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20 U.S. Army Soldiers Died in Training Accidents Last Year

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Twenty U.S. Army soldiers died in training accidents over the last year, while another 70 were seriously injured, according to statistics obtained by the Washington Examiner. . .

“Military training is inherently dangerous and while any loss of life is tragic, it is difficult to reduce the numbers to zero,” retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, who directs the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, told the Washington Examiner. “Military aviation, operating vehicles over open terrain at night, weapons firing with live ammunition are among the military skills that must be practiced but carry high risks. A rise from 18 to 20 training deaths in a year, while unfortunate, is not a statistically significant rise.”

The slight increase coincides with the Army’s efforts to improve combat readiness across the force. The Pentagon placed an emphasis on combat capability after the Trump administration published its national defense strategy, which aims to counter conventional adversaries like Russia and China.

Rigorous training is necessary in order to confront U.S. adversaries, according to former Army pilot Bradley Bowman, who runs the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. . .

The 20 soldiers killed in the past year died in a variety of accidents. West Point cadet Christopher Morgan, 22, died and 22 others were injured when their truck crashed in June. Army Staff Sgt. David Gallagher, 51, was killed and three others were injured when their M1 Abrams tank rolled over earlier that month. Staff Sgt. Jacob Hess, 34, was killed in a similar accident when his Humvee rolled over in May. (Read more from “20 U.S. Army Soldiers Died in Training Accidents Last Year” HERE)

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Army Reserve Command Accused of Not Taking Sexual Assault Allegations Seriously

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Leaders of an Army Reserve command that oversees thousands of soldiers are accused of mishandling sexual assault claims.

Amy Braley Franck, a victim advocate with the 416th Theater Engineer Command, claimed that military leaders within the unit did not follow military procedures or federal law in investigating at least two sexual assault claims, according to the Associated Press. Braley Franck joined the unit as an advocate in February 2019 and was suspended on Nov. 20 for potentially violating ethics codes, which Braley Franck denies. . .

In one case, two soldiers reported to Capt. Joseph Runhke that a male specialist assaulted a female private on two occasions in September 2017 and April 2018. Runhke spoke to the woman, and she said both encounters were consensual, according to documents provided by Braley Franck. The investigation should have been handled by an independent investigator, according to Department of Defense policy and federal law.

In another case, Spc. Sara Joachimstaler reported that a sergeant inappropriately touched her leg during a car ride in March 2019 and groped her during a demonstration on tying someone up with a rope in April.

Joachimstaler said her commanders did nothing about her claim and blocked it from being investigated until she went to Braley Franck, who referred it to the Army’s Criminal Investigations Division in June. (Read more from “Army Reserve Command Accused of Not Taking Sexual Assault Allegations Seriously” HERE)

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Army Warns of Fake Texts Claiming Citizens Are Being Drafted

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The U.S. Army has issued an “urgent” statement on Tuesday, regarding fraudulent texts telling citizens they have been drafted.

U.S. Army Recruiting Command Public Affairs have released a warning to anyone who has received an alleged draft notice on their phones. “A number of fraudulent text messages informing individuals they have been selected for a military draft have circulated throughout the country this week,” they wrote in a statement published online by their office of Public Affairs.

“U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army,” they continued. Furthermore, they reassured concerned citizens that they would receive ample warning should an actual draft ever be enacted. (Read more from “Army Warns of Fake Texts Claiming Citizens Are Being Drafted” HERE)

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Soldiers Banned From Using Chinese App ‘TikTok’

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The U.S. Army has now banned soldiers from using the popular Chinese app TikTok after determining it to be a cybersecurity threat.

“It is considered a cyber threat,” Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa said of the situation. “We do not allow it on government phones.”

According to Military.com, Army recruiters were using TikTok as of two months ago “as an effective tool for reaching young people of Generation Z even as lawmakers were calling for a national security review of the music video app.” . . .

“As of mid-December, the Army began advising soldiers to stop using TikToK on all government-owned phones,” reported the outlet. “The U.S. Navy recently put out similar guidance, prohibiting the use of TiKTok on government phones, according to reports by Gizmodo and other publications.”

“The services cannot ban personnel from using TiKTok on their personal phones, but Army leaders recommend that service members use caution if they receive random or unfamiliar text messages,” it continued. (Read more from “Soldiers Banned From Using Chinese App ‘TikTok'” HERE)

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Tragic Training Accident Takes the Lives of Three Servicemen

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Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed and another three were injured at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Sunday morning in what Army officials are calling a “training accident.”

