Source: United States Airforce
AFSOC opened the 2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium with senior leaders underscoring the command’s enduring focus on people and rapid adaptability to win the future fight in a complex and ever-changing global security environment.
Source: United States Army
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DAKAR, Senegal — U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daniel Cederman, engaged with Senegalese senior military leaders, U.S. Department of State officials, and U.S. service members in late January as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen professional military relationships and maintain close coordination with regional partners.
During the visit, Cederman, the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), met with Senegalese army Gen. Mbaye Cissé, chief of the General Staff for Senegalese Armed Forces, and Senegalese air force Brig. Gen. El Hadji Niang, chief of staff for the Senegalese air force. Discussions focused on military-to-military cooperation, professional engagement and the importance of clear communication and coordination between partner forces.
Discussions Cederman held with State Department officials and U.S. military personnel in Senegal featured ongoing collaboration and the role of integrated diplomatic and military efforts in supporting shared objectives.
Cederman also attended a ceremony at Dial Diop Barracks recognizing Cissé’s induction into the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame, located in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This distinction honors international graduates who have reached senior leadership positions in their respective military organizations.
“Our relationship with the Senegalese Armed Forces is built on professionalism, mutual respect and consistent engagement,” Cederman said. “Visits like this allow us to maintain open dialogue and strengthen the professional relationships that support effective cooperation between our forces.”
Senegal is scheduled to participate in African Lion 2026, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual exercise, taking place April 20 to May 8, 2026, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. In addition to hosting a medical readiness exercise, Senegalese soldiers will participate in a combined forces exercise in Morocco as part of a broader multinational training event, supporting continued collaboration between U.S. forces and African partners.
Through visits like this, U.S. Army leaders reinforce trust, promote shared understanding and maintain strong professional ties with partner nations. These relationships support both countries’ goals of developing capable, professional forces prepared to work together effectively through routine engagement, training and dialogue.
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About African Lion
U.S. Africa Command’s premiere and largest annual joint and combined exercise, African Lion brings together thousands of military personnel across four countries to increase interoperability while strengthening shared defense capabilities and cooperation.
About SETAF-AF
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A federal jury convicted a former vice president of Corsa Coal Corporation (Corsa) for his role in a multi-year scheme to bribe Egyptian government officials in connection with nearly $140 million in coal supply contracts.
“Charles Hunter Hobson won business for his company by paying bribes — and he even took a cut for himself,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Businessmen and companies that pay bribes to foreign government officials to win contracts undermine the rule of law and distort competition, which hurts American business interests worldwide. The Criminal Division will continue its commitment to vindicating our national interests by combatting foreign corruption in violation of U.S. law.”
“Bribing officials of foreign governments to obtain business, and then laundering that money, is illegal, corrupts the global marketplace, and disadvantages law-abiding U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Along with our law enforcement colleagues at the FBI and other agencies, we will continue to investigate and bring to justice defendants such as Charles Hobson who seek to enrich themselves while engaging in flagrant, fraudulent conduct.”
“Hobson used his leadership position at Corsa to bribe Egyptian government officials and secure millions of dollars in sales contracts for the company,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Through this bribery scheme, he violated American and Egyptian laws and robbed law-abiding coal companies of the chance to compete for profits. His conviction is the latest result of the FBI’s work to investigate individuals who resort to corrupt practices to increase international business.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Charles Hunter Hobson, 50, of Knoxville, Tennessee, agreed to bribe Egyptian government officials to obtain and retain business with Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals (Al Nasr), which was then a state-owned and state-controlled chemical manufacturing company in Egypt. Hobson, together with others, paid the bribes through purported sales commissions and laundered the bribes through bank accounts in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Hobson also secretly received kickback payments as part of the scheme.
The evidence at trial showed that, between 2016 and 2020, Hobson, who was then a vice president at Corsa responsible for international sales, conspired to and did pay bribes to Egyptian government officials — whom Hobson referred to as “the Team” — in order to win contracts for Corsa to sell coal products to Al Nasr. The bribes were paid through an intermediary in Egypt, who, received more than $4.8 million in purported sales commissions. In addition to using the corrupt commissions to pay bribes, the intermediary paid Hobson over $200,000 in kickbacks from the scheme.
The jury convicted Hobson of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), two counts of violating the FCPA, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the FCPA and FCPA conspiracy counts, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy counts, respectively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Frederick Cushmore Jr., another Corsa executive, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing. The department resolved its investigation into Corsa in March 2023 through a declination and the disgorgement of profits as defined in Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in Washington, D.C., and the Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Natalie Kanerva and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Source: United States Army
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army National Guard formally established a new leadership tradition Feb. 12, presenting the inaugural Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple Jr. Leadership Award to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Douglas Malone and Sgt. 1st Class Danielle Beasley during a ceremony at the Herbert R. Temple Army National Guard Readiness Center.
