SOFX The Crossroads of Special Operations

Californian Matthew Miller, who was detained in April in North Korea, was sentenced Sunday to six years with labor on charges of entering the country illegally and trying to commit an act of espionage, according to KCNA, the official North Korean news agency. KCNA said Miller, 24, committed acts hostile to North Korea while entering the country “under the guise ... Read More »

An estimated 18,000 servicemembers are arriving in Guam for the Valiant Shield, which remained on track despite the crash of two fighter jets scheduled to participate. The biennial maneuvers, which begin Monday and continue through Sept. 23, will include personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, according to a statement from the U.S. Pacific Fleet. As of ... Read More »

Malaysia’s reported invitation to the United States to fly spy planes out of East Malaysia on the southern rim of the South China Sea seems likely to intensify China’s anger at American surveillance of the strategic waterway and its disputed islands, analysts say. The United States’ chief of naval operations, Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, told a forum in Washington last ... Read More »

The Uijeongbu mayor boycotted a friendship concert at Camp Red Cloud last week after a 2nd Infantry Division soldier allegedly assaulted a taxi driver. A second incident further exacerbated simmering resentment among local residents at what they see as a never-ending string of crimes by American soldiers, said a spokesman for Mayor Ahn Byung Yong. 2ID commander Maj. Gen. Thomas ... Read More »

President Barack Obama plans to dramatically boost the U.S. effort to mitigate the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, including greater involvement of the U.S. military, people familiar with the proposal said. Mr. Obama is expected to detail the plan during a visit Tuesday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, these people said. Among the possible moves: ... Read More »

The U.S. Embassy told Americans in Uganda to seek safety on Saturday, warning that local authorities had uncovered a “terrorist cell” run by Somali militant group al-Shabab, which they believed was planning an imminent attack. The embassy posted a statement on its Web site that said it was not aware of specific targets but that the authorities had increased security ... Read More »

Ugandan police said on Sunday that 19 suspected Islamist al-Shabaab insurgents arrested in weekend raids had planned to carry out bomb attacks, as the US embassy said the immediate threat had been “countered”.Police raids on Saturday came two weeks after Ugandan troops, fighting in Somalia, reportedly provided intelligence that helped US special forces kill al-Shabaab’s chief in a devastating air ... Read More »

The Nigerian Ministry of Defense says an Air Force Alpha jet on a mission against Islamic extremist insurgents in the country’s northeast has gone missing with its two crew members. A statement Sunday from spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade says the German-manufactured jet has been missing since Friday morning when it left its base at Yola, capital of Adamawa state, ... Read More »

Algeria is looking to expand its defence industrial workforce and output as foreign investment in the country’s industry approaches USD1 billion, the head of Algeria’s military manufacturing body has told local media. In an interview with Algerian newspaper El Watan on 9 September, Major General Rashid Chouaki said the Algerian government was seeking to raise the country’s defence industrial output ... Read More »

By [email protected] (Staff Sgt. Jarrod R. Chavana) Air Force Space Command’s 16th Space Control Squadron in partnership with the Air Force Reserve Command’s 380th SPCS is responsible for ensuring the Defense Department has uninterrupted global satellite communications. Located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., two squadrons are responsible for operating space control capabilities to rapidly achieve flexible and versatile space ... Read More »

By [email protected] () The Air Force Space Command Communications and Information Directorate recently hosted a Joint Information Environment (JIE) General Officer Summit at Peterson AFB and will host a second summit in mid-September. At the first summit in mid-August, key Air Force leaders from AFSPC, the AF Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and SAF/A6 addressed AF JIE strategy, governance, funding ... Read More »

By [email protected] (Airman 1st Class Rose Gudex) Inspired by the annual Warrior Games, the inaugural Invictus Games are scheduled for Sept. 10-14 in London with Team Pete’s very own Master Sgt. Benjamin “Paul” Horton slated as a competitor. The Invictus Games were born out of Prince Harry’s desire to bring a similar event to the UK after attending last year’s ... Read More »

By [email protected] (Staff Sgt. Jarrod Chavana) Many people around the world use Global Positioning System receivers and applications in their vehicles and cell phones to guide them to their destinations. But few people know much about the GPS signal itself. Air Force Space Command Airmen of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., are the sole ... Read More »

In between Sept. 11 remembrance speeches, lawmakers on Thursday promised quick action on the latest threat to American security: Islamic militants in the Middle East with familiar anti-Western rhetoric and brutal acts of violence. In a national address Wednesday night, President Obama outlined plans to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist network through ... Read More »

Many members of Congress gave President Barack Obama their support Wednesday night shortly after a prime-time speech outlining his strategy to “degrade and ultimately defeat” the Islamic State, in both Iraq and Syria. But their “I told you so”’s came from very different political viewpoints on the role of U.S. military force in the world. Molly O’Toole is the politics reporter ... Read More »