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KABUL, Afghanistan – A man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on a group of Americans at a base in the south of the country, killing a U.S. soldier and wounding another, an Afghan military spokesman said Monday. Spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said the gunman was also killed in the shootout on Sunday. "Right now, an investigation is going on to determine whether he really was a soldier or someone using an army uniform. And if he was a soldier, what caused the shooting," Azimi said. Similar attacks have raised fears of increased Taliban infiltration of the Afghan...

BROWNSVILLE — A “suspicious object protruding from the brush” in Starr County led Border Patrol agents to a weapons cache that included an AK-47, three M4-style assault rifles, hand grenades, military-style uniforms and other related items, Customs and Border Protection said Monday. The seizure occurred Friday on the banks of the Rio Grande near Fronton, a small community about five miles west of Roma. Agents reported finding the four rifles, two hand grenades, a ballistic vest, two ammunition-carrying vests, three two-way radios, two uniforms, and 16 fully-loaded 30-round magazines. All weapons except the grenades were turned over to Immigration and...

Russia's sharp new military uniforms, created by a top fashion designer, have landed hundreds in hospital after proving too thin to withstand the ferocious winter cold, a state daily said Wednesday. Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported that between 60 and 250 servicemen have been laid up with everything from flu to pneumonia as Arctic chills sweep through the country's northern reaches. "They literally felt naked outside," the paper quoted the mother of one soldier as saying. "Many of them ended up in hospital. Ours developed pneumonia," she said of her son. The government daily said defense officials have admitted not receiving complaints...

On Election Day 2008, Maruse Heath, the leader of Philadelphia's New Black Panther Party, stood in front of a neighborhood polling place, dressed in a paramilitary uniform. Within hours, an amateur video showing Heath, slapping a black nightstick and exchanging words with the videographer, had aired on TV and ricocheted across the nation. Among those who saw the footage was J. Christian Adams, who was in his office in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in Washington. "I thought, 'This is wrong, this is not supposed to happen in this country,' " Adams said. "There are armed men in front...

SNIPPET: "According to police, three baggage handlers were loading luggage on to a flight bound for Bermuda around 10:56 a.m. when two of the handlers noticed a third was not wearing an identification badge. When questioned about it, the third man took off and has yet to be found by police." SNIPPET: "Investigating agencies include the Philadelphia Police, the F.B.I. and Homeland Security."

During a campaign stop in Inglewood, California this past weekend, Barbara Boxer’s disrespectful attitude toward our armed forces was on full display when she equated the experiences of Members of Congress with the experiences of those who have put their lives on the line serving our country in uniform. Boxer said this, at an event during which she was supposed to help break ground on new housing for homeless veterans: “We know that if you have veterans in one place where they can befriend each other and talk to each other. You know when you’ve gone through similar things you...

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) - Russian officials say two suicide bombings in the southern province of Dagestan have killed at least nine people including two policemen. The incident comes two days after a twin suicide bombing tore through the Moscow subway, killing 39. A regional Interior Ministry spokesman told The Associated Press that the blasts occurred Wednesday morning in the town of Kizlyar, near Dagestan's border with Chechnya. Police pulled over a suspicious-looking car, when the driver detonated explosives. As police officers and residents gathered at the scene there was a second blast. Rebels from the North Caucasus, which includes Dagestan...

BAMBERG, Germany — The Army has selected the MultiCam as its new uniform for soldiers heading to Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced, following four months of testing by units in the combat zone. MultiCams will be issued to units heading to Afghanistan starting in July. Those units include the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Polk, La.; the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo.; and the 2nd Brigade, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard, according to the Program Executive Office Soldier Web site. Soldiers in Afghanistan had identified the need for a new...

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has told his military aides not to wear combat fatigues to work at the Pentagon anymore, reversing a symbolic change of protocol ordered in the harrowing days after the Sept. 11 attacks. There was no formal announcement about Mr. Gates directing his military staff to shed their fatigues in favor of business uniforms — the smartly pressed ones bedecked with combat medals and service ribbons that are the military equivalent of a civilian coat and tie, worn with dress shoes and not combat boots. But throughout the Defense Department, where every action by...