The annual award honors Soldiers who embody the 13 leadership principles championed by Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple Jr., the visionary leader widely regarded as the father of the modern National Guard. The ceremony marked the first presentation of what will now become a yearly recognition of excellence across the force.
Temple enlisted as a private in 1947, served in combat as a noncommissioned officer during the Korean War, and later rose to serve as director of the Army National Guard and chief of the National Guard Bureau. His leadership philosophy was forged in combat and refined through decades of service. He championed professional military education, readiness, leader development, and integration with the active component, ensuring the Guard was prepared not as a strategic afterthought, but as a capable operational reserve.
“General Temple understood that the strength of the Army National Guard rests in the leaders we develop and empower,” said Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard. “This award recognizes Soldiers who do more than perform well in their duties; they elevate those around them, strengthen readiness, and carry forward the standard of excellence he established for our force.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz, a former director of the Army National Guard who served under Temple, said the new award reflects a legacy that continues to shape the force.
“Lt. Gen. Temple was a mentor of mine. He was with me every step of my seven-year tour as director,” Schultz said. “What is being done with the Temple Awards has a real connection with Soldiers in the ranks.”
Shultz said Temple’s leadership philosophy was grounded in his enlisted roots and focused on knowledge, mission clarity, and long-term vision. He fostered a team-centered culture, delegated authority, and ensured Soldiers at every level had what they needed to succeed.
“His influence is still visible across the Army National Guard today,” Shultz said.
Temple Award nominees underwent a rigorous selection process that included detailed applications, essays, and board evaluation centered on Temple’s 13 leadership practices: knowledge, vision, objective, offense, take charge, flatten and empower, teamwork, care for subordinates, integrity, consistency, courage of convictions, nothing is impossible, and see the fight through the fighter’s eyes.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Malone was recognized primarily for embodying the principles of knowledge and vision. He emphasized technical and tactical proficiency as the foundation of credible leadership and proposed expanding Title 10-Title 32 exchange opportunities to strengthen integration and readiness across components. His forward-thinking approach reflects Temple’s strategic foresight in preparing the Guard for emerging operational demands.
Being a recipient of the inaugural Temple Leadership Award is a profound honor,” said Malone. “Lt. General Temple’s vision, which transformed the Army National Guard from a strategic reserve into an operational force, is the legacy we strive to uphold. Our mission is to ensure every action supports the warfighter, and we achieve this by adhering to his core principle: to ‘See the fight through the Soldier’s eyes’ as we enable them to meet all state and federal mission requirements.”
Sgt. 1st Class Beasley was selected for exemplifying care for subordinates and integrity. She described leadership as service, emphasizing the importance of setting a confident tone, standing with, not above, her team, and proactively shaping outcomes. Her philosophy mirrors Temple’s belief that empowered and cared-for Soldiers are central to mission success.
“Our role as leaders is to serve alongside our Soldiers and create conditions for them to thrive and accomplish the mission,” said Beasley. “I’m grateful for the leadership principles Lt. Gen. Temple established, and to the Army National Guard for the opportunity to continue to lead and serve.”
Each recipient received a statuette of Temple, a reserved parking space at the Arlington Readiness Center for one year, and a permanent inscription on the Temple Leadership Award plaque displayed at the center.
Temple once reflected that any progress achieved during his tenure belonged not to one man, but to the National Guard itself, to the Soldiers and leaders who carried the work forward. Decades later, that same spirit endures. His influence is evident not in monuments or memory alone, but in the professionalism, readiness, and character of the citizen-Soldiers who continue to build on the foundation he helped lay.
Retired Maj. Gen. Raymond “Fred” Rees, a former senior National Guard leader who served alongside Temple, said, “Lt. Gen. Temple wanted to be remembered as a citizen-Soldier. From service as a young NCO in the Korean War to his retirement as chief of the National Guard Bureau, he was a zealous believer of the citizen-Soldier and all that meant to our nation,” Rees added that Temple’s strategic vision during the defense buildup of the 1980s helped transform the Guard at the national level and shaped generations of leaders who carried that vision forward. He said the Temple Leadership Award serves as a lasting reminder of the value of committed and competent leadership.
With the presentation of the inaugural Temple Leadership Award, the Army National Guard did more than recognize two exceptional Soldiers; it set a standard. The ceremony affirmed that Temple’s principles are not confined to history but are alive in formations across the 54 states and territories. As new leaders rise and new challenges emerge, the legacy he forged endures in those who choose knowledge over complacency, service over self, and action over hesitation.
