Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats
After withdrawing from two huge U.S. military bases in the Philippines at the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, American forces are returning and building a new presence in nine sites on Philippine bases under a 2014 defense pact to counter China's increasingly assertive actions.
Metal recycler sends Navy Veteran coins made from old naval ships
Our story about 92-year-old Navy war veteran Jessie Lara reached people across the country who wanted to thank him for his service. One of those people is Chris Green. He is a Houston native who now lives in Brownsville where he runs a marine recycling company called EMR U.S.A. Green sent Jessie a set of challenge coins made from the metals removed from old U.S. Naval ships when they were recycled.
Pentagon review calls for reforms to reverse spike in sexual misconduct at military academies
A new report says the U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing, and shift behavior training into the classrooms in order to address an alarming spike in sexual assaults and misconduct.
Houston Truck group donates more than $100k to Military Charity
Proving everything in Texas is bigger, a Houston truck club has donated more than $100,000 to Tomball-based veterans and active duty military charity, Boots For Troops. Houston Diesels started in 2015 with just a handful of diesel truck enthusiasts.
Volunteer Team repairing Korean War Veteranโs home needs your help
What started as an investigation into a $4,000+ water bill draining an elderly Navy veteran has turned into a touching story of Houstonians stepping up to help the hero make his aging house a home again. When members of The Restoration Team saw investigator Amy Davisโ Facebook post about 92-year-old Jessie Laraโs dilemma, they emailed to ask if they could help. They have been working for weeks in the sweltering heat for a man they didnโt even know.
Navy probe prompted by suicides condemns conditions at shipyard: 'We let our people down'
A Navy investigation triggered by a series of suicides is recommending widespread improvements in housing, food, parking and internet for sailors, as well as changes to mental health and other personnel programs.
Local actor Shelton Jolivette taking over the entertainment industry
Jolivette is a native Houstonian and Navy Veteran who lives by Zechariah 4:10 which says, โDo not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabelโs hand.โ Infused with a passion for the arts and for people Jolivette went from being an extra in Universal Picturesโ โFriday Night Lightsโ to now taking the Independent Film Industry by storm from right here in Houston.
Navy expands boot camp to sharpen focus on character issues
The Navy is adding two weeks to boot camp in a major overhaul aimed at improving recruits' war fighting and emergency skills while also focusing on suicide prevention and character issues such as sexual assault, hazing and extremism in the ranks.
Army says nearly 98% got the COVID-19 vaccine by deadline
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Biden pays respects to U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan
At a military base in Delaware, President Joe Biden stood witness with grieving families under a gray sky as, one by one, the remains of 13 U.S. troops killed in the Kabul suicide bombing were removed from a military aircraft that brought them home.
New documentary โThe Invisible Projectโ shines a light on women that served our country
Houston filmmaker Pacifica J. Sauer created The Invisible Project, a documentary style info-drama that follows the lives of four women as they work to change the public perception of women veterans in America - a topic close to Pacifica's heart, as she is a veteran herself.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON โ An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelliโs cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelliโs attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
Mexico's last island penal colony may now host cruise ships
Visitors will be able to tour the remote island jail, but not stay overnight. AdโVisitors will have their first contact with the former island prison which for 100 years sheltered numerous criminals,โ Torruco said. When Panama closed its Isla Coiba penal colony in 2004, Isla Marias became the last one remaining in the Americas. But in the end, the Islas Marias wound up costing Mexico far more per prisoner than did mainland jails. Chile closed its Santa Maria prison island in the late 1980s, Costa Ricaโs Isla San Lucas penal colony closed in 1991 and Brazilโs Isla Grande in 1994.
3 sailors have COVID on US ship that saw outbreak last year
FILE - In this July 9, 2020 file photo the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier makes its way into San Diego Bay as seen from San Diego. Three sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19, the Navy said Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, less than a year after a massive outbreak on the ship sidelined it in Guam for nearly two months. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)WASHINGTON โ Three sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19, the Navy said Monday, less than a year after a massive outbreak on the ship sidelined it in Guam for nearly two months. The outbreak on the ship last year was the largest the military has seen so far, with more than 1,000 sailors testing positive. Other ships that have been underway or at their home ports over the past year have had smaller numbers of sailors test positive, but none have had such a major outbreak.
