Found below are a few news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage our readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.

Drop me an email at info@sftt.org if you believe that there are other subjects that are newsworthy.

Tricare Fraud
A reported Tricare scheme in which users’ DNA was collected in exchange for gift cards and used to order expensive, unneeded lab tests could be the latest example of Tricare fraud — and a lesson in why beneficiaries should not give out their ID card or Social Security numbers in exchange for payment. A salesman working with a Texas-based laboratory that conducts genetic and drug screening enticed service members to be screened for a variety of illnesses and drugs by setting up makeshift clinics at strip malls near Fort Hood, Texas,   Read more . . .

New Combat Boots for Marines?
The Marine Corps is counting on honest feedback from troops who will wear and test four different tropical combat boot prototypes this summer at the Marines’ Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa, Japan.  Officials with Marine Corps Systems Command told Military.com that about 400 Marines from the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Regiment would test out the boots during a two-to-three week period of jungle combat training that will start within the next two months.  Read more . . .

Stealth Motorcycles for US Special Forces
Earlier this week, at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, two prototype stealth bikes were on full display. One bike — The Silent Hawk — was developed by Logos while the other bike –dubbed Nightmare — was developed by LSA Autonomy. Not surprisingly, both are hybrid bikes. The Silent Hawk in particular weighs 350 pounds, has a range of 170 miles, can reach a top speed of 80 mph and can store as much as 75 pounds of equipment. More importantly, when the bike is in “quiet mode”, the noise it emits is less than 55 decibels, which is to say about as loud as a normal conversation.  Read more . . .

VA Reform In the Air?:  Private Healthcare for Veterans
A Washington state lawmaker has proposed placing all Veterans Affairs Department medical facilities under a nonprofit entity and giving all new veterans access to private health care. Under the plan, current enrolled veterans would be able to choose where they get care while all new veterans would be automatically enrolled in the new VetsCare Choice, giving them access to private health care. Read more . . .

Russia Could Overrun Nato Forces in 60 Hours
RUSSIA could steamroll NATO forces in just 60 hours, a leading US defense official has warned amid rising tensions with the west. The alarming claim comes as Russia has deployed troops westward as part of its ongoing stand-off with NATO. US Deputy assistant secretary of defence for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Michael Carpenter told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the West and NATO were currently not ideally prepared to deal with a Russian threat.  Read more . . .

President Obama Gives More Authority to Target Taliban
President Obama has given U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan new authority to target the Taliban. Pentagon officials say the president is authorizing commanders to order airstrikes to support major Afghan offensives, NPR national security editor Phil Ewing reports, adding that the airstrikes must be “the deciding factor” in helping an offensive succeed.  Read more . . .