Crozier Won’t Be Reinstated on USS Roosevelt
Capt. Brett Crozier will not be reinstated as captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt nor will he receive any further punishment for his handling of the COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier.
McConnell “OK” Renaming Military Bases
GOP legislators remain divided on the renaming of bases named after Confederate Army officers, but the top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has signaled he is “OK” with the renaming.
Arlington Nat’l Cemetery Takes Land to Expand
Arlington National Cemetery looks to expand onto land owned by Arlington County, VA. The Justice Dept. filed paperwork this week to take about 49 acres of land through eminent domain powers. The additional acreage is expected to create space for up to 60,000 additional burial sites in coming years.
Pentagon Reopening Brings Back Some Staff
The first phase of the Pentagon’s reopening is bringing back some employees who had previously been ordered to stay home and opening select entrances to the building.
In Indo-Pacific Region, a Massive Show of US Naval Force
While China builds up its military outposts in the South China Sea, putting missile and electronic warfare systems on them, the US and other allies have beefed up operations. For the first time in nearly three years, three American aircraft carriers are patrolling the Indo-Pacific waters, a massive show of naval force.
Experts Still Fear Second Peak of COVID-19
The trend of new coronavirus cases is still increasing in 19 states, holding steady in seven, and heading downward in 24, includng Maryland and Virginia. Health experts continue to fear a second peak of COVID-19 in the wake of the reopening of states, Memorial Day gatherings, and protests seeking racial justice across the country.
No Punishment – But No Protest in Uniform
ArmySec Ryan McCarthy: “We don’t want to punish our soldiers … we want to just make sure everybody understands, we don’t want to protest in uniform.”
DoD Lifts Travel Restrictions in 39 States, 5 Countries
Thirty-nine states and five host nations meet the conditions to lift travel restrictions, according to the Defense Department, subject to the assessment of conditions at individual military installations within these areas. Maryland is one of the states on the list.
Blue Angels Receive First Hornet for Testing
The first F/A-18 Super Hornet has been delivered to the Blue Angels demo team for testing and evaluation. The jet, which will undergo testing at NAS Pax River, is the first of 11 jets expected to be delivered this year.
White House Coy on Esper’s Break with President
A White House spokeswoman deflected queries regarding President Donald Trump’s continuing confidence in DefSec Mark Esper who voiced opposition to the president’s proposal to put active duty military into US cities to deal with violent protesters.
