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Air Force Tanker Faces More Delays
01/20/2010 Politico
The third iteration of the Air Force aerial refueling tanker program is facing yet another delay.
The Pentagon had expected to release its final specifications last November, but Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Wednesday that the release will be “within a month” of President Barack Obama’s budget submission on Feb. 1.
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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter public meetings announced Fla. Air National Guard in running to receive Air Force's newest aircraft
01/27/2010 Florida National Guard
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Jan. 27) -- Air Force officials will visit Florida and southeast Georgia to discuss and receive public input on the F-35 joint strike fighter during a series of scoping meetings beginning Feb. 8.
The Air Force published a notice of intent in the Federal Register on Dec. 30 to prepare an environmental impact statement to gauge the potential environmental impact of establishing an operational F-35 A Lightning II unit at Jacksonville Air National Guard Station or four other stateside bases.
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Eglin commander: Offshore drilling could affect bases
01/14/2010 Florida Capital News
In an unusually candid acknowledgement, the commander of Eglin Air Force Base told lawmakers Wednesday that oil and gas drilling in Florida waters could pose a threat to military operations.
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Air Force officials issue notice of intent for F-35 basing
1/5/2010 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- Air Force officials here published the notice of intent in the Federal Register Dec. 30 to prepare an environmental impact statement to assess the potential environmental impacts of a proposal to establish operational F-35 Lightning II aircraft at one or more existing Air Force and Air National Guard installations within the continental United States.
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Experts say Northeast Florida's military growth looks uncertain after 2011
01/05/2010 Jacksonville Business Journal
The military-driven economy looks robust and steady over the next two years.
The military’s contract schedule after that gets murky, much like the uncertainty surrounding the deployment of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Naval Station Mayport. The carrier is expected in 2014 or 2015, but much depends on how far Virginia congressmen can gunk up the process, said Bob Buehn, chief of the city’s military affairs, veterans and disabled-services division.
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Economy doesn't slow local military construction
01/04/2010 NWFL Daily News
Local military installations will continue to grow in 2010.
From Base Realignment and Closure additions to lodging, construction projects will change the local landscape, employ more residents and increase spending.
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Florida To Benefit From Defense Spending Bill
12/19/2009 WCTV
For Florida, the bill will mean more than $238 million for defense-related projects, including funding for the development of vaccines for anthrax to protect troops encountering bio-warfare, laser imaging to protect U.S. military ships from under-water threats and expansion of the Florida National Guard’s counter-narcotics program.
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Drilling in the Gulf would impact military operations
11/23/2009 Florida Capital News
FORT WALTON BEACH — Eglin Air Force Base, an economic engine in Northwest Florida and home to key national security missions, lays claim to 123,000 square miles of water range and 134,000 square miles of airspace over water.
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Hurlburt's outdoor classroom a first in the Air Force, Florida
11/19/2009 Hulburt Field.af.mil
11/19/2009 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The Hurlburt Field Youth Center's outdoor classroom recently earned the national designation of a certified Nature Explore classroom from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.
The certification made the classroom the first certified Nature Explore classroom in the Air Force, as well as any military installation. It is also the first of its kind in the state of Florida and one of just 29 certified classrooms in the United States.
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Senate OK's funding for Florida military and VA construction projects
11/18/2009 Senator Bill Nelson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The effort to base a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Jacksonville took another big step forward today when the U.S. Senate committed $75.9 million for two key projects at Naval Station Mayport. The move comes just three weeks after the President signed into law legislation that gave the government’s approval but not the actual money for the projects.
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Gov. Crist visits Florida National Guard training
11/18/2009 Tallahassee Democrat
Gov. Charlie Crist expressed his gratitude to the 2,450 members of the Florida National Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a visit to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Jacksonville on Monday. In preparation for a year-long deployment in Iraq and Kuwait, troops are completing six weeks of pre-mobilization training, referred to as "Operation FALL CLASSIC," at the training center. Crist also emphasized his support for the Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009, federal legislation that aims to assist, improve and support health care for veterans.
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Patrick Air Force Base expects new firing range
11/18/2009 Florida Today
Patrick Air Force Base would receive $8.4?million for a new small-arms firing range if Congress approves a military appropriations bill as expected by the end of the year. Versions of the spending plan, which includes some $920?million earmarked for military construction, have already cleared the House and Senate and now head before a panel of congressional negotiators charged with working out any funding discrepancies.
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Tyndall AFB to hold change of command ceremony on November 12th
11/11/2009 WTVY
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – A time-honored military tradition will continue when Air Forces Northern commander, Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, utters the words, “Sir, I relinquish command” and turns over the top leadership job of the organization responsible for ensuring the air defense of the continental United States to Maj. Gen. Garry Dean during a ceremony here Nov. 12.
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USAF mulls F35 bases
11/12/2009 Defence Web
The US Air Force is mulling the basing of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz last year announced a new basing decisions paradigm that has now been put into practice as they prepare to base up to 1763 planes between now and 2035.
