Congress approves military promotion for Bob Dole
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas has been promoted from captain to colonel for his service in the Army during World War II.
The Wichita Eagle reports both chambers of the U.S. Congress have unanimously passed a bill promoting the 95-year-old Dole.
He earned two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for valor for his service in the war. Dole was an infantry lieutenant in 1945 when he was wounded by German machine gun fire, which left him with limited use of his right arm.
Dole represented Kansas in the U.S. House and Senate for a total of 35 years and ran unsuccessfully for president in 1996.
The legislation to honor Dole was promoted by the entire Kansas delegation. AP
Marine shot, killed while on guard duty at California base
The Navy is investigating after a Marine from Colorado was shot to death while on guard duty at Southern California’s Camp Pendleton.
The Orange County Register reported March 26 that 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Riley Schultz was found dead around 4 a.m. on March 15 with a gunshot wound to the head.
Officials from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force would not discuss details of the death or the investigation.
His mother, Misty Schultz-McCoy, tells the newspaper her son wanted to become a Marine since he was a young boy.
Schultz’s body will be flown this week to Colorado for services scheduled for April 6.
A memorial service is planned for April 3 at Camp Pendleton. AP
Russia confirms its military personnel arrived in Venezuela
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says that Russian military personnel that arrived in Venezuela March 23-24 weekend has every right to be there.
The rift between Russia and the United States over how to resolve the crisis in Venezuela widened following the arrival of Russian military personnel to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
In Moscow’s first comment on the reports of the deployment, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement late on March 26 that Russia has sent personnel “in strict accordance” with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement on military cooperation. She did not elaborate on how many troops Russia has sent.
Venezuela’s political crisis exacerbated after opposition leader Juan Guaido claimed interim presidency with the support of dozens of nations. AP
U.S. Air Force says it needs $4.9 billion in disaster relief
The U.S. Air Force says it will need nearly $5 billion over the next three years to rebuild a Florida base heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael last fall and repair a base in Nebraska struck by flooding this month.
The estimate was disclosed March 27 by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.
The money would have to be approved by Congress. It would be for disaster relief at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
In a statement, Wilson said the Air Force “desperately” needs $1.2 billion in extra funds this year and $3.7 billion extra in the 2020 and 2021 budgets.
The Air Force said that without that money, it will make other cuts that risk undermining Air Force readiness for combat operations. AP
FAA to revamp oversight after 2 deadly Boeing crashes
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing’s new 737 Max raised questions of whether the FAA has gone too far in letting companies regulate themselves, a Transportation Department official said March 27.
For decades, the FAA has delegated some authority for certifying new aircraft to the manufacturers themselves, reducing government costs and, defenders say, speeding the rollout of new models.
But in the wake of the air disasters in Ethiopia and Indonesia over less than five months, that practice has been seized on as evidence of an overly cozy relationship between the FAA and the industry.
The self-certifying practice, called Organization Designation Authorization, came under scrutiny Wednesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing that featured testimony by the acting FAA administrator, the Transportation Department inspector general, and the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Inspector General Calvin Scovel III said the FAA plans to significantly revamp its oversight of aircraft development by July. He gave few details in his opening statement but said the changes would include new ways to evaluate training and self-audits by aerospace companies.
Under the self-certifying program, employees of aircraft manufacturers perform tests and inspections that their companies need to win safety approvals, with the FAA overseeing that work. AP