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Howard Altman: A huge thanks to an amazing community
News / Military Howard Altman Columns By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / April 4, 2019 PHOTO: Howard Altman on assignment in Afghanistan in 2013. He will be leaving the Tampa Bay Times to join Military Times as their managing editor. For the past decade, I have been lucky enough to cover the military…
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MacDill Matters: Air Force innovation awards, and keeping the SS American Victory in Tampa
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / March 20, 2019 PHOTO: The SS American Victory docked at the Port of Tampa behind the Florida Aquarium (Luis Santana | Times 2010) Two years ago, the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base kicked off a competition it calls “Fuel Tank.”…
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MacDill Matters: A Tampa special operations symposium could not be better timed
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / February 27, 2019 It’s the 5th Annual Global SOF Foundation Symposium and the end of an era for a local barbecue joint opened to honor a fallen soldier This is a time of transition for the nation’s Special Operations Forces. They are still…
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MacDill Matters: Iron Man suit out at SOCom, but new innovations still needed for commandos
News / Military Column A competition with an entry deadline of Feb. 15 seeks innovations in 12 areas, including artificial intelligence for psychological operations, improved human performance and undetectable video manipulation. By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / February 12, 2019 PHOTO: In this May 20, 2014 photo, Michael Fieldson , the civilian project…
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SOCom and Tampa gearing up for Defense Department’s Warrior Games, coming here in June
News / Military Column The Warrior Games were established in 2010 to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, ill and injured warriors and to expose them to adaptive sports. By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / January 15, 2019 PHOTO: Medically retired Marine Corps Sgt. Mike Nicholson of Tampa prepares to start a…
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With San Francisco and Boston now on board, Tampa Bay can’t contain Frogman Swim any more
News / Military Column Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Frogman Swim, which has raised $3.5 million for the Navy SEAL Foundation By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / January 8, 2019 PHOTO: During the 2014 competition, swimmers in the second leg of the 3.1-mile Tampa Bay Frogman Swim take off…
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Potential for hotel near MacDill raises concerns over base’s future
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / September 28, 2016 PHOTO: Potential development around MacDill Air Force Base has raised concerns about whether the base’s fleet of KC-135 refueling tankers might be moved in the next round of base closings. Times file photo (2001) TAMPA — The prospect of a…
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Tampa WW2 veteran honored by French with Legion of Honor
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / September 23, 2016 PHOTO: French Brig. Gen. Thierry Ducret, French representative to the U.S. Central Command international coalition, presents the French Legion of Honor Medal to World War II glider pilot Leonard Stevens of Tampa. (HOWARD ALTMAN | Times) Leonard Stevens was the…
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New commander at the 927th Air Refueling Wing
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / September 15, 2016 PHOTO: Lt. Gen. John C. Flournoy, left, commander of the 4th Air Force, passes the symbol of command for the 927th Air Refueling Wing to Col. Frank Amodeo in a ceremony Sept. 11 at MacDill. (Senior Airman Xavier Lockley, U.S.…
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Altman: Silah, retired Navy captain and champion for wounded, dies at 80
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / August 25, 2016 PHOTO: For his efforts with Operation Helping Hand, Bob Silah was named to the inaugural class of the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2013. (Times file 2013) Short and crusty, retired Navy Capt. Bob Silah was like a boiled…
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Aerial tankers headed to Tampa airport during MacDill repaving
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / August 12, 2016 PHOTO: Up to four KC-135 Stratotanker refueling jets, pictured above, will be moved from MacDill to Tampa International Airport. Two of the base’s transport planes will also be parked at TIA. (SKIP O’ROURKE | Times 2012) When we first reported…
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Altman: Water level around base could rise 1.7 feet by 2050, scientists group says
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / August 5, 2016 Officials at MacDill Air Force Base, which has more than seven miles of shoreline, say they are prepared to cope with storm surges and, in the near-term, rising sea levels. A report issued last month by the Union of Concerned…
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Civilian airliner carries new generals on national tour of commands
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / July 21, 2016 PHOTO: A Boeing 757 flown by Delta Air Lines, like this one pictured in the skies over Seattle, took off last week from MacDill Air Force Base. A civilian jet is a rare site at the military installation. (Associated Press) No,…
