a Navy SEAL, was shot through the leg a day later on a special operations mission to locate the captured soldier, leaving him with a permanent limp. Bergdahl’s guilty plea had been expected and it signals to the judge that he is showing remorse and taking responsibility for his actions, said Eric Carpenter, an assistant professor of law at Florida International University and former Army defense attorney and prosecutor. But without a plea agreement in place, the move is “very risky,” he added. “Sometimes when this happens, it is because the government never offered a reasonable sentencing cap and the defense thinks they can get a much lower sentence from the military judge than the government would agree to,” Carpenter said Monday.
‘ I left my platoon
on a battlefield, in an area where there were a lot of enemy, one man short.
’
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
A NDREW C RAFT, THE FAYETTEVILLE (N.C.) O BSERVER /AP
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, right, and his military attorney, Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt, leave court May 5 after a preliminary motions hearing at the courtroom facility on Fort Bragg, N.C. Bergdahl was held captive by the Taliban for five years after abandoning his post. “The danger is that, while the military judge can sentence Bergdahl to zero punishment, he can also sentence Bergdahl to life in prison.” Bergdahl expressed his own naivete about his decision, which he told Nance was an attempt to walk or run some 20 miles to nearby Forward Operating Base Sharana, where he hoped to complain about problems that he perceived within his chain of command. He said he was due to serve guard duty at OP Mest and later to participate in a convoy from there to FOB Sharana when he decided to walk there on his own. He told Nance that he became lost within 20 minutes. Four hours later, Taliban fighters captured him. Bergdahl said that shortly after his capture, he made the first of his 12 to 15 escape attempts before he was freed eventually in May 2014 in a controversial swap for five Taliban commanders held at the American detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Just hours after he was kidnapped, Bergdahl was able to remove a blindfold partially and realized his captors had left him in a clearing with only small children nearby. He described attempting to run from the Taliban fighters with his arms chained behind his back and a blanket over his head. “There [were] shouts and I was tackled,” Bergdahl said. “That didn’t go so well, sir.” Another escape attempt a couple of years later was more successful, according to Army investigation documents. Bergdahl managed to evade his captors for eight days, but he was recaptured after failing to “get the attention of the [American] drones that were flying around the area,” he said. The soldier also told Nance that he had doubts about his platoon’s mission to train Afghan police to run a security checkpoint along a mountain road at OP Mest. Bergdahl said there were
several other roads that Taliban fighters would use to smuggle weapons into the area, saying the mission “seemed like a bit of a joke.” But he told the judge that he now understands why the mission was necessary. “Looking back at it now, I do [understand the mission’s importance],” he said. “At the time, it was very hard for me to understand the importance.” The Army formally charged Bergdahl with “misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place” and “desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty” in March 2015, and his case was referred to a felony-level court-martial in December of that year. He remains on active duty working a desk job at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. dickstein.corey@stripes.com Twitter: @CDicksteinDC
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MILITARY
Contractor to pay $2.6 million to settle suit BY CHAD GARLAND Stars and Stripes
A security firm accused of billing the Defense Department millions of dollars for guards at a U.S. air base in Iraq has agreed to pay $2.6 million in a settlement with the government after allegations that the guards couldn’t shoot easy targets. Triple Canopy, a Virginia-based security contractor, agreed Monday to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims for payment to the Defense Department for unqualified security guards at Al Asad Airbase, the second-largest air base in Iraq, in 2009 and 2010. Triple Canopy admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The settlement stems from a whistleblower suit accusing the company of violating the False Claims Act when it billed the DOD for the guards, who were hired to protect U.S. and allied personnel but who could not pass an Army firearms proficiency test. The company provided the guards under a one-year contract for perimeter security at Al Asad that began in 2009. It billed the government more than $10.4 million under that contract, of which more than $4.35 million was for the guards. “Contractors must be held accountable for their actions,” Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the suit was filed, said in a statement. “This settlement should remind contractors of the high value we place on safeguarding our personnel abroad.” The suit alleged Triple Canopy officials falsified test score cards it was required to keep for government review to conceal the guards’ inability to pass the contractually required tests.
