The Army's athletic mascot could be changing as soon as the spring, reported Military Times.
The teams are currently called the "Black Knights," a name that became official in 1999 but has a legacy that extends back to the 1920s. Army athletics were technically called the "Cadets" until the turn of the millennium, but sports journalists had been referring to the organization as the "Black Knight of the Hudson" for about 80 years, referring to the Army academy's location near the Hudson River in West Point, New York.
There had been rumors that the program would return to being called "Cadets," but officials say they would rather start fresh with a new, all-encompassing representative. While many people like the Knights moniker because it implies strength and leadership, others gravitate toward the cadet mascot for its military connotation. The goal in selecting a new athletics symbol will be to bring these elements together.
"We really want to make sure we have something that identifies regionally, nationally and internationally," West Point's athletic director, Boo Corrigan, told the Times-Herald Record.
Military Times reported that the institution hopes to finalize a change in March or April of next year.
Chief Petty Officer Justin Wilson, 36, a special amphibious reconnaissance corpsman attached to MARSOC's 1st Marine Special Operation Battalion, is set to receive the Navy Cross, the military branch's second-highest honor.
Displaying bravery in the face of danger
According to Military Times, the servicemember is being recognized for his actions on Sept. 28, 2011, during his third tour in Afghanistan. He offered to assist Nicholas Sprovtsoff, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, in the removal of an improvised explosive device. As Sprovtsoff started work on the IED, it exploded, leaving the 28-year-old gravely wounded. Wilson, knowing that there were most likely additional bombs nearby, left the safety of his post to treat his colleague's injuries.
While Wilson tended to Sprovtsoff, two other soldiers appeared to help the situation, including Staff Sgt. Christopher Diaz. Just as they started focusing on helping the wounded Marine, another IED detonated. While Wilson also sustained serious injuries, he continued to care for his teammates. Military Times reported that he refused medical treatment until the others were confirmed dead.
Team will receive high honors for actions
Wilson will not be the only one honored for his actions on this day. Both Diaz and Sprovtsoff will be symbolically awarded Bronze Stars, annotated with "V" to indicate their selflessness and courage for continuing to help even when they knew there were unexploded bombs in the area. Sprovtsoff will also be recognized for a mission he completed a week before his death, when he safely led a group of fellow soldiers through a region sprinkled with volatile, unexploded IEDs. The team was able to get rid of 40 of these bombs during the mission, noted Military Times.
Wilson will be given the award during a ceremony Nov. 25 at Camp Pendleton in California. The brave serviceman previously earned a Purple Heart, as well as a Bronze Star. Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commanding general of MARSOC, will present the honor to Wilson as well as the families of the fallen.
According to the Department of Defense, the Navy Cross is given to members of the Navy or Marines who display extraordinary heroism when in a situation involving enemy forces. Wilson is only the sixth MARSOC soldier to receive the Cross and the very first MARSOC sailor to achieve the honor, reported Military Times.
As part of a 2013 initiative to fully integrate women into the military by 2016, 31 women have been chosen to participate in next spring's Ranger Course Assessment as advisers and observers.
According to the Washington Post, the chosen group includes 20 enlisted noncommissioned officers and 11 officers. They were chosen from upward of three dozen female applicants. The women started their week-long training at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Monday, Nov. 10, and underwent rigorous preparation, both physically and mentally, to give them a concept of what students in the all-male Ranger program experience on a daily basis.
The Ranger course
This 62-day long program is known for being extremely challenging, noted the Washington Post. It begins at Fort Benning, where soldiers complete a collection of rigorous challenges. They are then sent to the mountain portion of the training, which is held at Camp Frank D. Merrill in Dahlonega, Georgia. The training concludes with the swamp phase at Camp James E. Rudder at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Additionally, candidates must successfully complete the Ranger Physical Assessment. This includes a 12-mile march, the Combat Water Survival Assessment and a land navigation test.
Military Times noted that in order to earn the title of Ranger at the end of the 62 days, servicemembers must achieve a passing grade for at least one patrol leadership exercise, good peer reviews and less than three negative reports.
Working toward integration
According to the Washington Post, the women were chosen after undergoing an intense application process. They were interviewed by various Army officials and had to complete Ranger course-style challenges before being selected.
Military Times reported that they will participate in the spring training as assistants for official instructors, though they will not be able to actually grade or evaluate Ranger candidates. Nor can they participate in the program themselves, according to current Army rules. While allowing women to participate in this external capacity is certainly a step in the right direction, The Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, which facilitates the course, is working toward full integration by the end of next year, according to Military Times.
