November 9, 2017

 

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National Guard to rename facility for fallen NC soldier Fayetteville Observer
The North Carolina National Guard will rename one of its facilities in Moore County in honor of a local fallen soldier. The Southern Pines Soldier Readiness Center at 510 Morganton Road will be rededicated as the Staff Sgt. Michael Voss Readiness Center during an 11 a.m. ceremony on Wednesday, according to the North Carolina National Guard. Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the adjutant general of North Carolina, and other state dignitaries will be on hand for the ceremony. Voss was a member of the Guard’s 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team during a 2004 deployment to Iraq. Voss, 35, was killed Oct. 8, 2004, when his convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device near Tikrit, Iraq. Read More…

Resilience is military’s new energy focus. Will it bear fruit in North Carolina? Southeast Energy News
In step with the U.S. military’s latest energy priorities, Charlotte-based Duke Energy just declared its plans for a self-sustaining microgrid – powered by solar and batteries – that will provide backup electricity to a National Guard facility. The only problem, from the point of view of North Carolina clean energy leaders: the project will be built in Indiana. The announcement continues a trend the leaders decried recently at a forum in Wilmington: only military installations outside the Tar Heel state excel in meeting energy priorities handed down from U.S. Department of Defense. Read More…

Families, couples, children: These are the lives we lost in the Texas church shooting 11Alive
After returning to his church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, Pastor Frank Pomeroy struggled to assess the carnage. Twenty-six of his parishioners at First Baptist Church were dead. At least five married couples were dead. Eight members of one family were dead, three members of another. Read More…

Parade stirs veterans’ memories Fayetteville Observer
The Fayetteville Veterans Day Parade, which was held in downtown Saturday, honored Vietnam veterans. Vietnam veteran Thomas Robinson waved an American flag as the Fayetteville Veterans Day Parade began Saturday. “I think about the folks who are not here physically,” he said. “A lot of Vietnam runs through my mind.” Robinson, who served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, said he wouldn’t miss the parade, which honored Vietnam veterans. Read More…

Veteran’s Health: Unique Health Issues FOX8
Military Veterans face a unique variety of health issues during service and after discharge or retirement. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most well-known health concerns that veterans may face, but there are many other issues that a larger portion of the veteran population encounter that are often overlooked, such as anxiety, tendinitis, chronic pain, hearing loss and exposure to environmental hazards. The first step for any veteran that has been released from duty is to register with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). Even if he or she is in good health when they are discharged, it’s important to establish health records. They may not be eligible for certain benefits right away, but registering early will make things easier if they need help years later, when service-related health issues can arise. If a veteran decides to see a civilian provider, they could request the patient’s records from the VA and vice versa. Read More…

More veterans will soon be eligible for tax-free shopping Fayetteville Observer
Many veterans will have a new option for holiday shopping this year, as a military retailer prepares to open online shopping to millions of people later this month. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service will open its digital doors to an estimated 21 million eligible veterans starting on Veterans Day. The new customers will receive the same discounts and tax-free shopping as active-duty troops. All honorably discharged veterans will be able to shop at ShopMyExchange.com or other Exchange websites, officials said. That includes an estimated 100,000 veterans in the counties immediately surrounding Fort Bragg and nearly 700,000 veterans in North Carolina. Read More…

NC officials work to end state’s high veteran suicide rate WRAL
North Carolina loses five veterans per week due to suicide, and local officials are working to end the trend. State and military officials gathered Tuesday at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh for a conference on the issue. While the high suicide rate is not yet considered an epidemic, it is considered a crisis. Sgt. Burnie Brodie joined the North Carolina National Guard when he was struggling with personal and employment challenges. Now, he helps with suicide prevention training. “It was through the battle buddy system, people looking out for me, soldiers taking care of soldiers that turned me around,” he said. Read More…

Veterans Day 2017: FREE meals & discounts WRAL
To recognize Veterans Day, which is on Saturday, November 11, many area businesses are thanking veterans by offering free meals and discounts, free zoo admission, grocery store discounts and more throughout the week! Many locations are also extending the offers to those currently in the military. The majority of these offers take place on Veterans Day, but some offers are valid on other days. Read on for the growing list of offers. We’ll continue to update this list until November 11 as more stores confirm their offers. Read More…

November — Today in Guard History National Guard 

1968 Kusan, South Korea – Two Air Guard squadrons, Kansas’ 127th and Ohio’s 166th Tactical Fighter squadrons, both mobilized in the aftermath of the North Korean seizure of the USS Pueblo in January 1968, take part in a joint South Korean-American military exercise. Both squadrons, armed with F-100C fighter-bombers, the same type of aircraft being flown by Air Guard units in Vietnam, are used primarily in a ground support role, trained to attack enemy convoys, bunkers and supply points. Each plane is capable of carrying bombs (including napalm), air-to-ground rockets plus having cannon and machine guns to attack ground troops or defend themselves in air-to-air combat. Joining the two fighter squadrons in Korea was New Mexico’s 150th Combat Support Squadron, composed of ground maintenance personnel, responsible to keep the aircraft ready to fly. Read More…

Study seeks NC military families, up to $300 for participation NCNGA 

Here’s something for you! A research study looking at ways to keep NC military families strong! Are you current National Guard, Reserve Component or Active Duty, have 1 or more children aged 10 to 12 years, and live in Craven, Cumberland, Harnett, Mecklenburg, Onslow, Wake County? Enroll Now! Read More…

The Army Knows What Weapons It Wants — But Can It Explain Why? Forbes 

The Trump administration is putting the finishing touches on a new National Security Strategy. It will be a ringing endorsement of U.S. air power and sea power. But when it comes to land power — “boots on the ground” — the message is more muted. This is an old story in Washington. Every time there is a prolonged conflict — Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan — the Army does most of the fighting and takes most of the casualties. But once the war is over, it gets less money than the other services to modernize and stay in a high state of readiness. Read More…

The Air Force wants to add more National Guard and Reserve personnel to ease its pilot shortage Business Insider 

The Air Force has made a number of moves to reduce its shortage of active-duty pilots, including bringing on more retired pilots to administrative roles in order to keep qualified fliers in the air. Now the service is looking to expand the number of pilots it draws in from the Air National Guard and Reserve to fill vacancies across the active-duty force. Read More…