Agriculture secretary nominee Vilsack endorses biofuels push
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2020, file photo former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who the Biden administration chose to reprise that role, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON โ Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of agriculture, pledged Tuesday to focus on climate change initiatives and work to address racial inequities in agricultural assistance programs. Vilsack, who testified before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, would bring much on-the-job experience to the position. In addition to serving two terms as the governor of Iowa, he spent eight years as President Barack Obama's Agriculture Secretary. But if you donโt have a grocery store, what then?โAdVilsack seems to enjoy bipartisan support and faced no serious criticism from Republicans on the committee.
Navy pauses plan to move Wisconsin badger to Virginia museum
Naval Academy wants the state of Wisconsin to return the statue. The statue, crafted from melted-down cannons seized from Cuba during the Spanish-American War, was affixed to the first USS Wisconsin prior to World War I. The academy museum contacted state officials last March seeking the statue's return so it could be loaned to the nonprofit Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, where the second USS Wisconsin is berthed as an exhibit. Academy museum director Claude Berube last week consulted with U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican and former Marine. AdThe academy museum previously extended the state loan until mid-September due to COVID-induced closures in Norfolk.
Pearl Harbor dead remembered in ceremony shrunk by pandemic
A U.S. Navy sailor plays taps in front of the USS Missouri during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Officials gathered in Pearl Harbor to remember those killed in the 1941 Japanese attack, but public health measures adopted because of the coronavirus pandemic meant no survivors were present. The military broadcast video of the ceremony live online for survivors and members of the public to watch from afar. The Arizona today lies at the bottom of the harbor, where it sank shortly being hit by two bombs. Warren Upton, a 101-year-old who served on the USS Utah, understood why he could not attend in person this year.
Shipyard, union are getting back on same page after strike
BATH, Maine โ Months after a bitter strike during a pandemic, Bath Iron Works managers and production workers are starting to get on the same page when it comes to catching up on the production schedule. Machinists Union Local S6 and shipyard managers have been meeting with help from a federal mediator since the two-month strike ended in August. Bath Iron Works is one of the Navyโs largest shipbuilders and is a major employer with 6,800 workers in Maine. Bath Iron Works will be competing against the Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi on that contract. The Bath-built Thomas Hudner in 2019 scored the highest in the program history, outperforming a destroyer from the Ingalls shipyard, according the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey.
Bellaire neighbors, family surprise 96-year-old WWII veteran
BELLAIRE โ In honor of Veteranโs Day, a Bellaire neighborhood came together to honor a US Navy veteran, who served in WWII and the Korean War. The surprise brought 96-year-old veteran Joe Wardell Sr. to tears. Heโs the original Joe Wardell, and he served in World War II and the Korean War,โ Joe Wardell Jr. said. Wardell Sr. joined the Navy as a young man, fighting in WWII and then again as a lieutenant in the Korean War. There are lots of cards.โSure enough, at 4 p.m., Wardell Sr. exited the garage to see the crowds of neighbors cheering him on.
Veterans Day in 2020: quiet parades, somber virtual events
The ceremony preceded a quiet 100-vehicle Veterans Day Parade, with no spectators, to maintain the 101-year tradition of veterans marching on Fifth Avenue. With infections raging again nationwide, several veterans homes are fighting new outbreaks. It planned to honor veterans throughout the day with gifts, treats, music and a virtual ceremony. On Veterans Day, the home is normally full of family members, community groups and officials who gather to thank the former members of the military for their service. Ninety-eight veterans have died from COVID-19 in Missouriโs seven veterans homes since Sept. 1, and Gov.
Mayor Turner hosts 23rd Annual โHouston Salutes American Heroesโ virtual celebration in honor of Veterans Day
HOUSTON โ The City of Houston will honor those who served in the United States Armed Forces during a special virtual Veterans Day celebration. Mayor Sylvester Turner will host the 23rd Annual Houston Salutes American Heroes, which will include a moment of silence. Turner will be joined by Dr. Steven Hall, director of the Mayorโs Office of Veterans Affairs, and representatives from each military branch. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this yearโs Veterans Day program will be virtual, with a limited number of guests invited to gather in person. The ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m.
No. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&M-Tennessee postponed
5 Texas A&M at Tennessee will not be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference games postponed this week to three. Texas A&M said it has three active COVID-19 cases, including two people who traveled with the team to South Carolina last week. 24 Auburn's game at Mississippi State was postponed because of COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing within the Bulldogs' program. In the American Athletic Conference, Navy's game at Memphis on Saturday was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests at the Naval Academy. Itโs the second week in a row that Navy had a game postponed because of positive tests at the Academy and the subsequent quarantine of student-athletes.
