VFW National Security & Foreign Affairs Update - 11 July 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 07:51 AM
by Missouri
Senate Confirms Petraeus & Odierno: The Senate has confirmed Army General David Petraeus as Commander, U.S. Central Command, who will oversee the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Army LGen. Raymond Odierno was also confirmed by the Senate to replace Petraeus as Commanding General, Multi-National Forces – Irag, which includes a promotion to general.
Air Force Nominations Sent Forward: A month after Defense Secretary Gates recommended Air Force leadership changes, the President sent to the Senate this week the nomination of Air Force General Norton A. Schwartz for assignment as Air Force Chief of Staff. Schwartz is currently serving as Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. Air Force General Duncan J. McNabb has been nominated to replace Schwartz as Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. McNabb is currently serving as Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.
President Signs FISA Reauthorization: President Bush signed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reauthorization Thursday, saying it will play a "critical role" in protecting the country. The law, which was approved by the Senate by a vote of 69-28, Wednesday, allows warrantless surveillance of foreign targets who may be communicating with people in the United States. Before any such surveillance could begin, the secret FISA court would review the executive branch’s surveillance procedures. However, the President could order surveillance before the FISA court review if it declared “exigent,” or urgent, circumstances. Under the bill, all existing lawsuits against third parties that assisted the countries’ warrantless surveillance program would be waived if a federal district court ruled that there was “substantial evidence” they received written assurances that the program was legal and authorized by the president. A Senate Intelligence Committee report on an earlier version of the legislation detailed how the companies had received such assurances.
Korean War MIAs Identified: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. On Feb. 21, 1952, Capt. William K. Mauldin, U.S. Air Force, of Pickens, S.C. departed Kimpo Air Base, South Korea, on an aerial reconnaissance mission of enemy targets in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). While over Odong-ni, Mauldin's RF-51 Mustang was hit by enemy fire and crashed near Sinan-ri, Hoeyang County, DPRK. An aerial search of the crash site was conducted that day and the next, but found no evidence that Mauldin escaped the aircraft before it crashed. Between 1991-94, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. One set of remains turned over in 1993 included fragments of aircrew life-support equipment, and were reported to be those of an American pilot recovered near Sinan-ri. In late November 1950, Cpl. Steven Lucas, U.S. Army, of Johnson City, N.Y. was assigned to the Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment making up part of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), then engaging enemy forces east of the Chosin Reservoir near Kaljon-ri, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea. On Nov. 29, remnants of the RCT began a fighting withdrawal to more defensible positions near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. Lucas never made it to the lines at Hagaru-ri and was last seen on Nov. 30. North Korean documents turned over with one of several boxes in 1993 indicated that the remains from that box were exhumed near Kaljon-ri. This location correlates with Lucas' last known location.
Reserve Component Mobilization: The total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 85,517; Navy Reserve, 5,757; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 11,499; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,239; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 787. This brings the total number of mobilized Guard and Reserve personnel to 111,799, a decrease of 2,001 from last week. These figures include the totals of voluntary and involuntary activated Reserve Component members. Of this total, 85,220 personnel have been involuntarily mobilized, while 26,579 are voluntarily serving on active duty.
Michael H. Wysong, Director
National Security and Foreign Affairs
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
200 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
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