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Green Beret-UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy on ISIS Threat List

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By Debbie Gregory.

Following credible threats against him by followers of the Islamic State, Special Forces soldier and UFC fighter Tim Kennedy responded with four words: “Let those cowards come.”

Kennedy served in 7th Special Forces Group, and is now a sergeant first class with the Texas National Guard.

Threats are nothing new to Kennedy. He says that the majority of them come from what he calls “military trolls” who target high-profile military figures.

The FBI reached out to Kennedy, asking him if he was aware of the threats. Kennedy said he was. According to the mixed martial artist, the reason nobody has tried to kill him is simple.

“That’s because they are nothing but cowardly and impotent murderers who prey on the weak. They look for soft targets who don’t know how to defend themselves. They seek out the most defenseless in order to make themselves appear stronger than they really are. I’m not a soft target and they hate that.”

When Kennedy isn’t taunting terrorists into trying to kill him he can usually be found training for MMA, where he holds an impressive 18-5 record.

Kennedy enlisted in 2003 under the 18X (Special Forces candidate) program. He attended basic training and Airborne school at Fort Benning GA as an 11B (Infantry), before he continued Special Forces training at Fort Bragg North Carolina.

“What’s the definition of terrorism?” Kennedy said. “It’s to achieve an objective through the use of force and fear. These are just nasty, evil, disgusting human beings who disrespect human life. I teach people how to live with threats like this. Who would I be to be cowering to a bunch of gutless cowards acting like a bunch of tough guys online?”

Kennedy is currently assigned to Special Operations Detachment (A) as a Senior Special Forces Weapons Sgt.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

US Weighs Ramifications of Targeting ISIS Hackers

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By Debbie Gregory.

The killing of two Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) hackers is raising new questions about whether the Pentagon is targeting the group’s tech-savvy members.

In August, a U.S. drone strike killed ISIS hacker Junaid Hussain, who was tied to a number of hacking incidents over the past few years. Hussain was believed to be the head of the so-called CyberCaliphate, one of several informal ISIS hacking groups, and was linked to the release of personal information on over 1,300 U.S. military and government employees.

Hussain was also known as a prominent online recruiter, encouraging western sympathizers to carry out “lone-wolf” attacks.

Then, in early December, another U.S. drone strike took out a lesser-known ISIS hacker, Siful Haque Sujan.

Army Col. Steve Warren described Sujan as a Bangladesh-born, British-educated computer systems engineer who worked on hacking efforts and anti-surveillance technology.

“Sujan was an external operations planner and a United Kingdom-educated computer systems engineer. Sujan supported ISIS hacking efforts, anti-surveillance technology and weapons development. Now that he is dead, ISIL has lost a key link between networks.”

Focusing on ISIS hackers could be one way to counteract the extremist group’s online recruitment.

But the U.S. could be on a slippery slope going after these “hackers,” who some describe as more digital pranksters than actual cyber threats, according to Robert Lee, a former cyber officer in the Air Force and co-founder of Dragos Security

“The fact that someone’s involved in hacking or cyber anything should never be the justification for the strike,” Lee said. “But if they’ve made the kill list, applying some sort of prioritization based on that [skill] absolutely could be a very good consideration.”

CyberCaliphate has vowed to take revenge for Hussain’s killing, posting a picture that features several ISIS fighters holding rocket launchers with the words “Revenge,” “Gazwa” and “Abu Hussein” superimposed over the top.

While experts agree that ISIS’s hacking skills remain rudimentary, the group’s digital vandalism has boosted the terrorist organization’s robust online propaganda and recruitment efforts.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Human Hug Project Allows Marine Veterans To Pay it Forward

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By Debbie Gregory.

“It’s always a good time to hug a veteran. After all a hug is love wrapped up in arms.”

So says the Human Hug Project, the vet-hugging team of veterans and volunteers, offering hugs to any fellow Veteran they see.

On their mission to spread awareness of PTSD, the vet-hugging team founded by Marine veterans Ian Michael and Gino Greganti has visited more than 20 VA medical centers across the country.

Kicking off 2016, the team has already made a stop at the VA Medical Center’s Leestown Road campus in Lexington, KY. They have upcoming stops at VA medical centers in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA.

