Beyond 'yellow flag' law, Maine commission highlights another missed opportunity before shootings
The interim report from the commission investigating Maine's deadliest mass shooting focused mostly on whether authorities should have taken shooter Robert Card into custody and seized his guns under the state's so-called yellow flag law.
In video, Maine gunman said reservists were scared because he was โcapableโ of doing something
An Army reservist responsible for Maineโs deadliest mass shooting told state police in New York before his hospitalization last summer that fellow soldiers were worried about him because he was โgonna frigginโ do something.โ.
Soldier from Waycross is one of three killed in drone attack on US base in Jordan
Three US Army soldiers were killed and more than 30 service members were injured in a drone attack in Jordan. The attack happened at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria. Specialist Kennedy Sanders of Waycross was one of the three killed.
No diploma? No problem! Navy again lowers requirements as it struggles to meet recruitment goals
The U.S. Navy is starting to enlist individuals who didnโt graduate from high school or get a GED, marking the second time in about a year that the service has opened the door to lower-performing recruits as it struggles to meet enlistment goals.
A review defends police action before the Maine mass shooting. Legal experts say questions persist
An independent report conducted for a police agency clears the agencyโs response to growing concerns about the mental health of a man who later went on to commit the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history.
Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say
As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe theyโre due compensation, too.
Senate confirms army, marines chiefs as senator's objection blocks other military nominations
The Senate has confirmed three top military leaders, filling the posts after monthslong delays and as a Republican senator is still holding up hundreds of other nominations and promotions for senior officers.
Biden awards Medal of Honor to Army helicopter pilot who rescued soldiers in a Vietnam firefight
President Joe Biden has awarded the Medal of Honor to an Army pilot from the Vietnam War who risked his life to rescue a reconnaissance team that was about to be overrun by the enemy โ facing almost certain death.
Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs
A new report and Pentagon data show that suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year.
Panel advises removal of Confederate statue at Arlington
An independent commission is recommending that the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery be dismantled and taken down, as part of its final report to Congress on the renaming of military bases and assets that commemorate the Confederacy.
Wounded Warrior Project 5K raises money to help injured veterans โCarry Forwardโ
The Wounded Warrior Project "Carry Forward" 5K returned to Jacksonville Saturday morning. More than 2,000 runners signed up to participate in the event after it was postponed in November because of inclement weather.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Study: Texas bases lead Army posts in risk of sexual assault
A new study finds that female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018.
General: China's Africa outreach poses threat from Atlantic
The top U.S. general for Africa says a growing military threat from China may well come from Americaโs east, as Beijing looks to establish a large navy port capable of hosting submarines or aircraft carriers on the Atlantic coast of Africa.
Raising awareness about PTSD, veteran completes 2K mile walk to Jax Beach
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. โ An Army veteran is raising awareness about post traumatic stress one step at a time. Stephen Meyers completed a nearly 2,000 mile walk from Kansas City, Missouri, to Jacksonville Beach. In the video above, Meyers shares his thoughts on what he said was an emotional trip. Heโll be in the Jacksonville area for a few days before beginning the walk back home. For more on Meyersโ cause, head to his website where you can show your support.
Army under fire from Congress over Fort Hood response
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ Lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly improvements are being made to criminal investigation at Fort Hood, Texas, where rates of violent crime and sexual assaults are particularly high. More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including in multiple homicides and suicides. The review also concluded that the Army CID was understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week last year before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. AdAs a result of the independent review and other investigations, the Army earlier this year took action against 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON โ An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelliโs cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelliโs attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
Retired Army veteran to bike 3,200 miles to raise awareness for veterans impacted by pandemic
A retired Army veteran from St. Augustine will ride across the country to raise awareness for veterans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. โI embrace that.โParramore will bike from San Diego, California, back home to St. Augustine. News4Jax met Parramore last year when he rode roughly 500 miles to Key West to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. โThe farthest continuous days Iโve done is nine days from here down to Key West.โThis year, his ride will be roughly 3,200 miles to raise awareness for veterans affected by the pandemic. To donate or watch his livestream, visit his Wounded Warrior Project donation page.
Fort Campbell soldiers head to Florida in vaccination effort
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. โ Some soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are heading to Florida to help with the vaccination effort there. About 130 soldiers deployed Friday, according to a news release from Fort Campbell, the sprawling Army post on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The soldiers are going to Orlando as part of the Armyโs effort to support Federal Emergency Management Agency vaccination centers, one of which opens Wednesday at Gateway Center in Jacksonville. The Biden administration plans to establish 100 federally assisted vaccination sites nationwide in cooperation with state authorities.
Museums form World War II Heritage Trail across Georgia
SAVANNAH, Ga. โ A group of museums and historic sites are working together to promote a Georgia World War II Heritage Trail with stops across the state. The trail officially launched Tuesday and ties together 10 sites connected to Georgiaโs history during the war. They include the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, where the Army trained its first paratroopers, and the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning outside Columbus. On the coast, thereโs the St. Maryโs Submarine Museum near Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, while South Georgia has the World War II Flight Training Museum in Douglas, where Army pilots trained at South Georgia College. The idea for a tourism trail linking Georgiaโs World War II sites was launched a few years ago by Scott Loehr, president of the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force near Savannah and Sheri Jones of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, which operates the World War II Home Front Museum on St. Simons Island.
Victims of Thiokol plant explosion remembered 50 years later
WOODBINE, Ga. โ The Camden County community forever changed on Feb. 3, 1971, when an explosion at a Thiokol plant outside of Woodbine killed 29 people and injured 50 others. Building 132, where the explosion took place, included the assembly line and was where much of the explosives were stored. There were 29 people killed by the Thiokol explosion. Joseph Wainright, who was killed when a mortar went off at the plant in 1973, is also included in the Memorial Project even though he died later. (Photos from the Thiokol Memorial Project Inc.)The explosive components in the trip flares were classified as Class 7 hazardous materials -- the most dangerous substances other than biological and nuclear materials -- until 1967.
Let down your hair: New Army rules for ponytails, nail color
Female soldiers can let their hair down and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON โ Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders announced Tuesday that they are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. Female soldiers going through Ranger or special operations training get their heads shaved, like male soldiers do.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. Biden is expected to win approval for others on his national security team in coming days, including Antony Blinken as secretary of state. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.