Latest news with #Navy-specific
Sky News AU
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Joe Biden Gaza pier fiasco left 62 US forces injured, one dead and caused $48 million in damages: report
Former President Joe Biden's failed floating Gaza pier plan left 62 US personnel injured, one service member dead and caused at least $31 million (AUD$48 million) in damage to military equipment, according to a scathing Pentagon watchdog report that found the Army and Navy failed to properly plan, train for, prepare for and coordinate the mission. The project, which Biden announced during his 2024 State of the Union address amid mounting protests on the left over Israel's war against Hamas, sought to deliver humanitarian aid to the terrorist-controlled enclave — but ultimately was functional for just 20 days before being abandoned. The Defense Department Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) report, released late Tuesday, found that the military services were not adequately prepped for the mission — dubbed Operation Neptune Solace — but the project moved ahead despite the Army and Navy facing 'low equipment mission-capable rates and low manning and training levels.' 'The Army and Navy did not allocate sufficient maintenance, manning, [or] training,' according to the report, which also found that the services 'did not organize, train, and equip to a common joint standard' for the so-called 'joint logistics over-the-shore' (JLOTS) operation. The disjointed nature of the effort contributed to 27 watercraft and other paraphernalia suffering damage costing $31 million to repair, the report found, as 'Army- and Navy-specific equipment, including watercraft, piers, and causeways, as well as command, control, and communications systems was not interoperable.' This week's report follows a similar review by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of the Inspector General from August 2024 — which found Biden charged ahead with the $230 million pier despite the urgings of multiple federal aid workers. Army officials interviewed by the DoD OIG noted that 'the lack of interoperability created challenges during (the Gaza operation), resulting in equipment damage and communications security risks,' according to the report. US Central Command reported 62 injuries during the course of Operation Neptune Solace, though the report said it was unclear whether they happened 'during the performance of duties or resulted off duty or from pre-existing medical conditions.' The Pentagon had previously confirmed that three service members were injured May 23, 2024, as the result of a non-combat incident during the operation. One of those injured, Army Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, died Oct. 31 while under long-term medical care. The Biden White House had expected that it would allow delivery of enough provisions to feed an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians over a three-month period. But the pier ultimately delivered less than a third of that for roughly 450,000 Palestinians before it was decommissioned on July 17, according to the USAID report. The report also found serious issues with the planning of the operation, noting the pier's designers 'did not fully consider mission-specific information requirements, such as beach conditions, average sea states, and other factors that affect the ability to successfully plan and conduct JLOTS operations.' A Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Originally published as Joe Biden Gaza pier fiasco left 62 US forces injured, one dead and caused $48 million in damages: report
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Biden Gaza pier fiasco left 62 US forces injured, one dead and caused $31M in damages: report
WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden's failed floating Gaza pier plan left 62 US personnel injured, one service member dead and caused at least $31 million in damage to military equipment, according to a scathing Pentagon watchdog report that found the Army and Navy failed to properly train, prepare, coordinate and plan for the mission. The project, which Biden announced during his 2024 State of The Union address amid mounting protests on the left over Israel's war against Hamas, sought to deliver humanitarian aid to the terrorist-controlled enclave — but ultimately was functional for just 20 days before being abandoned. The Defense Department Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) report, released late Tuesday, found that the military services were not adequately prepped for the mission — dubbed Operation Neptune Solace — but the project moved ahead despite the Army and Navy facing 'low equipment mission-capable rates and low manning and training levels.' 'The Army and Navy did not allocate sufficient maintenance, manning, [or] training,' according to the report, which also found that the services 'did not organize, train, and equip to a common joint standard' for the so-called 'joint logistics over-the-shore' — or JLOTS — operation Advertisement 3 Army Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade use a rope to stabilize humanitarian lifted by a crane aboard the MV Roy P. Benavidez during the floating pier initiative. U.S. Army photo / Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley The disjointed nature of the effort contributed to 27 watercraft and other paraphernalia suffering damage costing $31 million to repair, the report found, as 'Army-and Navy-specific equipment, including watercraft, piers, and causeways, as well as command, control, and communications systems was not interoperable.' This week's report follows a similar review by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of the Inspector General from August 2024 — which found Biden charged ahead with the $230 million pier despite the urgings of multiple federal aid workers. Advertisement Army officials interviewed by the DoD OIG noted that 'the lack of interoperability created challenges during (the Gaza operation), resulting in equipment damage and communications security risks,' according to the report. 