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Wounded vet gets Gen. Petraeus' support
11/11/2009 My Fox Tampa Bay
The commander of U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus and Brennan recently stretched together before an early morning run at MacDill Air Force Base.
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Homestead military air show is flying high
11/11/2009 Miami Herald
The first military air show in 18 years in Miami-Dade was a hit with people of all ages. Organizers are already planning for next year's event.
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Software prevents fatal crashes, scientists say
11/09/2009 Air Force Times
An F-16 pilot takes aim at a ground target, losing track of just how steep and low his jet is. Too confused to eject, he crashes.
Every year, one or two pilots die because they couldn’t get their bearings in time. Now, scientists for the Air Force and Lockheed Martin Corp. think they can virtually eliminate those fatal accidents with onboard computer software that takes control of the Fighting Falcon when it goes into a deadly dive.
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Change of Command at NAS Whiting
11/06/2009 Santa Rosa's Press Gazette
Thursday Capt. Enrique ‘Rick’ Sadsad turned the command of NAS Whiting Field to its 38th commander Capt. Pete Hall.
Hall, who is coming to Whiting Field from the Air Warfare division of the Director of the Operational Test and evaluation for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, has completed deployments with the USS John C. Stennis, the USS Saratoga, as well as having been forward deployed to Aviano, Italy while accumulating more than 3,000 flight hours and 500 carrier arrest landings in his 22-year career.
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Air Force Members Voice Concerns to Lawmakers
Two Air Force colonels asked the State's most powerful legislators Thursday to help make a bit better for service members assigned to Florida.
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Neubauer named to state military council
11/05/2009 © Panama City News Herald (FL)
Bay Defense Alliance President Tom Neubauer has been named to the state’s newly formed nine-member Florida Council on Military Base and Mission Support, a group formed earlier this year to advance military interests in Northwest Florida and across the state. Neubauer confirmed Wednesday that he had been appointed by Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater in October to the council, formed from House Bill 7123 that passed in the 2009 legislative session.
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Tyndall not on the F-35 List
10/30/2009 News Herald.com
PANAMA CITY — Tyndall Air Force Base did not make the Air Force’s first group list of candidate locations for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.
Area Tyndall supporters are now focused on bringing more F-22s to the base, Bay Defense Alliance (BDA) president Tom Neubauer said Friday.
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New Legislation Means Millions for Military Projects
10/29/2009 © Central Florida News 13
President Barack Obama signed legislation that will target almost $584 million for military projects in the state.
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LeMieux: Jacksonville Air National Guard a Finalist for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters
10/29/2009 Senator George LeMieux
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) today announced that the Jacksonville Air National Guard is a finalist for stationing 18 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters – the military’s next generation aircraft. Jacksonville Air National Guard was selected as a finalist after more than 200 Air Force sites were reviewed. The Secretary of the Air Force approved Jacksonville based on a variety of criteria including available airspace, airport operations, and the surrounding community.
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Congress finally approves plan to upgrade Mayport
10/22/2009 Bill Nelsonsenate.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today approved the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill – containing long-sought language for upgrades to Naval Station Mayport that will help make Jacksonville ready for a nuclear aircraft carrier.
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Commissioners receive introduction on the F-35 status
10/20/2009 NWFL Daily News
FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County commissioners received a brief introduction and update of the F-35 program Tuesday from a Choctawhatchee High School graduate.
J.R. McDonald, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of corporate and business development, moved back to Okaloosa a few months ago to oversee the company’s activities from Pensacola to Panama City.
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Defense Department taps Jacksonville Naval Hospital
Jacksonville’s Naval Hospital has been chosen for a Department of Defense pilot program designed to help its staff focus more on patient safety, a growing issue the hospital has struggled with for years.
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Fighter Jet's Noise Worries Some Potential Neighbors
The Air Force says that within a few weeks it will release a list of preferred bases for the next generation fighter aircraft, which is now being flight-tested. As many as 200 bases around the country are candidates for the F-35, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter.
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Mayport Wins Dredging Funds and Wharf Upgrade
10/07/2009 Senator George LeMieux
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) today announced that House and Senate negotiators have agreed to restore funds for Naval Station Mayport’s dredging and wharf upgrade projects. These efforts are critical to maintaining Mayport’s ability to carry out its current and future missions. The $76 million is included in the fiscal year 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The measure now goes to the House and Senate for final approval before the bill is sent to the President for his signature.
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Senate approves budget that would end funding for backup F-35 engine 10/06/2009 Forth Worth Star Telegram
The U.S. Senate approved a $636.3 billion budget for the military in fiscal 2010 that supports the Obama administration’s decision to cancel Lockheed Martin’s presidential helicopter program and a backup engine for the F-35 joint strike fighter being developed in Fort Worth.
