military

Twilight Tattoo Performance Relocated Due to Rain

By ARLnow.com

Due to the chance of rain showers and thunderstorms this evening, tonight’s Twilight Tattoo performance at Ft. Myer has been moved to an indoor venue.

From the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall public affairs office:

Due to impending inclement weather tonight’s Twilight Tattoo will no longer take place on Summerall Field. It is now scheduled to be inside Conmy Hall on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Unfortunately Conmy Hall only seats approximately 1,000 patrons and admission will be granted on a first-requested, first-seated basis. The U.S. Army Military District of Washington Public Affairs Office will contact groups that have requested admission to inform them of their status. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For more information call 202-685-2888.

Twilight Tattoo Performances Begin at Ft. Myer

By Katie Pyzyk

Starting tonight, people living in Rosslyn may be hearing a little noise on Wednesdays during the summer. The Army is kicking off its “Twilight Tattoo” season.

The hour-long military pageants feature soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” While the pageant takes place, neighbors near Ft. Myer may hear singing, music and blank cannon fire.

All performances are free and open to the public. Tonight’s performance is held at Summerall Field on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Pre-ceremony pageantry begins at 6:45 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m.

The full list of dates and exact locations on the base can be found online.

Navy Annex Set to Be Torn Down This Summer

By ARLnow.com

 

Update on 10/23/12 — Demolition is now set to begin in November or December.

The 70-year-old Navy Annex complex, on the eastern end of Columbia Pike next to the Air Force Memorial, is set to be torn down starting next month.

Demolition on the complex will begin in late May, according to Rep. Jim Moran’s office. The demolition process is expected to last a couple of months.

Until recently, the Navy Annex was home to administrative offices for the Marine Corps. It was originally built as a warehouse in 1941 and has 1 million square feet of office space for up to 6,000 workers, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

The 37-acre site, along with other surrounding land, will be used to expand Arlington National Cemetery.

Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Device

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) The Arlington County bomb squad has packed up and left the scene near Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church, where earlier they were investigating a potentially explosive device.

Crews had been assisting police and fire units from Falls Church, after a resident called about a suspicious device this morning. According to City of Falls Church Communications Director Susan Finarelli, the resident had been digging in his yard in the 200 block of N. Virginia Ave., when he found a potentially hazardous device. Arlington’s bomb squad was called in to assist.

The item in question was found to be an antique military device, and was deemed safe. The military will dispose of the item.

“Nobody was hurt, and now with the bomb squad here, nobody should be hurt,” Finarelli said earlier.

The park and streets around Cherry Hill Park were closed down for more than two hours during the investigation, and several homes were also evacuated. Everything in the area has been re-opened.

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Disabled Vets Job Fair Coming to Arlington Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Employers are joining with the Wounded Warrior Project to hold a job fair for disabled veterans in Arlington tomorrow (Wednesday).

The daylong event is being held at the Sheraton National Hotel (900 S. Orme Street), near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Washington Boulevard. About 60 unemployed or underemployed disabled vets will have the opportunity to network with local employers while receiving job placement training.

In addition to helping to find employment for the disabled attendees, the event is also intended to bring attention to unemployment among U.S. combat veterans. As of 2010, the unemployment rate for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since Sept. 2001 was 11.5 percent.

“Despite their unwavering courage, many of these men and women return home from duty only to become part of a growing group of unemployed veteran,” said Gen. Richard B. Myers, retired chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, in a statement. “The Wounded Warriors Project provides these individuals with a tremendous opportunity to make a successful transition into the private sector and have a chance for economic prosperity.”

The event — the “Aon Salute to America’s Wounded Warriors” — has also been held in cities like New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Morning Poll: Accelerated Withdrawal from Afghanistan?

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) took to the House floor yesterday to call for an accelerated drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

“The time to accelerate our withdrawal from Afghanistan has arrived,” said Moran, a senior member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “Afghanistan is not a threat to the United States — Osama bin Laden is dead and there are fewer than 50 al Qaeda operating along the border with Pakistan.”

Moran then referenced a week-long trip he took to the Afghanistan/Pakistan region last month.

“My recent trip to the region reaffirmed my belief that every day our brave men and women in uniform remain in Afghanistan is another day they risk their lives for an undeserving cause,” Moran said. “Our military has undertaken a valiant fight to do what we have asked them to do, we have a responsibility to make sure no lives are lost in vain. Ultimately, Afghanistan’s future will be determined by Afghans, not Americans.”

Yesterday the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan told Congress that the existing timetable to withdraw troops from the county is still on track, despite recent setbacks like the killing of 16 Afghan civilians by a rogue U.S. soldier.

