U.S. Military Stuff

[Volkonski]

Near as I can find out the Texas will be moved to a new home in Galveston.

[RTH10260]

Tomb Guard Earns Badge After His Final Watch

Arlington National Cemetery
20 Mar 2024

Conducting a final walk at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a high honor for a Tomb Guard of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), as is earning the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. However, to do both on the same day is a rare event. That’s just what happened to Staff Sgt. Thomas Tavenner on March 11, 2024.

At noon, when Tavenner completed guarding the Tomb, he walked to the southern end of Memorial Plaza, where the ceremony's host, Spc. Wyatt Stearns, told him “Staff Sgt. Thomas Tavenner, for the last time fall out.” Instead of leaving the plaza, Tavenner handed his rifle to a waiting Tomb Guard and returned to the center of the plaza, where a sergeant first class, along with Tavenner’s parents and grandfather, awaited him.

Tavenner took off his sunglasses and gloves and gave them to the sergeant, who, in return, handed Tavenner five red roses. Tavenner shook his father’s hand and hugged his mother, giving her a rose. Then, in the disciplined cadence the Tomb Guards are known for, he walked to the Tomb of the World War I Unknown, dropped to one knee, and laid a rose at its base. He did the same for the Vietnam War, World War II, and Korean War Unknowns.

Once he finished, Tavenner saluted the Tomb as a bugler sounded Taps. He then escorted his parents and grandfather away from the Tomb for the last time.
But the day was not over. Soon after, Tavenner stood in the center of the chapel under the Memorial Amphitheater, in front of his family, his fellow Guards, and guests as he awaited the presentation of his Tomb Badge. Tomb Guards earn the badge after completing five phases of testing. It is considered one of the most challenging badges to earn in the U.S. Army.
Commander of the Guard, 1st Lt. Henry Newstrom, overseeing the ceremony, explained why Tavenner had his last walk on the same day as earning his Tomb Badge. “Despite our best efforts to retain Sgt. Tavenner,” said Newstrom, “our Army Human Resources Command needs recruiters, so he will be recruiting in Norfolk, Nebraska.”

Then Newstrom read out a list of Tavenner’s accomplishments. “Over the past eleven months, Staff Sgt. Tavenner has completed 210 walks and 102 public wreath-laying ceremonies,” he said. “He has walked ceremonially for over 111 miles while guarding the Unknowns —a distance that will get you to Richmond, Virginia, Ocean City, New Jersey, or Philadelphia.”

Then Newstrom explained something even more impressive: A twelve-hour post guarding the Tomb from dusk to dawn is known as a vigil. Similarly, an ironman consists of performing a back-to-back guard change, followed immediately by a vigil. Newstrom said that Tavenner conducted 14 vigils, with two of those being ironmans, an average of one vigil per month. “That is honestly incredible,” said Newstrom. “What you did to support your relief and our team as a whole is awesome.”

Kevin M. Hymel
Daryl Vaca

[Whatever4]

[raison de arizona]

I dunno if it was one of the greatest moments in Pentagon history, but it was definitely vaguely amusing.

One of the greatest moments in Pentagon history occurred during today’s press conference.

@billyjoel

[RTH10260]

US sailor convicted of attempted espionage by military court
The U.S. Navy chief petty officer was convicted for failure to obey a lawful order among other charges along with an attempted espionage charge.

Douglas Jones
Posted at 6:47 PM, Apr 20, 2024 and last updated 12:47 AM, Apr 21, 2024

A military court found U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Bryce Pedicini guilty of attempted espionage after he is accused of sharing classified defense information with a foreign government.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said Pedicini was also convicted for attempted violation of a lawful general order and for failure to obey a lawful order. NCIS said in their release that a seven-day trial found Pedicini — who previously served on a guided-missile destroyer in Japan — guilty at a general court martial on Friday.

NCIS Director Omar Lopez said, "This guilty verdict holds Mr. Pedicini to account for his betrayal of his country and fellow service members."

Lopez said, "Adversaries of the United States are unrelenting in their attempts to degrade our military superiority."

The military court said Pedicini's sentencing would be determined by a military judge, scheduled for a hearing on May 7.

An unidentified person who posed as a Japanese defense researcher is said to have contacted Pedicini through Facebook on Oct. 24, 2022 offering money for details on U.S. military capabilities and strategies.

Court records said Pedicini worked with "everything from radars, fire control systems and computer systems, to the Navy's most advanced missile system, Aegis," Stars and Stripes reported.

The individual, who was identified as a woman, reportedly convinced Pedicini to send classified materials on a ballistic missile system, according to Prosecutor Leah O'Brien.





https://www.wptv.com/us-sailor-convicte ... tary-court

[RTH10260]

Watch US Marine’s GoPro footage that challenges Pentagon’s account of attack at Kabul airport

CNN
24 Apr 2024

Video obtained by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations, the latest of which was released last week, into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport in August 2021.