Free Republic

WASHINGTON — As she asked the U.S. Supreme Court this month to overturn President Donald Trump’s election loss, the attorney Sidney Powell cited testimony from a secret witness presented as a former intelligence contractor with insights on a foreign conspiracy to subvert democracy. Powell told courts that the witness is an expert who could show that overseas corporations helped shift votes to President-elect Joe Biden. The witness’s identity must be concealed from the public, Powell has said, to protect her “reputation, professional career and personal safety.” The Washington Post identified the witness by determining that portions of her affidavit match,...

FORT HUACHUCA — For decades, the large, helium-filled aerostat has floated silently against the horizon above Sierra Vista, time enough for both long-time residents and new arrivals to possibly lose sight of the skyborne equipment’s mission as an important link a chain of detection spanning the entire international border. The Tethered Aerostat Radar System, or TARS, traces its origins back to the 70s and 80s, when traditional, ground fixed radar systems were being evaded by the newly airborne efforts of South American drug cartels.

Sierra Vista — Hunched against the chilly winds that followed one of the summer’s first rainstorms, Sierra Vista residents gathered at Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday to witness the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band play its final concert, signaling the end of a 141-year musical legacy at Fort Huachuca. Although the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band, also known as the 62nd Army Band, first received its orders to inactivate two years ago following broader government efforts to downsize military bands, it made the final concert no less emotional for participants and attendees, who were accustomed to hearing the...

ABSTRACT This study examines the history of African American soldiers at Fort Huachuca, Arizona from 1892 until 1946. It was during this period that U.S. Army policy required that African Americans serve in separate military units from white soldiers. All four of the United States Congressionally mandated all-black units were stationed at Fort Huachuca during this period, beginning with the 24th Infantry and following in chronological order; the 9th Cavalry, the 10th Cavalry, and the 25th Infantry. During World War II, both all-black Army Divisions, the 93rd and 92nd trained at this Arizona fort. This study clearly demonstrates that Fort...

FORT HUACHUCA — After decades of service in the U.S. armed forces, living in a strictly regimented culture of knowing where and when a soldier, sailor or airman needs to be at any given moment, one of the biggest challenges can be adjusting to civilian life after separating from the military. For generations, this was a step that service men and women had to take alone, with no mandated assistance or guidance from the Department of Defense or the various military services, stretching back to the days of World War II and Vietnam, when soldiers were simply given their discharge...

FORT HUACHUCA — Even the stars were a little starstruck. It’s one thing to portray the military in Hollywood, as the cast of the blockbuster “Independence Day” did 20 years ago in a story that featured people of Earth banding together to topple alien invaders. Much of the cast has regrouped, with some new cast members, for “Independence Day: Resurgence,” the much anticipated sequel that hits theaters this Thursday. But to visit the troops on their turf and see what they do to defend the U.S. is quite another thing. Two stars from the new film, Jessie T. Usher and...

FORT HUACHUCA — A 1990 graduate of Buena High School — Lt. Col. David A. Thomas — handed command of the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion to his successor on Wednesday. Taking over is Lt. Col. Cora D. Henry who assumed command of The Renegades — the battalion’s nickname — at a morning ceremony on Brown Parade Field on the southern Arizona Army post.

SIERRA VISTA — While it’s a new year, one constant Americans can count on every year is its military, Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley said. But even that constant is going through changes with the reduction in its forces coupled with fewer citizens willing to to be part of the nation’s volunteer military forces, the commander of the Army’s Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca said Saturday. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Greater Sierra Visa United Veterans Council, Ashley said, “I’m here today in a very elite company. You are part of an honored few that were...

Cochise County and our surrounding region could be losing up to 2,700 jobs unless we change leadership in Congress. The Department of the Army was forced by the Budget Control Act to draft a proposal for massive budget cuts — including a maximum cut of 2,700 positions at Fort Huachuca plus potential cuts in contractors. If these cuts go through, they will have a disastrous impact on our community. Fort Huachuca is the largest employer in Cochise County and a key part of the Sierra Vista economy. The Fort has the biggest economic impact of any base in the state,...

FORT HUACHUCA — The post will conduct a nighttime training exercise with low-flying aircraft from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Wednesday, announced Public Affairs Officer Angela Camara. Each evening will consist of helicopters transiting the Mustang Mountains near Whetstone, and crossing the post with activity between the South Range and Libby Army Airfield. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause for our neighbors,” said Garrison Commander Col. Thomas A. Boone, “Our ability to conduct these training missions in support of the National Defense Strategy keeps our soldiers trained for operations in every corner of the globe and keeps...

