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February 6, 2013

News for Reservists

Top Story

Obama urges sequestration delay through short-term budget deal
President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass a small deal of tax reforms and spending cuts if lawmakers can't reach a bigger deal by March 1. The move would further postpone sequestration cuts. Republican lawmakers said they would oppose the plan. The Washington Post (2/5) , Defense News (2/5)

In the Pentagon

France to start withdrawing troops from Mali
France plans to start reducing its presence in Mali as African troops take on a more prominent role in coming weeks. Militants have abandoned many of the cities they once controlled in the country's northern regions, but skirmishes continue in surrounding areas, and a decisive battle is taking place in a mountainous region in the country's extreme north, officials say. The Wall Street Journal (2/6)

On the Hill

Lawmakers call for review of U.S. drone program
A number of congressional lawmakers expressed concern Tuesday after a memo surfaced that outlined broad powers for the U.S. to carry out drone strikes. Hearings on the issue will likely be held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, an aide said. CBS News/The Associated Press (2/5)

On the Home Front

Marines take citizenship oath at boot camp graduation
Ten Marines born in countries including Italy, Peru, Bhutan and Cameroon took oaths as American citizens on the day of their graduation from boot camp. The Marines were part of a new program that allows legal immigrants to go through the naturalization process upon graduating from boot camp. MarineCorpsTimes.com (2/5) , USA Today (2/5)

Service Section News

Board discusses Reserve master sergeant promotion process
Members of the Active Guard and Reserve master sergeant board say only about one-third of Army soldiers considered for promotion in the October 2012 session certified their board file contents in time. The board reviewed 3,120 sergeants for possible promotion and selected only 36. Army Times (2/6)

Reserve Strength

Opinion: Smart budget cuts can help DOD maintain readiness
The U.S. has historically done a poor job managing postwar drawdowns, and if that trend continues after the war in Afghanistan, America's interests will be in danger, writes Michéle Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense for policy. She outlines a number of steps the Defense Department can take to reduce spending without undermining readiness, such as getting rid of excess infrastructure and reforming the acquisitions process. The Wall Street Journal (2/4)

Reserve Life

VA: Military health records will soon be available online
The medical records of active-duty and veteran military personnel will be available online by the end of the year, Department of Veterans Affairs officials say. Online data will include medical history, prescriptions and lab results. Stars and Stripes (2/5)

SmartQuote

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."

--Herman Melville,
American writer and poet

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