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MacDill personnel will be required to get swine flu vaccine
10/06/2009 Tampa Bay Online
TAMPA - Nearly 8,000 active military personnel at MacDill Air Force Base will be required to line up for the swine flu vaccine.
Base officials said they will begin receiving limited supplies of the H1N1 virus vaccine in the coming week. The nasal mist form of the vaccine will be distributed first to 7,800 active military members working on the base, home of U.S. Central Command.
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Eglin wing transitions to become first F35 training unit
10/5/2009 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS)
Members of the 33rd Fighter Wing here transitioned from an operational F-15 Eagle unit to the first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter training unit during a ceremony Oct. 1 at Eglin Air Force Base.
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Air Force greets 'Spirit,' New Era
10/01/2009 Pensacola News Journal
Air Force officials at Pensacola Naval Air Station celebrated the arrival Wednesday afternoon of the first jet assigned to a new flight training facility at the base.
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Eglin AFB to Be Global Training Site for Lockheed Martin F-35
09/16/2009 by Lockheed Martin
WASHINGTON: The
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program remains focused on preparations for opening the Integrated
Training Center at Eglin
Air Force Base, Fla., in 2010 - a facility that will train F-35 pilots and maintainers worldwide.
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Air Chief: Where F-22 Stumbled, JSF Will Soar
DefenseNews.com (subscription)
“Because of things learned from F-22” Schwartz told reporters he anticipates the F-35 will not experience the kinds of technical ailments that typically ...
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F-35 training still on track for summer 2010
09/14/2009 AirForceTimes.com
Testing of the F-35 Lightning II remains on track to start pilot and maintainer training next summer.
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Drilling threatens Florida's economic base
09/14/2009 © Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
… The reserves believed to lie beneath the Gulf are too small to affect market prices, so consumers likely won't benefit. Nor would Florida, whose royalty payments from oil, should those payments materialize, would be dwarfed by the fallout from potential oil spills on the state's tourism industry. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is adding national security concerns to his opposition. "The operative policy and law of the United States is to use much of the eastern Gulf of Mexico as the last remaining training range for our military pilots," Nelson said. "Give that up to the oil boys and you sacrifice national security."
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Navy facing whale battle
09/14/2009 © Bradenton Herald (FL)
The Navy has selected a site bordering a federally protected whale nursery stretching from Savannah to Sebastian for an undersea warfare range, where ships, submarines and aircraft outfitted with powerful sonar can practice hunting subs. Citing voluminous studies, the Navy concluded that training 58 miles off Jacksonville would rarely, and barely, disturb right whales.
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Keys waters are sub testing ground
09/15/2009 © Florida Keys Keysnews (FL)
A small, unmanned submarine recently sighted in Key West waters represents the future of an increasingly eco-friendly Navy, researchers say. The Navy, they say, is going green. Developers of the state-of-the-art prototype sub being tested in Key West say their Sea Maverick vessel is proof positive that military planners are committed to developing technology that reduces stress on the environment while still completing 21st century missions.
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Arizona mayor resigns over F-35 controversy
09/15/2009 © Northwest Florida Daily News (FL)
EL MIRAGE, Ariz. — The mayor of a suburban town at odds with the Air Force over the F-35 has resigned. El Mirage Mayor Fred Waterman, resigned Friday evening. He blamed anger over events at nearby Luke Air Force Base for his departure…According to the Arizona Republic, Waterman led his city's efforts to find relief from restrictions imposed to protect Luke Air Force Base. He also opposed allowing F-35's to fly over El Mirage until more information on its noise impact was available. Officials from surrounding cities said Waterman's opposition would keep the F-35 mission from coming to Luke AFB and jeopardize the area's economy.
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F-35 engine debate threatens defense bill
FORT WORTH, Texas —The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program remains on schedule to open the first training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in 2011, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said after touring Lockheed Martin’s F-35 plant.
Gates said he is confident the $300 billion program to build 2,456 fifth-generation fighters will escape the budget ax during the Defense Department’s deliberations over future budget priorities.
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Defense Secretary Gates signals strong support for F-35 joint ...
08/31/2009 Fort Worth Star Telegram
FORT WORTH — Right on cue, an F-35 roared over Lockheed Martin on Monday morning, just as Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered what might have been his strongest endorsement yet of the joint strike fighter.
"The F-35 is the core of our combat tactical aircraft in the future," Gates said while standing in a hangar in front of a newly built F-35 Lightning II. "My view is we cannot afford as a nation not to have this airplane."
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Defense secretary visiting Fort Worth today for briefing on F-35
08/30/2009 Star Telegram
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is scheduled to visit Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Fort Worth today to get a firsthand look at and briefing on the progress of the F-35 joint strike fighter program.
Gates, who has been a strong advocate of the F-35, will be accompanied by the Pentagon’s top weapons buying executive, Ashton Carter, deputy undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
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Air Force reduces number of fighter jets at Eglin
08/31/2009 Miami Herald
Eglin's F-35 fighter program is taking a hit in the economy. The military has reduced the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets being brought to the base ...