Adjustments are already being planned to accommodate gendered barracks and bathrooms, as well as to modify acceptance standards for female candidates based on medical records. Military Times noted that the service hopes the addition of these new female observers will encourage women to apply when the program is open to them.
While the decision to bring women into this historically difficult and all-male program caused some controversy, reactions from officials have been positive so far.
"I was very satisfied with both the quality and quantity of the volunteers we received. Their performance and professionalism over the course of the week was extraordinary. This group did very well for what was a very physically challenging week for any soldier," said Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, reported the Washington Post.
Officials announced on Friday, Nov. 14, that servicemembers in the National Guard and Army Reserve will be sent to West Africa to support U.S. efforts to eradicate Ebola. They will be replacing the soldiers who are currently overseas, having been deployed over the past two months, reported Military Times. They will primarily be sent to Senegal and Liberia.
Currently, there are 2,200 American troops helping contain and combat the epidemic. NBC News noted that within the next month, this number will grow to around 3,000. Some servicemembers have already begun returning, however. Though none of them have shown symptoms of the deadly disease, they are all being quarantined for 21 days upon their return home in accordance to the Military's Ebola policy.
Troops are working to construct medical treatment facilities and training health workers. According to Stars and Stripes, the National Guard and Army Reserve members will receive thorough training before they leave, including specific instruction on contagious diseases and Ebola prevention.
Military Times reported that once deployed, Guard and Reserve troops could remain overseas for up to a year.
Officials fielded questions from families of those set to be sent to the infected region at a base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on Thursday, Nov. 13. According to Military Times, they were told that their loved ones will be following a "battle rhythm" in terms of their daily routine. They will not be allowed to leave the base without permission, to prevent any contact with people carrying the disease. Their deployment will not include hazardous duty pay, combat-zone exclusions, hostile fire pay or regular basic pay.
Authorities assured families that the safety precautions in place will prevent any American troops from contracting the largely fatal infection.
As part of its initiative to upgrade its hand-to-hand combat training, the Army will be introducing a brand new Master Trainer Course.
The new training program will become official procedure in the spring, noted Army Times. Because of the course's total redesign, many soldiers who are certified under the old system will need to undergo evaluation again. The new course pulls from existing training – the basic combatives instructor course and the tactical combatives instructor course. Each of these old programs was two weeks long, and the new Master Trainer Course will take four weeks to complete.
According to Army Times, there have already been pilot programs testing the new course's efficiency. A successful test run was completed at the beginning of September, with 29 of the 32 original participants passing the training. Two more trials have already been set up – one will begin Monday, Nov. 17, and the other will take place in January.
The upgrades focus mainly on the tactical application of combatives, such as fighting hand-to-hand while in full body armor and carrying a loaded rifle in a locked room. The idea is to prepare the servicemembers for whatever will come their way, so the education takes place in a variety of environments, noted Military Times.
Soldiers who will enter the course should be ready for a challenge.
"It is a more rigorous course both physically and mentally. Some [soldiers] have been waiting for a course like this because not everybody has eight weeks to come do this. Others have already gone through [the tactical instructor course] so they don't want to do it again," Staff Sgt. Colton Smith, the senior instructor for the III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas, combatives program, told Army Times.
According to Military Times, the number of servicemembers that will be sent to West Africa as part of U.S. efforts to stop the region's Ebola epidemic will be fewer than initially estimated. While originally the Pentagon had stated the mission would require 4,000 troops, that number has been reduced to 3,000.
Currently, 2,200 American military members are on the ground in Liberia and Senegal, helping the nations cope with the outbreak. The mission, dubbed Operation United Assistance, has been focused on building medical treatment facilities and training local health workers.
Politico reported that the reduction in troops is mostly because U.S. officials underestimated the scope of resources already available in the infected areas.
"There's a lot of capacity here we didn't know about before.That enabled us to reduce the forces we thought we originally had to bring," stated Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, to reporters at the Pentagon via satellite from West Africa.
There have also been fewer reported cases in Liberia, though the disease is still spreading and remains a very real threat. Military Times noted that many other regions are still seeing increasing numbers of diagnoses every day.
