DoDLive | Author Archives

About iangraham

Website:
iangraham has written 342 articles so far, you can find them below.

Episode #121: Weekly News Roundup for February 3, 2012

Filed under African American History Month, DoD News, Emerging Media by Ian Graham on February 3, 2012 at 3:33 pm {no comments}

In “This Week in the DoD” for Feb. 3:

February is African-American History Month. DoDLive will be featuring stories throughout the month about many notable black Americans who helped shape the U.S. military. This week we profile Lt. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Elizabeth Wills, the first black women to become U.S. Naval officers.

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy is retiring. In a recent interview with the Pentagon Channel, she recounted some highlights from her three years in the position.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey spoke about the future of the military reserve corps at the Reserve Officers Association’s National Security Symposium in Washington, D.C. He said now is a time to determine how best to meet military requirements within budget constraints.

Millions of people around the world will tune in this Sunday to watch the New York Giants and New England Patriots face off in Super Bowl XLVI, including thousands of troops serving abroad. Members of the Giants and Patriots extended their thanks and appreciation to service members, as did Gen. Dempsey.

Listen to the podcast here.

Episode #120: Weekly News Roundup for January 27, 2012

Filed under DoD News by Ian Graham on January 27, 2012 at 6:22 pm {no comments}

In “This Week in the DoD” for Jan. 27:

President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday. He highlighted plans to invest in alternative energy, including a U.S. Navy biofuel plan. He also appealed to Congress and the American people to follow the military’s example and work together to “accomplish the mission.”

Meanwhile, halfway around the globe, a special operations team working closely with the FBI successfully rescued two hostages from Somalian criminals. The two had been abducted while working with a Danish non-profit group to defuse mines and other ordnance. None of the rescuers or hostages were injured during the operation.

Thursday, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey briefed the Pentagon press corps on their budget proposal for fiscal 2013. The budget reflects changed strategy as well as implements hundreds of billions of dollars in savings required by Congress.

Earlier this week, Panetta visited sailors deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, which is underway in the Atlantic Ocean. There he discussed how the Navy will work to face future threats.

Listen to the podcast here.

Episode #119: Weekly News Roundup for January 20, 2012

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by Ian Graham on January 20, 2012 at 4:09 pm {one comment}

In “This Week in the DoD” for Jan. 20:

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta laid out four proposals to end sexual assault between service members at a Pentagon press conference. He said sexual assault has no place in the Department of Defense.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno visited troops in Hawaii. While there, he also met with regional Army leadership and the press to discuss future military operations in the Pacific.

The Army is removing two brigade combat teams from Europe. The move comes as the Defense Department is working to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from its projected budgets. The Army will maintain its presence in Europe via rotational units.

On Wednesday, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Joining Forces initiative collaborated to hold a job fair and career expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The expo brought hundreds of potential employers and job-seeking veterans together for career counseling, recruiting and job interviews.

As the 2012 national elections approach, service members should make sure they’re compliant with current absentee voting laws. The 2010 National Defense Authorization Act included changes to absentee voting; more information is available here.

Listen to the podcast here.

Thousands Apply at DC “VA for Vets” Jobs Fair

Filed under DoD News by Ian Graham on January 19, 2012 at 2:49 pm {no comments}

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2012 – The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to answer President Barack Obama’s call for more employment opportunities for veterans, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said here yesterday during a “VA for Vets” career fair and exposition that provided thousands of potential job opportunities for veterans.

“Many veterans will have the opportunity to walk out of this event with a job offer,” he said. “Others will leave with a second interview lined up for that final hiring decision.”

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, a former Army Chief of Staff, walks through the “VA for Vets” program-sponsored career fair and exposition in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18, 2012

The event included the opportunity to prepare resumes on site and receive training on how to participate in a job interview.

Shinseki lauded the president and First Lady Michelle Obama for being “staunch advocates for veterans for the past three years.”

“In 2009, President Obama issued an executive order to increase veteran employment in the federal government,” he noted. “Today, veterans make up fully one-third of VA’s workforce, and we have increased that goal to 40 percent. We expect to make that in the next several years.”

Mary Santiago, VA’s director of veterans employment services, said about 6,400 public and private employers participated in the career fair and expo, and that the event was the first of its kind to bring all of the units that help veterans together under one roof.

“So it’s not only a career fair, it is an expo providing the services to all of our veterans all in the same place,” she said.

Read the rest of the story here.

Episode #118: Weekly News Roundup for January 13, 2012

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by Ian Graham on January 13, 2012 at 7:31 pm {no comments}

In “This Week in the DoD” for Jan. 13:

The Defense Department is adopting a new strategy that will allow the military to meet fiscal guidelines set by Congress. The military will be leaner and more mobile, leaders have said, but still able to meet future threats facing the U.S.

While many parts of the U.S. have faced relatively mild winters, several towns in Alaska are buried under snow — in some places, more than 18 feet of it. They’ve enlisted the assistance of the National Guard to help dig them out of their icy predicament.

American servicemembers have rescued two Iranian crews in the Arabian Sea this week. The U.S. Navy rescued a crew that had been taken hostage by pirates; the U.S. Coast Guard saved the crew of a ship that had begun taking on water.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its social media presence. All of its 152 medical centers now have their own Facebook pages, and they intend to have a similar expansion on Twitter.

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. America celebrates the civil rights leader’s birthday every year with a day of service. We replay some of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Listen to the podcast here.