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Eglin's F-35 fighter program takes hit
08/30/2009 Pensacola News Journal
As a dispute between the U.S. Air Force and the town of Valparaiso continues, the military has reduced the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets that it initially will bring to Eglin Air Force Base.
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Tour At New Panama City/Bay County International Airport
08/28/2009 Chipley Florida Online Newspaper-Foster Folly News
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (August 28, 2009) – Florida’s Great Northwest, a regional economic development partnership representing 16 counties from Pensacola to Tallahassee, along with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, held the Northwest Florida Aerospace Corridor Tour at the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport site.Today’s event showcased Northwest Florida’s aerospace and defense assets that confirm the region as a key component in the Northwest Florida-Alabama-Mississippi aerospace and defense corridor...
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Aerospace expo shows industry's potential
08/28/2009 Tallahassee.com
Tallahassee area companies and researchers exhibiting at Friday's Northwest Florida Aerospace Expo see continued business potential in the industry as technology advances and new products emerge to serve military and commercial users.
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Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor News: Web site planned to lure F-35 ...
08/28/2009 Blog Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor News
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Bay County supporters of Tyndall Air Force Base plan a new Web site that promotes the base’s capabilities in a bid to get new F-35s and other missions at the base.
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The Air Force Seeks a Low-Tech Alternative to the F-22
08/27/2009 TIME
The Air Force spent years fighting to keep building the $350 million F-22 fighter, an airplane crammed with so much gee-whiz technology there's a law barring it from being sold to any other nation. But since no other nation is building a plane to challenge it, the F-22 has become a costly investment with an uncertain payoff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates just killed it.
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United Tech working to lower F-35 engine cost
08/25/2009 Reuters.com
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Technologies Corp's (UTX.N) Pratt & Whitney unit, facing criticism for rising costs on the engine that powers the F-35 fighter jet, said on Tuesday it is investing a "considerable amount" to drive the engine's cost lower in the longer term.
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Navarre potential destination for F-35 (with PRESENTATION)
08/25/2009 Northwest Florida Daily News
NAVARRE -- Eglin officials will hold a scoping meeting in Navarre tonight to discuss an alternative that could turn the south part of Santa Rosa County into the new Valparaiso.
Monday's scoping meeting introduced three alternatives that are under consideration in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the beddown of the Joint Strike Fighter Mission.
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Surprise announcement: Eglin sure to get only 59 F-35s, not 107
08/25/2009 Northwest Florida Daily News
CRESTVIEW — Eglin’s public scoping meeting had one big surprise Monday night.
The meeting that gave residents a first glance at proposed alternatives for the F-35 also included an announcement that the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement would be only for the initial 59 aircraft.
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Report: Defense industry has shed 30,000 jobs this year
Less than two weeks after Northrop Grumman Corp. announced pending layoffs in Central Florida, a new study indicates aerospace-defense contractors nationwide have shed up to 30,000 jobs so far this year.
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VA clinic: Progress, at last
08/20/2009 © Florida Times-Union (FL)
It would be a colossal understatement to say expansion of Jacksonville's Veterans Affairs clinic space is overdue. Nearly 1,000 clinical cases are handled every day at the cramped downtown facility, says city of Jacksonville military liaison Bob Buehn, who calls it "one of the busiest clinics in the country."
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Resurrect the Raptor
08/20/2009 Forbes Magazine
The Obama Administration has successfully killed the fabulous F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft. What a blunder. At a time when Washington has been spending on a scale unparalleled in American history, shooting down this program is supposed to demonstrate the Administration's ultimate deep-down fiscal rectitude--we're spending only to fight the recession--and its determination to bring sanity to defense spending.
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U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Marks Another First
08/18/2009 Defense News
The U.S. Marine Corps' version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed another milestone in August when it was successfully refueled in the air by a Marine KC-130.
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2 maintenance squadrons recognized by DoD
08/18/2009 Air Force Times
Two Air Force maintenance squadrons are among the winners of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards announced Monday.
The 31st Munitions Squadron at Camp Darby, Italy, and the 6th/927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., took the honors for small maintenance units.
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Eagle plans huge war games center
08/17/2009 © Sebring Highlands Today (FL)
The Eagle National Security Training Center, south of Venus, could be larger than five Wal-Marts. It will boast a 6,000-foot runway - 750 feet longer than Sebring Regional Airport. It could build 100,000 square feet of classrooms and administrative buildings, 40,000 square feet of military-style shoot-houses and three five-story training buildings, 1,000 dorms, 25 single-family homes, 100 multi-family apartments, and two 250-feet tall training towers…All of that is contingent on the approval of Highlands County and the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which is asking for a version about 40 percent smaller than envisioned by Eagle.
