Source: United States Department of Defense
U.S. forces in the Middle East are laser-focused on warfighting, lethality and readiness, and they are performing superbly, Navy Vice Adm. Charles B. Cooper II, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Ammaad Akhtar, 33, of Stockton, was arrested today and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, since February 2025, Akhtar has been communicating online with a law enforcement-controlled individual, whom Akhtar believed was a member of ISIS. In these conversations, Akhtar voiced his support for ISIS and jihad, expressed a desire to travel overseas to join and fight with ISIS, and stated a desire to send guns and money to ISIS.
In April 2025, during this investigation, Akhtar demonstrated a desire to provide support for ISIS and did so by providing financial funding on multiple occasions. After a few payments, the law enforcement-controlled individual indicated that ISIS had procured several guns with the money Akhtar had sent. In his response, Akhtar said, “may Allah destroy our enemies” and affirmed that he would send more money that same day.
Akhtar also talked about planning acts of violence, including conducting an attack against a specific individual and an attack utilizing homemade explosives. He said he “want[s] to die in the cause of Allah fighting the kuffar [infidels]” and asked for instructions on how to make a homemade explosive device in order “to make a boom” at a populated event.
Then, on June 23, 2025, Akhtar met with an individual he believed was an ISIS associate, but who was actually an undercover employee. Akhtar provided clothing, binoculars, $400 cash, two loaded guns, and six additional magazines. Akhtar then swore bayat (a pledge of loyalty) to ISIS.
If convicted, Akhtar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, and Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s Sacramento Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Navy
NORFOLK, Va. — Nearly 4,500 Sailors assigned to the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group departed Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, June 24, for a regularly-scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Justice Department announced today that Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC will pay over $1.4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) when it imposed illegal fees on military servicemembers who terminated their leases after receiving military relocation orders.
The Department alleged that Greystar, the nation’s largest property management company with over 800,000 housing units under management, relied on software that it knew would automatically impose early termination charges on SCRA-protected servicemembers.
Greystar will set aside $1.35 million to pay affected military members and their co-tenants and will pay a $77,370 civil penalty. Greystar will pay triple damages to the servicemembers who paid the early termination charges. The company will also make changes to its policies and training, including adopting SCRA-compliant software and forms at all its properties.
“We honor the service and sacrifices of our military by defending their rights under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are aggressively enforcing all laws, including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to protect our military servicemembers and veterans.”
“America’s servicemembers devote their lives to defending our nation and must be able to do so without undue burdens,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects our military families from unfair hardships such as penalties for terminating a housing lease to fulfill military orders. We will continue to defend and support those who keep our country safe.”
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $483 million in monetary relief for over 148,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Source: United States Navy
In his new role as a civilian F-35 maintenance test pilot, retired Marine Ross Fearon traded combat maneuvers for flight testing to ensure the nation’s warfighters receive flight-ready aircraft following modification or repair at the depot.
Source: United States Navy
TOWNSVILLE, Australia — U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) arrived in Townsville to train alongside the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) during Exercise Southern Jackaroo 25, a multi-lateral exercise held from May 25 through June 13, 2025 at the Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia.
Source: United States Army
VICENZA, Italy – The military communities of U.S. Army Garrison Italy, including Vicenza and Camp Darby, are mourning the loss of Gene Willie Strahan Jr., a devoted automotive mechanic, beloved colleague and cherished friend.
Strahan knew cars—especially BMWs, his favorite. Friends described him as a gentle giant who loved car shows, fishing and spending time with his tiny dog, Thor.
A U.S. Army veteran, Strahan served in Germany in the 1980s. As a civilian, he began working in Mannheim, Germany. He later moved to Camp Darby, where he worked as a contractor and later at the post exchange. Many remember him from his time at Camp Darby’s Auto Skills Center. Following downsizing there, Strahan relocated to Vicenza, where he worked at the Auto Skills Center, part of the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Strahan’s love of cars translated to a sincere dedication to community members who sought his help. He offered mechanical expertise to soldiers and civilians at Caserma Ederle with humility and genuine warmth. A few minutes in the shop with Strahan often felt more like catching up with an old friend than speaking with a mechanic.
Over the years, Strahan earned several awards for his work. But his joy came from engaging with the community and making connections that lasted.
News of his June 10 passing sparked an outpouring of online condolences from Americans and Italians in Vicenza and Camp Darby, as well as friends around the world who remembered his kindness during their time in Italy.