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Officials warn of dangers shooting fireworks on base
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / July 1, 2016 PHOTO: MacDill security personnel say only those licensed and with permission can use fireworks. (Times files) MacDill has its own rules on fireworks, and they’re strict. There’s no shortage of people on MacDill Air Force Base who have experienced the power…
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Altman: Air guard Col. Vogel taking over as MacDill commander
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / June 23, 2016 PHOTO: Air Force Reserve Col. April Vogel will take over as base commander at MacDill Air Force Base on July 8. Vogel is currently vice commander of the 175th Wing of the Maryland Air National Guard. (Courtesy of the Defense…
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Price of postage pinches group sending goodies to troops overseas
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / June 17, 2016 PHOTO: Mark Van Trees, 60, runs Support the Troops, a group that sends items such as toiletries and snacks around the globe. (Courtesy of Mark Van Trees) More than just about anyone else outside the gates of MacDill Air Force Base,…
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Vietnam medals weren’t enough for popular Marine who embellished record
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / June 10, 2016 PHOTO: Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Wayne Ridgley is the center of attention during a Memorial Day ceremony on May 30 in Tampa. Ridgley wears ribbons that he did not earn, according to his military record. (CHRIS URSO | Times) PHOTO:…
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Altman: Movie features those who guard Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
News / Military Column By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / June 10, 2016 PHOTO: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where Memorial Day ceremonies were held June 6, is the subject of a recent documentary, The Unknowns, showing Wednesday in Tampa. (Getty Images) Benjamin Bell knows what it takes to guard the Tomb…
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MacDill expected to weather delay in Air Force tanker delivery
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / June 4, 2016 PHOTO: Crews prepare to move KC-135 air refueling jets in 2012. The base is scheduled to receive eight additional KC-135 tankers, bringing its fleet to 24. (Times file 2012) TAMPA — There is a new delay in the launch of new…
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Tiny drone can bring images to commanos day and night
News / Military By Howard Altman / Tampa Bay Times / May 27, 2016 PHOTO: At his booth at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Arne Skjaerpe of Prox Dynamics displays the Black Hornet drone, designed for small troop units in the field. At his booth at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Arne Skjaerpe…
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Will robotics become an essential part of future warfare?
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns Was a new era of warfare ushered in on Feb. 18? Skip Parish thinks so. The Sarasota-based unmanned-systems inventor and innovator said on that night, according to Ukraine military officials, a Ukraine munitions dump was attacked by waves of small drones operated by Russian forces. Parish didn’t…
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Even secure military locations can be dangerous
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns On March 19, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, became the first Marine to die in combat during the ongoing battle against the so-called Islamic State jihadi group when a rocket barrage hit his fire base in northern Iraq. Several other Marines were injured, which highlights the…
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A focus on the future, not the present
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has been traveling the globe to drum up more support in the ongoing fight against the so-called Islamic State jihadi group, says he has received additional support from 90 percent of the countries involved in the fight against them. That includes additional…
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2015 evoked a wide range of emotions
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Military News Covering the military and veterans in a place like the Tampa Bay area at a time of enduring conflict is never dull, and 2015 had plenty of interesting moments of triumph and tragedy, controversy and success. The beat, of course, includes MacDill Air Force Base and all that…
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Parents of fallen soldiers react to Afghanistan plan
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns Today is the 14th anniversary of the start of the ground war in Afghanistan. It is a fitting time to look forward by looking back. Last week, President Barack Obama announced his intention to boost the numbers of troops who will stay in Afghanistan over the next…
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Very little peace to be found in the Middle East
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns “Where to begin?” That’s the question Bill Fallon asks me when I ask him about his thoughts on the status of things in his old bailiwick. For 378 days between March 2007 and March 2008, Fallon, an admiral, ran U.S. Central Command. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force…
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Putin makes U.S. play his game