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — British and American soldiers soon could be hard to tell apart if the U.S. Army adopts a camouflage pattern similar to one that the British have already picked out to conceal their troops in Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment in eastern Afghanistan are wearing new uniforms featuring the "MultiCam" camouflage pattern as part of a trial conducted by the Army to determine the best way to help troops blend in with their environment. Last week the British Ministry of Defence announced that its troops would soon start wearing a new uniform with a...

The uniform of the British Army is to be changed for the first time in almost 40 years. The new Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) will replace the traditional four colour woodland uniform known as No.8: Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM). Forces in Afghanistan will start to get the new uniforms in March next year, with the whole army upgraded by 2011. MTP is designed for a wide range of environments, including the volatile "green zone" of Helmand province. British troops in Afghanistan currently use a mix of desert camouflage and temperate DPM, depending on which area they are operating in. There are...

Title only. Breaking.

The Army will make an exception to a decades-old rule and allow a Sikh doctor to serve without removing his turban and cutting his hair, an advocacy group said Friday. The doctor, Capt. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi of Riverdale, N.J., is the first Sikh to be allowed to go on active duty with a turban, beard and unshorn hair in more than 20 years, the New York-based Sikh Coalition said.The decision does not overturn an Army policy from the 1980s that regulates the wearing of religious items, the acting deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Gina Farrisee, wrote in a letter...

Sikhs Challenge U.S. Army's Ban on Turbans, Beards Sunday, June 14, 2009 NEW YORK — Military service is in Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi's blood. His father and grandfather were part of India's Air Force. His great-grandfather served in the army in India under the British. So when U.S. Army recruiters talked to him during his first year of medical school, he readily signed up. But his plans to go on active duty in July are now on hold. An Army policy from the 1980s that regulates the wearing of religious items would mean he would need to shave his beard...

NEW YORK -- Military service is in Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi's blood. But his plans to go on active duty in July are now on hold. An Army policy from the 1980s that regulates the wearing of religious items would mean he would need to shave his beard and remove the turban he wears in accordance with his religious precepts. Sikhs have a long history with the U.S. military, serving in World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and in the Persian Gulf.

Note: The following text is a quote: Justice Department Files Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against Essex County, New Jersey County Refused to Accommodate Muslim Employee’s Religious Headcovering The Department filed a lawsuit today against Essex County, N.J., alleging that it discriminated against a Muslim corrections officer on the basis of her religion in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The suit alleges that the county refused to permit Yvette Beshier to wear a religiously mandated headscarf while working as a corrections officer. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin...

Marine fights to wear dress blues at high school graduation April 10, 2009 Marine Pfc. Garrett Miles-McCarthy graduated from boot camp in San Diego only last month but he is already in his first battle: against his hometown school board. The 18-year-old wants to wear his dress blues uniform at his high school graduation ceremony in El Paso, Texas. He finished his coursework in December and immediately shipped out to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. School officials have said no, that all grads have to wear cap and gown, no exceptions. The mayor, a local congressman and others are...

A Seattle man who was arrested wearing a King County Sheriff's Office-issued jumpsuit and bullet-resistant vest was charged Thursday in an attempted drug robbery. According to police, Jason M. Lusher, 38, forced his way into a North Seattle home early Tuesday morning while armed with an AK-47-style assault rifle. Lusher was wearing sheriff's office garb apparently issued to his father, a retired sergeant. In court documents, investigators assert that Lusher broke down the door with the butt of his rifle before accosting a woman living in the home. Police say Lusher later admitted to officers that he was looking for...

Patriotic helmet needs to go, Newton Fire Chief says By Ben Terris, Globe Correspondent A veteran of the Iraq War, Richard Busa is used to fighting for the American flag. But never quite like this. After more than three years of rushing into fires with his signature red, white and blue helmet, the Newton firefighter has been told to paint it black. Newton Fire Chief Joseph LaCroix wants the patriotic decoration gone, saying it does not conform to the department's rules.

BAGHDAD – Two American servicemen were killed Tuesday when a gunman in an Iraqi army uniform opened fire while they were distributing humanitarian aid in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said. It was the third such shooting in the Mosul area in less than a year purportedly involving Iraqi soldiers, raising concerns about infiltration of the Iraqi security forces in one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq. The shooting, southwest of Mosul near the Syrian border, came on the eve of a parliament vote on a pact that would allow American troops to remain in Iraq three more years....

