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November 27, 2012

News for Reservists

Top Story

Defense bill debate is delayed
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday that the 2013 defense authorization bill will not be debated on the Senate floor until at least Wednesday, and perhaps later if an agreement isn't reached on how to handle amendments. Senators are considering removing the bill's controversial provisions to ease its passage, this article says. The House passed its version of the defense bill in May. Army Times (11/26)

In the Pentagon

Pentagon: No final decision yet on Afghan troop presence
A decision about the number of troops that will remain in Afghanistan after 2014 is still pending, the Pentagon says. Several newspapers had reported that U.S. officials wanted 10,000 troops to stay in the region. "We haven't really reached a point where any single number has ripened into recommendations," said Pentagon spokesman George Little. United Press International (11/26) , Bloomberg Businessweek (11/26)

On the Hill

Military is missing data about combat awards, lawmakers say
Some lawmakers are raising concerns about the U.S. military's combat awards process, arguing that gaps exist in Defense Department data about who has been awarded medals. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., has called on all military branches to provide the DOD with updated and correct statistics. CNN/Security Clearance blog (11/25)

Service Section News

New Army brigades will focus on training and mentoring
Security force assistance brigades will deploy across Afghanistan by spring to replace outgoing Army brigade combat teams. The SFABs will have a heavier focus on training and mentoring than on combat, this article says. Defense News (11/26)

Marine Corps and Army shift emphasis of exercises
The military is returning to pre-2001 training exercises as it prepares for a period when it will have no combat troops on the ground in Afghanistan or Iraq. The Marine Corps has shifted its focus to amphibious operations, while Army paratroopers have participated in forcible-entry exercises. U.S. News & World Report (11/26)

Reserve Strength

DOD is left in limbo on sequestration planning
Pentagon budget planners are not sketching scenarios for dealing with sequestration cuts because they haven't received guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, they say. ForeignPolicy.com/The E-ring blog (11/26)

Reserve Life

Understanding veteran unemployment challenges
The military's structure and culture are partly responsible for high unemployment among military veterans, writes retired Army Lt. Gen. Ben Freakley. Networking and professional development are not focus areas during the military's end-of-service trainings, and a culture of discretion keeps many former service members from communicating their experiences, he writes. Business Insider (11/26)

S.C. university emerges as an ROTC leader
Enrollment in the University of South Carolina's Army ROTC program has tripled since the 2005-06 school year, increasing from 73 to 229. Nationwide, the number of Army ROTC students increased from 24,312 to 36,474 during that time. The University of South Carolina has the third-fastest-growing ROTC program in the U.S., behind Texas Christian University and Claremont McKenna College. Stars and Stripes/The Associated Press (11/25)

Study examines causes of Gulf War illness
The Dallas Morning News (free content) (11/26)

SmartQuote

Every path hath a puddle."

--George Herbert,
Welsh-British poet, orator and priest

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