Historic building, or deteriorating structure that long ago outlived its usefulness? The continuing saga of the Mountain View Officers Club on Fort Huachuca appears headed toward an answer to that query, with an open house scheduled for Tuesday, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Murr Community Center. The gathering will be less like a hearing, and more like an opportunity to gather information on what is being considered for Building 66050. Instead of a formal meeting, several “stations” will be set up where people can get answers to their questions and make comments. Local and state organizations are outspoken on...

FORT HUACHUCA — Two people aboard a Cessna 500 — a two-seater aircraft — were injured in a 10 a.m. accident at the joint Libby Army Airfield and and Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, according to a post spokeswoman. Both individuals were transported to medical facilities for treatment, with one being flown to a Tucson hospital and the other taken by ground transportation to the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, fort media relations officer Tanja Linton said. Their names and conditions were not available. Michelle Fidler, spokeswoman for the National Park Service Intermountain Region, said Ponderosa Aviation in Safford has a...

FORT HUACHUCA — It was zero-dark-thirty — a military term to express something really early, a time when even the sun is slumbering. But the Murr Community Center was full of soldiers and family members, although some of them were taking cat naps, stretched out on the floor or with heads on tables. Others, especially children, were flashes of energy at 3:45 a.m., belying the truth it was still bed time. Sunday was the day the second contingent of 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion soldiers were deploying — the first group left Thursday — this time eventually to Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain,...

The Sierra Vista Historical Society will dedicate a new historical plaque for its “An Historic Treasure Hunt; Sierra Vista’s Unique Past” at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, April 26, at the McDonald’s Restaurant, 1802 E. Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. In November 1973, McDonald’s built its first Sierra Vista location adjacent to one of the largest military posts in the United States. While a significant number of its patrons were soldiers stationed at Fort Huachuca, by 1974 a new U.S. Army regulation governing uniform decorum prohibited soldiers from entering local businesses while wearing their fatigues. The fast food chain responded by opening its...

Fort Huachuca’s leadership over the years on water conservation has established an indisputable record of accomplishments, which serves to protect the San Pedro River and its watershed. And the surrounding civilian communities have also provided hard work and innovation — actions that other communities with similar challenges now try to emulate. Confirmation that this team is doing things the right way was announced on Friday. Officials from the Army and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached agreement on a formal Biological Opinion last Monday. For those wondering what the fuss is about, the lack of a Biological Opinion has...

TUCSON - How secure are U.S. military installations? You would think the answer is: very. But, as the News 4 Tucson Investigators uncovered, one installation, right here in southern Arizona, continues to face potential outside security risks, and the problem doesn't seem to be getting any better. Fort Huachuca is only 15 miles north of our state's border with Mexico. The Army post covers more than 73,000 acres. In many parts, the terrain is steep and rugged. Much of the work that goes on at Fort Huachuca is classified but, as the News 4 Tucson Investigators learned, keeping people who...

FORT HUACHUCA - The tips of fingers are sensitive, they can tell much to a person about what is felt and, in the world of intelligence gathering, ascertaining the intentions of an enemy many times requires a slight touch, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency said last week. “It’s pretty stunning how far the intelligence community has come. How integrated we are. How interagency dependent we are,” Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said Wednesday. But in a constantly changing, violent-prone world, those engaged in intelligence work not only have to be current but be ahead of interpreting potential changes, said...

FORT HUACHUCA — This morning 16 soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 13th Aviation Regiment on Fort Huachuca, began their ear-long deployment to Afghanistan. The soldiers who fly and maintain the Army’s Gray Eagle. The unmanned aerial systems is a critical component of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needed in the country. The battalion, is part of the 1st Aviation Brigade, which has its headquarters at the Fort Rucker, Ala., Army Aviation Center of Excellence. The soldiers department around 5:30 a.m. today, after a short ceremony, at which family members and others attended. See Thursday’s Herald/Review for more details.

FORT HUACHUCA — Those who are called upon to defend America’s freedom overcome impossible odds and do extraordinary things, Brig. Gen. Gregg Potter said just before noon Monday. And for many of them, their loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage were maintained by all who served — be it as soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines or Coast Guardsmen — by leaving “the safety of their sovereign soil to defeat tyrants, ensure justice and fulfill the promise of safety and security for our citizens and the global community,” Potter said. The commander of the Intelligence Center of Excellence...

SEND IN THE DRONES: PREDATORS TO FLY ABOVE TEX-MEX BORDER Tue Apr 27 2010 19:39:41 ET Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate hearing Tuesday that unmanned aerial drones will soon fly through Texas skies! "Big Sis" declared that over the past 15 months, federal law enforcement initiatives have made the border more secure than in any other time in history, the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports in Wednesday editions. The new "predator bees" have the capability to fly at altitudes used by commercial aircraft, and are designed to enhance intelligence capabilities of federal, state and local law enforcement. But...