3 Former President Joe Biden directed the creation of a humanitarian pier for Gaza. POOL/AFP via Getty Images US Central Command (CENTCOM reported 62 injuries during the course of Operation Neptune Solace, though the report said it was unclear whether they happened 'during the performance of duties or resulted off duty or from pre-existing medical conditions.' The Pentagon had previously confirmed that three service members were injured May 23, 2024, as the result of a non-combat incident during the operation. Advertisement One of those injured, Army Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, died Oct. 31 while under long-term medical care. 3 The pier ultimately operated for just 20 days and delivered less than a third of the intended amount. AP The Biden White House had expected that it would allow delivery of enough provisions to feed an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians over a three-month period. But the pier ultimately delivered less than a third of that for roughly 450,000 Palestinians before it was decommissioned on July 17, according to the USAID report. Advertisement The report also found serious issues with the planning of the operation, noting the pier's designers 'did not fully consider mission-specific information requirements, such as beach conditions, average sea states, and other factors that affect the ability to successfully plan and conduct JLOTS operations.' A Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
American Military News
03-05-2025
- Business
- American Military News
Ex-Navy officer gets prison for scamming fellow veterans, sailors
A U.S. Navy veteran was sentenced to two years in prison for scamming fellow veterans and active-duty sailors out of some $300,000 in an investment fund scam. Robert L. Murray, a retired chief petty officer, used investors' money on gambling trips to casinos in Cleveland and elsewhere and lost investors' money in the 2021 GameStop 'meme stock' wave. U.S. District Judge Manish Shah in Chicago ordered Murray on Wednesday to begin serving his sentence immediately and pay $112,000 in restitution. Murray, 45, also faces a lawsuit filed in 2022 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. That case has been put on pause while the criminal case played out. Murray lived in North Canton and Chicago at the time of the scheme, but he later moved to Alaska, court records say. Federal prosecutors and SEC attorneys accused Murray of violating the trust he built with fellow service members. He set up an investment fund and solicited investors from Navy-specific groups on Facebook and Discord. Murray set up an LLC called Deep Dive Strategies and took in $342,000 in investor money from 40 people all over the country and some serving overseas, according to prosecutors. Almost immediately, he took that money and used it on personal expenses, instead of investing, prosecutors said. He also lost big on the GameStop stock. In six months, he lost all the investors money, according to prosecutors. Murray served in the military until 2018, when he retired. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he treated wounded soldiers and suffered at least one traumatic brain injury, defense attorney Holly Blaine wrote in court filings. He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses. The injuries he suffered during combat caused him to be on 100 percent disability. 'It is also abundantly clear from his arrest record that the brain injuries and mental health conditions he experiences contributed to not only this conviction but his prior arrests and convictions as well,' Blaine wrote. ___ © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
M-346N Pitched To Replace Navy's T-45 Goshawk Jet Trainers
In partnership with Leonardo, Textron continues to offer the M-346N to meet the U.S. Navy's requirement for a new jet trainer, to replace the aging T-45 Goshawk. TWZ caught up with Textron Aviation Defense's Steven 'JoJo' Heller, flight test and demonstration pilot, at the Sea-Air-Space Conference this week in National Harbor, Maryland, to get a better understanding of the joint proposal. This is based around a Navy-specific version of the M-346, but, as he explains, this is just one component of a fully integrated training system. After all, a big part of the Textron-Leonardo team's pitch is that the M-346 isn't just a jet, but is tied into a whole training enterprise that is already in use on a global scale, including for international F-35 pilot training. In June of last year, the Navy released a new request for information for its new trainer, under the Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. Heller says he expects the service to award a contract for its new jet trainer in early 2027. In the past, the Navy has indicated a minimum buy of 145 aircraft. While the Navy had been grappling with whether or not its new jet trainer needs to be carrier-capable, Heller tells TWZ that the Navy has now signaled to the company that the 'aircraft carrier is no longer going to be a direct part of real aircraft training,' with carrier approaches to be practiced from land bases and in the simulator. You can read more in detail about the arguments the Navy presented in the past for making this decision here. The M-346N will offer some unique features over likely competitors, including twin engines. Although M-346 is not a supersonic trainer with an afterburner, the aircraft is still highly maneuverable and features a throttle detent system that mimics an afterburner to new pilots. Check out all the latest on the M-346N offering in our video below: Contact the author: thomas@