New AF Dress Coat Left Flapping in the Wind It could just be that the Air Force is entering an era that, in part, will be defined by what will not be a hot-button issue: uniforms. "First things first," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz responded Sept. 17 when asked by Military.com whether uniforms -- new ones or modifications to current dress -- will be relegated to the back burner during his tenure. Schwartz, who had just listened as his major command chiefs offered up a list of things the Air Force needs today-right-now-thank-you-very much -- including new...

Man accused of posing as Dodger on field LOS ANGELES — A man faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing a uniform from Dodger Stadium and posing as one of the team's players. Ronald Higgins pleaded not guilty to several charges Friday, including burglary and trespassing. The 47-year-old Higgins was arrested Wednesday morning after a security guard found him walking on the field in a Dodgers uniform and holding a glove with two balls. Higgins allegedly identified himself as a Dodgers player, but the guard recognized him from an earlier incident and called police. Prosecutors say Higgins' clothes were later found...

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Sept. 19, 2008 – Though he’s never regretted joining the Army, a soldier here said, his decision never felt more right than when he faced the greatest challenge of his life: battling cancer. It’s been almost nine years since Army doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumor growing in Sgt. 1st Class James Jordan’s chest. He was 33 then and stationed in South Korea. Today, Jordan has survived two bouts with cancer and is planning a long career before retiring from the Army. "I love the Army," said Jordan, a senior paralegal for the Europe Regional Medical Command judge advocate...

Because I'm pointing you to the Army Times and they are on the list of "News Organs" that don't want any of their words post on FR I can only point you to the Army Times web site. You'll enjoy the words that the troops are giving to whoever made the decision (if you can call it that) to do away with the Class A Greens and go to a Junked Up Dress Blue uniform. Army Times

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 25, 2008) -- Out with the old, in with the blue. The Army has made it official; the green service uniform, which has defined the service since the mid-1950s, is on the outs. In place of the green uniform will be a variation of the blue uniform, something many Soldiers already own. Official word on the new "Army Service Uniform," or ASU, was released Aug. 20 in a message to all Army activities. The message defines the wear policy and the "bridging" strategy for transition to the new uniform. "It's a culmination of transformation efforts...

The Browns will wear brown pants for the first time in team history during Monday night's nationally-televised preseason game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium. The pants are the same color of "darker" brown that's on the plain socks the Browns have worn in recent seasons. They contain no stripes or markings. They will be wearing those socks again on Monday, with their traditional white jerseys and orange helmets, and also the black shoes they started wearing again in 2006. The team had the brown pants created as an option for their away uniform when they integrated the...

BLOOMER, Wis. - A new Marine who's graduating from Bloomer High School this month won't be able to wear his military uniform during the commencement ceremony.

Springfield's men in black are returning. The city's new police commissioner, William Fitchet, says members of the department's Street Crime Unit will again don black, military-style uniforms as part of his strategy to deal with youth violence.

SELDOM has the sacrifice of so many been so sneered at by such a worthless few. Barely a week goes by without one or more brave members of our Armed Forces giving their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan. We at The Sun SALUTE our heroic Boys and Girls – and today declare the ban on them wearing their proud uniforms in public an INSULT. Last night PM Gordon Brown slammed a barmy order that 2,000 RAF personnel must don civvies on a city’s streets to avoid confrontations with “antiwar” thugs. The same cowardly minority of hooligans have spat at and...

The New Calendar of People's Liberation Army

I joined the MT National Guard last month. I was supposed to drill tomorrow, but they changed it for me to tonight. I just got my uniforms 10 minutes ago. The patches were rubber-banded together. I'm not sure which patch goes where. I have two for my last name and 1 that says "US Army" I also have a circular, which looks something like a sunburst over a mountain top. I'm not sure though and as far as I can tell it could be up-side down. I don't want to look like a dork! Can anyone help me?

A follow up on the East Texas Marine that had his car stolen. 20 year old Blake Weller, a Marine from Whitehouse, is on leave and, just three days ago, his car was stolen along with his uniform and medals, including a purple heart. Police were able to get his car back and now the suspected thief is in jail. But Blake said he is still missing the thing most important to him. About 5:45am Monday morning Blake received quite a wake up call. "I received a phone call from Tyler PD and they said they have recovered my car...

