S&S - Congress wants troops to focus on academics. Study advocates emphasis on officer education.

From today's news:

Stars and Stripes

Congress wants troops to focus on academics

Study advocates emphasis on officer education

By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes

Mideast edition, Sunday, May 9, 2010


WASHINGTON — A new congressional study calls for more emphasis on professional military education in officers’ careers, saying such experience helps create the great battlefield strategists of the future.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Members of the House Armed Services Committee who worked on the study, released Thursday, said scholarly work is still not widely regarded as advantageous to the career of a potential flag or general officer. In fact, trading warfighting missions for higher education can often be a detriment to promotions."

"The study advocates senior officers should be afforded more opportunity to pursue higher degrees, both at Defense war colleges and outside institutions.

Today, those programs are mostly reserved for future faculty members, not potential battlefield strategists.

Lawmakers mentioned that one notable exception is U.S. Central Command commander Gen. David Petraeus, who earned his master’s and doctorate degrees while serving. They credited his leadership in Iraq at least in part to lessons he learned earning international relations degrees."

"The study authors said they believe most senior leadership is willing to support scholarly pursuits among select officers, but the demands of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have limited those opportunities."

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"In recent years, the Army War College has developed an exchange program with the State Department, allowing a small number of soldiers to train with workers with the U.S. Agency for International Development or similar agencies while some members of the diplomatic corps attend military classes alongside officers.

The program has drawn high marks from both sides, but when lawmakers asked if similar programs were at work in the Navy and Air Force, they found officials there had no knowledge of it."

S&S - Reserve chiefs: Our people deserve better retirement

Stars and Stripes

Reserve chiefs: Our people deserve better retirement

By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes


Pacific edition, Saturday, March 7, 2009


Reserve and National Guard members deserve a better retirement plan, one that pays an annuity earlier than age 60 at least for those willing to serve longer than 20 years, Reserve leaders have told Congress.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Reservists might deserve extended health care coverage too, also in recognition of their full operational role in Iraq, Afghanistan and future wars, said some reserve component commanders who testified Tuesday before the House armed services subcommittee on military personnel."

"Current reserve retirement offers little or no incentive for members to serve past 20 years, Stultz said, because longer service doesn’t change the age 60 start of annuities. So it’s hard to persuade members or spouses that another hitch is worth the risk of returning to war or being separated, Stultz explained. He cited a recent conversation with a Guardsman whose skill, truck driver, is dangerous and in demand among units deploying for war."

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"A law passed in early 2008 does allow earlier retirement than age 60 for Reserve and Guard members with 20 or more years if they deploy for war or national emergency. For every 90 consecutive days they spend mobilized, reservists will see the start date for annuities cut by three months. But Congress made the change effective only for deployment time after Jan. 28, 2008, leaving out many thousands deployed since 9-11.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), ranking Republican on the personnel subcommittee, a retired Army reserve officer and father of four children now serving on active duty or in the reserves, has reintroduced a bill (HR 208) to extend last year’s reserve retirement change retroactively to cover mobilizations since 9/11. Another Wilson bill (HR 972) would allow Guard and Reserve member who earn early retirement to receive full TRICARE benefits between the time annuities start and 60."



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S&S - After decommissioning, carrier’s eventual fate unknown

From my archive of press clippings:

Stars and Stripes

After decommissioning, carrier’s eventual fate unknown

By Teri Weaver and Allison Batdorff, Stars and Stripes

Pacific edition, Sunday, May 25, 2008

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE — Nobody likes moving day — the packing, the lifting and, at day’s end, the echoing of an empty home.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"About 430 crewmembers will stay with the ship over the following few months, before the official decommissioning in January, the Navy said last week.

From there, the carrier’s eventual fate remains unknown.

A group in North Carolina wants it for a museum, homage to CV-63’s namesake location in the state.

Congress this month talked about keeping the Kitty Hawk in ready-reserve status during the next few years.

After decommissioning, the carrier will be assigned to the Navy’s inactive ship inventory."

"Once in Bremerton, the ship will get a full-scale shuttering that will take months."

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"(E)arlier this month, the House Armed Services Committee approved paying for a study to determine the costs of reactivating the Kitty Hawk and the Kennedy, if needed.

A group in Wilmington, N.C., however, would like to claim the Kitty Hawk for public view."