2019 All Rights Reserved
Operation Christmas Drop delivers supplies and holiday spirit
"Santa 31 is headed your way!!"
For those on the island of Woleai, and other islands throughout the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, it's radio calls like that from the North Pole that make Christmas come a little early every year thanks to Santa's C-130 Super Hercules from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, participating in Operation Christmas Drop.
"When we get that call saying it's our drop-day and word gets out, the island has a different feel to it," said Allentino Riugiufmal, Northern Islands Central High School vice principal on Woleai. "The island just has this pure feeling of excitement that is shared across the community, like a child just waiting to see what's under the tree.
US tests another ground-launched cruise missile
The US conducted its second flight test of a missile that would have been banned under the restrictions of a now-defunct arms control agreement with Russia, Air Force officials told Insider on Thursday.
The US military tested a prototype conventionally configured ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) Thursday morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
"We are currently evaluating the results of the test," officials told Insider.
Fantasy Football Playoffs After Action Report: Week 14
Playoffs change everything
We're doing things a little different this week. It's playoff time, and that means that the lineup you have is pretty much the lineup you're sticking with. Trade deadlines are done. So all of our assessments will be about player outlook over the next two weeks. The waiver wire is (mostly) picked clean, but if you had injuries, or if you have a player with rough matchups down the backstretch, look no further; we're here to give you the edge you need to win that $140 office pool.
Army hopes to complete 4-year sweep of Navy in rivalry game
Since his fellow cadets stormed Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium three years ago after Army ended Navy's 14-game winning streak, Ryan Velez had waited for his chance to play in the storied Army-Navy game.
Velez, now a senior safety from Fountain Hills, Arizona, finally saw action on special teams during last year's 17-10 Army triumph in Philadelphia.
On Dec. 14, 2019, Velez can help the 5-7 Black Knights defeat Navy for the fourth straight time, and cement the 2020 senior class as one of the greatest in West Point's history. Army takes on the No. 23 Midshipmen (9-2) at the Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field at 3 p.m. EST.
How the Spartan Pledge is working to prevent veteran suicide
"I will not take my own life by my own hand until I talk to my battle buddy first. My mission is to find a mission to help my warfighter family."
These words constitute the Spartan Pledge, a solemn oath meant to reverse the disturbing trend of suicide among veterans of the U.S. military and active duty personnel.
According the 2018 Annual Suicide Report released by the U.S. Department of Defense, 541 service members died by suicide in 2018, including 325 active duty troops. The data collected for this report show the suicide rate is 24.8 per 100,000 service members, up from 21.9 in 2017 and 18.7 in 2013. These 2018 numbers represent a six-year high.
Here's what the President is supposed to do during the Army-Navy Game
While the annual Army-Navy Game might be one of the U.S. military's oldest ongoing traditions, it's an event that has not always included the Commander-In-Chief. Only ten U.S. Presidents have attended the game at one time or another, but if the nation's chief executive decides to come, there are traditions for that office to follow when Army plays Navy.
US doesn't know what to do with Turkey’s undelivered F-35s
Congress is offering the Defense Department the option to purchase Turkey's F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and giving the defense secretary discretion to spend up to $30 million to store the fifth-generation jets until a plan for their use is formalized, according to the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2020.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has been given the green light to spend funds "to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 for the Department of Defense to conduct activities associated with storage, preservation, and developing a plan for the final disposition of such F-35 aircraft and Turkish F-35 aircraft equipment, including full mission simulators, helmet-mounted display systems, air system maintenance trainers, and ancillary mission equipment," the bill states.
Check out video of Russia's famously bad aircraft carrier on fire
Russia's only aircraft carrier, which has regularly been described as the worst in the world, burst into flames on Thursday while undergoing repairs.
10 people are injured, three are unaccounted for, and six were saved from the Admiral Kuznetsov, which was at port in Murmansk, according to reports from Russian state news agencies TASS and Interfax.
"Ten people were injured: they were mostly poisoned by combustion products," a source told TASS. Six people are in intensive care.
TASS reported that the fire started in the engine room on the second deck, then has spread to the size of 120 square meters.
14 great gifts for whiskey lovers
What holiday gifts do you buy the whiskey — or whisky — lover, the one who knows their Bokers from their Basil Haydens, their Islay versus Highland? Glad you asked. From bourbon and rye to single malt and some damn fine barware, here are the gifts we think whiskey lovers will be happy with any of these gifts.
