A crew save is a good save! via Fox News. Quick action by a KC-135 crew saved a pilot and an F-16 from being lost over ISIS held territory recently. When the F-16 attempted to refuel, the pilot realized that he only had access to 20% of his fuel capacity, and would only be able to fly for another 15 minutes. Rather than force the pilot to eject over enemy territory, the U.S. KC-135 refueler escorted the pilot back to safety before resuming their mission. The Air Force only recently released the story, and the details of where the aircraft were, and what country the F-16 belonged to were not given. It does however, highlight the everyday resourcefulness and decisive action of our military men and women serving overseas.
Some calls to the VA’s Veterans suicide hotline have been sent to voicemail. via Navy Times. The VA’s Inspector General released a report recently showing that some Veteran Crisis Line calls that were routed to backup centers staffed by contractors were being sent to voicemail. The IG cited a lack of training of contracted staff and an absence of capability to track incoming calls. The VA has promised to resolve all issues in the report.
The Russian military is conducting exercises near the border of Ukraine, very close to the area held by pro-Russian rebels. via BBC News. Over 8000 Russian troops, along with ships and aircraft conducted training to carry out a rapid response to the Ukraine border from several thousand miles away. Although there is still a cease-fire in effect between Ukrainian troops and rebels, there were over a thousand ceasefire agreement violations in January alone.
Senator McCain threatens to subpoena the U.S. Navy Sailors that were held briefly by Iran if the Administration does not release details of the event by the end of the month. via Yahoo News. Senator McCain has accused the administration of taking too long to conduct an investigation, and accuses Iran of using the sailors as propaganda. McCain met with John Kerry to discuss the incident, but said if more details are not released, he will subpoena the sailors to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Will they have Tabasco infused ink? via Tech Insider. Could the successor to MREs be 3D printed rations? Researchers at the Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick Massachusetts are working on technology that would monitor a soldier’s physiological state and use a 3D printer to print food matching their specific nutritional requirements based on their individual body composition and work requirements. The researchers estimate that the technology could be available to the military within the next 10-15 years.