Jimmy Roddy, DFMWR’s Business Recreation Division chief, first met Strahan 24 years ago at Camp Darby. There, Strahan helped organize the summer car show and became known for offering help to anyone with automotive issues.
“A big guy, big smile with a bigger heart—always helpful,” Roddy said. “He was very low-key, for as big as he was. He was a gentle giant.”
Nicknamed “The Frenchman” by fishing buddies, Strahan was born on Dec. 7, 1963 in France into a military family. He grew up around Army bases, to include time in Germany.
Timothy Gordon, a friend from the Camp Darby days, recalled spending long hours fishing Italian rivers with him—a tradition that continued after both relocated to Vicenza. Another shared passion was cars.
“If you asked him about a BMW, he could tell you about it from top to bottom,” Gordon said.
In Vicenza, Strahan was often seen with Thor, a canine companion that went with him nearly everywhere.
“The smallest dog you could imagine with the biggest man you could ever imagine,” Gordon said. “People would just watch them walk down the road. He just loved small dogs.”
Strahan also befriended Soldiers, including Spc. Haron Palomo, a volunteer at the Auto Skills Center. Over the past two years, they joked, shared stories and discussed car repairs while Palomo restored a 1993 Honda Civic. As he did with other customers, Strahan offered tips on finding affordable parts.
“Sadly, he didn’t get to see it finished,” Palomo said.
Strahan is survived by his mother, daughter, sister and brothers, including Michael Strahan, a television host and former professional football player.
A memorial service will be held at noon on June 25 at Caserma Ederle’s Chapel. A second service is scheduled for noon on June 26 at Camp Darby’s chapel.
Source: United States Army
TOWER BARRACKS, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria and Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden celebrated their official partnership May 22, 2025, marking the beginning of an initiative that creates an innovative learning environment.
This partnership aims to support and promote the exchange between practical and theoretical learning, which is achieved by integrating OTH students and faculty into real-world projects with USAG Bavaria.
“This is a massive win-win,” said Dwayne D. Key II, deputy to the garrison commander at USAG Bavaria. “I’m most excited not just about meeting the students and seeing ourselves through their eyes. And I think this present generation of learners is so phenomenal.”
With the support of 120 professors across its four faculties and 54 degree programs, OTH Amberg-Weiden serves approximately 4,200 students and is known for its innovative, future-oriented education.
Professor Dr. med. Clemens Bulitta, president of OTH Amberg-Weiden, emphasized the importance of this new addition to the university’s partnership network.
“It’s all about networking and about bringing people together,” Bulitta said. “When you bring people together, they will exchange thoughts, create ideas, become innovative, and they will drive and strengthen partnership and push developments. And now you become part of this network and the doors are opening on both sides.”
“This partnership drives innovation,” said Lukas Miserra, management analyst for USAG Bavaria. “It strengthens USAG Bavaria by integrating academic expertise and fostering collaboration between students and professionals with the garrison, providing valuable insights and practical experience.”
Both sides expressed enthusiasm for growing the partnership and involving more regional actors in future cooperation.
“There’s so much linked here in in this region and such a longstanding tradition of exchange between the communities,” Bulitta said. “We want to get to the point where young people become part of this exchange culture. Bringing people together opens options.”
Source: United States Army
USAG BAVARIA – HOHENFELS, Germany – The U.S. Army Lodging Operation of the Year Award recognizes outstanding performance and dedication in Army lodging operations, and U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria’s Army Lodging in Hohenfels recently received the award in the small category (1-60 rooms).
The Hohenfels lodging facilities were established 1951 and have since been integral to supporting training activities and operations.
“We are getting recognized for something that the team here has put a lot of hard work into over the last year, and I’m just really proud of what they’ve done,” said hotel manager Clifford Martin. “We focused a lot on customer service over the last couple of years, and I think we’ve been able to provide that to the guests, the Soldiers and our scores and our staff and everything reflects that at this point.”
Winning organizations exhibit outstanding leadership by prioritizing customer service, fostering strong employee relations, ensuring effective financial management, and optimizing back-of-house systems critical to maintaining seamless operations.
“Winning this award brings a lot of pride to me,” Martin said. “I’ve had the opportunity to really work with a great team. And in doing so, we’ve been able to offer a great facility to the guests for PCS and TDY into the Hohenfels area. So I am just really grateful and honored to have the team that we have here to be able to provide this service to the Soldiers.”
The Army lodging team in Hohenfels consists of 18 staff members, and together they take care of 40 guest rooms spread across six buildings.