M ARSHALL THOMPSON /Courtesy of the U.S. Army
Ugandan contractors Matia Tibenda and Alvin Ochieng patrol at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, in 2006. Contractor Triple Canopy has agreed to pay a $2.6 million settlement to resolve claims related to unqualified security guards at the base. The government’s claims were based on a suit filed by a former Triple Canopy employee — Omar Badr, a medic and Army veteran — in 2011. The False Claims Act allows private citizens to file suit on behalf of the government. The government may then investigate the claims and choose to intervene in the suit. Not one of the initial 300 Ugandan guards could pass the firearms proficiency tests, nor could several replacement guards, claimed Badr, who served with the Rangers until 2007 and joined Triple Canopy around February 2008. To qualify on the firearms tests, given at a 27-yard distance but using paper printed with targets simulating distances from 50 to 300 yards, the
guards had to score hits with 23 of 40 rounds fired. The test also involved changing magazines on the weapon — an AK-47-style assault rifle chambered for 5.56 mm ammunition. The first group of guards who were supposed to have qualified on the course in Uganda could not load or unload their weapons when they were taken to a range in Iraq to zero their weapons a few weeks later in June 2009, the suit alleged. Most could hit the paper but not the printed targets, Badr claimed. The suit alleged that when the Al Asad contract was awarded to another firm in 2010, Triple Canopy relocated the unqualified guards to other bases. Triple Canopy officials instructed American personnel to falsify score
cards to give male guards scores in the 30-31 range and female guards scores in the 24-26 range, the complaint stated. The government intervened in Badr’s suit in 2012. Assistant U.S. attorneys Richard Sponseller and Christine Roushdy investigated, along with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Army Criminal Investigation Command. Triple Canopy denied that the guards were unqualified or that its employees falsified their scores. The company later agreed to settle the civil claims, which was not a determination of civil liability. Under the terms of the False Claims Act, Badr will receive a share of the recovery — about $500,000. Triple Canopy is facing a separate whistleblower suit, also filed under the False Claims Act, which alleges it failed to properly inspect weapons it provided as part of a contract for its teams protecting personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. That suit, which the government did not join after it was filed by a former employee last year, alleges company officials falsified inspection procedures and records and then fired the employee who brought the problems to company officials’ attention. The government may choose to join the suit at a later date. Founded in 2003 by veteran U.S. Army Special Forces and Delta operators, Triple Canopy contracted with U.S. government agencies to provide security services overseas. The company merged with Academi, formerly Blackwater, to form its parent company Constellis Group in 2014. garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland
Pest infestation closes commissary in California BY STEPHEN CARLSON Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON — The main commissary at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., has been closed indefinitely due to an outbreak of rodents, according to the Defense Commissary Agency. “The [Defense Commissary Agency] has sent public
health, sanitation, engineer and store operation experts to the store and is working with installation personnel to ensure the facility is thoroughly cleaned and to address where and how the pests are entering the store,” Richard Brink, an agency spokesman, said in a statement to Stars and Stripes. Commissaries have individual pest control programs and use private contractors for
rodent management and extermination alongside regular health and safety inspections. How the rodent infestation escalated far enough to require closing the commissary is unclear. Commissary officers at the Twentynine Palms commissary declined to comment. “This issue escalated surprisingly fast since a Sept. 29 health and sanitation report found no substantial com-
plaints. However, just 12 days later the store was closed. Rodent infestations can escalate quickly under certain circumstances, which officials are looking into in this case to solve the problem,” Brink said. The closure of the only fullsized commissary at Twentynine Palms could mean great inconvenience for troops and families stationed at the base.