U.S. officials are also doing everything they can to prevent the disease from entering the U.S. again, since the country currently has zero active cases. Although troops will not be treating infected patients in West Africa directly, those deployed to the region will undergo a 21-day quarantine upon their return home. Military Times noted that this exceeds the general precautionary standards put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While infectious disease safety is being thoroughly practiced by the soldiers sent to fight the disease, Military officials decided to take the extra step to ensure that there will be no health risk to the American people.
The star-studded Concert of Valor, held on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall, drew hundreds of thousands of civilians and servicemembers celebrating Veterans Day.
The performance was sponsored by HBO, Starbucks and Chase Corp. with the goal of raising awareness of the problems faced by post-9/11 veterans, noted Military Times. Tickets to the event were free, but donations to benefit the cause were strongly encouraged.
According to ABC 7, a variety of talented performers participated to make the concert a truly special experience. Some of the headlining acts included Metallica, Dave Grohl, The Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Bruce Springsteen and The Zac Brown Band. Interspersed between the music were video messages to soldiers from big-name celebrities like Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.
The concert was broadcast by HBO, which made the channel available to non-subscribers for the special occasion. For people watching at home, it was certainly an incredible experience, but for those lucky enough to be in attendance, the event was undeniably moving.
"This is the first time since I've been back that I've felt honored to be back home, and I'm 65 years old. They treated us like criminals when we came back home. They didn't give us a parade," Bobby Monk, a disabled Vietnam veteran from Washington, told ABC 7 as he reflected on his life after service.
Three servicemembers from 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, received a medal on Oct. 31 recognizing their outstanding actions during the rescue of a boater in April. The men were honored with the Soldier's Medal, an award given to those who display heroism and leadership in situations not involving enemies, reported Military Times.
Spc. Christopher L. Grant and Pvt. Trenton M. Brown were fishing in the Black River when they saw a canoe flip, sending a man and a woman crying out for help as they attempted to navigate the cold, rough waters. The two men tried to use a rope from their truck to pull the boaters in, but it fell short and they could see that the man was struggling to stay afloat, according to an Army report.
The servicemembers received backup when former lifeguard Pfc. Matthew M. Phillips arrived to help them. The Army reported that together, the three soldiers were able to secure a line strong enough to hold them as they all ventured into the almost-freezing waters. Phillips was able to secure the female victim and attach her to the line. The soldiers pulled her to the shore, got her warm clothes and waited for her to get proper medical attention. Unfortunately they were not able to save the male passenger, who perished in the accident.
"If I could have gotten to the man, I would have, but I just couldn't get to him," Phillips told the Army.
Grant currently works as a paralegal specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, while Brown is a hydraulic repair specialist with B Company, 277th Aviation Support Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, and Phillips is a cavalry Scout formerly assigned to 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division's combat aviation brigade are set to receive Humanitarian Service Medals. They will be given their awards during a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7, at Fort Carson, Colorado.
According to Military Times, the 100 servicemembers receiving the award are being honored for their actions during the 2013 Colorado floods. The natural disaster killed eight people and completely destroyed over 2,000 Colorado homes. Ultimately, it caused major damage to an area of almost 2,000 square miles. The CAB soldiers are being recognized for their actions between Sept.13-20, a week when their actions were extremely valuable to the devastated state.
During the floods, members of the CAB were an incredible help to the community, reported Military Times. They helped do the country's largest airlift since Hurricane Katrina, getting many citizens to safety. The source noted that these outstanding servicemembers also gave over 500 hours of their time volunteering to help local families affected by the disaster.
According to the USS Berkeley, the Humanitarian Service Medal is given to soldiers who distinguish themselves while contributing significantly to missions of a humanitarian nature.
Active duty drill Sgt. Christiana Ball, winner of the 2013 Rising Star competition put on by Army Entertainment, will perform alongside some of the world's most notable musicians at A Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House.
Ball, who is a sergeant with the 787th Military Police Battalion from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, began performing as a child with her eight brothers and sisters, according to Military Times. They toured to entertain local churches, and soon enough the soldier was taking center stage as a soloist.
Music took a back seat when Ball enlisted in 2007, but soon became an active part of her service life. On a deployment to Iraq with the 463rd Military Police Company, she performed using a karaoke machine for the first time and started to learn more about different artists. Growing up she mainly listened to church music, but through her Army friends she became a fan of country and rock and roll.
Ball will perform at the White House on Thursday, Nov. 6. Some additional artists who will be lending their talents to the event include Mary J. Blige and Willy Nelson.