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November 30, 2012

News for Reservists

Top Story

Legislation would require study of reservist transition periods
The Senate passed a defense bill amendment Thursday requiring the secretary of defense to conduct a study on how much support reservists and National Guardsmen receive while reintegrating into civilian life after deployments. Among other objectives, the study would evaluate the feasibility of allowing service members to stay on active duty for a limited time after deployments. The Hill/Floor Action blog (11/29)

Senate measure urges faster U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: The Senate voted 62-33 on Thursday for a measure that presses for a quicker withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, but it doesn't offer specifics on how that could be accomplished. Thirteen Republicans supported the measure, which was introduced as an amendment to the 2013 defense authorization bill. CBS News/The Associated Press (11/29)

In the Pentagon

U.S., China conclude 2-day disaster-relief exercise
U.S. and Chinese military officers finished an exercise today in which the officers discussed hypothetical situations involving an earthquakes in a fictional third country. One of the primary goals of the exercise was to build familiarity and trust between the U.S. and Chinese militaries. Air Force Times/The Associated Press(free registration) (11/30)

Opinion: Japan's nuclear plant is a dangerous step toward proliferation
Japan has quietly made plans to start up a nuclear reprocessing plant next year capable of extracting as much as 8 tons of weapons-usable plutonium per year, write Frank N. von Hippel, a professor at Princeton, and Masafumi Takubo, a nuclear policy analyst. "[R]eprocessing not only creates a tempting target for terrorists, it also sets a precedent for countries around the world to follow suit -- and pushes the world toward rampant nuclear proliferation," they write. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/28)

On the Hill

White House threatens to veto defense bill "in its current form"
The White House has issued a Statement of Administration Policy that threatens to veto the defense authorization bill "in its current form" because of the Senate's changes regarding provisions for transferring detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The detainee issue, a source of conflict in the past, is not expected to be insurmountable. The Hill/DEFCON Hill blog (11/29)

Sequestration is unavoidable, lawmaker says
A deal to completely stop sequestration cuts before they take full effect could occur this spring but is unlikely to come any sooner, said Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., chairman of the readiness panel of the House Armed Services Committee. "I am fully expecting to see sequestration in some form beginning in January," he said. AOL Defense (11/28)

On the Home Front

App helps visitors navigate Arlington National Cemetery
A mobile application called ANC Explorer helps visitors sort through information on graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, including by name, date of birth and date of death, and to get graves' locations. The app also offers photos of headstones, maps routes through the cemetery and identifies nearby points of interest. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (11/30)

Reserve Life

Judge: VA not required to prioritize vets when awarding contracts
The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't always need to consider bids from veteran-owned businesses before awarding contracts, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, rejecting a claim by the Government Accountability Office. The judge said that the Veterans First law, which requires the VA to give priority to veterans when awarding contracts, does not apply to pre-existing contracts involving bulk orders. "If this [decision] is followed by other courts, it is kind of devastating to veterans," said Tim Power, an attorney for the plaintiff in the case. Bloomberg Businessweek (11/29)

U.S. institutes "buddy program" for troops in Japan
All U.S. troops stationed in Japan are required to partner up when off duty and outside their bases, under an order issued today by Lt. Gen. Salvatore Angelella. The order comes after several incidents involving misconduct by troops in the region. The Wall Street Journal/Japan RealTime blog (11/30)

SmartQuote

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief."

--William Shakespeare,
British playwright

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