Here are five news stories and events to start your week, from the editors at Military.com:
1. North Korea Is 'Begging for War,' Haley Says
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was blunt in her remarks about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Monday's emergency session of the UN Security Council: "His abusive use of missiles, and his nuclear threats show that he is begging for war. War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory." Haley's comments came just a day after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, "We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country -- namely, North Korea. But, as I said, we have many options to do so."
2. House to Hold Hearing on Deadly Collisions Involving Navy Destroyers
Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Readiness Subcommittee, plans to hold a hearing 2 p.m. Thursday on Navy readiness in the wake of the deadly collisions involving the destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain. The death toll from the two mishaps, at 17, is more than the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year, at 11. In the wake of the deadly collisions, the head of 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, was sacked "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," by Adm. Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
3. Military Brass to Attend Defense Industry Conference
U.S. military brass and lawmakers plan to attend the Defense News Conference, set for Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Virginia. The keynote speaker is Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, who will address attendees at 10 a.m. Others on the agenda include Navy Vice Adm. Mat Winter, director of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program; Navy Rear Adm. Jon Hill, deputy director of the Missile Defense Agency; Adm. Charles Michel, vice commandant of the Coast Guard; and Rep. Mac Thornberry, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; David Norquist, the Pentagon's comptroller and chief financial officer.
4. Pilot Error Caused Super Stallion Rollover, Investigation Shows
Via Hope Hodge Seck at Military.com: "The April hard landing of a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that caused severe damage to the aircraft was the result of a steep bank at low altitude, a command investigation shows. The incident, which took place April 5 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, was miraculous in that all five Marines aboard the aircraft walked away uninjured, even though the aircraft rolled multiple times before finally settling upside-down in the desert. Photos of the crash site, obtained by Military.com through a Freedom of Information Act request, show the propeller completely sheared off, parts of the landing gear broken off, and holes in the body of the chopper."
5. This National Guard Service Dog Is Unlike Any Other
Via Amy Bushatz at Military.com: "In the high-stress world of Alaska's Air National Guard rescue squadron "PJs," who respond to emergencies around the state and deploy overseas, it can be hard to deal with the mental tolls that come with the job. But one member of the pararescue unit is a trained expert in knowing when someone on the team needs extra help, and he's believed to be the first of his kind in the U.S. military. Instead of a flight suit or airman battle uniform, he simply wears a vest. TOML, a one-year-old chocolate Labrador, joined the Alaska Air National Guard's 212th Rescue Squadron in 2016 and then deployed to Afghanistan with them. His name is the acronym for the pararescue community's motto, 'That Others Might Live.'"
-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