Commissaries function as the primary grocery store on military posts. Twentynine Palms is home to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Center and the Marine Air Ground Combat Center. It is one of the primary combined-arms training bases for the Marine Corps. carlson.stephen@stripes.com Twitter: @swcarlson1
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MILITARY
Marines jump to gear up for drills BY M ATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes
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A Combat Rubber Raiding Craft falls into the sea off Okinawa’s eastern coast as Marines from 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, descend in the background on Oct. 12. PHOTOS BY M ATTHEW BURKE Stars and Stripes
NAKAGUSUKU BAY, Okinawa embers of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division looked like mere specks moments before jumping from a C-130 during training Oct. 11 off Okinawa’s eastern coast. A Combat Rubber Raiding Craft on a wooden pallet suddenly flew out, and two parachutes on top popped open. Then, a handful of Marines jumped in two successive runs as fellow reconnaissance Marines in inflatable crafts whooped and hollered below. The Marines said it was the first time in memory — perhaps ever — that a raiding craft had been parachuted off the coast of the Japanese island prefecture. The training was meant to prepare them for Blue Chromite 2017, an annual exercise taking place here at the end of the month. It’s designed to practice integration between amphibious Navy units and their Marine counterparts in the region. Blue Chromite includes amphibious operations from Navy ships from Task Force 76 — headquartered on Okinawa but based in Sasebo, Japan — as well as seaborne raids by the Marines. After hitting the surface and detaching their parachutes under an unforgiving sun, the Marines swam for the raiding craft. Marines aboard first raced to pick up their comrades scattered several miles offshore. One Marine’s chute failed to submerge right away, and he was pulled swiftly across the water just above the surface. A Marine prepares for The Marines, wearing full splashdown during parachute uniforms, fins and combat training off Okinawa’s eastern helmets, treaded water coast on Oct. 11. patiently until they were picked up, as medium-sized waves bobbed them up and down in the water. The group then headed for shore as a team. burke.matt@stripes.com
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MILITARY
‘Four-footed warriors’ recognized Military working dogs’ service recognized in Capitol Hill ceremony
Courageous canines
BY M EREDITH TIBBETTS Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON — Without Coffee, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Bennett wouldn’t have the family he has now: three children younger than 8 and a wife of 17 years. Coffee, a retired military working dog who served with Bennett for 9½ years, is credited with bringing him home safely. For that reason, Bennett’s wife, Army veteran Lindsay Bennett, nominated Coffee for the American Humane’s K-9 Medal of Courage award. On Oct. 11, Coffee and four other retired military working dogs were honored on Capitol Hill for their service to the country. “It’s estimated that each of these dogs saved 250 lives,” Robin Ganzert, president and chief executive officer of the animal welfare nonprofit American Humane, said during the ceremony. Describing the dogs as unsung heroes, Marine Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, the service’s deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations, said their recognition is long overdue. “These four-footed warriors served alongside servicemen and women, fighting as they do to protect our freedom, and often are subjected to the very same hazards and hardships as our servicemen and women,” he said. In Iraq and Afghanistan, Coffee faced the same hardships as Bennett. Unlike other military working dogs who switch handlers, Coffee and Bennett stayed together during their military service. Known as a specialized search dog, Coffee worked off-leash at long range, looking for roadside bombs. “In order to do that, we don’t have a lot of control over the dog. It’s more of a bond or they have to want to do it. … The dogs would [change locations] with the handlers to continue to build that bond, so we were able to work those long distances and not have to rely on physical means to control the dog,” Bennett said. Coffee and Bennett worked together for almost 10 years. “As far as dangerous situations, they are all dangerous. Things like our first deployment, they were getting hit heavily with IEDs [improvised explosive
PHOTOS
BY
MEREDITH TIBBETTS/Stars and Stripes
