Free Republic

... The paths of the 47-year-old military leader and the 26-year-old convicted sex offender crossed eight days ago, in a screeching tangle of rubber and steel near the intersection of West Mountain Drive and Gillespie Street. Fayetteville police say Dunlap's black 2000 Honda Accord was traveling south on Gillespie Street when it crossed a grassy center median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into Ratley's 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle. A makeshift memorial stands — American flags, flowers and a sign — where Ratley lost his life. Dunlap is back behind bars, being held on $100,000 bail on charges of misdemeanor...

The California Legislative Black Caucus has added its voice to a call for Fort Bragg officials to rename the Mendocino Coast city, potentially breathing new life into a debate that had been largely dismissed as silly by residents and officials in the former logging town with some 7,200 residents. On Thursday, the caucus sent a letter to the city signed by eight of its 12 members. “Fort Bragg is known for its strong sense of community, natural beauty and forward vision. It is also a very diverse community, with residents of many ethnicities and nationalities. But the name Bragg comes...

An Army officer who was accused of tracking down and killing an unarmed bomb-making suspect in Afghanistan is being recommended for an honorable discharge even though a military panel that looked into the case determined his conduct was unbecoming an officer. The military panel at Fort Bragg reached the finding late Sunday concerning Maj. Mathew Golsteyn. Army Special Forces Command spokeswoman Maj. Allison Aguilar said Monday that if the decision is upheld by a review board Golsteyn would be discharged under honorable conditions allowing him to keep nearly all veteran's benefits.

A FORMER ARMY PROSECUTOR HAS BEEN COURT-MARTIALED AND SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS AT THE DB . THE CHARGE WAS “RAPE.” BUT MilitaryCorruption.com HAS REASON TO BELIEVE MAJ ERIK BURRIS WAS RAILROADED. IN FACT, JAG’S OWN FEMALE INVESTIGATING OFFICER REPORTS ESTRANGED WIFE’S CLAIMS “EMBELLISHED, UNTRUTHFUL, FABRICATED.” BY Glenn MacDonald, Major USARMY (Ret) It was a terse, five-line press release out of Fort Bragg issued later in the day. The handout from the Army spokesperson, a MAJ Boring (we know of another flak called “Bunko” who does spin for the Air Force), said a former prosecutor – MAJ Erik J. Burris –...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- More than 100 Fort Bragg soldiers will join the fight to keep the Ebola virus from spreading. Friday, the Pentagon announced that about 120 Fort Bragg troops will deploy to Africa on a humanitarian aid mission. The soldiers are engineers. They repair and replace roads and bridges, and build new structures. Military support personnel from the 44th Medical Brigade are also going, as well as a company of Military Police. A Pentagon spokesman says the troops will help support medical efforts and security in Africa. "We are not treating patients," said Pentagon Press Secretary Rear...

This is one of Chef Robert Irvine's best episodes of "Restaurant Impossible." Its hard not to get choked up over him saving the "Green Beret Club" in Ft. Bragg, Georgia. I have a lot of respect for those who serve our country and those who feed them. Not to be missed!

The chief of an Army medical center has been relieved of his command because of problems with patient care, and the Pentagon has ordered a review of its health care system, defense officials said. The commander was replaced Tuesday at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and three deputies were suspended, the Army said in a statement. The shake-up comes after two deaths this month of patients in their 20s and problems with infection control at the facility that were pointed out in March by a hospital accreditation group, according to two defense officials. They spoke on...

After the 9/11 attacks, tens of thousands of young men and women joined the military, heading for the rugged mountains of Afghanistan and dusty deserts of Iraq. Many of them now are officers in the Army with multiple combat deployments under their belts. But as the wars wind down and Pentagon budgets shrink, a lot of them are being told they have to leave. It's painful and frustrating. In quiet conversations at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Eustis in Virginia, captains talk about their new worries after 15-month deployments in which they battled insurgents and saw roadside bombs...

Three years ago, Maj. Daniel Toven couldn’t imagine being married, let alone having a ceremony in Fort Bragg’s Main Post Chapel. Like all gay soldiers at the time, he was living under the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” — a policy that kept separated his personal life and his work. But after a whirlwind of changes that began with the repeal of the ban in 2011, Toven and his partner, Johnathan Taylor, have broken ground. The pair, who wed in Washington, D.C., in August, blessed their marriage before more than 100 people at Fort Bragg on Saturday. The ceremony...