SAN DIEGO — Leather belts with brass buckles are out; nylon belts with quick-release plastic buckles are in. Slacks are out; lightweight cargo pants are in. Shiny badges and nameplates are out; cloth patches are in. The Border Patrol uniform is getting its first makeover since the 1950s to look more like military fatigues and less like a police officer's duty garb. The new uniform, introduced this week, reflects how illegal border crossings have changed in the last decade. As enforcement heightened, routes moved from the streets of San Diego and other border cities to unforgiving, often remote mountains and...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Florida man described as patriotic, who faced prison time for wearing a U.S. Army uniform at Orlando International Airport, won a legal battle Thursday when an Orange County, Fla., judge ruled the state law unconstitutional. In May, Fernando Montas, who is not a member of the military, was arrested at OIA for violating a state law prohibiting civilians from wearing military clothing. "My client is patriotic with what is going on overseas and he is proud to be in this country and was basically exercising his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech," Montas' attorney Rajan...

Session 117 - (2007-2008) S 0486 General Bill, By Hayes A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SUBARTICLE 9 TO ARTICLE 3, CHAPTER 7, TITLE 20 SO AS TO ENACT THE "UNIFORM CHILD ABDUCTION PREVENTION ACT" TO PROVIDE A LEGAL MECHANISM TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CREDIBLE RISKS OF ABDUCTION RELATED TO A LEGAL CUSTODY OR VISITATION. View full text 02/22/07 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-8 02/22/07 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-8 03/01/07 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Ritchie (ch), Rankin, Lourie, Scott (A) When determining the existence of a credible...

Colorado Governor Ritter Signs 26 Bills Into Law Today May 14, 2007 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed 26 bills into law today, including the second-parent adoption and human-sexuality education bills. More than 200 additional bills are pending before the governor, with a deadline of June 4. The bills signed today and their sponsors: HB 1019, Carriers Exempt Public Utilities (Rep. Mike Cerbo and Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald) HB 1141, Purchase of Metals Record Keeping (Rep. Nancy Todd, Sen. Suzanne Williams) HB 1156, Disclose Source Residential Water Supply (Rep. Marsha Looper, Sen. Ken Gordon) HB 1174, Repeal Sunset Concealed Carry Database...

When a Napa seventh-grader was cited for wearing Winnie the Pooh-themed socks in class and struck back with a lawsuit, it marked an odd but not unprecedented clash in the decadelong spread of dress codes and uniform policies at public schools. The seventh-grader and five other students at Redwood Middle School, along with their parents, say the school's dress code is so strict that it amounts to a uniform policy. California law allows parents to opt out of dressing children in uniforms -- a choice that Redwood Middle School doesn't offer. The case, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union,...

A four-person team from Canada were on Fort Huachuca last week gathering information for a potential new NATO camouflage uniform designed for semi-arid urban terrain. Taking measurements from left were Chad Young, Marie Yelle-Whitwam and Bob Balma. In the background is Lt. Liegh Mathieson. (Bill Hess-Herald/Review) Herald/Review FORT HUACHUCA — Battlefields are not neat and tidy places to take a casual stroll. Be it in an open field or a crowded city street, soldiers are constantly in danger from a well-aimed gun shot or an explosive device triggered by a opponent. How to veil their presence from an enemy as...

I have a friend running for office in Virginia. He serves in the United States Navy Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander. He has used pictures of himself in uniform in some of his campaign literature, because he is proud of his service to our country. But a local blogger is claiming that doing so violates the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He has never appeared in uniform for any campaign activity -- everybody acknowledges that. It's also clear a person who is retired from the military can use pictures of themselves in military uniforms -- we have ample evidence of...

    Excitement heating up over new extended-cold-weather gear Dec 15, 2006 BY Donna Miles Sgt. Seth Paul and his wife, Sgt. Katja Paul, both military police officers with the Alaska Army Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion at Fort Greely, call the Army's new Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System the perfect answer to extreme conditions they face in Alaska. Photo by William D. Moss FORT GREELEY, Alaska (Army News Service, Dec. 15, 2006) - Members of the Alaska Army National Guard here are sizzling with excitement about their new cold weather gear that keeps them toasty warm...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2006 – About 92 percent of Iraq’s 188,000 Ministry of Interior forces now are trained and equipped, and all Iraqi National Police soon will receive new official uniforms, the commander of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team told Baghdad reporters today. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Peterson reported major strides in preparing Iraq’s police elements for their security mission. Among Iraqi police, the largest group of Interior Ministry forces, about 90 percent are trained and 83 percent equipped, he reported. Those operating in nine key Iraqi cities U.S. forces have been working with are about 99 percent equipped....