From left, Ranger, Capa, Coffee and Alphie line up on stage after receiving their medals Oct. 11 at the American Humane’s K-9 Medal of Courage Awards on Capitol Hill. A fifth dog, Gabe, was honored in memoriam. devices], we went in there, and within 30 days, (the Taliban) quit using IEDs. They were afraid of Coffee,” Bennett said. Coffee, who worked until December 2013, also kept morale up on base when they returned from patrols. “She would go to the soldiers, play ball. She would lay down, snuggle. She was always interacting with the soldiers,” Bennett said. Coffee wasn’t the only bomb-sniffing dog being honored. Ranger, adopted about five years ago by Kirk Adams, a retired police sergeant, served in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he worked as an explosives-detection dog specializing in roadside bombs. In 2012, Ranger suffered from heatstroke while in Iraq and was retired. “He was pretty high-key, pretty stressed out when we first got him. It took him quite a while to relax a little bit. I think he still thought he was on the job,” Adams said. “He finally figured out he wasn’t working anymore and he’s become a valued family member.” That family consists of Adams’ wife, two beagles and a 9-month-old black Labrador retriever that he is fostering. Unfortunately, Ranger is battling cancer. American Humane, founded in 1877, is also involved in several other initiatives, such as the No Animals Were Harmed program in Hollywood, farm and conservation animal welfare certifications and rapid-response rescue
Military working dog Capa receives a medal from Robin Ganzert on Oct. 11 on Capitol Hill. and care across the country. The nonprofit has been working with the military since World War I, during which volunteers with American Humane deployed to rescue and care for 68,000 wounded war horses each month. According to its website, American Humane provides service dogs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and recognizes the work of military working dogs. Meanwhile, Coffee is enjoying retired life. “It’s really comfortable. Coffee always snuggles,” said Bennett’s daughter Madeline. “She mostly eats a lot.” tibbetts.meredith@stripes.com Twitter: @mjtibbs
The following are the dogs that received the American Humane’s K-9 Medal of Courage on Oct. 11: Coffee: Coffee and Sgt. First Class James Bennett served together 9½ years with three tours of duty in Afghanistan. She never failed to bring home all the soldiers she was sent to protect. Alphie: Alphie did two tours in Afghanistan, clearing villages of IEDs, making vital finds of weapons and communication equipment, and working with warriors to surprise the Taliban, as well as taking out processing plants for illegal narcotics. Alphie worked with Marine Lance Cpl. William Herron in Helmand province and had several close calls — being shot at numerous times and almost falling out of a V-22 Osprey that was under fire. Alphie, 7, works as a member of the TSA’s elite Canine Explosives Detection Program. Capa: The 10-year-old retired military working dog has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for meritorious service. He was deployed to Iraq, where he worked explosives and patrol and provided security on missions protecting the president. He helped provide safety for a dozen Naval ships and 26,000 personnel — including his handler, Navy Master-at-Arms Petty Officer Second Class Megan Wooster. Wooster adopted Capa, but is getting ready for a deployment, so he is living with Wooster’s mother. Ranger: He served in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he worked as an explosives-detection dog specializing in IEDs. He suffered from heatstroke in 2012 and retired from service. He is battling cancer. Gabe: He completed more than 210 combat missions with 26 explosives and weapons finds in Iraq. He is being honored in memoriam; he died in February 2013 in the arms of his adopter, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Shuck. Gabe was a pound puppy in Texas when he was adopted and trained by the military. He was selected as the American Kennel Club Heroic Military Working Dog in 2008 and won the top title of American Hero Dog at the annual national American Humane Hero Dog Awards in 2012.
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North Augusta gone country
Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee brings diversity in musical acts
EVER HEARD of North Augusta’s Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee festival? Well don’t feel bad… it has sort of been a small-ish community festival for many years. But that is changing with the city recognizing the potential of the annual event. “Todd Glover, the city administrator, has amped up everything (about the Jubilee), and he’s all for giving the city this free event, so forever and always it’ll be the last weekend in October, it’ll always be on Georgia Avenue, and we always want to try to keep it free,” she said. “We work all year trying to get sponsors so we can have a free event for the city.” The 33rd annual Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, a free festival that closes off Georgia Avenue from Clifton Avenue to Jackson Avenue at the end of October each year in North Augusta, will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28. The event planners have really picked up the level and quality of the bands, booking the Charlie Daniels Band (headlining Friday) and Robert Randolph and the Family Band on Saturday. “Known for an adventurous jam-band sound, pedal-steel magician Robert Randolph,” according to Rolling Stone, is a fresh and exciting addition to the already packed lineup. The festival hours are from 5:30-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Festival organizers are aiming to keep the Jubilee fresh by bringing in diverse acts each year, said Tourism and Marketing Coordinator for North Augusta Mandy Nelson. Last year, the theme was ’90s bands, and the Gin Blossoms headlined. “It’s definitely a diversity thing going on,” Nelson said. “We did have some other ‘90s bands in mind (this year), but we decided to go with country mainly, and then we picked Robert Randolph to kind of go with that, but next year we’ll probably go back to ‘90s.”