The long-term goal is to visit every VA medical center to share their message. Both Michael and Greganti suffer from PTSD from serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an effort to cope with the effects, Michael stumbled upon an article regarding the psychological benefits of hugs.

So with his dog and a “free hug” sign in tow, Michael began traveling, giving out hugs.

Greganti was on the same path after a hug from a VA employee helped him. Teaming up with Michael, the two Marines are paying it forward.

The Human Hug Project may help fill the gap left by the recent passing of Elizabeth Laird, lovingly known as the Fort Hood Hug Lady. For the last 12 years, Laird physically embraced hundreds of thousands of Fort Hood soldiers.

The 83-year-old great-grandmother had been battling cancer for some ten years. But in spite of her illness, she regularly made her way to Fort Hood and hugged those being deployed. She reassured those who were afraid, and provided company to those who felt alone. She encouraged and prayed for them all. And then she was there again, when they returned, to give a warm welcome home hug.

Adding a new dimension to the Human Hug Project are letters from the children at Knoxville’s East Tennesse Children’s Hospital, who wrote heartwarming expressions of love and gratitude to the veterans.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Dramatic Rescue Earns Navy SEAL the Medal of Honor

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By Debbie Gregory.

As his SEAL Team Six unit raided a Taliban hide-out where an American doctor was being held hostage, Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers displayed actions that have earned him the Medal of Honor. Tragically, one member of the team was killed.

Byers will be the first sailor in a decade to receive the award. Although his actions in Afghanistan in 2012 have been deemed heroic and self-sacrificing, few details about the rescue or Byers’ actions have been made public.

“There’s no margin of doubt or possibility of error in awarding this honor,” a defense official said. “His actions were so conspicuous in terms of bravery and self-sacrifice that they clearly distinguished him to be worthy of the award, including risk of his own life.”

While the White House usually gives a detailed account of what a service member has done to be awarded the Medal of Honor, Byers commendation cites only “his courageous actions while serving as part of a team that rescued an American civilian being held hostage in Afghanistan, December 8-9, 2012.”

Dr. Dilip Joseph, the medical director for Colorado faith-based nonprofit Morningstar Development, had been held captive in a shack by ransom-seeking Taliban fighters in the mountains east of Kabul.

On December 9th, just after midnight, the SEALs burst in to the shack. The forward-most SEAL, Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque, was shot in the forehead. “Is Dilip Joseph here?” shouted another member of the SEAL team, wearing night-vision goggles and speaking English. When Joseph identified himself, Byers immediately laid down on top of him to protect him from the fighting. As they waited for a helicopter 12 minutes out, the SEALs protected Joseph by “sandwiching” him between two team members.

Byers and other medics performed CPR on Checque during the ride to Bagram Airfield, but Checque, 28, was pronounced dead.

Byers joined the Navy in 1998, serving as a hospital corpsman before attending Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 2002.

A Toledo, Ohio native, 36 year old Byers will be the 11th living service member to receive the medal for actions in Afghanistan and the third sailor to earn the distinction since Sept. 11, 2001.

His awards and decorations include five Bronze Stars with combat “V” device, two Purple Hearts, a Joint Service Commendation with “V,” three  Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals — one with “V”— and two Combat Action Ribbons.

President Obama will present Byers with the nation’s highest award for valor in a February 29th ceremony at the White House.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

FACT Act (H.R. 1927) Will Delay Justice, Compensation, for Asbestos Victims

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By Debbie Gregory.

The House of Representatives has just passed a bill that will bring unnecessary and unjustified financial hardship to thousands of veterans and their families. The FACT Act (H.R. 1927) will make it harder for Americans who are sick and dying from asbestos-triggered disease to obtain compensation from the corporations responsible for their exposure.

More than 150,000 Americans have been killed by asbestos diseases, many of them veterans who were exposed to asbestos while they were in uniform. Almost one-third of the victims of mesothelioma, a rare and incurable cancer caused by asbestos exposure, are veterans.

The dangers of asbestos have been known since the early 1900s, but asbestos is still legal and lethal in the U.S., causing devastating illnesses and death for those exposed.

This bill, if passed, would force veterans and others who are sick and dying from asbestos-triggered diseases to

  • Lists the last four digits of their Social Security numbers on a public website
  • Be subjected to new barriers and delays for receiving compensation and justice
  • Reveal their financial information
  • Subject themselves to possible blacklisting and discrimination
  • Publicly list “the name and exposure history of the claimant and the basis for any payment from the trust made to such claimant

Forcing veterans to publicize their work histories, medical conditions, social security numbers, and information about their children and families is an insult to the men and women who have honorably served.