“With everybody who is coming here, we are the first people that they come see, and we provide them with a place to stay and get them acclimatized to the area,” said assistant manager Marshall Smith. “And then we also support everybody going into the training area as they come and stay with us. So they have a place to come back to every night.”
Army lodging guests range from Department of Defense travelers on official business, military members and their Families traveling on permanent change of station orders, retirees and military Families
“This is a testament; it’s impressive to win this,” said USAG Bavaria commander Col. Stephen C. Flanagan, when he took part in the award presentation. “There are so many Army lodges all around the world, and you are one of the best. And it’s really important right now to take care of our warfighters and everyone that supports them coming through.”
The Hohenfels Army Lodging is dedicated to provide quality lodging and hospitality services to their patrons to support the garrison’s mission and the community.
“And I know you’re also working with older facilities, and we are working on that,” Flanagan said. ”What shines through is the customer service and the teamwork and that leaves everyone with a better experience. And you clearly go above and beyond to earn this award.”
Some of the buildings are from 1949; A new Army Lodging facility is planned for 2028. The new six-floor facility will offer 82 apartments.
Flanagan also presented the garrison coin to the lodging staff as part of the presentation.
Source: United States Army
FORT POLK, La. – More than 4,000 Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard trained throughout June at Fort Polk, undergoing one of the Army’s most demanding combat training events in preparation for an upcoming overseas deployment.
Known since the Vietnam War era as “Tigerland,” Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center have become synonymous with forging combat-ready Soldiers through intense, realistic training. For Iowa’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, this rotation marks a pivotal moment: their first full brigade deployment since 2010.
At the Joint Readiness Training Center, or JRTC, Soldiers are evaluated under pressure. Their minds are stressed, their physical limits are tested and their endurance is pushed to the edge. From junior enlisted Soldiers to senior Iowa Army National Guard leaders, all participants endure mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.
The JRTC is one of four Army combat training centers. The others are the Joint Multinational Readiness Cente in Hohenfels, Germany; the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
The JRTC, however, is known for being the most grueling. The simulated combat environment, complete with force-on-force scenarios and constant stressors, provides Soldiers with some of the most realistic training they will encounter in their careers.
“There are a lot of methods that we use to test Soldiers while they’re in the training area. One is simply the stress and pressure of combat,” said Brig. Gen. Derek Adams, the senior trainer for rotation 25-08. “We try to simulate that as best we can.”
As the senior trainer, Adams works closely with observer-coach/trainers and the JRTC leadership to design, execute and evaluate the training rotation. He coordinates with the operations group, which oversees the exercise, monitors unit performance across all warfighting functions and delivers objective feedback through after-action reviews to improve readiness at every level.
“JRTC emphasizes DOD’s priorities of lethality, warfighting and readiness by training the entire brigade combat team, from the individual Soldiers to the brigade combat team level,” Adams said. “It’s a large, complex organization, and this training reflects that.”
This type of training marks a broader shift in Army doctrine.
The Army is transitioning from the counterinsurgency operations of the past two decades to large-scale combat operations, or LSCO. Large-scale combat operations prepare Soldiers for potential conflicts with near-peer adversaries by emphasizing large-scale maneuvers, complex logistics and sustained combat power.
“LSCO changes sustainment operations sheerly in the magnitude of what occurs,” said Col. Tony Smithhart, commander of the 734th Regional Support Group. “You’re talking about large numbers of Soldiers, large numbers of equipment.”
The Regional Support Group is structured to provide logistical support to up to 20,000 Soldiers in a deployed environment. As the Regional Support Command for the JRTC, the RSG was tasked with coordinating all sustainment efforts. This included feeding more than 5,800 Soldiers, managing medical treatment and staging and preparing more than 2,500 pieces of equipment for operation.
Planning for the JRTC began more than a year before the first boots hit the ground.
“I made my first trip to Fort Polk about 18 months ago to determine the actual area we’d operate in,” Smithhart said. “Since then, my team at the 734th Regional Support Group has returned about six times to coordinate with Fort Polk staff, validate our node concepts and rehearse operations to support reception, staging, onward integration and base camp management.”
The JRTC has earned its reputation. The environment is humid and rainy, the terrain is unforgiving and the scenarios evolve constantly.
All of these factors come together to form a stressful and taxing exercise, but one that will toughen Soldiers. Despite numerous aspects working against them, the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, proved they not only have the grit to complete their upcoming deployment successfully but also to complete any mission that is asked of them.
“The scale of this operation is critical to the development of our Soldiers,” Smithhart said. “It’s been called a generational training opportunity, and I believe that’s accurate.”
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