Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

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February 17, 2022 | View in browser

 

‘Candy Bomber’ of Berlin blockade, Gail Halvorsen, dies at 101 Retired Air Force Col. Gail Halvorsen, the “Candy Bomber” who brought joy to Berlin's children by dropping candy in tiny handkerchief parachutes from his plane when the Soviets blockaded the divided city during the Cold War, has died. He was 101. Read more >

US 2nd Cavalry troops deploying to Bulgaria as NATO reinforces Russia’s neighbors Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that a company of troops will travel to Bulgaria to train with allies following the recent repositioning of 1,000 other regiment troops to Romania. Read more >

Court orders Navy to review thousands of 'bad paper' discharges The Navy Discharge Review Board must reconsider thousands of cases where upgrades were denied, despite evidence that veterans were struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or military sexual trauma when they separated from the military. Read more >   Air Force sends more fighter jets to Europe as Russia-Ukraine tensions mount The Air Force has deployed a dozen F-35A Lightning II fighter jets and about 350 personnel to Germany as tensions continue between Russia and the West over the Kremlin’s military buildup around Ukraine. Read more >   Sexual assault complaints at military academies reached 16-year high in 2021, report says The report, which was released Thursday, found 131 students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., reported having suffered a sexual assault during the 2020-2021 school year — the highest amount since the Defense Department began recording the data in 2005. Read more >

Hunger crisis in Afghanistan spurs US veterans to reprise efforts to help save lives American veterans who put together makeshift efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan last summer are shouldering a new humanitarian cause, sending food and supplies to Afghans beset by yet another unfolding crisis. Read more >   Some Texas National Guard troops joining union to combat poor conditions of border mission Some members of the Texas National Guard have begun joining a labor union to challenge the living and working conditions that they claim they’ve faced while deployed on a state security mission at the Mexico border, according to union officials. Read more >   US withdrawal in Somalia has strengthened hand of al-Shabab terrorists, top officials say U.S.-backed forces in Somalia are now outgunned by Africa’s largest terrorist group, raising concerns that a 2021 decision to pull out American troops and curtail airstrikes has helped the militants’ insurgency expand. Read more >   Senate passes bill extending health care to veterans suffering with illnesses caused by burn pits The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act now goes to the House, where some lawmakers are pushing for more comprehensive legislation that would provide health care and disability compensation to veterans exposed to burn pits. Read more >   Children’s book focuses on ‘gold medal dreams’ of Olympic champ and Marine vet Billy Mills A Native American and former Marine who won a gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics is teaming up with an author and illustrator to publish a children’s picture book about his life. Read more >   Emanuel touts US-Japan relationship as ‘bedrock’ of Indo-Pacific alliances The new U.S. ambassador to Japan visited the homeport of the Navy’s 7th Fleet on Thursday, where he commended bilateral ties and discussed tensions with China, Russia and North Korea. Read more >

 

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