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Howard Altman Columns Shortly before 10:30 p.m., June 9, 2014, on a ridgeline near the Gaza Valley in southern Afghanistan, five U.S. soldiers and an Afghan National Army soldier were killed when two 500-pound bombs were dropped on their position. I think of that incident as Russian aircraft have begun…
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Despite attention to Islamic State, al-Qaida may be bigger threat, report says
The Tampa Tribune / TBO.com Thanks to its well-publicized savagery, the Sunni jihadi group calling itself Islamic State is gaining the lion’s share of attention given to violent Islamic extremist groups by the military and the media. But a new report produced for a Tampa-based military command suggests that both despite and because of the…
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The Iran nuclear deal through the eyes of an Iraq veteran
As someone who has to cover the Iran nuclear deal, I don’t feel it’s my place to offer personal opinions on its merits. But after spending so much time listening to the pros and cons, delivered in passionate terms with hypothetical outcomes, I wanted to put a human face on the issue. It belongs to…
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Author chronicles secret history of Joint Special Operations Command
There is an entire unit at U.S. Special Operations Command dedicated to lessons learned. But those who don’t work there can learn a lot about commando actions via a new book — “Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command,” by Sean Naylor, who has long chronicled the special operations community. The book…
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Terrorism isn’t so easy to define
The problem I have with comments by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz about the current White House occupant’s reluctance to use the words “radical Islamic terrorist” have nothing to do with politics, political correctness or fear of hurting anyone’s feelings. “We will not defeat radical Islamic terrorists so long as we have a president unwilling…
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Fellowship will explore the topic of military suicides
Howard Altman Columns One of the best things about being a reporter is that pretty much every day, I am paid to learn something new. And to get to know whatever I am learning well enough to explain it to tens of thousands of strangers each time I file a story. But even when I…
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On Veterans Day, work to preserve memories of war
The 98-year-old stands ramrod straight at the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, curls his right index finger into his palm and offers a boast no one in their right mind would take him up on. “No man in Florida,” says Irving Zeider, “can open this finger.” I for one, do not doubt him. Not…
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Tactics against journalists in Ferguson threaten rights of all
In Ferguson, Missouri, heavily armed police in heavily armored vehicles were responding to protests over the police shooting of an unarmed black teen by firing off tear gas and dragging reporters out of McDonald’s. Meanwhile, on Mount Sinjar near Irbil, Iraq, U.S. commandos reported that there were fewer Yazidis than expected still trapped on the…
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An inside perspective on U.S. strategy in Iraq
Is it a good idea to send Green Berets and other special operators into Iraq? And if they are sent, is it a good idea to give the bad guys a heads up they’re coming? Yes, and quite possibly, are the answers offered by Scott Neil, a guy who knows about such matters. A retired…
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Military spouses pursuing politics in their soldier’s stead
“All politics,” as Tip O’Neill once said, “is local.” And nobody knows that better than a group of people for whom the word local is very often a relative term. “So many political decisions affect our families on a day-to-day basis,” says Adrianna Domingos-Lupher, the wife of an Air Force captain at MacDill Air Force…
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Altman: Military can learn from Amazon’s approach
Q: What does the Amazon-izing of America have to do with Afghanistan? A: It’s not the drones. It’s how the company approaches communities where it wants to expand, says Derek Harvey, a retired Army colonel, former director of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Center of Excellence at U.S. Central Command and now director of research for the Citizenship…
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Altman: Jihadists want to scavenge U.S. equipment left on battlefield
Regardless of whether Afghan President Hamid Karzai signs a bilateral security agreement and the U.S. keeps some number of troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014, our troops will leave behind billions of dollars worth of stuff after nearly 13 years of war. Though the bulk of that will be those hulking tan armored vehicles called MRAPs…
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Altman: Congress to revisit military pension cut
Though I was off for two weeks, I was never too far away from the news thanks to the wonders of social media. Much has transpired since my last column, but perhaps nothing has raised the ire of the armed services community that makes up a large chunk of my social media network like the…
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Altman: Tragedy serves as reminder of enduring Afghan war
As the U.S. and Afghanistan spar over the future of our military presence in that nation, which could mean thousands of U.S. troops there for another decade, remember this: The war isn’t over, Afghanistan is still a very dangerous place and it will remain that way as long as there are U.S. boots on the…
