Archive for May, 2008

National Guard pilot is 'Top Gun' winner

Friday, May 30th, 2008

Source: Albany Times Union (Original Article)

State Air National Guard 2nd Lt. Brian Bradke of Troy, formerly of Latham, received more than Silver Pilot Wings upon graduation from Specialized Under-.graduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.

 

Bradke also received a “Top Gun” honor and an Air Force Association Award for scoring high on academic, flight training and other tests. The lieutenant is now undergoing specialized F-16 flight training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Upon graduation, he will be assigned to the 174th Fighter Wing out of Hancock Field, Syracuse. After graduation from flight training, he will major in bioengineering in a doctorate program at RPI. He graduated from Shaker High School, Latham, in 1999. Bradke earned a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and a master’s degree from Sanford University, Stanford, Calif. He is married to the former Tiffany Miller, formerly of Troy. He is the son of Cathy and Bill Bradke of Cohoes.Air National Guard 2nd Lt. Jim A. Nicholson of Voorheesville also graduated from the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. Nicholson graduated in 2000 from Clayton A. Bouton High School, Voorheesville, and received a bachelor’s degree in 2005 from the State University at Farmingdale. He is the son of Leah and Jim Nicholson of Voorheesville. Navy Lt. Jeremy R. Arnott of Guilderland and Lt. James Light of Burnt Hills have been designated naval aviators while serving and training at the Naval Air Station, Kingsville, Texas.Arnott and Light received their Wings of Gold during a ceremony. The wings mark the successful culmination of months of flight training. Their training included landings and takeoffs aboard an aircraft carrier.Arnott is a Guilderland High School graduate. Light is graduate of Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School, Burnt Hills. Training to be a pilot Daniel Godfrey of Raymertown has been commissioned a second lieutenant Instant Approval Credit Cards upon graduation from the Air National …continue reading

URS wins Navy environmental cleanup contract

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

Source: Bizjournals.com (Original Article)

URS Corp. will clean up contaminated sites for the U.S. Navy under a contract worth up to $100 million over five years.

San Francisco-based URS (NYSE: URS) will work in Navy and U.S. Marine Corps bases in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. It's an "indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity" contract, which means the Navy will give URS work orders as it needs things done.

The URS division of the company, led by President Gary Jandegian, will do this work. URS has three divisions — the EG&G division and the Washington division, formerly Boise-based Washington Group International, are the ANZ Credit Cards other two.

Martin Koffel is CEO of URS.

Gas prices may knock a big hole in Georgians' boating

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution (Original Article)

Even as water levels have risen enough to allow for safer boating on lakes Lanier and Allatoona this summer, soaring gas prices threaten to keep more people on land this Memorial Day weekend and beyond.

It’s a cruel twist for those whose livelihoods depend on an active boating season.

“Coverage of the drought has been overblown, and that’s hurting us,” said Rick Seelbinder, a boat salesman for MarineMax in Cumming. While Lanier is down more than 10 feet from Memorial Day 2007 — and about 13 feet below full pool — it’s deep in the main channels where most boaters travel. “When people actually see the lake, they’re pleasantly surprised,” Seelbinder said.

But then they see how much a full tank of gas costs — and concerns about lake levels become secondary. That also tends to negate what could have been a competitive edge for Lake Allatoona, which is near full pool.

Leisure activities always take a hit during a downturn, and rising gas prices aren’t helping.

A sampling taken Saturday of about a dozen marinas on Lake Lanier found regular gas going for $4.39 to $5 per gallon.

Marina managers say their prices are higher than at gas stations on land because their sales are seasonal, and they have to employ dock hands and pay for extra equipment and environmental insurance to protect against spills.

Prices like these guarantee boaters a tab for each fill-up well into triple digits, sometimes topping $1,000.

Frank Chick says he’s spending about $800 to fuel his craft, roughly the cost of a round-trip airline ticket to San Francisco.

“They rake you over the coals up here,” said Chick, of Roswell, who keeps his boat docked at Bald Ridge Marina on the southwest side of Lanier. He said the high cost of fuel won’t keep him off the lake.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expected the usual crowds this holiday weekend, spokeswoman Lisa Frequent Flyer Credit Cards Coghlan said.

