The sitrep:
- The government's national threat level is
Elevated, or Yellow"at a heightened level of vigilance."
- Don't Ask Don't Tell is dead. In court. For real. Again! (Politico)
- President Obama has appointed an openly gay West Point alumna to the military academy's board of visitors. Brenda Sue Fulton graduated with the first class to admit women and served honorably as an Army signal officer. She also cofounded Knights Out, an LGBT alumni group, and she's lent her support to gay and lesbian cadets. "West Point could implement repeal just fine without me," she told the New York Times. "But if my appointment helps West Point send the message to young men and women that—whether you are male or female, straight or gay—if you are qualified to serve, you are welcome; if it does that, then I'll be happy." (Army Times/NYT)
- An Army officer named Justin Dale Little Jim is facing burglary and destruction of property charges after he was found in the closet of a Manassas, Virginia, adult video store at 2:45 a.m., "attempting to have sexual relations with" a blowup doll. Authorities say they sent a police dog into the store, who led his handlers to Little Jim. Good…dog? (Army Times)
- The Pentagon is asking Congress if it would mind shifting $5 billion in the defense budget so the military can buy more bombs. To replace all the bombs it's used. In Libya. (Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments)
- Unhappy about airport frisks? Maybe it'll get worse: Al Qaeda reportedly wants to sew bombs inside suicide attackers and stick them on planes. Interestingly, they've already tried this with animals, sometimes live ones, in Iraq and Afghanistan. On a related note, an analyst for the intelligence blog GroupIntel wrote this white paper a few montsh back titled "The Projected Al Qaeda Use of Body Cavity Suicide Bombs Against High Value Targets." (PDF)
- If true, the terrorists' plans for human bombs probably trump a new $48.2 million Pentagon contract with the maker of the "SET CounterBomber® system," which "integrates radar and video to yield the first-ever system capable of automatically detecting suicide bombers at safe distances." It does not, however, X-ray the target. (Battleland)
- Remember when House Republicans said it was time to really cut government waste, and a Democrat actually cut waste by reducing the military's half-billion-dollar budget for marching bands? Now, in an about-face, the House has restored funding. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) says that military bands are a key factor in the patriotism "that keeps our soldiers' hearts beating fast." Geez, can't they get the same effect with blowup dolls? (Military Times)
House votes to restore cash for military bands
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2011/07/ap-military-bands-house-votes-to-restore-funds-070611/The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 6, 2011 18:00:27 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House is singing a different tune about spending cuts for military bands.Posted : Wednesday Jul 6, 2011 18:00:27 EDT
By voice vote Wednesday, the House restored $120 million for the armed services’ 100-plus military bands — money that budget-conscious members of the Appropriations Committee had cut last month amid the nation’s financial woes.
Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, argued that the cut wouldn’t save taxpayers any money and the bands are a critical part of the patriotism “that keeps our soldiers’ hearts beating fast.”
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., countered that while the nation takes pride in the bands, spending on them had gotten out of control.
The vote came on the $649 billion defense spending bill. The House is expected to pass the legislation by week’s end.
Front page image: M.V. Jantzen/Flickr
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