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WASHINGTON —

The first new National Cyber Strategy in 15 years is built on four pillars: protecting the American people, the homeland and the American way of life; promoting American prosperity; preserving peace through strength; and advancing American influence.

“We cannot ignore the costs of malicious cyber activity — economic or otherwise — directed at America’s government, businesses and private individuals,” President Donald J. Trump said in a statement yesterday announcing the new strategy. “Guided by this [strategy], the federal government will be better equipped to protect the American people, the American homeland, and the American way of life.

“Through it,” he continued, “we will accomplish critical security objectives while supporting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength and advancing American influence. Informed by the strategy’s guidance, federal departments and agencies will more effectively execute their missions to make America cyber secure.”

DoD’s Role

The strategy highlights the critical and growing threat that malicious cyber actors pose to U.S. national security. “The Defense Department stands ready, as part of the synchronized whole-of-government approach articulated in the National Cyber Strategy, to preserve peace through strength by identifying, countering, disrupting, degrading and deterring behavior in cyberspace that is destabilizing and contrary to U.S. national interests,” DoD officials said in a statement, adding that the department’s focus is on preserving U.S. superiority in cyberspace and defending forward to disrupt the activities of malicious cyber actors before they reach U.S. networks.

DoD also is strengthening its defensive posture through network hardening, improved cybersecurity and working with its international allies and partners, in addition to its Defense Industrial Base and Defense Critical Infrastructure partners to secure critical information and infrastructure, the Pentagon statement noted.

Protecting America’s Networks

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CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan — Tactical site exploitation (TSE) is an investigative task in which Marines go into a possible enemy location, search for, and gather as much forensic material as possible in a constrained amount of time. The limited time is because it is usually conducted in hostile environments.

Despite having very little time to conduct the task, it is an integral part in information gathering. It is an effective way to gather information on things such as; the location of high value targets, determining if a site is an improvised explosive device manufacturing house, or discovering enemy plans.

TSEs can be conducted by anyone, but an effective TSE needs to be done by a well-trained team. Staff Sgt. Gustavo Pesquera, a criminal investigator with CID, 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, set up a TSE in order to evaluate his Marines. He planted and concealed several props within a building to serve as forensic material. Pesquera gave the Marines a scenario and a set amount of time to collect as much evidence as possible.

“You never know how much time you have at a site,” said Pesquera, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. “You don’t know if the enemy will come attack or if there’s another mission that needs to be accomplished. Due to our background as criminal investigators, we know what the bad guys think and we know exactly what to look for that would give us the most intelligence.”

CID Marines train for TSEs because they have variable scenarios which often lead to unpredictable situations. To ensure the search and collection of forensic material goes as smoothly as possible, CID Marines take several steps in preparation.

Before anything, a team of Marines is formed with one designated leader and another as

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WASHINGTON — America will forever remember the service and sacrifice of those who fought and died for the nation’s freedom, President Donald J. Trump said yesterday at the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery.

Trump, escorted by Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, and Army Maj. Gen. Michael Howard, commanding general, U.S. Army Military District of Washington, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A lone bugler then played taps; a moment of silence was observed.

In remarks at the cemetery’s amphitheater, Trump said the nation was shaped by the brave men and women who gave all in service. America pauses on this solemn day to remember their sacrifices, he said.

“We are gathered here on the sacred soil of Arlington National Cemetery to honor the lives and deeds of America’s greatest heroes — the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom,” Trump said.

Those who gave their lives in service to the nation represent the full tapestry of American life, he said. They came from different backgrounds, were of all military ranks, and were of all race, color and creeds, he said. Brothers and sisters in arms, they are forever united in their undying love for the country, he said.

“They died so that freedom could live,” he said.

SPIRIT OF THE SERVICE MEMBER

In introducing Trump, Mattis said Scottish writer

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WASHINGTON —

Massive flooding, forest fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters devastate thousands of families and homes each year around the world. Members from all branches of the U.S. military help to give relief from many of these events by providing aid through humanitarian missions.

However, not all humanitarian efforts from our troops follow a natural disaster, and not all of them happen overseas.