If the bill becomes law, it will add significant time and delay in paying claims to our veterans and their families by putting burdensome and costly reporting requirements on trusts.

At a time when sick and dying veterans desperately need compensation, this bill presents a huge hurdle to prevent them from being able to pay medical bills, cover end-of-life care expenses, and provide for their families.

Members of the House who voted for Rep. Farenthold’s (R-Texas) bill should be ashamed of themselves for their blatant disregard of America’s heroes.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Military Medals Reviewed for Possible Upgrades

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By Debbie Gregory.

The Defense Department will review more than 1,100 medals issued since the 9/11 terror attacks for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest award issued for valor in combat

The decision follows a review of the entire military awards process that was started by then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in 2014. The goal is to make the military award system more consistent in its treatment.

The review was ordered by Defense Secretary Ash Carter following “curious” trends in the awarding of Medals of Honor following Sept. 11, 2001.

The first seven military medals were all awarded to military heroes posthumously, prompting the Defense Department to clarify that the award criteria included “risk of life,” but did not require loss of life. Since 2010, all ten Medal of Honor recipients have been living.

Additionally, three of the seven most recent Medals of Honor were actually upgraded from lesser award recommendations, while none of the earlier ones were.

The secretaries from each branch of the military must meet the Sept. 30, 2017 deadline to review the next-highest awards to the Medal of Honor (approximately 1,000 Silver Stars and nearly 100 service crosses) to determine if they warrant higher awards. Officials said it’s up to the individual services to determine how to conduct that review.

The Pentagon is now implementing changes to ensure that Medal of Honor and other valor medal recommendations are submitted and reviewed within 45 days of the valorous action, and must be processed up the chain of command and reach the defense secretary within a year of the initial recommendation.

Additionally, the appropriate geographic combatant commander will now review Medal of Honor nominations following a recommendation. This to avoid a repeat of Army Capt. William Swenson’s 19-month delay in receiving his award due to lost awards paperwork.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), a Marine veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, saluted the Pentagon’s medal review but called it overdue. He blamed military red tape and too many layers of approval required for all military medals awarded for valor.

Another significant change will be the introduction of a new medal device: a “C” device for meritorious service under combat conditions, and an “R” device for troops who use remote technology, such as drones.

The “C” device will be affixed to awards earned while serving under combat conditions with “significant risk of hostile action,” but outside of direct combat.

The “R” device reflects the changing nature of combat and the necessity of ensuring that remote actions with a direct impact on combat are recognized.

The Bronze Star be limited to individuals meeting the definition of “Meritorious Service under Combat Conditions,” officials said.

 

 

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Conflicting Reports on Veteran Jobs, Veteran Employment

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By Debbie Gregory.

There has been recent conversation about the unemployment rate as it pertains to veteran employment. Some sources say there are many veteran jobs, while other sources claim, at least in certain regional areas around the country, that veteran employment is scarce.

Veterans face employment challenges that their civilian counterparts do not. Probably most important is understanding how military skills translate to civilian jobs. This is an easy fix and can be remedied by the use of a Military To Civilian Occupational skills translator.

Another indicator that veteran employment could be on the rise is that many of the career sectors most sought out by veterans are considered to be high–growth sectors. Jobs for military veterans in Computer Science/Network Systems Management; Health Care Administration; Human Resources Training Management; Training and Education, and Law Enforcement are all popular career choices.

Regardless of the career choice veterans will make, there is some preparation needed before beginning a veteran job search. Here are a few helpful veteran job tips:

As previously stated, translate military skills into civilian language. While your skills may be a perfect fit, if you don’t translate them on your resume or in interviews in a way that speaks the employer’s language, you may not be considered for the position.

Determine if you need additional training. There are numerous resources available, including online courses and certificate programs that are both easily accessible and affordable.

Network both online and off line. Don’t underestimate the power of who you know. Networking is still one of the most effective strategies in the job search process..

Many employers look to veterans because of the skills acquired in the military, including leadership ability, understanding of sophisticated technologies, and teamwork.