According to Fox News, the six soldiers — who were members of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team — were riding in or on a Bradley fighting vehicle when it was involved in an accident of an unspecified nature, which led to the deaths and injuries. Three soldiers were pronounced dead at the scene, while another three were taken to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment. . .

The Army has not yet released the names of the deceased soldiers, but a statement from the Army indicates that they will do so after next-of-kin have been notified.

In a statement released to WSAV-TV, Maj. Gen. Tony Aguto, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, said, “Today is a heartbreaking day for the 3rd Infantry Division, and the entire Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield community, as we are all devastated after a training accident this morning on the Fort Stewart Training Area. We are extremely saddened by the loss of three Dogface Soldiers, and injuries to three more. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families affected by this tragedy.” (Read more from “Tragic Training Accident Takes the Lives of Three Servicemen” HERE)

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Army Recruiter Pursues Shoplifting Suspects While Pushing 10-Month-Old Daughter in Stroller

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By The Blaze. Staff Sgt. Sean Olivia of the Minneapolis Recruiting Company was shopping with his 10-month-old daughter at Southdale Center in Edina on Sunday when he saw four men take merchandise from the Apple Store and leave without paying, an Army spokesperson told KMSP-TV.

Store employees did not intervene, the station said, so Olivia chased the suspects while pushing his daughter in a stroller.

And if these fellas thought they’d soon give the slip to this veteran of two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, they were sadly mistaken. Olivia soon passed his daughter to a bystander and pursued the suspects into the parking ramp, KMSP said. . .

Olivia had the presence of mind to take photos of the culprits and their vehicle’s license plate, the station said, after which he flagged down an Edina cop who was patrolling the parking ramp and pointed the officer to the suspects. (Read more from “Army Recruiter Pursues Shoplifting Suspects While Pushing 10-Month-Old Daughter in Stroller” HERE)

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U.S. Army Recruiter Stops Shoplifters at Southdale Center While Pushing Stroller

By Fox 9. The suspects managed to get into their vehicle, but Olivia took photos of them and their vehicle license plate. He alerted an Edina Police Department officer who happened to be patrolling the parking ramp and directed them to the suspects.

The suspects fled police, but were stopped when a second officer cut off their escape route. The suspect were arrested.

Olivia joined the military in 2005 and has two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Army said. (For more from the author of “U.S. Army Recruiter Stops Shoplifters at Southdale Center While Pushing Stroller” please click HERE)

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Trump Plans ‘to Review’ Case Against Soldier Charged With Murdering a Suspected Taliban Bomb Maker

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President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would be reviewing the murder case against Army Green Beret Major Matt Golsteyn who allegedly in 2010 killed an Afghan man who was suspected of making bombs.

According to the BBC, then-Captain Golsteyn allegedly shot and killed a man he believed was making bombs for the Taliban. He allegedly admitted the killing during a 2011 lie detector test, which was done as part of a job application with the CIA.

In 2014, Golsteyn was reprimanded because of the lack of evidence. Things quickly changed when he participated in a Fox News interview about the war. At that time, he went into detail what took place with Fox host Bret Baier.

According to Golsteyn, soldiers were only allowed to hold people for a certain period of time before he or she had to be released if evidence against them were lacking. Essentially, it was a catch and release program. . .

“Major Mathew Golsteyn’s immediate commander has determined that sufficient evidence exists to warrant the preferral of charges against him,” U.S. Army Special Operations Command spokesman Lt Col Loren Bymer said in a statement.

(Read more from “Trump Plans ‘to Review’ Case Against Soldier Charged With Murdering a Suspected Taliban Bomb Maker” HERE)

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U.S. Service Member Killed in Afghanistan Is Identified

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By Fox News. The Pentagon has identified the U.S. service member killed in action last week in Afghanistan.

Sgt. James Allen Slape, 23, had gotten out of his vehicle in Helmand Province Thursday and was working to clear the area of explosives when a bomb detonated, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Slape was evacuated to a medical facility but staffers there were unable to save him, according to Commmander Grant Neeley, a NATO Resolute Support mission spokesman.

Slape was assigned to the 60th Troop Command of the North Carolina Army National Guard of Washington, N.C. (Read more from “U.S. Service Member Killed in Afghanistan Is Identified” HERE)

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U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

By CBS News. U.S. officials have identified the American soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week. The Department of Defense said Spc. James A. Slape, 23, from Morehead City, North Carolina, was killed on Thursday after suffering wounds from an improvised explosive device (IED). . .

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement honoring Slape.