With sounds of power drills, hammers and coordinated shouts flying through the air, 27-year-old Air Force Senior Airman Daniel Eury Jr., from Concord, North Carolina, is found spending his time helping to build homes.

“I volunteer and help build homes with Habitat for Humanity in Washington, D.C.,” Eury said. “I just really enjoy doing it. I enjoy getting out and helping where I can, and I like the part where I interact with the community.”

While drilling a screw into a wooden panel on a house he’s helping to build, Eury explained where his desire to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity came from. 

Positive Impact

“After I joined the Air Force in 2015, I wanted to continue what I had started back in 2011 when I used to volunteer with them,” he said. “I wanted to keep making a positive impact on people in the community. So that’s why I decided to go with Habitat for Humanity again. And I liked the change of pace from my usual duties. I really enjoy going out and doing different things. Each day, on the given volunteer site, we do something different.”

Eury serves on the Air Force Honor Guard at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling here.

Between his time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in 2011 and joining the Air Force

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IWAKUNI City, Japan — Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (MCAS) and Iwakuni City leadership participated in the ninth Joint Leadership Walk in Iwakuni City, Japan, Sept. 19, 2018.

The purpose of the event was to display and strengthen the existing relationship between the air station and Iwakuni City.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Richard F. Fuerst, commanding officer of MCAS Iwakuni, Sgt. Maj. Joseph S. Gregory, sergeant major of MCAS Iwakuni, Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni City and other Japanese government officials were the leaders present during the walk.

During the walk, they toured the city, spoke to local Japanese business owners and answered questions from the local media regarding the safety of Japanese nationals and air station residents.

“The area of Iwakuni is our responsibility,” said Fukuda. “It is our responsibility to make sure the citizens of Iwakuni are in a safe environment.”

VIPs at the event included Masahiro Akase, director general of Chugoku Shikoku Defense Bureau and Yasutake Iida, director of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Iwakuni Citizen Affairs Bureau.

Since 2009, the walks have displayed unity between leaders, so that through communication, partnership and understanding, both communities can live and work in harmony.

“It was a great event, and it’s important to get out here tonight with Mayor Fukuda and Director General Akase,” said Fuerst. “Iwakuni is a great city, and MCAS Iwakuni is committed to being a good neighbor in the area, in Yamaguchi prefecture and in the country of Japan.”

Fuerst said that he will continue to work closely with the city and maintain the readiness of the Carrier Air Wing 5, Marine Aircraft Group 12 and Fleet Air Wing 31 while striving to be great neighbors to the surrounding cities.

RIONEGRO, Colombia (AFNS) —
Ninety-five U.S. Air Force Airmen trained with 11 partner nation air forces, tallying more than 400 participants, in the Colombian-led multinational search and rescue exercise “Angel de los Andes” Sept. 3-14.

The U.S. and multinational participants trained together by responding to realistic scenarios of natural disaster and combat related search and rescues, humanitarian aid, disaster response, aerial evacuation, patent treatment, flying operations and personnel recovery at Rionegro, Guatape, Velasquez and Palanquero, Colombia.

“This has been an excellent opportunity to train with our partner nations,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Brett Howard, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) Angel de los Andes U.S. lead. “We’ve had many challenges, (but) what we were able to learn is how to overcome those challenges together for mission success.”

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and a C-130 Hercules transported 506 passengers from all partner nations, moved 86.4 tons of cargo and airdropped 72 multinational personnel total during the exercise, while also transporting simulated victims of the exercise scenarios.

The C-130 Hercules airdropped a motorized boat known as rigged alternate method zodiac, an inflatable boat, U.S. pararescuemen and commandos from Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Panama and Peru in high altitude low opening and high altitude high opening free fall jumps.

“We did some low altitude low level training. To get to go practice ridge crossings, flying though valleys and mountainous terrain was cool experience because it’s not something we get to do very often in Minnesota,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Matt Bair, 133rd Airlift Squadron, Minnesota Air National Guard C-130 co-pilot. “Anytime that we can come down here take advantage of the local terrain and practice in a low level environment, we really appreciate it.”

The Colombian Air Force has participated in numerous U.S. Air Force training exercises

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