In honoring Malone and Beasley, the Army National Guard reaffirms its commitment to developing leaders of character, competence, and courage; leaders ready to fight, win, and defend the nation whenever called.
Moving forward, the Temple award will be extended to the 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
Source: United States Army
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – With millions of soccer fans expected to descend on the Pacific Northwest for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Washington National Guard and public safety leaders are preparing for the potential of drones falling into the wrong hands.
On Feb. 11 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Washington National Guard supported a FIFA Field Ready Range Day focused on countering unmanned aerial system threats. The training brought together military, law enforcement and interagency partners to sharpen their ability to detect, track and respond to potentially hostile drones ahead of major international events, including multiple World Cup matches scheduled in Seattle.
“I spent the last two years as the I Corps chief of staff and I have been all over the Pacific Theater trying to ensure readiness for large-scale combat operations,” said Col. Phillip Lamb, senior Army advisor for the Washington National Guard. “And what I’ve come to determine is that we’ve defined readiness improperly up until this point in time. What we’re doing here now is the future of real readiness.”
Lamb said events like the range day promote the next level of readiness.
“As you look at defense of the homeland as the priority for this administration and for the Department of War, what we’re doing out here is the beginning of generating real readiness to defend critical infrastructure, like installations and ports, from flying unmanned systems while defending and protecting critical war fighting functions,” Lamb continued. “This is now becoming the priority of effort in what we really mean when we talk about generating readiness.”
The event built on momentum from a Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit hosted by the Washington National Guard in November, which examined drone threats during large-scale public gatherings. Discussions during the February training reinforced the Guard’s role in supporting civil authorities, particularly in detection and monitoring, while operating within federal and state legal frameworks.
Those legal authorities were also a focus during recent testimony before state legislators, where National Guard leaders spoke in support of House Bill 2462. The bill is designed to clarify how the National Guard and Washington State Guard can assist law enforcement in responding to credible drone threats.
“It allows the governor, through the adjutant general, to set clear rules for how agencies respond to drone threats and authorizes the governor to use the National Guard to support law enforcement when needed,” said Lt. Col. Denny Frey, the adjutant general’s command action group lead. “In short, it improves coordination, closes capability gaps, and gives the state additional tools to protect the public.”
During the range day event, National Guard subject-matter experts outlined how counter-UAS support typically works during major events. Local law enforcement agencies remain responsible for establishing temporary flight restrictions through the Federal Aviation Administration, while requests for National Guard assistance are coordinated through the State Emergency Operations Center.
“The primary role of the National Guard during these missions is detection and monitoring of potentially hazardous drones,” said Lt. Col. Wes Watson, former commander of the 10th Civil Support Team. “That capability is critical when local agencies are stretched or facing a complex threat environment.”
The 10th CST has extensive experience supporting large-scale public events across the region, regularly working alongside the Seattle Police and Fire departments at professional sporting events and concerts at Lumen Field. That established relationship, officials said, will be essential as planning accelerates for World Cup security operations.
As drone technology becomes more accessible and adaptable, Washington National Guard leaders emphasized that training events like FIFA range days are vital to staying ahead of potential threats.
“We’re using FIFA as an example, as a springboard to generate that readiness. But there are other events coming up, like with Los Angeles hosting the Olympics in 2028,” said Lamb. “Defense of critical infrastructure around the entirety of this nation is so important and we are in the business of making sure that we can protect the homeland.”
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Source: United States Army
ELLINGTON FIELD JOINT RESERVE BASE, HOUSTON-75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander and first sergeant provided their fiscal year 2027 annual training brief to Maj. Gen. Michelle Link, commanding general, 75th USARIC, and to her command staff both virtually and in-person at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, in Houston, Texas, Jan. 24, 2026.
The HHD FY27 YTB allowed discussions to improve their detachment’s training, readiness and status, allowing for Link’s guidance and input to build long-range training plans.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today that NOMMA ZARUBINA, a Russian citizen, pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI relating to her relationship with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (“FSB”), and to naturalization fraud for lying about her involvement in prostitution-related offenses.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
BOSTON – Four individuals, including one from Massachusetts, have been charged for their alleged involvement in a multi-state scheme to obtain millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for themselves and others by submitting fraudulent applications to PPP lenders.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Brigette O. Robertson, 40, a former special police officer residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison in connection with violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen by stomping on her face in June 2023.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Steven L. Ploof, 48, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to threatening to assault a member of the immediate family of a Federal law enforcement officer with intent to impede with such law enforcement officer while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against such law enforcement officer on account of the performance of official duties. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of $250,000.