After spiking through June and July, military COVID-19 cases level off

The last week in July showed a sizeable slowdown in the increase of coronavirus cases among service members, from a peak of more than 4,000 cases in one week earlier in the month.

With a total of 27,536 infections as of Friday morning, Defense Department officials have attributed the rapid rise in cases to increased testing and community transmission in states like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida, which set records for new numbers of cases throughout the month.

“We’ve not seen any widespread evidence that what’s occurring in the 18-to-24 demographic is because they’re not following the rules,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, the Joint Staff surgeon said Thursday, announcing that young people in the military were showing a slightly higher infection rate than American young adults.

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Army ready to begin broad review at Fort Hood in wake of Guillen murder

The Army has named the five members of the independent panel that will soon review the command climate and culture at Fort Hood, Texas, in the wake of Spc. Vanessa Guillen’s murder and her family’s claims that she was too intimidated to report allegations of sexual harassment by a fellow soldier.

The five civilians named to the panel are: Chris Swecker, an attorney and former assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Jonathan Harmon, a prominent trial attorney; Carrie Ricci, an associate general counsel at the Department of Agriculture; Queta Rodriguez, a regional director of a nonprofit organization that helps veterans transition into civilian careers, and Jack White, an attorney who has expertise in government investigations.

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Your Chance to Affect WP-ORG’s Trajectory

Hello! 🙂

WP-ORG is in the middle of a COVID-19 abbreviated Fund Drive 47. The drive will close on August 12. If you’re inclined and able to contribute, please don’t delay. http://www.west-point.org/donate/
Seldom do I get to talk to all of you, and I have questions! 
WP-ORG was conceived and built by grads as a gift to the West Point community. WP-ORG exists to serve. Over the past 25 years WP-ORG’s service offerings have been adjusted as the needs of its members have evolved. Looking to the future, your guidance is essential. We are poised to make some changes.

As we consider new ways to be valuable to the West Point community, we can attempt to put ourselves in your various shoes and dream up what you need; but it’s probably more effective to just ask you. Reply to this message and tell us where you’d like to see us focus effort.

1) How can WP-ORG more effectively help classes, societies and parent clubs maintain and build on the relationships forged at the Academy? For example:

  • How can WP-ORG help build a lasting record of your class history/culture? Every class has a story…
  • What sort of support can WP-ORG provide that would make it easier for you to manage your society?
  • How can WP-ORG help strengthen your society?
  • How can WP-ORG better support continuity of parent club management as officers rotate?
  • What resources are Parent Clubs lacking that WP-ORG might provide?

2) Do you already have an idea and the skills to bring it to life but are looking for support and an existing stable infrastructure for build out?

3) Do you have coding and development skills you’d like to put to use for the benefit of West Point grads and parents everywhere but no specific project on which to work?

Got a great idea? We’d love to hear it! Want to help build WP-ORG? You have no idea how we LOVE the smell of a volunteer! 
Replies go to WP-ORG’s feedback address.

Thank you, as always, for your constant support.

Sincerely,
Megan Klein
WP-ORG INC
(512) 771-8661

Donation page linking to all payment methods (credit card, check or PayPal):
http://www.west-point.org/donate

        By credit card:
https://secure.west-point.org/donate/

        By check, please indicate class year and affiliation:

        WP-ORG INC
        23802 Oscar Road
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        By PayPal::
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GXGCWRKX48UHY
Fund Drive Donation Report, sorted by WP-ORG member group, etc.:
https://secure.west-point.org/donate/report/

WP-ORG Budget April 2020 – September 2020:
http://www.west-point.org/budget

Third Fort Hood soldier found dead near Texas Army base within past month

Officials have not said whether the death is considered suspicious

Another soldier has been found dead near Fort Hood, the third body of a soldier to be discovered near the U.S. Army base in Texas within the past month.

Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Fort Hood officials said on Tuesday. Stillhouse Hollow Lake is a reservoir located in Bell County and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District.

Officials have not said whether the death is considered suspicious. The Bell County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident.

“The Black Knight family is truly heartbroken by the tragic loss of Private Mejhor Morta,” said Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong, commander of 1st Brigade 5th Cavalry. Regiment. “I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.”

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