Country singer/songwriter Cody Webb, who grew up about 40 miles away from North Augusta in Ridge Spring, S.C., will be performing at the festival for a third time. He’s excited to get back and play the festival and will be on stage at 7 p.m. Friday, opening for the Charlie Daniels Band. “We played it last year; me and Ray Fulcher played it,” Webb said. “So I’m definitely excited to come back. We had a great time last year, and of course to do it with Charlie Daniels is really neat. I know he’s getting up in age, and he’s definitely one of my influences that I listened to growing up, so it’ll be really neat to get to do a show with them.” Other musical acts on the main stage include the St. Bart’s praise band, Fairview Band, David Bell Band, Scarlet
By Amanda Main Begonias, Future Birds and No Sir. More than 150 crafts and food vendors will be set up at the festival. Beer and wine also will be available for people to enjoy. The Your Pie stage (which is more of a community stage) will close each night of entertainment with an after-party, with local country artist Donna Jo Carroll from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday night and Phillip Lee Jr. during that time on Saturday night. Also on the Your Pie stage throughout the day Saturday will be a Junior Jazzercise group, the North Augusta School of Dance, the RECing crew, a costume contest for humans (and one for dogs) and more. Registration for the costume contests will be at the North Augusta Junior Women’s League booth, next to the Your Pie stage. All kinds of food will be at the festival, including fare from Your Pie, two barbecue vendors, the Fat Man’s Mill Café food truck, Chick-fil-A, fair food (fried Oreos, funnel cakes), and more. Thrills can be found at the festival with rides like the Sizzler and a Ferris wheel-type ride and inflatables such as slides and bounce houses. Parking around the festival is free. Nelson said the parking garage near the municipal building will be available, and it’s just a short walk to the festival. People coming from Augusta on the 13th Street bridge will take a left at the first light to get to the parking garage. People coming down into North Augusta from Martintown Road might want to park behind Grace United Methodist Church or First Baptist Church of North Augusta. You’ll be kicking yourself if you miss this super, free festival. Visit jackolanternjubilee.com to see a map of the festival, lineups and other information. Georgia Avenue between Clifton and Jackson will be closed from Friday, Oct. 27, until sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29; detours will be in place for people to get through the area on West Avenue.