The U.S. military unveiled a new uniform Monday for Iraq's national police that will be difficult to copy -- a move aimed at preventing insurgents, death squads, and common criminals from impersonating officers. The new bluish-gray uniform, presented to reporters by Maj. Gen. Joseph Peterson, is similar to that worn by U.S. soldiers but with the Iraqi flag embedded in the fabric's print. It will be issued beginning in October. "This one is very hard to duplicate. It is very distinctive," said Peterson, who is in charge of training the Iraqi national police. The current uniforms are easy to copy...

Violates Military Uniform Code by wearing uniform while campaigning, Wears officer's uniform that does not match rank at which he retired HARRISBURG - Republican State Committee Executive Director Scott Migli today questioned Joe Sestak, Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, for his repeated violations of federal law and U.S. Navy regulations as it relates to appropriate conduct for the wearing of military uniforms. Those violations include wearing his uniform while engaged in campaign activities and wearing a uniform that displays a rank above what the grade at which he retired from service. "Joe Sestak's improper use of the military...

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2006 – Servicemembers in uniform can now watch their favorite World Wrestling Entertainment superstars in action free of charge. World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Booker T. performs before thousands of excited servicemembers at the 2004 "Tribute to the Troops" tour in Iraq. Photo courtesy of WWE  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. World Wrestling Entertainment is offering all U.S. military personnel from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Reserves and National Guard a complimentary ticket to a live WWE event in their local area, provided they come dressed in uniform with a military ID. Tickets are available...

Stop saying “HAPPY Memorial Day” By Jeff Seeber I hope I live long enough to be able to get through the month of May just once without some moron sending me a HAPPY Memorial Day e-mail or hearing some idiot wishing people a HAPPY Memorial Day. It’s bad enough I’m reminded every May and every November that very few Americans know the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but expecting me to remain silent about the growing trend to turn Memorial Day into some sort of celebration is asking too much. I usually chagrin and bear it, but I’m...

The U.S. Army plans to eliminate the green uniform worn by its soldiers for more than 100 years and return to the traditional blue worn by those fighting the Revolutionary War. Everyday uniforms will include a dark blue jacket, light blue trousers and gray shirt, the Army said. Formal occasions will require a white shirt; soldiers' dress uniforms are already blue. Soldiers will begin wearing the new attire by the middle of next year and all soldiers must have it by the end of 2011, the Army said. The change will simplify the uniform, the Army chief of staff, Gen....

June 15 -- The U.S. Army plans to eliminate the green uniform worn by its soldiers for more than 100 years and switch back to traditional blue worn by those fighting the Revolutionary War. Everyday-wear uniforms will include a dark blue jacket, light blue trousers and grey shirt, the Army said. Soldiers' dress uniforms are already blue. Soldiers will begin wearing the new garb by the middle of next and all soldiers must have them by the end of 2011, the Army said. A date for eliminating the green uniform hasn't been set. The change will simplify the uniform, Army...

Army service uniforms will be streamlined to one blue Army Service Uniform, the Army announced today. “World-class Soldiers deserve a simplified, quality uniform. The blue Army Service Uniform is a traditional uniform that is consistent with the Army’s most honored traditions,” said Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Kenneth O. Preston. “We have all of these variations of uniforms – green, blue and white,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker. “It makes sense for us to go to one traditional uniform that is really sharp and high quality and which Soldiers will be very proud to wear. And...

I grew up land-locked and developed an intense interest in reading sea stories from an early age. Prior to my coming along, everyone in my family who served, did so in the Army. I enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1968 at the age of 18.One thing about serving in the military, one's wardrobe undergoes a complete overhaul, right down to the skivvies.I remember that first day at bootcamp where I stood outside with my Company, a big pile of new clothing at my feet and a new seabag to put it in after every piece of it was...

The First Look at the Vikings New Uniforms