AlaDefense.com

Alabama-based 20th Special Forces commander promoted, given NATO command

June 3, 2024

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ARMY

Brig. Gen. Matthew Valas assumes command at NATO-Sarajevo. (Photo courtesy NHQSa Public Affairs Office) By Troy Turner [email protected] MONTGOMERY – The U.S. Army’s combat-proven 20th Special Forces Group is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and is one of only two such special forces groups that operates within the National Guard. Symbolic of the respect it has…
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Eight sentenced to federal prison for Anniston Army Depot theft scheme

June 2, 2024

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ARMY

By Troy Turner [email protected] ANNISTON – Eight central-Alabama men involved in a theft ring stealing military equipment from Anniston Army Depot and then reselling it were sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution, U.S attorneys reported. The men were one each from the communities of Goodwater, Hokes Bluff, Anniston,…
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White House official warns McCrary gathering that cyber threats could get worse; he’s right

May 30, 2024

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CYBERSECURITY, OPINION

(Photo courtesy of McCrary Institute) ANALYSIS By Troy Turner [email protected] WASHINGTON, D.C. – He works in the White House, so he has the president’s ear. But the American public? That’s another matter. Most of the nation has no idea who Harry Coker Jr. is, nor could they say what exactly he does, but in essence…
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Alabama native Hellcat pilot became World War II’s top naval ace

May 27, 2024

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ARMY, NAVY

By Katie Lange DOD News Navy Capt. David McCampbell wasn’t just the top naval ace of World War II: He’s considered the service’s all-time leader in aerial combat. His spirit and leadership are what made his air group one of the war’s most decorated, and they earned him the Medal of Honor. McCampbell was born Jan. 16,…
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Alabama company awarded multi-service contract to produce aircraft landing mats

May 16, 2024

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AIR FORCE, ARMY, CONTRACTS, MARINES, NAVY

By Troy Turner [email protected] ALFAB Inc., a south Alabama company located in Enterprise near Fort Novosel, won a U.S. military contract worth up to $59 million to produce specialized mats that can be used for landing aircraft and other purposes on unstable terrain. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps will be the services…
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Alabama Air Guard shows off its F-35s in Sentry Savannah air-to-air combat exercise

May 9, 2024

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AIR FORCE

By Troy Turner [email protected] The 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, is participating in Sentry Savannah 2024 and flying in a major exercise with other units for the first time with its new F-35 Lightning II Red Tails. Sentry Savannah 2024 is the Air National Guard’s premier air-to-air fighter integration exercise showcasing the nation’s…
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Army trainee, 39, from Alabama dies soon after arrival at Fort Jackson

May 3, 2024

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ARMY

By Troy Turner [email protected] FORT JACKSON, South Carolina – A 39-year-old Alabama woman and U.S. Army trainee died soon after becoming unresponsive during early training activities after her arrival at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Pfc. Veronica L. Wynn of Hurtsboro, Alabama, a basic combat training trainee from 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, “became unresponsive during structured and…
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Auburn airport receives funding for air traffic control tower; Tuskegee airport lands a new mission

April 22, 2024

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AIR FORCE, ARMY, CONTRACTS, MARINES, NAVY, SPACE FORCE

(Officials gathered in Tuskegee to announce a new flight training program coming to a storied field. State of Alabama photo.) By Troy Turner [email protected] AUBURN – Auburn University Regional Airport will be receiving $7.2 million for the construction of an air traffic control tower in a new round of federal funding that will provide critical…
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Remains of Alabama-native World War II flyer finally come home

April 21, 2024

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AIR FORCE, ARMY

By Robert Hammer MHS Communications, DOD Nearly 80 years after being declared missing in action during World War II, Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Henry L. Stevens of Monroe, Alabama, has been identified. Stevens was accounted for on Sept. 15, 2023, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, following several recovery missions in Belgium by…
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Space Development Agency, Auburn University form partnership as U.S. Space Force expands in Alabama

April 18, 2024

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AIR FORCE, ARMY, CYBERSECURITY, SPACE FORCE

By Troy Turner [email protected] HUNTSVILLE – The U.S. Space Force is growing its presence in Alabama by partnering with Auburn University to expand logistical operations of the Space Development Agency. The agency will move some of its offices and personnel into the Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus, located at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, and…
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U.S. Navy calls on Mobile to support fleet’s growth

April 12, 2024

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CONTRACTS, MARINES, NAVY

By Troy Turner [email protected] MOBILE – The U.S. Navy needs more ships, and it needs its existing vessels ready for action. There were 290 battle force ships in the Navy’s fleet at the start of fiscal year 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Naval planners hope to upscale that number to the mid-to-high 300s…
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Maxwell air show featuring the Blue Angels, Golden Knights, draws an estimated 200,000 viewers

April 3, 2024

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AIR FORCE, ARMY, COAST GUARD, MARINES, NAVY, SPACE FORCE

(More photos, details below) By Troy Turner [email protected] MONTGOMERY – Fighter jets, vintage World War II planes, stunt pilots and Miss Alabama with a parachute all filled the skies over Maxwell Air Force Base as organizers said an estimated 200,000 spectators viewed the star-studded Beyond the Horizon Air & Space Show. The U.S. Navy Blue…
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