MARINE CORPS ACTIVATES CAMP BLAZ IN GUAM

DEDEDO, Guam –

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz will be activated on October 1. The activation is an administrative action that officially marks the initial operational capability of the base. This will be the first new Marine Corps base activated since March 1, 1952, with the commissioning of what is presently Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia. The Marine Corps plans to hold an activation ceremony for its newest base in spring 2021.

MCB Camp Blaz will be home to approximately 5,000 Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force who will begin relocating from Okinawa, Japan in the first half of the 2020s.

MCB Camp Blaz is named in honor of the late Brig. Gen. Vicente “Ben” Tomas Garrido Blaz, the first Chamorro Marine to attain the rank of general officer. Following his 29-year Marine Corps career, Blaz went on to serve as Guam’s Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for four consecutive terms. Blaz’ legacy reflects the strong relationship that the Marine Corps and the people of Guam have shared since the establishment of the Marine Barracks in 1899.

“As the Marine Corps presence on Guam grows, I am confident that we will live up to our motto of honor, courage, and commitment – we will honor the history of the island of Guam, we will have the courage to defend it, and we will remain committed to preserving its cultural and environmental resources,” said Col. Bradley M. Magrath, the first base commander of MCB Camp Blaz.

Born on Guam on February 14, 1928, Blaz was 13 years old when the island was attacked by Imperial Japanese forces on December 8, 1941. He remained on Guam throughout the Japanese occupation until Liberation in July 1944. In 1947, Blaz was awarded a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame and was subsequently commissioned in the United States Marine Corps in 1951. During his honorable and faithful service including a combat tour in Vietnam, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” for valor, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/2367980/marine-corps-activates-camp-blaz-in-guam/

Air Force One Pilot Training Extended with Atlas Air, Inc.

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW), a leading global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services, today announced that the United States Air Force has exercised its option to continue its pilot and flight engineer training contract for Air Force One with Atlas Air, Inc. Atlas Air has held the contract since October 2007.

Under the extension, crews for the Air Force’s VC-25, a modified version of the Boeing 747-200, will receive ground and flight-simulator training at Atlas Air’s world-class training center in Miami, Florida . “Air Force One,” the designated call sign of the aircraft when the President is on board, consists of two specially configured Boeing 747-200B aircraft.

“We are honored to provide this vital training to the pilots and crews of Air Force One and the Presidential Airlift Group. Their exacting demands for safety, professionalism, efficiency and security make this contract extremely meaningful, and is a testament to the training provided by our highly experienced instructors,” said John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide. “This contract extension is the result of our team’s unwavering commitment to safe and efficient operations.”

Atlas Air operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 Freighters to 90 countries, allowing the Company to provide up-to-date training for highly experienced crews. Atlas Air also supports the Department of Defense’s Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) cargo and passenger requirements.

https://apnews.com/press-release/globe-newswire/business-government-business-and-finance-corporate-news-products-and-services-professional-services-ace6d6d62da19a8748e21b46d90745ef

Whitmer announces 'historic' $500M investment to rebuild Michigan's water infrastructure

LANSING, Mich. — On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a $500 million comprehensive water infrastructure investment in Michigan's water systems from source to tap.

The MI Clean Water plan marks a significant investment after decades of underinvestment in Michigan's infrastructure, according to a release from the state.

“Since the first day I took office, I have made an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Michiganders have access to clean and affordable water. The MI Clean Water Plan marks a significant step toward that goal,” Whitmer said in the release. “The MI Clean Water investment will help us rebuild Michigan’s water infrastructure and will prioritize and invest directly into protecting our public health, environment, and economy. The MI Clean Water Plan is a critical part of the solution, but the work cannot stop here. I look forward to working with the legislature to find creative solutions to address our water infrastructure backlog. Everyone must remain committed to ensuring that every Michigander has access to clean water."

The MI Clean Water investment is a unified approach to cleaner, more affordable water in the state. It will provide direct investments for communities, helps provide safe, clean water to residents, and will support over 7,500 Michigan jobs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/water-worries/whitmer-announces-500m-water-infrastructure-investment/69-330b1091-2ef8-471c-94d4-0ab31a5f1780

No straight-ticket voting in Texas in 2020, appeals court rules

Straight-ticket voting will not be an option for Texas voters in the Nov. 3 election, a federal appeals court said Wednesday evening.

The ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means election officials do not have to abide by a lower-court order that required Texas to offer one-punch voting for all candidates of a single political party.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo of Laredo said a state law banning straight-ticket voting, which was passed in 2017 and took effect Sept. 1, was improper because it would require voters to spend much more time filling out their ballots, leading to longer lines at polling places and more dangerous conditions for poll workers and voters.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quickly appealed, and on Monday the 5th Circuit Court issued an informal order blocking Garcia Marmolejo's ruling while it considered Paxton's request for an emergency stay.

On Wednesday, the appeals court made it official, ruling that with early voting beginning in less than two weeks, the district judge had waited too long to act.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/no-straight-ticket-voting-in-texas-in-2020-appeals-court-rules/ar-BB19AIW8

Emergency responders test out 'jet suit paramedic' gear in Britain

Oct. 1 (UPI) – Emergency responders in Britain tested out a new "jet suit" that could soon be used by paramedics and search and rescue workers covering difficult terrain.

Richard Browning, founder of Gravity Industries and the inventor of the jet suit, took on piloting duties for the test carried out this week in partnership with the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Browning took the suit to heights of 10 to 20 feet in a simulated search for a party of walkers lost on the Langdale Pikes.

The inventor was able to find the walkers within minutes, a feat officials said would have taken more than an hour on foot.

The test is part of a program that officials said could see "jet suit paramedics" donning similar equipment as early as next summer.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/10/01/Emergency-responders-test-out-jet-suit-paramedic-gear-in-Britain/9121601563832/