military

More Cannon Fire Planned Tomorrow Morning

By ARLnow.com

There will be another round of cannon fire at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow morning.

The Army’s Presidential Salute Battery will be conducting more firing drills from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman.

“This elite element of The Old Guard has the duty of firing final salutes during memorial ceremonies for service members and veterans laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery,” the military said in a statement. “The Presidential Salute Battery maintains the highest level of ceremonial proficiency through recurrent training and will continue to perform to the utmost standards and traditions of the United States Army and our nation.”

Although the year’s first firing drill woke up residents in parts of South Arlington, lately the cannon fire has been heard mostly in the District, prompting numerous complaints from D.C. residents.

Moran: Offshore Drilling Could Interfere With SEAL Training

By ARLnow.com

This afternoon the House of Representatives passed a bill that would permit oil drilling off the coast of Virginia.

On the House floor today, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) offered his support for an amendment that would have strengthened provisions in the bill that prohibit drilling in an area that would cause “unreasonable conflict” with naval operations. The amendment failed, and the bill passed 266-149.

“The proposed lease sale would interfere with U.S. Navy operations and Virginia’s commercial fishery and tourism industries,” Moran said in a statement. “National Security and economic growth should trump lining the pockets of big oil executives.”

Moran added that the drilling could interfere with the training of Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL Team Six, the elite squad that killed Osama bin Laden.

“In May 2010 the [Department of Defense] stated nearly 80 percent of the drilling area proposed to be sold in Virginia, Lease Sale 220, would interfere with U.S. Navy training and operations (including Navy SEAL Team Six),” a Moran press release said.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) offered his support for the bill in a newspaper op-ed this morning.

“America’s energy future must be made more secure and must focus on domestic energy resources,” McDonnell said.

Military ‘Welcome Home’ Event to Be Held in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

The Veterans Administration is holding its annual “Welcome Home Celebration” for hundreds of returning combat veterans in Crystal City next weekend.

The event, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Jefferson Davis Highway), will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. It will serve to educate returning veterans, active duty service personnel and their family members about the VA’s benefits and health care service, through on-site enrollment services, health screenings and benefits counseling.

There will also be a job fair for Iraq and Afghanistan vets, as well as family-friendly entertainment, music and a free lunch.

Flickr pool photo by Knascar

NORAD to Conduct Training Flights Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Washington area residents are in for another night of off-and-on noise as NORAD prepares to conduct another aerial exercise.

NORAD will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 11-08 from 11:30 tonight to 5:00 tomorrow morning. The exercise will “hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System.” Among the aircraft expected to participate are Air Force F-16s and a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter.

When NORAD conducted a similar exercise last month, some Arlington residents complained about being woken up in the middle of the night by loud jet noises.

Here’s the press release about tonight’s exercise from NORAD:

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 11-08 beginning Wednesday night into early Thursday morning in the National Capital Region, Washington, D.C.

The exercise is comprised of a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors.

Flights in the National Capital Region are scheduled to take place between 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday morning. Exercise Falcon Virgo is designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System. Civil Air Patrol aircraft, Air Force F-16s and a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the exercise.

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s rapid response capability. NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take place the next day, until all training requirements are met. If bad weather continues, officials will then make a decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.

As the Continental United States geographical component of the bi-national command NORAD, CONR provides airspace surveillance and control, and directs air sovereignty activities for the CONUS region. CONR and its assigned Air Force and Army assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, CONR fighters have responded to more than 3,400 possible air threats in the United States and have flown more than 59,000 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.

Quiet Remembrance at Pentagon Memorial

By ARLnow.com

In contrast to the noisy, jubilant celebration at the White House, the scene at the Pentagon Memorial last night was one of quiet remembrance.

About two dozen visitors trickled in to the memorial following the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed by American forces in Pakistan. As visitors strolled the dimly-lit grounds, only the peaceful sound of bubbling water could be heard. The sound came from small pools below each of the memorial’s 184 benches, which represent the 184 people killed during the bin Laden-orchestrated attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

Two visitors said they came to the Pentagon seeking a deeper connection to the evening’s news.

“The celebrations over at the White House didn’t fully capture the emotions of the night,” said Crystal Adams, of the District. Fellow District resident Brian Chiglinsky agreed.

“It felt like this was the place for a more solemn remembrance about the importance of tonight and what this past decade has meant to our generation,” he said.

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Expect More Cannon Fire Monday Morning

By ARLnow.com

The army’s Presidential Salute Battery will be conducting another training exercise at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday morning.

Two of the battery’s training exercises, held earlier this month, were heard loud and clear in parts of South Arlington and the District. Residents can likely expect to hear more loud booming sounds from the battery’s cannons from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m.

After hearing complaints from startled residents, the military has been more proactive getting the word out about Monday’s training exercise. Here’s the announcement from the Joint Base Myer – Henderson Hall public affairs office:

The Presidential Salute Battery will be conducting firing drills in Arlington National Cemetery May 2 from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. The training is being conducted before the cemetery opens to not interfere with ongoing memorial services. This training ensures the unit maintains the highest level of ceremonial proficiency necessary to render proper honors to our nation’s fallen servicemembers and veterans.

