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 SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.

If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT.

Does President Trump’s Military Budget Add Up?
“. . . as Trump invokes former President Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine, few in the military policy community know what Trump really wants to do with the proposed 10% annual budget increase or what vision he holds for the armed forces. Though Trump repeatedly has called for a military buildup, he spent much of his campaign promising to pull back from the type of expensive commitments and endeavors that would require such a large expansion. He pledged an “America First” policy and complained bitterly that trillions of dollars spent fighting wars in the Middle East could have been used to rebuild the homeland.”  Read more . . .

Sweden Reinstates Military Draft
Sweden is reinstating the military draft — for men and women — because of dwindling volunteers and growing concerns over a more assertive Russia in the Baltic and Ukraine. “The security environment in Europe and in Sweden’s vicinity has deteriorated and the all-volunteer recruitment hasn’t provided the Armed Forces with enough trained personnel,” the Swedish defense ministry said Thursday. “The re-activating of the conscription is needed for military readiness.”  Read more . . .

VA Reportedly Not “Truly” Tracking Health Care Delays in Two States
Government inspectors say actual delays in delivering medical care to military veterans remain far worse at Veterans Affairs medical facilities in North Carolina and Virginia than internal records showed. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina said Friday the new report by the Veterans Affairs Department’s inspector general found 90 percent of the vets eligible to see private doctors because of long VA delays weren’t getting the help they were due.   Read more . . .

Reported Unease Among Turkish Military Prompts Dismissal of Newspaper Editor
According to Turkish media reports, the headline angered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government, leading to the removal of Sedat Ergin, Hurriyet’s veteran editor. Ergin, a journalist and political commentator, was appointed as the editor-in-chief of Hurriyet in August 2014.  Saturday’s news story, filed by Hurriyet’s Ankara bureau chief Hande Firat, was focusing on how the General Staff, the highest military body in the country, evaluated the criticism and speculation directed at the Turkish armed forces following last year’s failed coup attempt.  Read more . . .

Missing Chemical for Veterans with PTSD?
Dr. Lynn Dobrunz is a Neurobiologist and U.A.B. Associate Professor who has studied the human brain for years. Dr. Dobrunz explained, “Many people experience a traumatic or frightening experience and have a fear response at the time. That’s normal and appropriate.” In normal brain function, a release of the chemical Neuropeptide Y, or NPY, produced anxiety-relieving effects to trauma. Dr. Dobrunz said traumatic flashbacks replace reality for these people. Her new research now helps explain why. “I was not surprised to find that Neuropeptide Y was altered in this PTSD model,” said Dr. Dobrunz. “I was surprised to find that Neuropeptide Y seemed to be completely absent.”  Read more . . .

Shulkin Proposes Changes to Veterans Choice Program
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Sunday proposed eliminating a controversial policy that limits veterans from receiving private-sector health care. Speaking to hundreds of people at the Disabled American Veterans annual conference in Arlington, Va., Shulkin laid out his top 10 priorities for the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was his first public address since becoming VA secretary. High on Shulkin’s list was redesigning the Veterans Choice Program into what he called “Choice 2.0.”  Read more . .

Stealth Destroyer, not the USS Porter

 

Details Emerge on Russian Jets who “Buzzed” US Destroyer
Russian pilots buzzed the guided missile destroyer Porter repeatedly last month, but also had “relatively large number of interactions with” U.S. and NATO aircraft the same day, according to the Defense Department. The DoD shared new details regarding interceptions that took place Feb. 10, “some of which were deemed to be safe and standard and some of which were assessed as unsafe and unprofessional,” according to a statement from the Office of the Secretary of Defense provided to Military.com The USS Porter incident involved Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-38, an anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol aircraft, near the warship in the Black Sea on Feb. 10.   Read more . . .

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

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