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$98 M Jacobs Technology for Technical Support at Eglin AFB
08/16/09 Defense Industry Daily
Jacobs Technology in Tullahoma, TN received a $98.1 million indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract to provide Technical, Engineering and Acquisition Support (TEAS) at Eglin Air Force Base, FL and various tenant organizations. The Air Armaments Center (AAC) at Eglin manages the contract (FA9200-07-C-0006 P00031).
Under the TEAS program, Jacobs provides support for a number of test and evaluation (T&E) programs at Eglin…
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DoD Launches New Web Portal
08/17/09 Department of Defense (Press Release)
The Department of Defense today launched a new home page, http://www.Defense.gov , designed to invite participation from the public and make military news and information more accessible. The new Web site will provide quick access to those sites that are most sought by Web site visitors, including DoD social media sites, the Pentagon Channel and DoD news stories.
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Military's operational costs may squeeze spending on F-35
08/14/2009 Star Telegram.com
The high costs of paying for people and military operations are going to make it increasingly difficult for the Pentagon to buy big-ticket weapons systems like the Fort Worth-built F-35 joint strike fighter, a Washington defense think tank says.
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Valp-p Scoffs at JLUS
08/12/2009 NWF Dailynews.com
NICEVILLE — The process was supposed to be simple. First, the Joint Land Use Study would provide recommendations for local governments along the Emerald Coast to address the impact of Eglin Air Force Base.
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Lockheed's F-35 may be flying into budget storm
08/12/2009 Reuters.com
WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The Pentagon may want to consider scaling back Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) multinational F-35 fighter program, the costliest-ever U.S. arms-purchase plan, as part of stepped-up budget belt-tightening, an analysis by an influential research group said.
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USAF F-22 Raptors deploy to Jacksonville for composite training
08/06/2009 Fla. National Guard
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard (FLANG), will host four F-22 Raptors from the 43rd Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla., for two days of intensive integration training with the 125th F-15 Eagle fighter jets, Aug. 8-9.
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$15.5 Million for Local Defense Research
08/06/2009 © Tallahassee-WCTV (CBS) (FL)
Congressman Allen Boyd announced on Wednesday that $15.5 million dollars will soon be split among the capital city's colleges to help fund defense-related research projects… "To keep our military, the top military in the world, comes through that bill and is done at our major universities," U.S. Representative Allen Boyd. But beyond the benefits of national security, they can all agree, these projects will also bring more jobs to the area.
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EDITORIAL: One F-35 suit down, one to go
08/06/2009 © Northwest Florida Daily News (FL)
With headlines like “Val-P agrees to settle lawsuit” (July 16) and “Judge dismisses one Valparaiso lawsuit” (July 24), you might think the squabble between Valparaiso and the Air Force is near an end. Not exactly. But both sides at least are talking and sharing information, and that’s a good sign. The latest news is that city commissioners agreed to settle their Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Air Force if military officials will hand over all their noise data about F-35 jet fighters. As a result, a federal judge dismissed the FOIA suit July 22. “I’m elated that we’re all talking around the table to try to solve the problems,” said Valparaiso Mayor Bruce Arnold.
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New GI Bill changing lives
08/04/2009 © Ft. Myers-WINK (CBS) (FL)
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most comprehensive education benefit offered to veterans since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill for World War II Vets in 1944. Unlike the previous GI bill, active reserve military who have also served at least three years in Iraq or Afghanistan will now get to enjoy the same kind of benefits.
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BCF Recognized as' Military Friendly'
08/03/2009 Chipley Bugle
Representatives from The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) in Graceville recently attended the Department of Defense World Wide Education Symposium held in Atlanta, Georgia, where BCF was recognized as one of the “GI Jobs – Military Friendly Schools.” BCF offers a wide range of online courses and three online degrees that meet the need of men and women in the armed forces as well as others who are unable to relocate to Florida to complete their education.
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JSF Faces Showdown on F-35 Cost Estimates
08/03/2009 Military.com
Pentagon belief in Joint Strike Fighter program cost estimates could be wearing thin, as delays to flight testing keep the program from proving whether it can break the mold of previous fighter development efforts and stay on budget.
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Navy Announces Decision On Undersea Warfare Training Range
08/03/2009 US Department of Defense-Defenselink
The Department of the Navy announced today that it will locate an undersea warfare training range (USWTR) in the Jacksonville, Fla. operating area. BJ Penn, assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and environment, signed the record of decision (ROD), which follows consultation with federal regulators and the completion of an overseas environmental impact statement/environmental impact statement (OEIS/EIS) in June.
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Experts Split on Broader Significance of F-22's End.
08/03/2009 © Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Investors got a case of the jitters about Lockheed Martin Corp. and other defense-related stocks when Congress voted recently to end the F-22 fighter jet program, a stock analyst warned in a report last week…Lockheed's stock fell nearly 10 percent after the U.S. Senate voted to end production of the F-22 stealth fighter. More than 90,000 jobs nationwide are tied to the program, including hundreds in Central Florida at Lockheed, Harris Corp. and other local companies in the supply chain.
