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May 2, 2012

News for Reservists

Top Story

Taliban hits Afghan capital shortly after Obama visit
Taliban insurgents carried out an attack in Kabul mere hours after U.S. President Barack Obama left Afghanistan. The attack, which included a car bomb and assailants dressed as women, left seven people dead and marked the second time in less than three weeks the Taliban successfully launched an attack in the Afghan capital. The Washington Post (5/2) , CNN (5/2) , USA TODAY (5/1)

In the Pentagon

Analysis: Shift in Pentagon war plans reflects new strategic policy
The Pentagon is reducing its focus on Iraq and Afghanistan and planning contingencies for Iran and North Korea that rely heavily on air and sea power to dismantle military capabilities, Rowan Scarborough writes. The plans rely primarily on allies to provide ground troops, which reflects President Barack Obama's updated military strategy. The Washington Times (5/1)

Dempsey advocates a networked approach to war
The U.S. should never send military forces into a war without a network in place involving other government departments such as the State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "The military instrument should never be wielded alone. I would say where we're headed is a global networked approach to war," he said. AOL Defense (5/1)

Military seeks enhanced status for Cyber Command unit
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, will recommend to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that the Pentagon's Cyber Command be granted full combatant command status, officials say. The status upgrade would give the unit authority equal to commands protecting regions and continents. "It certainly emphasizes the importance of cyber as a strategic priority," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John “Soup” Campbell. The Washington Post (5/1)

On the Hill

Bill introduced that would stop military sequestration cuts
A bill offered by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would begin the process of undoing the mandatory sequestration cuts faced by the military in 2013. The Sequester Replacement Act, H.R. 4966, would replace language in the Budget Control Act that calls for the automatic across-the-board cuts. The Hill/Floor Action Blog (5/1)

On the Home Front

Texas Army Guard captain encounters lawsuit over kids' swing set
Texas Army National Guard Capt. Bill Fry and his wife are being sued by their neighborhood homeowners' association over the installation of a swing set for their children. The couple received what they believed was verbal approval to build the set in early 2010. ABC News (5/2)

Service Section News

Air Force major calls for higher drone profile
The Air Force has not done enough to welcome remotely piloted aircraft into its operational forces, MQ-1 Predator instructor pilot Maj. David Blair writes in Air & Space Power Journal. Blair says he believes RPA operations should be designated as combat rather than combat support. Time.com/Battleland blog (5/2)

Reserve Strength

Restoring Air Force cuts means more money needed, Schwartz warns
If Congress is intent on restoring planned cuts to the Air National Guard and Air Force, it must provide the funds needed to support them, said Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff. "If you give us force structure back, give us the money, too, because the quickest way I know to a hollow force is to give us structure and no money." The Hill/DEFCON Hill blog (5/1) , Air Force Times(free registration) (5/1)

Pentagon: Afghan army supplies stuck in Pakistan
Military equipment intended for Afghan security forces has been stranded in Pakistan for months as officials there refuse to reopen ground supply routes to NATO convoys, the Pentagon says in recent report. The delay in delivery of thousands of tons of equipment could leave Afghan forces facing shortages. Los Angeles Times/World Now blog(tiered subscription model) (5/1)

Reserve Life

Some reserves lose payment option for dental premiums
National Guard and reserve members who are on active duty for more than 30 days will need to pay dental premiums directly instead of having the premiums taken out of their paychecks, said Army Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble, a senior Tricare official. Service members affected by the policy change have been identified and will receive their bills in the mail, Gamble said. U.S. Department of Defense/American Forces Press Service (5/1)

SmartQuote

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work."

--Gustave Flaubert,
French novelist

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