Last American Tanks Leave Germany

As a child of the Cold War the face off between NATO and the Warsaw Pact across a divided German Fulda Gap etched itself into my memories. The entire world sat poised on the edge of nuclear annihilation  the estimated 17,000 Main Battle Tanks sitting on the borders drew the line between life and holocaust. While I am glad to see fewer US troops in Europe the sacrifices of the WW2 generation will never be forgotten.  Three generations of American soldiers stood watch, maintained and trained to protect democracy on one of our final symbols of the Cold War era. As a veteran of war I pray that these last M1s someday serve as museum pieces, war monuments or better yet coral reef reinforcements. However, as a pragmatist I know in my hear they will someday be sent to another part of the world to stand guard over freedom.
http://www.stripes.com/us-army-s-last-tanks-depart-from-germany-1.214977

Challenge Coins hit by Sequestion

I’m always pleased to visit you at home and overseas, and leave you with a command coin as a small token of
my appreciation for your hard work, bravery, and your family’s sacrifice. But when I pass out coins later, you may notice they’re a little lighter than ones you might have gotten in the past. That’s because we had to strike them out of zinc instead of brass, to save money. They’re special coins – they won’t be around forever — but they mark a time when you and I served together, and grappled with the fiscal challenges facing our great nation.

For those of you old enough to remember, it’s kind of like the zinc-coated steel pennies that the nation minted in 1943 at the height of World War II. We needed the copper — for shell casings — so we ended up with zinc-clad pennies for a while. In the same way, my command coin will be lighter for the foreseeable future, to reflect the cuts the nation, and the nation’s military, have to make from the bottom to the top. And what better place for the U.S. military to begin – to set an example – than at the top?
General Jim Amos, Commandant USMC
Read more: Sequestion Time, #1 | TIME.com

Burn-pit registry for veterans signed into law - Army Times

Burn-pit registry for veterans signed into law - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Pentagon Watchdog Doubts Army Needs New Rifle

The Army established its requirements for the improved carbine effort three years ago. The requirements document calls for a weapon that’s almost twice as accurate as the current M4, according to a source familiar with the document. It also emphasized improved reliability, serviceability and a longer-lasting barrel.

The IG also questions why the Army is “seeking to acquire more rifles during a time when their total force structure will be reduced,” Halbrooks states. “In addition, it is unclear what additional capability this new rifle will have over the modified M4.”
The Army is in the process of cutting its active force down to 490,000 -- more than 10 percent from current levels -- by 2017, but senior leaders announced last year that the service plans to replace its current M4s with M4A1s.
The M4A1 is the Special Operations Command version of the M4. It features a heavier barrel and a full-auto trigger. The Army’s decision to dump the current three-round burst trigger will give shooters a more consistent trigger pull and lead to better accuracy, weapons officials said.

Pentagon Watchdog Doubts Army Needs New Carbine | Military.com