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Army Wants to Spend Nearly $10 Billion to Revamp its Barracks
The U.S. Army plans to spend nearly $10 billion repairing its barracks over the next decade to improve soldiers’ standard of living, according to its top enlisted leader.
Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston announced the initiative during the Association of the United States Army’s 2020 meeting. The move comes as the service continues reforms to privatized base housing, which were spurred by reports last year about neglected facilities and hazardous living conditions affecting military families.
If barracks are in disarray, falling apart or pose a health hazard, Grinston said, he wants troops to speak up.
“If I was at home and the washer and dryer didn’t work in my house, there would be no way to do my laundry; I would demand that someone [fix it],” he said Tuesday during a virtual town hall.
Army: No requests made for use of troops around election
Army leaders said Tuesday that they have not received any requests to use active-duty or National Guard troops for possible civil unrest surrounding the presidential election next month, but are ready to do so if called on.
Gen. James McConville, chief of the Army, said he’s received no guidance to conduct any specific training to prepare soldiers for potential deployments if election protests become violent. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said no government agencies have asked for military troops.
“We don’t police American streets,” McCarthy said, but he added that soldiers will help law enforcement protect federal property.
Their comments come amid worries that frustration with election results, vote-counting delays and other issues could trigger protests and prompt military involvement.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former senior Pentagon official, said in separate remarks to reporters that questions still remain about the potential for street violence on or after Election Day and the possibility that President Donald Trump could order some sort of military intervention.
Army Probe into Helicopters Buzzing DC Protesters Now Under Pentagon Review
The Secretary of the Army today said that the Defense Department is now reviewing the investigation into military helicopters that allegedly flew dangerously low over crowds during a June 1 race protest in Washington D.C.
The Army opened an investigation into reports — including video footage — of Army UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters with medical markings that flew low enough to kick up debris on demonstrators who were defying the District’s 7 p.m. curfew.
“The Army has completed its portion of the … investigation,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters during a Monday roundtable at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting.
Can the military prosecute decades-old rape cases? The Supreme Court will soon decide.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on cases today that could open the door for prosecuting decades-old rape allegations that have been previously prohibited due to a five-year time limit placed on prosecuting rapes that may have occurred between 1986 to 2006.
The new court case would not affect current rape cases, but it could impact some older cases that were previously deemed too old for prosecuting, said retired Marine Corps officer and career military attorney Colby Vokey.
“There are probably not very many cases in the system where this applies,” Vokey said in an interview. “But there’s always the potential for someone to make a rape allegation now, from 20 years ago, and all of the sudden for this to be relevant.”
The specific case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, the United States v. Briggs, is consolidated, or combined with other similar rape cases. The main case involves Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Briggs. Those other cases involve two other Air Force personnel accused of rape — Lt. Col. Humphrey Daniels, who raped a woman in 1998 and Master Sgt. Richard Collins, who raped an airman in 2000.