Episode #79: Weekly News Roundup for Mar. 25

Filed under DoD News by on March 25, 2011 at 2:51 pm {no comments}

In the “This Week in the DoD” podcast for March 25:

The deadline for service members, veterans, and beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay has been extended to April 8, as part of the continuing resolution funding government operations.

American Forces continue to assist in the Japanese recovery from the earthquake and tsunami that demolished some towns and damaged nuclear reactors, as part of Operation Tomodachi.

The U.S. has canceled all permanent change of station moves to Japan, and is facilitating voluntary departures for the families of service members stationed there.

Last weekend, the United Nations Security Council released resolution 1973, authorizing the use of force to defend Libyan citizens and civilians from further attacks by enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

Friday, Mar. 25, is National Medal of Honor Day, a holiday set aside to acknowledge and salute those awarded the Nation’s highest military honor. Medal of Honor recipients will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and present four civilians with awards for courage and bravery similar to the actions of medal recipients.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, which is an opportunity to share information and remind people of the causes and effects of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Listen to the podcast.

Retroactive Stop Loss Pay Extended

Filed under DoD News by on March 22, 2011 at 3:58 pm {no comments}

 

By Dr. Clifford Stanley, Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)

By Dr. Clifford Stanley, Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)

Last week, I was blogging about the deadline looming for retroactive stop loss pay. The deadline has now been extended until Oct. 21, 2012 to apply, so have you applied yet?  Time is running short to claim retroactive stop loss special pay if you or someone you know served in an involuntary stop loss status from September 11th, 2001 to September 30th, 2009.  The retroactive stop loss special pay is $500 for every month/partial month served in a stop loss status.

I am thankful for our nation’s remarkable response by rallying behind this effort and aiding the Department in expanding our reach to our Service Members, families, and Veterans about this issue.  Through individual letters, public service announcements, social networking and media stories we’ve reached millions of people.  The White House, Congress, Department of Veterans Affairs and military & veteran service organizations around the country have shared information and messages on stop loss special pay and the looming deadline.  Now that our time has been extended, we are again appealing to friends and families of Service members around the world, whether this applies to you or someone you know.

If you are reading this blog, I am asking you to help spread the word before it’s too late for those eligible to apply.  Please, talk about this incredible benefit (through blogs, tweets, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

Our Service members and Veterans worked hard and earned this benefit… please help me to remind them to claim it!

Information on the simple and straightforward application process is online at www.defense.gov/stoploss.

Other blogs relating to P&R and our issues:
http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/category/bia/
http://health.mil/blog.aspx
http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/

Episode #75: Weekly News Roundup for Feb. 25

Filed under DoD News by on February 25, 2011 at 3:55 pm {no comments}

In the “DoD This Week” podcast for Feb 25: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, along with commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. James Mattis met with their counterparts in Oman as part of Mullen’s visit in the Middle East to reassure the U.S. commitment to regional stability there.

There have been some new changes to the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. Those currently using their benefits on active duty will have a tiered structure applied to the amount of benefit they can receive.

The deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay has once again been extended to March 4, 2011. Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit claims to their respective military service to receive $500 for each or partial month served in Stop Loss status.

Sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt held a virtual mentoring program for kids in the Hampton Roads, Va., area.

Carol Kando-Pineda from the Federal trade Commission provides a special message as part of Military Saves Week.

Listen here.

Episode #67: Weekly News Roundup for Dec. 30

Filed under DoD News by on December 30, 2010 at 2:01 pm {no comments}
In the “DoD This Week” podcast for Dec. 30: This week, we revisit the major events of 2010. In January, servicemembers began humanitarian aid in Haiti after the country was devastated by an earthquake; in April, the U.S. Coast Guard began operations to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; in June, U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal resigned from his position as Commander, International Security Assistance Force/United States Forces Afghanistan and Gen. David Petraeus took over as Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force; July saw servicemembers deliver more than 20 million pounds of relief supplies to Pakistan after the country sustained the worse monsoon season in 100 years including and flooding that submerged one fifth of the country; the months of August and September saw 30,000 more troops deployed to Afghanistan in to continue the battle against the Taliban and terrorist networks there, and Operation “New Dawn” began in Iraq; several changes came in December including Congress ratifying the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, Retroactive Stop-Loss Special Pay deadline was extended, and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the ban on openly gay men and women serving in the military, was repealed.
Listen to the podcast.

Top Blog Posts on DoDLive in 2010

Filed under DoD News by on December 27, 2010 at 12:07 pm {no comments}

Listed below are the 10 most popular posts according to the number of visitors to DoDLive.mil in 2010. Read the top 10 stories viewed on Defense.gov in 2010. You can also view the top 10 videos featured on Armed with Science.

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle in the encapsulation cell at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Fla. The X-37B is the U.S.'s newest and most advanced unmanned re-entry spacecraft. (Courtesy photo)

 10. Air Force Bloggers Roundtable: Air Force set to launch first X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. In April 2010, Mr. Gary Payton, Air Force Deputy Under Secretary for Space Programs, and Lt. Col. Erik Bowman, 45th Launch Support Squadron commander, Patrick AFB, Fla. hosted a media teleconference on the first launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle provided a flexible space test platform to conduct various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems, components and associated technology to be efficiently transported to and from the space environment. The X-37B is the first vehicle since NASA’s Shuttle Orbiter with the ability to return experiments to Earth for further inspection and analysis. Read the fact sheet.

Read the blog post.

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    German soldiers of 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 40th Mechanized Infantry Regiment pull security during an Operational Mentor Liaison Team (OMLT) training exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.  OMLT XXIII and Police Operational Mentor Liaison Team VII training are designed to prepare teams for deployment to Afghanistan with the ability to train, advise, and enable the Afghan National Security Force in areas such as counter-insurgency, combat advisory, and force enabling support operations. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ian Schell  (DVIDS)


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    While flying over Colorado a B-2 Stealth Bomber from Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, moves into position for a mid-air refueling via the boom of a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee on 09 May, 2012. The B-2 Stealth bomber and the KC-135 crews conducted the aerial refueling to maintain mission readiness standards.

    U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Jeremy M. Wilson (DVIDS)


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    Royal Canadian Mounted Police assigned to a Marine Security Emergency Response Team debark from the HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332) to conduct boarding operations during Exercise Frontier Sentinel 2012 May 8, 2012 at sea off Sydney, Nova Scotia. Exercise Frontier Sentinel is a combined interagency exercise involving Joint Task Force Atlantic, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy Fleet Forces Command. The exercise is designed to continue to develop and validate the existing plans, treaties and standard operation procedures for a bilateral response to maritime homeland defense and security threats.

    (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte / Released) (DVIDS)