Did You Hear the Fighter Jets Last Night?

By ARLnow.com

NORAD conducted an air defense exercise over the Washington area late last night, startling area night owls who aren’t used to the sounds of fighter jets streaking across the sky at 1:00 a.m.

Although NORAD regularly conducts exercises in the D.C. region, for some reason this one seemed louder than others. On Twitter, we heard from Bethesda, McLean and Arlington residents who all heard the jets and wondered what was going on.

The exercise was actually scheduled for the night before, according to a press release, but was delayed a day due to inclement weather.

Michelle Obama Lauds Military Kids at Pentagon City Ceremony

By ARLnow.com

First Lady Michelle Obama gave the welcoming remarks at an awards ceremony in Pentagon City last night.

The Military Child of the Year Awards recognize the “strength, resilience and leadership” of military kids from each of branch of the armed services. The event, held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, was organized by the group Operation Homefront.

Support of military families is one of Mrs. Obama’s signature issues. She spoke glowingly of the honorees’ maturity, wisdom and bravery.

“When our troops are called to serve, their families serve too,” Mrs. Obama said to an audience chock full of military officers, spouses and media personnel. “[Military children] play their own very unique role in keeping our country safe… their strength and support helps our troops serve.”

The five recipients of this year’s awards were:

  • Taylor Dahl-Sims, 17, of Oceanside, Ca. Dahl-Sims helped to care for her baby brother —  who was suffering medical problems — while dad was away at war. When her father, a Marine, returned with a traumatic brain injury and facial injuries from multiple IED blasts, she also helped to take care of him. All the while, she has been doing volunteer work, taking college classes and commanding her school’s Air Force Junior ROTC.
  • Kyle Hoeye of Tucson, Ariz., whose Army father has been deployed three times. At 16, Hoeye “has made helping military families his life’s work.”
  • Melissa Howland, 17, of Millis, Mass. Howland nearly died from a blood disorder, the symptoms of which are now keeping her from playing her favorite sports. Nonetheless, Howland has managed to rack up nearly 500 volunteer hours while her Navy father was deployed in Iraq.
  • Nicole Goetz, 17, of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Nicole’s father has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. With dad gone for months at a time, Nicole has stepped up to help raise her 10-year-old brother, all while donating hundreds of hours of her time to community service, earning a 4.0 GPA and serving as president of her school’s Key Club.
  • Margaret Rochon, a 17-year-old Coast Guard kid from Jacksonville, N.C. In addition to numerous extracurricular activities at school, Margaret helped to organize a seminar about the “stresses of wartime deployment on students and the effects of PTSD on families.” The seminar became mandatory training for teachers in her county.

More photos, after the jump.

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Anti-War Demonstration Planned at Pentagon Today

By ARLnow.com

A group called the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance is organizing an anti-war rally at the Pentagon at noon today.

Dubbed “Operation DISARMageddon,” participants are planning to demonstrate against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the military’s use of fossil fuels. Organizers aren’t saying exactly where and how they’re planning to protest, except that it will be “nonviolent civil resistance” and it will happen “around noon.”

“The U.S. military is the entity most responsible for destabilizing our environment,” a call to action on the group’s web site says. “There are innumerable reasons for this, including these examples: the exorbitant use of fossil fuels, depleted uranium weapons, worldwide transport of weapons and personnel, unlimited air travel, engagement in war and the possession, upkeep and transport of nuclear weapons.”

The call to action continues: “U.S. drone bombs continue to kill innocent people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other places around the world. Our military spending is out of control while we have no money to meet basic human needs here in the U.S. Torture and illegal indefinite detentions continue in Guantanamo, Bagram, and other places around the world… In the spirit and discipline of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and others, and for the sake of humanity, for the sake of peace and justice, and for the sake of Mother Earth we must act now.”

Other groups said to be participating in the protest include Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, Witness Against Torture and WarIsACrime.org.

First Lady to Give Speech at Award Ceremony in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver a speech at the Operation Homefront 2011 Military Child of the Year Awards on Thursday evening.

The award show is being held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City. The awards honor “military children who demonstrate resilience, strength of character and leadership within their families and communities.”

Five outstanding children from each branch of the military will receive awards.

Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.

White House Photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Whitlow’s Rooftop Deck Opens Today — Wilson’s on Whitlow’s — the new rooftop deck atop Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Boulevard) — will open for the season at 4:00 tonight. With sunny skies and temperatures reaching into the upper 70s, the place may get a bit crowded. [Clarendon Culture]

Library Accepting ‘Operation Paperback’ Donations — Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Qunicy Street) is accepting donations of gently-used paperbacks for our troops. Books donated between now and April 30 will be shipped to U.S. troops overseas as part of the ‘Operation Paperback‘ program. “All genres except romance are needed,” the library notes. [Library Blog]

Courthouse-Area Lunch Spots Lauded — Is Courthouse “one of the best places around for work lunches?” One D.C.-based blogger thinks so, citing spots like Pho 75, Five Guys, Ray’s Hell Burger, Dehli Dhaba, Fireworks and Earl’s Sandwiches. [I Spy Things DC]

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