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Altman: Wreath honor personal for son of pilot killed in crash
Earlier this month at a six-day youth leadership course in the nation’s capital, Logan Cowan heard someone ask him to stand up. “I was kind of shocked, actually,” says Cowan, a 17-year-old from Clearwater. Cowan was one of four students participating in the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security who were selected to place…
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Altman: Father honors son killed in Afghanistan with restaurant
After more than 25 years of covering those who have lost loved ones, I have learned this much. People cope in many different ways. For Craig Gross, opening a new barbecue restaurant called Frankie’s Patriot BBQ is his way of coming to grips with the death of his son. Frank Gross, an Army corporal, was…
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Altman: Conference discusses commandos, worldwide security
Military A lot of folks from Tampa have been or will be headed north this week, bound for a major conference in Washington on the future of Special Operations Forces. As the U.S. cuts defense spending and the military changes its focus, it?s a topic of great interest. Simply put, the things that commandos do…
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Altman: Reporter heads to Afghanistan for first-hand look
Every week, I write at least one story, but usually more, about something happening 8,000 miles away in Afghanistan. It’s only natural. I cover the military and Tampa is home to several commands that pay close attention to that landlocked nation in the middle of Southwest Asia. U.S. Central Command oversees military operations in that…
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Altman: Military events flourish this week in Tampa Bay area
This is shaping up as a pretty fun week. And one in which I wish I could defy the laws of nature and be at more than one place at one time. It starts early Tuesday morning with the departure of the 10th Honor Flight of West Central Florida, which takes World War II veterans,…
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Altman: Book reveals post-9/11 U.S. war tactics
In “The Way Of The Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army and a War at the Ends of the Earth,” Mark Mazzetti lays out how this country fights in the modern era, where tank and artillery battles have largely been replaced by drones and small special operations teams. Mazzetti is a Pulitzer Prize winning national…
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Altman: Veterans groups ready for budget battle
“The superior military strategist strikes while schemes are being laid.” From the Art of War, by Sun Tzu. – Taking a page from their ancient Chinese predecessor, a pair of retired U.S. generals talked Thursday about seizing the budget initiative from the 113th Congress and the White House with massive defense cuts looming. “In a…
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On Liberty In Philly? Rays Fans, Try These
In addition to the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia has a host of seedy places for Rays fans to visit between Games 3 and 5 Philadelphia is a world-class city; officials are rightfully proud of places such as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Museum of Art. Here’s a list of places for Rays fans that…
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Red Sox Nation, Phanatics Share The Obnoxious Gene
TAMPA – Goodbye, obnoxious Red Sox fans. Hello, obnoxious Phillies fans. Twin brats of different dysfunctional mothers, the fanatics of Boston and Philadelphia come to the same place of extreme obnoxiousity from opposite roads. This much I know from having lived in both places and having rooted against both home teams. Believe me, as a…
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Skate Crimes
Pretzel Logic Good deeds rarely go unpunished in the city that gloves you back. Just ask skateboarders Mark Laman, a New Jersey contractor, and Josh Nims, budding attorney and, as it happens, City Paper ad campaign poster boy. On Sept. 17, Laman and Nims, as they have nearly daily for the past five years, were showing some…
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Still Standing
Pretzel Logic It is one o’clock in the morning and the Liberty Bell is bathed in an eerie backlight. All is quiet on Independence Mall, save for the noise of a late-night SEPTA bus rumbling by. More than 16 hours after the most surreal morning, I stop for a moment to take in the sight…
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The Ballad of Bonnie and Carl
Pretzel Logic It is Monday evening and as usual I am at the ballpark at Seventh and Bigler, coaching a very spirited bunch of 5- and 6-year-olds. It is a very cold night for the first week of June, and the South East Youth Athletic Association’s (SEYAA) Yankees and Marlins shiver in the stiff wind…
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Hope Floats
Pretzel Logic How tough is it to pull off a major development project in this city? Just walk over to Eighth and Market, look down at the big hole in the ground and see for yourself. The much anticipated DisneyQuest entertainment complex — originally conceived to open in time for the hordes of Republicans and…
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Dog Day Afternoon
Pretzel Logic Mellow Milton relishes his big chance. The city’s most famous hot dog vendor is in a particularly fine mood as he picks an all-beefer off the grill, places it in a bun and shoves it up the line. “This is good, really good for the city,” says a downright jovial Milton Street, spearing…