Independence Day celebrations have been canceled at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base and at the Army's Fort Bragg, both in North Carolina. The annual July Fourth celebration also has been scrapped at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Ga. The reason is money — namely the lack of it.

The 82nd Airborne Division Band struck up “Carolina in the Morning ” as a coalition color guard held the U.S. and Indian flags side by side Friday on Fort Bragg. The ceremony on Pike Field marked the beginning of Yudh Abhyas 2013. About 200 soldiers from the Indian army will be on Fort Bragg for the U.S.-Indian exercise through May 17. The scenario calls for the two armies to work together under a United Nations mandate. “The United States has the world’s oldest democracy, and India, the largest,” Brig. Jagdish Chaudhari said. “We have a lot to learn from each...

Fort Bragg is canceling its July 4th celebration because of budget cuts and worker furloughs. The event - a tradition for more than 30 years - usually attracts 50,000 people and includes what many people believe to be among the best fireworks shows in the region. "Our reduced operating budget for the remainder of this year forces many very tough decisions," said Lt. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, commanding general of 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg ... Fort Bragg announced other cuts and reductions today

The equal treatment of gay spouses in the military took a step forward after the Fort Bragg spouse’s club offered full membership to the wife of a female officer. Ashley Broadway, who is married to Lt. Col. Heather Mack, was offered full membership to the Association of Bragg Officers’ Spouses on Friday, after initially being offered a guest membership. “In order to immediately support all military officer spouses who are eligible for ABOS membership, a more inclusive definition of spouse was needed,” the group wrote on its website. Moving forward, the group said any spouse of an active duty commissioned...

Fort Bragg, NC - As the 2012 Presidential election race heats up, both candidates have engaged in a political firefight for the votes of military service-members and veterans President Obama, hoping to capitalize on his experiences as commander-in-chief... Political operatives within the Democratic National Committee announced that Fort Bragg Army base would be host to their upcoming convention. DNC spokesman cited budget concerns as the primary reason for the short move away from Charlotte, NC... David Axelrod, the President’s campaign advisor, skeptical of the venue change due to the President’s lack of military credentials.

A heavily redacted report – by former FBI Director William Webster (07/20/2012 “Houston Chronicle”, Page B1) – following a two-year review of the Fort Hood “shooting rampage” by Major Hasan declined to assign individual blame for “failing to prevent the November 2009 tragedy”. Describing the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base (13 killed, 32 wounded) as a “tragedy” is acceptable since “tragic” can also mean “disastrous”. However, Mr. Webster’s statement “(Major Hasan) arrived at the deployment center 11/05/2009 and opened fire shouting ‘God is Great’ in Arabic” contradicts the Department of Defense classification of the major’s massacre as “workplace...

...CBS News reports that Page enlisted in the Army in April 1992 and was given a less-than-honorable discharge in October 1998. He was last stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C., serving in the psychological operations unit...

Updated at 7:38 p.m. ET: A soldier is dead and two others injured following a shooting Thursday afternoon at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, according to a statement released by the post. A senior U.S. defense official told NBC News that the deceased victim was a battalion commander.

<p>FAYETTVILLE, N.C. – Fort Bragg officials say police have responded to a shooting incident at Fort Bragg on Thursday.</p> <p>According to Deputy Public Affairs Officer Benjamin Abel, the incident happened on post around 3:30 p.m.</p> <p>Police ask that drivers and pedestrians to avoid the historic district of Fort Bragg until further notice.</p>

Commentary: You’re Going to Celebrate BHM With Fried Chicken, Really? Is Black History Month turning into a stereotypical holiday? I love Black History Month because it serves as a time to acknowledge the contributions of little-known Black inventors, learn the struggles of Black ancestors and celebrate the victories of how far Black people have come as a whole. Companies, schools, churches and organizations across the country organize events to pay tribute, but is there an appropriate way to honor Black History Month? After recent reports in the news, I’m thinking the answer to that question may be "yes." In a...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: This afternoon, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Obama addressed the troops. Listen to this. OBAMA: Nine years ago American troops were preparing to deploy to the Persian Gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. Many of you were in grade school. I was a state senator. Many of the leaders now governing Iraq, including the prime minister, were living in exile. RUSH: "I was a state senator." Meaning I didn't have anything to do with it. Now he's praising the troops. This is October 2nd, 2002. Listen to this. OBAMA: I don't oppose war...