Military

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Nov. 12, 2009 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $197 million U.S. Navy contract for life-cycle engineering and support of the LPD 17 class, the Navy's next generation of amphibious warfare ships.

As a key member of the LPD alliance, Raytheon is the total ship electronics systems integrator for the LPD 17 class as well as the prime contractor for life-cycle engineering and support. The company provides the Shipboard Wide Area Network, integrated product data environment, total ship information management, and integrated ship electronics architecture for the LPD 17 class.    » read more »

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 15, 2009 -- The U.S. government executed separate Letters of Offer and Acceptance with three of its key allies to purchase Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

The three countries, in the order they signed their LOAs, are Kuwait, Morocco and Jordan.

"The AIM-120C-7 provides unparalleled air combat and air defense capabilities," said Col. Michael Andersen, commander of the U.S. Air Force's 328th Armament Systems Group. "By equipping our allies with the AIM-120C-7 through the Foreign Military Sales program, the U.S. government strengthens regional security and promotes coalition interoperability."    » read more »

Stress Langley's Capacity & Facilities

November 12, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and Representatives Glenn Nye (D-VA), Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) this week requested a Virginia delegation staff briefing on Air Force plans for future basing of the F-22 Raptor aircraft fleet. In a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Virginia lawmakers emphasized that Langley Air Force Base (LAFB) in Hampton is a “world-class installation” with the excess operational capacity to support increased numbers of the F-22.    » read more »

Senators say returning soldiers' unemployment rate too high and say benefits should include apprenticeship and job training, not just college

November 12, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Johanns (R-NE), today introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act to include job training and apprenticeship opportunities for veterans who have served our country since the attacks of September 11, 2001.    » read more »

Army’s Decision to Pursue More Litigation Sends Hostile Message to Farmers and Ranchers in Southern Colorado

November 10, 2009 -- Today, in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Army Secretary John McHugh, Michael Bennet urged the Army to acknowledge the flawed nature of its 2007 environmental impact analysis on the proposed expansion at Pinon Canyon and asked that the Army immediately withdraw its plans to appeal the U.S. District Court's recent decision on the matter.

"The Army's decision to move forward with more litigation sends a hostile message to the farmers and ranchers in southern Colorado: the Army is more concerned about winning than about repairing this relationship over the long-term," wrote Bennet.    » read more »

November 11, 2009 -- Arlington National Cemetery -- THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Thank you. Please, be seated.

Thank you, Secretary Shinseki, for the generous introduction -- more importantly, the extraordinary bravery in service to our country, both on and off the battlefield. I want to thank our outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden, and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jill Biden, for being here today. We want to thank the Bidens for their son, Beau's, service as well; we're glad he just got back from Iraq.    » read more »

November 11, 2009 -- Washington D.C. -- The FBI continues to work closely with the Department of the Army in the joint, ongoing investigation into the tragic events that occurred last Thursday at Fort Hood. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families.

With respect to the investigation—the Army Criminal Investigative Division is leading a coordinated criminal investigation with the support of the FBI and other components of the Department of Justice and the Texas Rangers. The investigation is in its early stages, and the information we can provide now is limited.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, November 10, 2009 — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is applauding the president's new executive order for helping more military veterans get federal and private employment.

"The president is serious about helping veterans get a job, and he is making sure the federal government is at the top of the hiring line," said VFW Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief Richard L, Eubank, a Vietnam veteran from Eugene, Ore., who is in Washington to represent the organization at different national Veterans Day events.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has ordered that the U.S. and Missouri flags on all state buildings in St. Louis County be flown at half-staff from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18 to honor the bravery and sacrifice of Specialist Christopher M. Cooper, age 28, of St. Louis. Specialist Cooper was a soldier in the United States Army who died on Oct. 30 while serving his country in Babil Province, Iraq.

In addition, Gov. Nixon has ordered that the U.S. and Missouri flags at state buildings in all 114 counties and the city of St. Louis be flown at half-staff for one full day on Thursday, Nov. 12.    » read more »

Honors Veterans at Los Angeles National Cemetery, Issues Proclamation for Veterans Day

11/11/2009 -- Honoring the service of California’s brave servicemen and women, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today visited the Los Angeles National Cemetery, where he spoke at the Veteran’s Day Program. While there he announced that $5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) job training grants have been awarded by the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) ensuring that more than 1,400 former members of the military will receive job training, employment and mental health services, as part of the Governor’s continuing veteran’s jobs initiative.    » read more »

Current Veterans Health And Homeless Programs Starved Of Funding And Cannot Handle New Wave Of Returning Soldiers From Afghanistan And Iraq

November 11, 2009 -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Robert Menendez today said that current federal veteran’s health and homeless prevention programs are starved for funding and cannot handle the massive wave of traumatized veterans forced to live on the streets. Schumer and Menendez cited a new 2008 Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) report that found that between one-fourth and one-fifth of homeless persons in America is a veteran.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- Fort Hood - III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas -- THE PRESIDENT: To the Fort Hood community; to Admiral Mullen; General Casey; General Cone; Secretary McHugh; Secretary Gates; most importantly, to family, friends and members of our Armed Forces. We come together filled with sorrow for the 13 Americans that we have lost; with gratitude for the lives that they led; and with a determination to honor them through the work we carry on.

This is a time of war. Yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle. They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great state and the heart of this great American community. This is the fact that makes the tragedy even more painful, even more incomprehensible.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- A South Korean businessman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to five years in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy involving a $206 million telecommunications contract and employees of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade also ordered Gi-Hwan Jeong to pay a $50,000 fine. Jeong pleaded guilty on June 11, 2009, to a five-count indictment, charging him with one count of conspiracy, two counts of honest services wire fraud and two counts of bribery.    » read more »

In Advance of Veterans’ Day, Brown Discusses Issues Affecting Ohio Veterans

November 10, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown today announced a new initiative to improve veterans access to the benefits they have earned. Brown's Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements (BRAVE) Act would create a new fast-track system for veterans with disabilities to qualify for benefits from both the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Social Security Administration (SSA).    » read more »

November 6, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter introduced two pieces of legislation that recognize and honor our nation’s service members and their families. Shea-Porter introduced a resolution that recognizes the contributions of the New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG). She also introduced legislation that honors the spouses of our military men and women who have served in combat zones.

Shea-Porter’s resolution recognizes the NHNG’s service to the State of New Hampshire and their contributions to the domestic and international missions of the Armed Forces.    » read more »