Cal-Washington game canceled after player's positive test
California doesnโt have the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of the positive test and the need for other players to isolate under contact tracing protocols, the Pac-12 said in a statement Thursday. Wilcox had said Wednesday night that the game was in jeopardy because of the large number of players needing contact tracing. The school said the player with a positive test is asymptomatic. This marked the first positive test on Calโs football team since practices began last month. This is the fourth time a Tulsa game has been postponed or canceled because of COVID cases.
The Latest: Lions put Jalen Elliott on reserve/COVID-19 list
(Jose Sena Goulao, Pool via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Detroit Lions have put safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for players who either test positive or have been in close contact with an infected person. ___UConn has suspended all men's basketball activities after a player tested positive for the coronavirus. The confirmation of a positive COVID-19 case occurs when a player receives two consecutive positive test results. He was placed on it because he had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive.
Tune leads Houston past Navy in 37-21 win
(AP) โ Clayton Tune threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns and Houston beat Navy 37-21 on Saturday. Dalen Morris completed a 60-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Mitchell to give Navy a 13-9 lead with 4:02 left before halftime. The Cougars held Navy (3-3, 3-1) to 11 yards in six plays on the ensuing drive and forced a punt. Houston then used a 10-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Tune to Porter for a 17-point advantage. Tune wrapped it up with 24-yard touchdown pass to Stevenson with 5:24 left to play.
Navy jet crashes in California, but pilot ejects safely
The Navy says a fighter jet has crashed in the Mojave Desert but its pilot safely ejected. The F/A-18E Super Hornet from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's Central Valley went down Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 in Superior Valley south of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)CHINA LAKE, Calif. โ A Navy fighter jet crashed Tuesday in the Mojave Desert, but its pilot safely ejected, the Navy said. โThe pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local medical facility for examination,โ it said. Last month, a Marine Corps fighter pilot safely ejected from a F-35B jet after colliding in mid-air with another plane during a refueling operation in a remote desert area of Southern California.
Pearl Harbor shooting probe finds mental health care flaws
The Navy said Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, its investigation into a shooting at Pearl Harbor last December was unable to determine what caused a submarine sailor to kill two civilian workers before fatally shooting himself. Romero was assigned to the USS Columbia submarine, which was in dry dock at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at the time of the Dec. 4 shooting. The report singled out shortcomings by the submarine force's mental health program, which diagnosed Romero with โphase of life problems.โ Romero met with a licensed provider at the program's Pearl Harbor clinic once. A forensic psychiatrist who reviewed Romero's case for the investigation said Romero showed signs of an undiagnosed mental disorder. The psychiatrist said the most probable diagnoses for Romero, in order of likelihood, were as follows: autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, social anxiety disorder, personality disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and adjustment disorder.
Navy releases documents from Cold War loss of submarine
The first of the documents released were 300 pages from the official inquiry into the sinking of the USS Thresher on April 10, 1963. The crew of an accompanying rescue ship heard something about the โtest depth.โ Then the sailors listened as the sub disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea. The documents released Wednesday included the timeline of the sinking, evidence lists, reports, testimony and correspondence. Even more than 50 years later, technical details including the test depth were redacted. His suspicion is that the Navy was pushing the limits and placing personnel at risk during the Cold War.
Navy investigates video of dogs attacking man wearing Kaepernick jersey during K-9 demo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The U.S. Navy is investigating an incident in which dogs attacked a Colin Kaepernick stand-in during a K-9 demonstration during a 2019 fundraiser at the Navy SEAL Museum in Florida. The Navy said in a statement posted on Twitter that officials became aware of the video on Sunday. The videos show four dogs attacking a man, who is wearing a red Kaepernick football jersey over heavily padded gear as people stand nearby watching. The Navy SEAL Museum is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, which is north of West Palm Beach on the state's Atlantic Coast. ___This story corrects the style in the references to the Navy SEAL Museum.
1 Marine dead, 2 injured, 8 missing after vehicle accident in California
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. A military seafaring assault vehicle that sank off the coast of Southern California is under hundreds feet of water, beyond the reach of divers and complicating rescue efforts for eight missing troops, officials said Friday. Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but could not stop the 26-ton vehicle from sinking, Osterman said. All of the Marines on the vehicle, which resembles a seafaring tank, were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Thursday's accident marks the third time in recent years that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises. And in 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank off the shores of Camp Pendleton.
More military bases increase health protections due to virus
The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.