Changing course
Boaters are adjusting …continue reading

No Charges for Marines in Afghan Deaths

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Source: RedOrbit (Original Article)

No Charges for Marines in Afghan Deaths
Posted on: Saturday, 24 May 2008, 09:00 CDT
Two Marine officers in a unit accused of killing as many as 19 Afghan civilians in 2007 will not face criminal charges, the mil- itary said Friday. Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, decided not to bring charges after reviewing the findings of a special tribunal . - The Associated Press the conclusion The tribunal investigated alle-ga-tions that the Afghan civ-il- ians died when a unit of Marine special operations troops opened fire after a car bomb targeted their convoy March 4, 2007 . The Marines said Helland decided the Marines in the convoy “acted appropriately and in accordance with the rules of engagement and tactics, techniques and procedures in place .”

not open to public A message left with Afghanistan’s embassy in Washington was not immediately returned. Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said the finding of the Court of Inquiry will not be released to the public. Helland wasn’t available for comment, he said. the tribunal It was the first time in more than 50 years the Marines empaneled a Court of Inquiry. It considered only the actions of the company’s commander, Maj. Fred C. Galvin, 38, of the Kansas City, Kan., area, and a platoon leader, Capt. Vincent J. Noble, 29, of Philadelphia. (c) 2008 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Student Credit Cards Reserved.
Source: Virginian - Pilot

More News in this Category

Lockheed Martin Receives $2.2 Billion for F-35 Lot 2 Production …

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

Source: SunHerald.com (Original Article)

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 22 — The United States
Department of Defense has authorized the release of funds to buy six
conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A Lightning IIs for the U.S. Air
Force, with provisional approval to purchase six short takeoff/vertical
landing (STOVL) F-35Bs for the U.S. Marine Corps following a senior leadership
review and the inaugural flight of that variant. The 12 aircraft will be
built in the second phase of F-35 low-rate initial production (LRIP 2).

The $2.2 billion contract authorization comes after the Defense
Acquisition Board’s recommendation to release the funds and proceed with
production. “We welcome the board’s decision and their vote of confidence in
the F-35 program,” said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president
and F-35 program general manager. “We’re seeing excellent progress on our
production line, with 17 preproduction aircraft in assembly flow, the first
two production-model F-35s already under way and unprecedented assembly
quality across the board.”

Long-lead funds of $197 million for LRIP 3 were released on May 14 for at
least 18 additional F-35s. The LRIP I contract for the first two F-35A
production aircraft was finalized and issued in July 2007.

The first F-35A test aircraft has completed 40 flights and has exceeded
performance and reliability expectations. The inaugural flight of the first
F-35B is on schedule for late spring/early summer.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter.
Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using
the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide will replace at least 13 types
of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most
economical fighter program in history.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial
partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35
engines MasterCard Credit Card are under development: the Pratt & …continue reading

Events Honoring Area Veterans Planned

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Source: The Ledger (Original Article)

LAKELAND | The Lakeland Flying Tigers and area veterans groups will join forces Saturday for a celebration of Armed Forces Day, culminating in free baseball game admission for veterans, followed by fireworks.

Motorcyclists from the U.S. Military Veterans Motorcycle Club, American Legion Riders and others will leave The Lakeland Center at 3:30 p.m. for a procession to Joker Marchant Stadium.

A ceremony honoring veterans from the five military services will begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by live music from Buck Hummer and the Pick-ups, and the game between the Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Dunedin Blue Jays will begin at 6 p.m..

All veterans and members of ROTC and JROTC units will be admitted free to the game.

The honor guard ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Following the game, a special fireworks display will be presented.

While not as widely celebrated as Memorial Day or Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 and first held in May 1950.

It replaced the separate days honoring each of the military service branches, although Marines celebrate both Armed Forces Day and Marine Corps Day, according to a Department of Defense Web site.

The combined day honors the work and sacrifices of members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, and is usually highlighted by speeches from presidents that seem ageless because of world events.

“Our servicemen and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of peace - many of them away from their homes, their friends and their families,” President John F. Kennedy said in 1963. “They are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh, but inescapable truth - that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal FLIGHT 29 DOWN dvd sacrifice.”

[ Bill Rufty can be reached ...continue reading

US officials: Basra more secure

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Source: United Press International (Original Article)

The Iraqi city of Basra is more secure since the 1st Iraqi Army Quick Reaction Force fought its way into the city last month, officials said.

The U.S. Defense Department said before the Iraqi troops arrived in the city criminals had taken over Basra.

“This city was being held hostage by a small group of criminal militias,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Castellvi, military training team adviser for 1st Iraqi Army Quick Reaction Force.

Among other things, thugs in the city barred music and Western influence; women faced death threats if they ventured outside their homes dressed in anything other than a full burkah; and intersections were used as mortar positions, the military said in a statement.

