Gov. Beshear orders flags at half-staff for local WWII soldier
Officials say U.S. Army Pfc. Kenneth D. Burgess, 29, was a member of Company B, 4th Ranger Battalion, 'Darby's Rangers,' in the Mediterranean Theater. He was reported missing in action following a patrol toward the village of Sala, Italy, on September 25, 1943.
Public meeting to discuss Exit 58 of the Western KY Pkwy
A graveside service and interment with military honors will take place on Wednesday at Rose Hill Cemetery in Central City. Eyewitness News will have a crew at the graveside service on May 7.
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Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
US Army Paratroopers to See Major Pay Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Army is restructuring its airborne forces, leading to pay changes for thousands of parachutist positions. According to a report from the American military newspaper Stars and Stripes, an administrative message delivered to service members on July 30 announced that more than 22,000 paratroopers will no longer receive their monthly $150 "jump pay." This is due to reclassifications of paid parachutist positions which will take effect in the upcoming fiscal year. The reduced number which will remain eligible for the payments will comprise those deemed more likely to deploy these capabilities in combat operations in the foreseeable future, Newsweek understands. When approached for comment, U.S. Army Spokesman Major Travis Shaw told Newsweek: "The decision resulted from a 16-week study, which concluded that transformation was needed because the previous structure exceeded the operational requirements." Why It Matters The removal of jump pay for more than 22,000 parachutists—a significant portion of the roughly 50,000 the army keeps on its rolls—signals a major shift in its priorities, emphasizing the need for combat readiness and resource management over the maintenance of a large and permanent airborne force. What To Know Jump pay—also known as Parachute Duty Pay—is an extra monthly bonus awarded to soldiers who are parachute-qualified and actively serving in airborne roles. The upcoming change will allow soldiers to attain their parachuting qualifications but will not require them to keep these up to date or take part in jump operations. Soldiers are generally required to jump once every three months to maintain jump status, a baseline considered inadequate among Army leadership for achieving proficiency. This change was discussed earlier this year. Lieutenant General Gregory Anderson, head of the 18th Airborne Corps, told Army Times in April that dozens of branches had been discussing how to improve the readiness of airborne operations since September. "We started to assume risk with the high-end forces that have to be ready to go tonight," Anderson told the outlet. "This is not about saving money; it's about getting readiness to where we need it." Paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the US Army in Europe take part in the military exercise Swift Response 2025 at the military base in Rukla, Lithuania, on May 16, 2025. Paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the US Army in Europe take part in the military exercise Swift Response 2025 at the military base in Rukla, Lithuania, on May 16, 2025. AFP via Getty Images/Petras Malukas Anderson added that limited aircraft had led to a broad "decline in collective airborne proficiency," and that devoting resources to over 50,000 airborne positions had reduced the readiness of assault forces. "We're trying to prop up a very big structure of 56,000 with dwindling resources, we're spreading those resources out, and we're undermining our own readiness goals," Anderson said during a podcast appearance in April. He added that many of those currently receiving jump pay are not currently meeting their "proficiency requirements." Major Shaw told Newsweek that removing 22,000 from paid active jump status "will refocus training and resources on critical forces to strengthen operational effectiveness." Soldiers who remain eligible will see an increase in this extra monthly allowance, as announced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in May, with jump pay is set to increase from $150 per month to $200 for paratroopers. In addition, jumpmasters, who are responsible for training and leading airborne operations, "are going to receive an additional $150 a month in incentive pay," Hegseth told the audience of current and active members of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Major Shaw told Newsweek that this will mean jumpmasters will be paid an additional $350 per month for these duties, and that this pay bump is in recognition of "the essential role of jumpmasters in developing combat-ready forces." What People Are Saying Lieutenant General Gregory Anderson, during an episode of the From the Green Notebook podcast, said: "Here's the big change: we're going to reduce the number of paid parachuter positions by 22,000. So currently, as of today, we have 56,000 paid parachuter positions in the Army. For historical context, the 101st and the 82nd at Normandy dropped fewer than 13,000 into Normandy." "It's not about the money per se, it's literally about—for the forces that will jump in the alpha echelon and fight off a potentially contested drop zone—we want them at the highest level of readiness," he added. "And three jumps … is not going to get us the readiness we need." One Redditor on the r/army forum, a community for current and former recruits as well as enthusiasts, wrote: "Even as someone who was Airborne I think this makes sense. The Army was paying over 20,000 people to be on jump status who realistically weren't going to be used as such. By having them still be Airborne qualified though they can quickly recreate Airborne units by having them go through refresher training if they ever needed. Sounds like they aren't going to save all that money though because they are going to boost the pay for the remaining Airborne troops and jumpmasters." What Happens Next? The changes are set to take effect in the 2026 fiscal year which begins October 1.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
China's Military Prepares to Show Off Huge Submarine Drones
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China is set to debut at least two of its unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) during a military parade as the country's sea power gap with the United States continues to narrow. Why It Matters The preparations come as the People's Liberation Army Navy, the world's largest by hull count, steps up efforts to challenge U.S. primacy in the Western Pacific. Washington and its allies fear China will increasingly threaten freedom of navigation and raise the risk of an attack against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and the Chinese Defense Ministry via email for comment. A boy sits in front of a mural showing a People's Liberation Army Navy submarine in Qingdao, China, on April 20, 2024. A boy sits in front of a mural showing a People's Liberation Army Navy submarine in Qingdao, China, on April 20, To Know Naval News, a specialty outlet focused on naval technology, has identified at least two types of extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) in photos from rehearsals for the September 3 military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, which marks the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. Roughly 60 feet in length, the vessels barely fit onto the tank transporters seen carrying them. Their torpedo-shaped hull and pump-jet propulsion systems suggest stealth was at the core of the design. One of the subs, dubbed the AJX002 based on the markings observed on its hull in previous imagery. The other type has only been photographed while covered. Of the six seen during the rehearsal, four appeared to be AJX002 units and two a slightly larger type. Four lifting lugs along the AJX002's hull suggest it can be launched by crane, while a close-set pair of lugs midship indicates the hull can be separated for transport. Naval News added that China now runs the world's largest XLUUV program, with at least five types already "in the water" over the past several years, and the parade will be the first public showcase of these systems. Chinese President Xi Jinping has set the goal of completing China's military modernization by 2035. Undated image showing a submarine drone being transported in Beijing amid preparations for the September 3, 2025, military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia. Undated image showing a submarine drone being transported in Beijing amid preparations for the September 3, 2025, military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia. Weibo What People Are Saying Speaking with reporters in June, Wu Zeke, a senior officer on the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission, hailed the PLA for overcoming technological hurdles and fielding cutting-edge platforms from aircraft carriers to strategic missiles and drones. "This has given our military greater confidence in its ability to fight and win," he said, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. What Happens Next This progress has been particularly visible at sea. The People's Liberation Army Navy has poured resources into its submarine fleet, which the Pentagon expects to reach 65 boats this year—just shy of 71 the U.S. Navy subs operating worldwide—though China still trails its U.S. rival in terms of naval technology. The fleet includes about 12 nuclear-powered submarines, including six ballistic-missile boats, with the remainder being diesel-electric. Chinese military commentators have raised concerns over the PLAN's vulnerabilities to the U.S. undersea surveillance architecture in the western Pacific, exposing PLAN submarines to detection and targeting in a crisis, Ryan Martinson, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute, wrote in an analysis of a November 2023 article in the Chinese journal Military Art.
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Epoch Times
America in Photos: National Guard in Washington, Trump Meets Putin, Hurricane Erin Monitored
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