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MILITARY
VA urges overhaul to Choice program BY NIKKI WENTLING Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs sent a bill proposal to Congress that would overhaul how veterans receive health care in the private sector and do away with the widely criticized “30-day/40-mile” rule, the agency announced Monday. The long-awaited proposal, titled the Veterans Coordinated Access & Rewarding Experiences Act, or CARE, promises to give veterans and their VA physicians flexibility in choosing whether they receive care at a VA facility or from a private-sector provider. VA Secretary David Shulkin announced in February — during his first public address as secretary — that he intended to do away with the rule that allows veterans to go outside the VA for health care only if they had to wait more than 30 days for an appointment or if they live more than 40 miles driving distance from a VA facility. The rule, implemented as part of the Veterans Choice Program in 2014, has been criticized by veterans as complex, bureaucratic and restrictive. “We want veterans to work with their VA physicians to make informed deci-
sions that are best for their clinical needs, whether in the VA or in the community,” Shulkin said in a prepared statement. “This bill does just that, while strengthening VA services at the same time.” Under the proposed changes, veterans would be eligible to receive private-sector health care if the VA can’t schedule an appointment within a “clinically acceptable time period” or if veterans and their physicians decide it’s in their best interest. It would also consolidate the VA’s multiple community care programs and allow veterans access to walk-in clinics to be treated for minor illnesses and injuries. The proposal was shared with House and Senate staff members in recent days, and it will be part of a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing Oct. 24. The committee already drafted its own legislation to overhaul the Choice program, which will also be discussed at the hearing. “Chairman (Phil) Roe, (R-Tenn.,)
and committee staff are reviewing VA’s community care proposal and will take it and stakeholder feedback into consideration as the legislative process moves forward,” said Tiffany Haverly, the committee’s communications director. The cost of the new program and where the funding will come from is expected to be the subject of debate among lawmakers and veterans organizations. The American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents about 230,000 VA workers, is warning of attempts to push veterans and funding into the private sector while undermining VA health care. The union has repeated the need to fill vacancies within the VA health care system. As of the end of June, the VA reported 34,000 job vacancies systemwide. Some major veterans organizations are also wary of neglecting VA services to pay for private-sector care. But the VA said the new CARE pro-
posal contains measures to “strengthen the VA’s world-class medical staff” and “ensure VA is improving medical facilities and staffing levels to meet veterans’ needs in areas where VA care is substandard.” Shulkin wants Congress to approve the new program before lawmakers leave for Thanksgiving break in mid-November. Congress is working on a deadline, as the Choice program is expected to run out of funding at the end of the year. President Donald Trump signed legislation Aug. 12 that immediately provided $2.1 billion for the Choice program to prevent a funding shortfall. The money, originally estimated to last until February 2018, is being spent faster than predicted. Last week, Sen. John McCain, RAriz., and other senators called for more oversight of VA finances because of multiple unexpected funding shortfalls in the Choice program. The new CARE Act contains “business process enhancements” that the VA said would improve financial management. wentling.nikki@stripes.com Twitter: @nikkiwentling
DOD mulls more money for reservists who travel a long way BY JENNIFER H. SVAN Stars and Stripes
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — U.S. military reservists who travel a long way to serve — and in some cases, spend their drill pay to do so — might see their expenses reduced by as much as twothirds as the Pentagon considers changes to the reserve travel policy. Despite the Defense Department’s long-standing concerns that reservists are incurring more out-of-pocket travel expenses to perform their duties, a new Government Accountability Office report states the Pentagon needs more data before making changes. One official said, in extreme cases, the cost of attending monthly training might exceed drill pay, effectively requiring that reservists pay to perform military service, according to the report. The report, published late
Monday, comes as the DOD and the reserve components consider asking Congress to raise reimbursement for long-distance commuters to monthly training drills from a maximum of $300 to $500, the GAO said. Also under consideration is extending the length of time that training courses and other assignments are considered temporary duty and not a permanent change-of-station move. The latter would affect reservists who opt not to move their families and maintain two households while participating in long-duration assignments. A permanent change-of-station classification is triggered after 140 or 181 days, depending on the type of training or assignment. Reservists in that category receive a housing allowance, but it’s usually less than per diem and adjusted for the location of their new duty station and not their civilian
home. Since the reserves’ shift in 2011 from a last-resort strategic force to an operational one that deploys periodically, the Pentagon has been concerned about whether reservists’ military-related expenses are hurting retention, the GAO said. More than 811,000 people serve in the Defense Department’s six reserve components. About 91 percent of reservists are part-time, the GAO said. When not deployed, reservists typically train for about one weekend each month and two weeks per year. They sometimes attend longer, career field-specific training, such as for cyberdefense or languages. But exact out-of-pocket costs are not known, and the extent of the problem is mostly anecdotal, government investigators found. “As a result, DOD is not well positioned to move forward with possible changes to travel