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House Passes $636 Billion Budget for Pentagon
07/31/09 NPR
The House approved on Thursday its biggest annual spending bill — more than $600 billion for the Pentagon. A fifth of that is for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawmakers instead clashed over nearly $3 billion in military spending the White House never requested, and the defense secretary says he doesn't need.
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Florida National Guard to host Grand Re-Opening Ceremony for Renovated Armory in Bartow Aug. 1
FNG
The Florida National Guard will host a grand re-opening ceremony for a renovated armory located in Bartow, Fla, on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.
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House joins Senate, kills F-22 funding; defense companies shift for impact
07/31/2009 Orlando Sentinel
The controversial F-22 fighter jet took a potentially fatal hit Thursday as the House of Representatives stripped away money for added production of the advanced stealth aircraft.
In passing a $636.3 billion defense spending bill, the House mirrored a move last week by the Senate. Assuming that's how the final bill will stand, F-22 production would be capped at the current 187 jets that are currently under contract, most of which have been delivered.
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Boeing unveils new Navy patrol jet
07/31/2009 © Pensacola-WEAR (ABC) (FL)
Boeing Co. and the Navy have rolled out the P-8A Poseidon, the service's new patrol plane… The Navy is buying 117 Poseidons to replace aging P-3 Orion turboprops. Flight tests are to start later this year, with the first jets in service in 2013. The Navy plans to base Poseidon squadrons at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state, at Jacksonville, Fla., and in Hawaii.
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House military spending bill will impact First Coast
07/31/2009 © Florida Times-Union (FL)
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a multibillion-dollar defense spending bill on Thursday that includes nearly $200 million for Northeast Florida military projects. But the money isn't flowing yet. The Senate has yet to pass its version of the legislation and fall is the soonest Congress will be ready to send a bill to the president. The future also is uncertain because the $636.6 billion measure contains several big-ticket items the Obama administration has said it strongly opposed. But U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., was plenty excited after the bill's 400-30 passage, saying it will preserve jobs across the nation and locally.
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Boyd moves to delay F-15 drawdown
07/31/2009 © Panama City News Herald (FL)
The retirement of Tyndall Air Force Base’s two F-15 fighter squadrons may be delayed, if language inserted by Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, into the U.S. House’s $636 billion defense appropriations bill makes it through the Senate and a conference committee. The Fiscal Year 2010 defense appropriations bill passed the House on Thursday by a 400-30 vote, and will go to the Senate for consideration. In a released statement, Boyd said language he inserted into the bill would delay the F-15 retirement at Tyndall until the Air Force has provided Congress with detailed reports on the long-term effects of the drawdown.
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Florida National Guard members honored during deployment ceremony Monday in Starke
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (July 29) - Nearly 200 members of the Florida National Guard's 631st Maintenance Company were honored during a deployment ceremony Monday at the Madison Street Baptist Church in Starke, Fla.
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National Defense Authorization Bill Passes Senate
07/24/09 WMBB News 13
Washington, DC:
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) today announced the U.S. Senate last night passed the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. This measure authorizes program and project spending for the United States military and includes a 3.4 percent pay increase for all uniformed personnel. The $680 billion in base and war operations funding authorizations meets the full request of the President’s budget, and helps to ensure the United States continues to have the best prepared and equipped fighting force in the world. The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 87 to 7.
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Senate Approves Spouse State Residency Rules
07/24/2009 Army Times
Military spouses would get the same options service members now enjoy for choosing — and keeping — a state of residency under legislation approved Thursday by the Senate as part of the 2010 defense authorization bill.
The spouse residency provision, sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., applies to voting rights, driver’s licenses and vehicle registration, property ownership and income and property taxes. It also could help in divorce cases because it makes it easier for military spouses to have property in their own name.
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Mayport Closer to Being Nuclear Carrier
07/24/09 NewsJax4.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Naval Station Mayport passed another important hurdle Friday on its way to becoming the home for a nuclear carrier. The U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the next fiscal year.
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New Way to Train for Combat Weather
07/20/2009 Moody Air Force Base
USAF's combat weather force is trying out a new approach to training that would consolidate training sites and resources for new airmen in the highly specialized field, essentially ensuring "they are prepared for the job and ready to deploy" as soon as they reach their duty location, said TSgt. Joel Decker, the 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing training NCO. The combat weather field currently trains at several locations around the country and struggles with small classes offered at times of the year that may not accommodate unit schedules.
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Defense spending tripled locally
07/23/2009 © Bradenton Herald (FL)
The federal government pumped more money into defense, law enforcement and mortgage insurance in Manatee County while spending less for subsidized housing, veterans benefits and transportation two years ago, according to figures released today. Government payments to Manatee defense contractors more than tripled in fiscal 2008 compared to the previous fiscal year, Census figures show. The government also paid 16 times more in wages and salaries for active-duty military personnel than in fiscal 2007, and more than tripled mortgage insurance coverage.