“The people are happier now,” said Marine Corps Maj. Robert S. Washington, senior military transition team adviser for 2nd Battalion, Quick Reaction Force 1. “They ANZ Gold Credit Card can go out; they can go to the markets.”

Gates warns against wasteful military spending

Monday, May 12th, 2008

Source: International Herald Tribune (Original Article)

COLORADO SPRINGS: Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a clear warning to the military and its industrial partners on Tuesday that expensive, new conventional weapons must prove their value to current conflicts, marked by insurgency and terrorism, if they hope for a place in future budgets.

In his most direct comments to date on the expected division of labor across the military, Gates said that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps would continue to carry the brunt of the nation's combat effort. The Air Force and Navy, he said, would be cast as “America's main strategic deterrent” against potential adversaries such as Iran, North Korea and China.

“I have noticed too much of a tendency towards what might be called 'Next-War-itis' - the propensity of much of the defense establishment to be in favor of what might be needed in a future conflict,” Gates said at a conference here sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy institute.

“Overall, the kinds of capabilities we will most likely need in the years ahead will often resemble the kinds of capabilities we need today,” he added.

Those comments are certain to alarm advocates of the newest generations of high-tech and high-cost weapons programs, in particular the Army's Future Combat Systems and the Air Force's F-22 advanced warplane. Both have come under scrutiny of Pentagon budget officers questioning whether either would be required for missions similar to the current operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Army program, whose total cost could exceed $200 billion, “must continue to demonstrate its value for the types of irregular challenges we will face,” as well as for the full-spectrum of conventional conflict for which it was designed, Gates said.

The defense secretary also criticized a budget process that he said results in the production of fewer, but Lawyers in ACT beginning with B Page 2 more expensive, warships, warplanes and armored vehicles.

Gates …continue reading

WexTrade Financial Names Todd Hanson, Ph.D., Director of Training …

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

Source: Market Wire (press release) (Original Article)

SOURCE: WexTrade Financial, LLC

 

May 12, 2008 10:44 ET

WexTrade Financial Names Todd Hanson, Ph.D., Director of Training and Education

Highlighted Links WexTrade Financial Web site WexTrust Capital Web site

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire - May 12, 2008) - WexTrade Financial, LLC, a subsidiary of
WexTrust Capital, announced today that it has named Todd Hanson, Ph.D.,
director of training and education. In this role, Dr. Hanson will lead the
instruction of the training curriculum.

“We have created a dynamic learning environment which encourages students
to take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities and the most extensive
trading curriculum available,” said Hanson. “As WexTrade Financial’s
director of training and education, I work with each student to create a
personalized learning experience by tailoring the training approach to the
individual. Our curriculum is designed to provide each student with the
education and tools necessary to ensure long-term success.”

“Todd brings more than a decade of trading experience to our organization,”
said Steve Byers, CEO, WexTrust Capital. “He has a proven track record of
successful leadership and has created numerous trading systems that are
employed by fund managers, brokerage houses and traders worldwide. Todd’s
extensive experience in the financial and trading industries makes him an
ideal addition to our WexTrade Financial team.”

Prior to joining WexTrade Financial, Dr. Hanson has spent the past three
years working on a groundbreaking project — developing a fully automated
day trading system whereby the program formulates all buy/sell/hold
decisions, allocates appropriate amounts of capital to specific trades and
places orders electronically and autonomously. This program, Failsafe
Trader, is complete and operational through Titan Aussie Credit Card Trading Analytics.

Dr. Hanson is also …continue reading

Hopkins too much for Hofstra in 1st round

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

Source: Baltimore Sun (Original Article)

Senior midfielder Paul Rabil fueled a 6-0 run that helped Johns Hopkins break a 2-2 tie early in the second quarter and cruise to a 10-4 win against visiting Hofstra in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Homewood Field today.

The fifth-seeded Blue Jays (9-5) extended their winning streak to six and will meet Navy in a quarterfinal on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The Midshipmen upended fourth-seeded North Carolina, 8-7, on Saturday night.

With the score tied at 2 with 8:47 left in the second quarter, Rabil — whose four goals gave him 101 for his career to pass Dave Huntley for most by a Blue Jays midfielder — scored back-to-back goals, ripping identical shots from at least 15 yards.

Rabil had not scored a point in the teams’ first meeting on March 8 when the ANZ Credit Cards Pride upset the defending national champions, 8-7, in overtime.