policy absent further analysis,” the report stated. The DOD in 2015 spent an average of about $1,246 per reservist, but the agency does not track and collect data on reservists’ unreimbursed travel expenses, officials told the GAO. Reimbursement policies are not consistent across the reserve force, the agency said. The DOD does allow the services to reimburse reservists who live more than 150 miles, one way, from their drilling site. But only three of the six reserve components reimburse for those expenses, the GAO said. The Navy Reserve, for example, requires reservists who live more than 100 miles from their normal drilling site to sign a waiver acknowledging that they will not be reimbursed for travel expenses. The Army Reserve authorizes reimbursement to some of
its units. That includes the 7th Mission Support Command in Europe, said Lt. Col. Jefferson Wolfe, a command spokesman. About 20 percent of the reservists assigned to the command’s headquarters in Kaiserslautern, Germany, live more than 150 miles away, including several who come from Italy, the United States and Israel for training, he said. The command provides lodging in base barracks for reservists during monthly drills at most locations in Europe, Wolfe said. Reservists get reimbursed for travel related to attending an exercise, school or other training outside of monthly drills, he said. The Marine Corps Reserve and the Air Force Reserve authorize travel reimbursements for monthly drills for several occupations and ranks, the report stated. svan.jennifer@stripes.com Twitter: @stripesktown
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EUROPE
Vilseck cavalry relieving GIs in Poland BY M ARTIN EGNASH Stars and Stripes
VILSECK, Germany — The U.S. cavalry is rolling into eastern Poland to relieve troops serving at a defensive outpost aimed at showing NATO’s resolve against possible Russian aggression. Soldiers with the Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment are marching 680 miles to the small Polish town of Orzysz, about 100 miles from the Russian military enclave of Kaliningrad. They relieve fellow cavalrymen — the first to man the U.S. Enhanced Forward Presence mission — who have been in Poland for the past six months. “The key purpose of the (mission) is to reassure our allies that we are ready and willing to deter any threat, no matter how small, from any enemies,” said Capt. Yevgen V. Gutman, Kronos Troop commander, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “At the same time, we must reiterate to our allies that this is a team effort and that we must accomplish these goals together. Our adversaries should appreciate that we can accomplish these goals as a coalition and not a singular nation.” The Enforced Forward Presence mission began last spring to increase Eastern Europe’s defensive capabilities in light of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. “We play a small but significant part in the tactical level of European security,” Gutman said. The soldiers will be on a sixmonth deployment on NATO’s eastern edge, where they will conduct live-fire exercises from their Stryker armored fighting vehicles alongside soldiers from Poland, other NATO allies and partner countries. The cavalry will try to maintain the momentum they are used to at their base in Germany, Gutman said. “Compared to the home station, however, we have an
PHOTOS
BY
JENNIFER BUNN /Courtesy of the U.S. Army
Above: Soldiers with the Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment fix American and NATO flags to their Stryker armored fighting vehicle during their 680-mile road march from Vilseck, Germany, to Orzysz, Poland, to be part of Battle Group Poland in support of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative. Below: Soldiers of Task Force Wolfpack prepare to begin the road march.
opportunity to focus on the interoperability with our NATO allies as well as establish a long-term working relationship with partnered units from the U.K., Croatia, Romania and Poland,” he said. Staff Sgt. James Lawson, a 2nd Cavalry squad leader, said he looked forward to the “historic tactical road march,” as well as working with Poland and other partners. The soldiers will be relatively close to home in Germany,
but Lawson said saying goodbye to family for half a year is always hard. “It’s always challenging to
leave for deployment. With this deployment especially, as we are only 12 hours away,” Lawson said. “(But) my family
is extremely proud of what I am doing for the Army and for NATO.” egnash.martin@stripes.com
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MILITARY
Lone Sailor now gazing out over Pearl Harbor Stars and Stripes
The steely gaze of the Navy’s iconic Lone Sailor now looks out at the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor. A copy of the famous bronze statue was unveiled Oct. 13 at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in celebration of the service’s 242nd birthday. Its base contains steel from the USS Arizona, which sank after being bombed by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. “Standing seven and a half feet tall, the Lone Sailor has a sea bag by his side — representing the fact that sailors are global citizens, always ready, anytime, anywhere, to protect America’s interests,”
Adm. Harry Harris, head of U.S. Pacific Command, said at a dedication dinner on Oct. 12. “The Lone Sailor embodies all sailors — men and women, past, present, and future,” Harris added. “This statue is a reflection of the pivotal role Navy sailors have played in our nation’s history … the personification of our Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment.” The original statue, presented by sculptor Stanley Bleifeld in 1987, stands at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Since then, 14 copies have been dedicated at Navy memorials across the country.