“On behalf of the people of North Carolina, I honor the service and sacrifice of Sgt. James Slape and offer our deepest sympathy to his loved ones and his fellow soldiers,” Cooper said, according to CBS affiliate WFMY.

Slape joined the North Carolina National Guard in 2013 and graduated from the Explosive Ordnance School in 2015. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in April of this year, WFMY reports.

The U.S. military is mainly focused on supporting Afghan forces in the fight against extremist groups in eastern Afghanistan. There are roughly 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Seven U.S. service members have been killed in 2018, the Associated Press reports. (Read more from “U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan” HERE)

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Christian Chaplain Facing Court Martial Over Practicing Own Beliefs

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An Army chaplain is facing punishment because he abided by the tenets of his faith, according to attorneys defending Chaplain Scott Squires.

Squires, who has been serving at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, ran afoul of the Army’s rules when he told a soldier he could not hold a marriage retreat that included same-sex couples.

“Chaplain Squires is a Southern Baptist chaplain, so he has to follow the teachings of the Southern Baptist Convention,” said Mike Berry, an attorney at First Liberty Institute, which is representing Squires in his appeal of the punishment leveled against him this spring.

Squires is endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board.

“NAMB, just like many other endorsing organizations, prohibits their chaplains from facilitating or providing religious services that include same sex couples, such as a marriage retreat like this,” Berry said, according to Army Times.

Berry said Squires offered the soldier an alternative event under a different chaplain.

“In this instance, Squires did exactly what Army regulations tell him to do, which is to reschedule the event,” Berry said. “In fact, the event was rescheduled at the detriment of other couples who could not attend the new event.”

“But that’s what the procedures say to do, so that’s what he did,” Berry added.

In its investigation, however, the Army said Squires put his personal philosophy ahead of that of the Army and discriminated against the soldiers wanting to participate in the retreat. It said he acted with a “complete lack of urgency” by waiting three days to reschedule the event.

The investigation recommended Squires be found guilty of violating Army Equal Opportunity policy and be given “an administrative or non-judicial punishment.”

The investigation also called for punishment against Kacie Griffin, who was an assistant to Squires, for not working faster to resolve the issue.

“I simply did what I’m required to do under Army regulations and my endorser’s rules,” Squires said, according to columnist Todd Starnes, who has written about the chaplain’s case. “I am shocked that I would even be investigated, let alone threatened with punishment, for following the rules.”

Berry told Starnes that the real misconduct was committed by Maj. Gen. Kurt Sonntag, who authored the report calling for Squires to be punished.

“The United States Army, acting under the command of Major General Sonntag, is threatening to punish one of its chaplains because he followed the rules,” he said. “The Army, or Congress, must hold Major General Sonntag accountable for allowing this aggressive anti-religious hostility against its military chaplains to occur under his command.”

“Major General Sonntag must immediately reject this investigation, if any chaplain under his command is to have the confidence that he or she will be protected when following military policy,” Berry says. “No chaplain should face the specter of a court martial and military prison for following the rules of their faith and the Army.”

In an op-ed for The Daily Caller, Berry explained why he is fighting the case.

“Inexplicably, even though the Army investigator concluded that any ‘discrimination’ was ‘unintentional’ and that the Army’s regulations regarding the matter are ‘unclear,’ he recommended that Chaplain Squires be reprimanded, something that would tarnish the career and reputation of an otherwise exemplary officer and soldier,” Berry wrote. (For more from the author of “Christian Chaplain Facing Court Martial Over Practicing Own Beliefs” please click HERE)

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Bad Storm Blows American Flag to the Ground — Army Sergeants Were There in Seconds

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Two Army recruiters in Michigan rescued a flag from a severe rainstorm that had knocked it over outside Top Gun Shooting Sports, Fox News reported Friday.

The recruiters were attending a “Patriot Week” event at the gun shop when the storm’s harsh winds and rains brought down the flag outside the store. Staff Sgt. Eric Barkhorn and Staff Sgt. Jared Ferguson were captured on the store’s surveillance camera running into the storm to rescue the fallen flag.

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I kept thinking to myself, ‘I am not going to leave the flag on the ground,’” Barkhorn told “Fox & Friends” Friday. “The flag means everything to me. It’s everything we stand for, it’s everything we fight for.”

Top Gun Shooting Sports owner Mike Barbour said that a new flagpole has been set up since the storm, which caused over $100,000 in damage to the building.

Fox reports the sergeants say they were “just doing what any soldiers would do in that situation.” (For more from the author of “Bad Storm Blows American Flag to the Ground — Army Sergeants Were There in Seconds” please click HERE)

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