 

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Price Tag for Airstrikes Against Islamic State Hits $5.5B

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By Debbie Gregory.

The U.S. has won battles, destroyed targets, and saved towns from ISIS, but we might not be winning a war that carries with it a massive price tag.

The air war against the Islamic State group has cost the American taxpayer $5.5 billion, roughly $11.2 million per day. This is a $2 million increase since June, this according to the latest Defense Department data.

The Air Force accounts for $3.75 billion of that cost, totaling roughly $7.7 million/day since the U.S. began launching airstrikes in August, 2014.

In 2015, the Air Force conducted 21,000 sorties over Iraq and Syria, 9,000 of which included at least one weapons release. For the first time, in the last two months of 2015, the Air Force surpassed over 3,100 dropped bombs during Operation Inherent Resolve.

Recently, the U.S.-led coalition blew up a warehouse in Iraq where the Islamic State held millions of dollars in cash, a defense official confirmed.

In November, Inherent Resolve spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said that munitions from A-10s and C-130s destroyed 116 tanker trucks in what the Defense Department has called Operation Tidal Wave II — a push to limit the Islamic State’s oil revenue.

U.S. allies have stepped up their targeting of the militant group following the November 13th terrorist attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, the United States will convene a meeting next month of defense ministers from 27 countries participating in the fight against the Islamic State. The meeting in Brussels will focus on how each member of the coalition could contribute more to defeating the extremist group, assist with the reconstruction of cities that were held by the Islamic State, and on countering the group’s propaganda.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Senate Panel Backs Atty. Michael Missal for VA Inspector General

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By Debbie Gregory.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has approved the nomination of Washington lawyer Michael Missal to be the new chief watchdog at the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Washington, D.C. attorney, who specializes in government enforcement and internal investigations, was nominated by President in October.

Missal would fill a key position at the VA that has been vacant since the previous inspector general at the VA stepped down in December 2013. The acting IG, Deputy Inspector General Richard Griffin, retired on July 4th.

The new Inspector General will be faced with investigating an agency with a history of widespread data manipulation, management relocation schemes used to skirt rules on pay raises and massive construction cost overruns.

He told lawmakers that his inspiration for working at the VA was his deceased father, who served in Europe with the Army 286th Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II.

Missal said he recognizes “the great frustration in VA not fully meeting its mission” and vowed to work with lawmakers in finding ways to fix those problems.

“This is a particularly critical time for VA as it attempts to rebuild the trust and confidence it has lost from our veterans, Congress, veterans service organizations and the American public,” said attorney Mike Missal, who previously worked as senior counsel on a number of federal and congressional investigations.

The chairman of the Senate veterans panel, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), says the top priority of the inspector general must be to “hold bad actors at the VA accountable” for chronic delays for veterans seeking medical care and other problems at the agency.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

First Vessels in Navy’s Great Green Fleet Launch

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By Debbie Gregory.

The Great Green Fleet (GGF) is a Department of the Navy initiative that demonstrates the sea service’s efforts to transform its energy use. Carrier Strike Group 3 and its flagship, the nuclear-powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis, are the first vessels to deploy using alternative fuels.

Named after President Theodore Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the concept of the GGF seven years ago.

“Diversifying our energy sources arms us with operational flexibility and strengthens our ability to provide presence, turning the tables on those who would use energy as a weapon against us,” Mabus said in a written statement.

The Navy is a leader when it comes to decreasing the U.S. armed forces dependence on fossil fuels. President Obama helped push the goal of curtailing fossil fuel dependence with his 2011 national energy strategy called the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future.

The shift from fossil fuels to alternative fuels includes nuclear power for the carrier, and a blend of advanced biofuel made from beef fat and traditional petroleum for its escort ships. These biofuels are certified as “drop-in” replacements that require no engine modifications or changes to operational procedures, and can be produced from a variety of sources.

The third-generation drop-in fuel contains much less oxygen than in ethanol and biodiesel, but holds the same energy “density” as petroleum fuels. That means the energy released is equal to its fossil counterparts.

Throughout 2016, other Dept. of Navy platforms including ships, aircraft, amphibious and expeditionary forces, as well as shore installations, will participate in the GGF by using energy efficient systems, operational procedures, and/or alternative fuel during the course of planned mission functions worldwide.

The Navy hopes to have one half of its energy from alternative fuels by 2020

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.


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