21 injured after an explosion and fire on a naval ship in San Diego
(CNN) Twenty-one people were injured after an explosion and fire on board a ship at the US Naval Base in San Diego, US Navy officials said. The ship could burn for days, "down to the water line," San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN's Erica Hill Sunday afternoon. Officials called for San Diego Fire Department's assistance about 9 a.m. local time, Muoz told CNN. The USS Bonhomme Richard is an amphibious assault ship, according to the US Navy. There were 160 people on board when the fire started, according to the Naval Surface Forces.
Shipbuilder files complaint over union threats during strike
Strikers picket outside the district lodge of Local 6 across from Bath Iron Works, Monday, June 22, 2020, in Bath, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works on Friday filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing its largest union of threatening workers who cross the picket line during an ongoing strike in Maine. The company accused leaders of Machinists Local S6 of threatening so-called scabs with fines and loss of benefits and hinting at violence. We are extremely disappointed that union leaders would make false and threatening statements to the very employees they are supposed to represent, said BIW President Dirk Lesko. Wadleigh insisted that production workers who cross the picket line are no longer eligible for union benefits, and may face fines, as well.
As COVID-19 cases spike, where are the Comfort and Mercy ships now?
The ships were deployed in late March to help assist frontline hospital workers and provide care on the ships, should hospitals overflow with patients. Comfort arrived in New York City on March 30, a day after it left Virginia, according to Business Insider. Comfort left New York City after treating 182 patients, 70% of whom had COVID-19, according to NavyTimes. Comfort is available in case it is needed for future help, according to NavyTimes, while USNI News reported the same is true for Mercy. (Getty Images)The USNS Comfort departs for its home port of Norfolk, Virginia on April 30, 2020 in New York City.
Striking shipbuilders are losing health coverage in pandemic
PORTLAND, Maine The stakes are growing in a strike against Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works during a global pandemic as company-provided health insurance is running out for 4,300 shipbuilders who've left their jobs. Keeping health insurance through the so-called COBRA program can cost up to a couple of thousand dollars a month. Others said they will simply do without health insurance. Kelley Hammond, a 58-year-old marine electrician, opted to forgo purchasing insurance and filled a blood pressure prescription Tuesday, before the expiration of the companys insurance. The shipyard is already about six months behind scheduled, partly because of the pandemic, and it will need subcontractors to help get back on schedule, Bath Iron Works President Dirk Lesko has said.
US naval buildup in Indo-Pacific seen as warning to China
This week, however, Navy commanders said they were able to take advantage of the timing, particularly during this period of great power competition with China. Carriers and carrier strike groups writ large are phenomenal symbols of American naval power. Koehler said that most recently China deployed aircraft to Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands and is now operating them out of there. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are operating in the Philippine Sea near Guam. The USS Ronald Reagan has left port in Japan and is operating in the Philippine Sea south of there.
Navy carrier sidelined by virus is back operating in Pacific
WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Ten long weeks after a massive coronavirus outbreak sidelined one of the Navy's signature warships, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt has returned to sea and is conducting military operations in the Pacific region. So I thought it was appropriate, said Sardiello, who asked one of the other Navy ships to borrow their flag. She had tested positive for the virus and was in quarantine for about five weeks. There are still about 350 sailors on Guam who are either in isolation or are there as support staff.
Corpus Christi Naval base shooter believed to have expressed support for terrorist groups online
(CNN) โ The deceased suspect in Thursdayโs shooting at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas was a 20-year-old male named Adam Alsahli of Corpus Christi, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the ongoing investigation. Following the suspect's death, law enforcement bomb technicians cleared his body and vehicle, but found no explosive devices, one of the sources said. Online postings by these accounts expressed support for ISIS and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the source said. "NCIS is en route, and state and local law enforcement are on scene." Naval Air Station Corpus Christi has been home to Naval pilot training since 1941, according to its website.
Jamale Carothers helps No. 24 Navy beat Houston 56-41
HOUSTON โ Jamale Carothers rushed for career highs of 188 yards and five touchdowns, Malcolm Perry ran for 146 yards and a touchdown and No. 24 Navy beat Houston 56-41 on Saturday night. The Midshipmen ran for 447 yards and Navy outgained Houston (4-8, 2-6) 554-527. Courtney Lark had a 26-yard touchdown reception, and Patrick Carr had a 5-yard touchdown rushing touchdown for Houston. Houston went 4 for 10 on third downs and 3 for 3 on fourth downs.