As it stands now, 23,000 of the 90,000 troops in Afghanistan are scheduled to come home by the end of September, with a complete withdrawal by December 2014. Do you agree with Rep. Moran that the timetable for withdrawal should be accelerated?


Amphibious Vehicle Demoed at Columbia Island Marina

By ARLnow.com

A company showed off the prototype of their new American-made amphibious vehicle at Columbia Island Marina this afternoon.

Michigan-based Gibbs Amphibians held the demonstration in the shadow of the Pentagon in hopes of convincing the military to place orders for their newest land/sea vehicle, dubbed the Phibian.

Company engineers say the Phibian is revolutionary for being able to travel at a high speed on land and on sea. The vehicle can reach up to 80 miles per hour on land, 45 miles per hour on the water, and can enter the water from land at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour, we’re told. The 30-foot craft has a 7,000 lbs hauling capacity and can transport about a dozen people.

Phibian sports a carbon fiber hull, twin turbo 250 horsepower diesel engines, four wheel drive, and a patented, hydraulic suspension system that retracts the wheels above the water level when at sea (somewhat like landing gear on a plane). It’s the retractable wheels that allow better speed and maneuverability in the water, engineers said.

The Phibian will be produced in Michigan and will create 200 jobs, according to Gibbs. The company hopes to sell the Phibian to the military and to various federal and local government agencies for search and rescue and disaster relief operations.

Gibbs also manufacturers an amphibious sports car, which was on display today at the marina.

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Moran: Proposed Cuts Will Keep Military Strong

By ARLnow.com

President Obama’s call for a leaner U.S. military with a more focused mission is receiving plaudits from local congressman Jim Moran (D).

Moran’s Northern Virginia district, which includes the Pentagon and the headquarters of numerous defense contractors, has much to lose from cuts in defense spending. But Moran said in a statement that the proposed cuts (which will actually just trim hundreds of billions of expected increases in the Pentagon budget over the next decade) will keep the military strong and agile.

The President’s new defense strategy both preserves the world’s strongest military while recognizing that our country faces difficult budgetary challenges in a security environment much different from the Cold War era our current defense posture was designed to combat.

As the President and Congress move to implement savings mandated by the Budget Control Act, I was pleased to see that the President’s military strategy will continue to make critical investments in cyberspace, Special Operations forces, counter-measures for weapons of mass destruction, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies. These investments will make the U.S. military more agile and flexible while maintaining its superior edge.

I am confident that when the President’s budget is released next month, it will ensure that our men and women in uniform, and their families, have the equipment and support they need to protect our national security interests around the world – including when they return home from battle.

Rash of Car Break-Ins in Bluemont, Arlington Forest

By ARLnow.com

About a dozen residents of the Bluemont and Arlington Forest neighborhoods woke up Tuesday morning only to find that their vehicles were broken in to overnight.

According to police, an unknown suspect broke in to at least 12 unlocked vehicles on the 100 block of N. Columbus Street, the 500 block of N. Jefferson Street, and the 5600 blocks of N. 5th and N. 7th Streets. All four streets are within easy walking distance of the Bluemont and W&OD trails.

The suspect stole various items like change and GPS units, according to police.

One vehicle was also stolen during the break-in spree, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal. NBC4 is reporting that stolen vehicle was a van belong to the charity Treats 4 Our Troops. The van was filled with candy and care packages for wounded and deployed military servicemembers, the station reported.

Police say they don’t have any suspects at this time.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mark Center Parking Capped — A roughly 2,000 spot parking cap is being put in place at the Mark Center in Alexandria, thanks to language placed in a federal appropriations bill. The cap should avert a feared traffic congestion nightmare around the Mark Center, located at the Seminary Road exit off of I-395. Thousands of Department of Defense jobs from Arlington and elsewhere are being transferred to the Mark Center, but transportation infrastructure improvement projects around the Center are still underway. [Rep. Jim Moran]

Ballston BID’s New Director — The new Ballston Business Improvement District formally announced last week that it has hired Tina Leone as its first executive director. Leone was previously president and CEO of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. [Ballston BID]

Cemetery Transfer May Not Be Necessary — A federal review of operations at Arlington National Cemetery concluded last week that a proposed transfer of the cemetery from the Army to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs may no longer be necessary. [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Obama, Iraqi Leader Visit Arlington Nat’l Cemetery

By ARLnow.com

President Obama, Vice President Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made a joint visit to Arlington National Cemetery this afternoon.

Maliki and the president participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, to honor American troops killed in Iraq. The visit coincides with the planned exit of nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this month.

Traffic was blocked in the area of the Memorial Bridge during the roughly 30 minute visit. Arlington County police assisted with the closures.

File photo

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