news@stripes.com
SOMERS STEELMAN /Courtesy of the U.S. Navy
The 15th Lone Sailor statue dedication took place Oct. 13 at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center on the Navy’s 242nd birthday.
Researchers look to octopus skin for camo of the future BY WILL MORRIS Stars and Stripes
Army-funded researchers at Cornell University have created a membrane that mimics octopus skin, a development that could change how soldiers conceal themselves on future battlefields.
The silicone, rubber and mesh membrane is still primitive and lacks the ability to change color, but researchers at the project call the results impressive, according to the most recent issue of the journal Science. The membrane uses a mesh of synthetic fibers laid down in
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a sheet to imitate the octopus’ muscles, which constrain the way the material balloons. Octopuses can change the shape of their skin to copy the texture of whatever they swim over. Combining that with their better-known abilities to change colors and patterns, octopuses can render them-
This publication is a compilation of stories from Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military community. The contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Defense Department or the military services. The U.S. Edition of Stars and Stripes is published jointly by Stars and Stripes and this newspaper. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.
© Stars and Stripes, 2017
Courtesy of Pixabay
An octopus uses a shell as camouflage. selves nearly invisible in milliseconds, enabling them to hide from predators or to hunt prey. Instead of merely expanding, the fibers in the material force the silicone to balloon upward or into simple, predictable, preprogrammed shapes.
The most complicated object mimicked so far was a small plant. The Cornell team is one of many studying octopuses and other cephalopods to unravel their camouflage and locomotion abilities. morris.william@stripes.com Twitter: @willatstripes
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Fri Oct 20
6:30pm - 9pm Southern Suds
Augusta Museum of History An educational program about the history and future of brewing in Augusta that also includes a beer tasting. Local brewery River Watch Brewery is making a historic brew for the event from a recipe provided by the museum. $20-$45; $10, designated driver. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Sat Oct 21
7:30pm An Evening with Jaimee Paul Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center $39.50. Visit AugustaAmusements. com or call 706-726-0366.
7:30pm Sutton Sings Strauss & Gershwin
The Etherredge Center, Aiken Aiken Symphony Orchestra presentation features soprano Brandie Sutton. $30-$45. Visit aikensymphonyorchestra.com or call 803-641-3305.
Noon - 5pm World Series of Chili Cook-Off Lake Olmstead Stadium An Augusta GreenJackets event that will raise funds for Camp Lakeside, this event will feature a contest
Friday, October 20, 2017
where individual and business teams can win prizes for most unique chili, people choice, most overall creative chili stand and best overall chili. In addition, there will be live music, a cornhole tournament, food and drinks and more. Chili teams can register for $30 (individuals) or $60 (businesses), and admission is $10, adults; $5, children 4-12; free, children 3 and under. Dogs welcome. Call 706-736-7889 or email alowndes@ greenjacketsbaseball.com.
7:30pm WWE Presents NXT Live USC Aiken Convocation Center Featuring NXT Champion Drew McIntyre, Ember Moon, Aleister Black and more. $20-$75. Visit uscatix.com or call 803-643-6901.
Sun Oct 22
4pm Jessye Norman School Benefit Concert
Imperial Theatre “Brava, Jessye! A Musical Tribute” concert features hometown favorites Russell Joel Brown, who is home after touring with “The Lion King,” and Damien Sneed, an artist-in-residence at Nyack’s Christian College in New York City. $20-$40, with discounts for military, seniors and children. Call 706-722-8341 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.
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