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Pentagon, Congress square off over money for jets
07/17/2009 © Gainesville Sun (FL)
The Pentagon and Congress all but dared each other Thursday to a showdown over funding for fighter jets in a multimillion-dollar squabble that each side said they were fighting in the interests of U.S. security. The Democratic chairman of a key House Appropriations panel said he's confident that plans to add $369 million to the Pentagon's budget for a dozen more F-22 jets will survive a White House veto threat.
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McCain backs Obama on F-22 cuts, but advocates vow fight
07/15/2009 © Bradenton Herald (FL)
07/15/2009 © Miami Herald (FL)
07/15/2009 © St. Augustine Record (FL)
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in an uncommon alliance with the Obama administration, is squaring off against fellow Republican and Senate Armed Services Committee colleague Saxby Chambliss of Georgia in a fight against adding $1.75 billion in funding to expand the F-22 Raptor jet fighter production line. It's a showdown that pits the Obama administration, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other top Pentagon officials and a bipartisan group of lawmakers against a faction of military leaders, airmen who favor the F-22 and members of Congress whose districts benefit from the aircraft's construction. The face-off is also a test of the Obama administration's ability to shift spending priorities in the massive Pentagon budget.
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UCF, Military Celebrate New Partnership Building That Will Save, Add Jobs
07/10/2009 UCF News Room
A new partnership building in the Central Florida Research Park will help Metro Orlando keep and add thousands of high-tech, high-wage modeling and simulation jobs and remain a national leader in that expanding industry.
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Cartwright Talks F-22, Advocates JROC Changes
07/09/2009 DefenseNews
Cartwright told the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 9 that he was one of the "most vocal and ardent supporters" of ending the Raptor program at 187. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the decision, along with about 50 other program cuts, in early April.
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Pangs over Navy pings
07/10/2009 © Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
From the Navy's own environmental assessment, successive pings of active high-frequency sonar cause temporary hearing loss in endangered Atlantic right whales more than a mile from the source. Further, the sonar "bubble" was observed to alter whale behavior 127 miles from its source. And, yet, the Navy is intent on conducting mid- and high-frequency sonar training, maintenance, research development and testing for its Atlantic fleet off the northern Florida coast within an easy ping of the calving grounds of these endangered leviathans. It is not that the Navy isn't making commendable efforts, as required by federal fisheries regulators, to reduce negative impacts to the whales, which are believed to number no more than 400. The Navy has budgeted some $15 million this year to research the impacts of its activities on the whales and other species.
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$2 million grant may help military operations
07/10/2009 © Fort Pierce Hometown News (FL)
FORT PIERCE - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is widely known for its ocean ecology research. But the institute, now part of Florida Atlantic University, has received a $2 million grant involving research that may boost national security and assist military operations. The grant, from the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Naval Research, will help develop a laser imaging and robotic system that will allow quick, large-scale imaging areas under the water's surface, said Fraser Dalgleish, principal investigator and an associate research professor. He said Harbor Branch hopes to receive another $4 million over the next three years for a system that could be put to use in five years.
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425 Jobs Coming to Eglin Air Force Base
07/10/2009 © WJHG NBC News 7 Panama City (FLTV)
Ever since the Department of Defense announced last month that Tyndall Air Force Base will be losing 588 jobs, local business leaders have been discussing ways to lessen the impact. The story is just the opposite in Okaloosa County, where Eglin Air Force Base will gain more than 400 jobs in the proposed realignment plan. Okaloosa county military officials and local business owners can't wait for the Air Force's 2009 Force Structure Plan to go into effect. Eglin Air Force Base will gain 425 positions, 302 of those will be non-military jobs. Some of the 425 positions are defense contractors that will be converted to Department of Defense civilian employees.
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$46.3 Million OK'd For Mayport Dredging
07/09/2009 © Jacksonville-WJXT (CBS) (FL)
MAYPORT, Fla. -- Paving the way for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed at Naval Station Mayport, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $46.3 million for dredging… The $46.3 million will go toward dredging the St. Johns River, an improvement that is necessary for carriers to access the port at all times. Currently, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can only access Mayport with a light load and during high tide. The appropriations measure also includes $29.6 million for wharf improvements. The Mayport upgrades will next go to the full Senate as part of broader legislation that provides funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives approved funding for Mayport dredging on June 23, and the House is expected to take up its version of the bill next week.
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Senate panel says yes to dredging harbor in carrier project
07/08/2009 © Florida Times-Union (FL)
The Senate Appropriations Committee agreed to pay $46.3 million to dredge the harbor of the St. Johns River, a project that's necessary if Mayport Naval Station is to become a home port for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The appropriations measure approved by the committee also included $29.6 million for improvements at the pier where a carrier would tie up. Having the committee appropriate the money is another step toward getting the work under way. The full House of Representatives still has to approve the bill that has the funding for the measure. It is expected to vote on it next week. After the full Senate approves its bill, which contains permission for the work as well as the funding, the two chambers of Congress will have to get together to hash out their differences: The House version does not include permission for the project.
Editorial: Protect military bases and state's economy
June 26, 2009 Tampa Bay Online
...But lest you think the creation of the Florida Council on Military Base Mission Support is feel-good political theater, consider the reaction of Tampa's former chamber of commerce chief four years ago when MacDill Air Force Base escaped the federal chopping block.
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Fla. Nat'l Guard's transportation company prepares to deploy Marianna-based 144th Transportation Company has ceremony July 5
A deployment ceremony will be held for approximately 70 Soldiers from
the Florida Army National Guard's 144th Transportation Company.
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Governor Crist Signs Legislation Creating Florida Council on Military Base and Mission Support
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE – Governor Charlie Crist today visited Eglin Air Force Base to sign House Bill 7123, relating to military base closures, to create the Florida Council on Military Base Mission Support.
New Web site helps Military recover life insurance compensation
A new tool is available to help military personnel find out if they may be eligible for compensation from a 2006 multi-state regulatory settlement agreement over inappropriate life insurance sales practices that targeted the military. Approximately $2.3 million remains unclaimed under agreement.
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Fight to get carrier at Mayport hits a few snags
06/17/09 Florida Times Union
Virginia politicians have won the first major congressional fight over bringing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Mayport Naval Station, succeeding in stripping funding for dredging the St. Johns River.
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Virginia leaders seek to block move of aircraft carrier to Florida
WASHINGTON, D.C. - — Virginia's congressional delegation continues to press its case that the Navy should not move an aircraft carrier to Florida, which could hit Hampton Roads like a major factory shutdown.
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb on Thursday formally asked the Defense Department to consider looming military budget shortfalls before deciding to spend money on the move
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Miller Questions Proposed Air Force Test and Evaluation Cuts
06/12/09 Congressman Jeff Miller
Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL-01) today inserted language in the National Defense Authorization Act that reinforces Congress’ support for the Test and Evaluation mission in the Department of Defense.
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Military Budget Shakes up Defense Industry Stocks
06/08/09 Orlando Sentinel
Since Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Obama administration stirred the teapot two months ago, share prices for some contractors have been in a holding pattern, while others have been on the uptick. But the mixed news in Gates' proposed budget appears to have made some investors ambivalent.
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State Group Addresses Military Readiness and Quality of Life
06/05/09 JaxAir News
More than 60 members of the Florida Defense Alliance (FDA) gathered for their bi-annual meeting May 27 - 28 at the NAS Jacksonville Officers' Club. FDA was created within Enterprise Florida in 1998 to ensure the state and its military host communities expand defense industries and U.S. Armed Forces operations.
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Shore Readiness Enables Maritime Strategy
06/01/09 U.S. Navy press release
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), the Navy's provider for critical shore capabilities including operations, quality of life and facilities management, helps enable the maritime strategy.
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Florida National Guard unit conducts deployment ceremony
- To serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom -
CAMP BLANDING, Fla. -- More than 50 members of the Florida Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment were honored during a deployment ceremony Sunday at the Fla. National Guard's Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke, Fla. (Full Release)
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Air Force wants accelerated production of strike fighters
By Megan Scully CongressDaily May 19, 2009
Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz Tuesday told lawmakers that he wants the Pentagon to accelerate acquisition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, buying as many of the fighter jets each year as the military can afford and Lockheed Martin Corp. can produce. During testimony on the Defense Department's fiscal 2010 budget request before the House Armed Services Committee, Schwartz called it "imperative" that the Air Force buy at least 80 F-35s a year -- and as many as 110 annually -- as soon as possible.
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DoD Announces $555 Million Expansion To Housing Assistance Program
The Department of Defense (DoD) today announced details for the temporary expansion of the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The $555 million allocated to the HAP will be used to provide benefits to eligible military and DoD civilians who face financial losses selling their primary residence during the current housing downturn.
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Fla. National Guard's Fighter Wing tested
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The Fla. Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing located in Jacksonville, Fla., received an "Excellent" rating during its
seven-day combat readiness inspection May 7-13.
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Governor Crist Announces Boots to Books Web Site
05/13/2009 © Chipley Foster Folly News (FL)
Today, Governor Charlie Crist joined together in partnership with the Florida Board of Governors, Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and Florida community colleges and private universities at the Capitol to launch a new statewide campaign, Boots to Books. With the passing of the New GI Bill, or Post 9/11 GI Bill, federal resources are now available to help veterans meet their educational and career goals. Information on the new benefits is available to veterans at www.FLBootsToBooks.org.
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