Tag: Navy

Sen. Ted Cruz Invites Naval Lieutenant Who Refused COVID Shot to State of Union

Naval Lieutenant Levi Beaird, a Texan from Fort Worth, was surprised to learn that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) invited him to attend the State of the Union address. Beaird hopes his presence will bring attention to the more than 60,000 military personnel who faced consequences after refusing the COVID shot. Cruz recently filed the Allowing Military…


US, France Intercept Thousands of Assault Rifles, Anti-Tank Missiles From Iran

The U.S. Navy helped French naval forces intercept and seize thousands of assault rifles and half a million rounds of ammunition coming from Iran and heading to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, officials said on Feb. 1. In a statement, the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said the seizure occurred on Jan. 15 in the Gulf of Oman along routes “historically…


Navy Secretary Warns Arming Both US and Ukraine May Become ‘Challenging’ in Next 6 Months

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro warned on Jan. 11 that arming both Ukraine and the United States may become challenging in the coming months amid a shortage of weapons. Del Toro made the comments at the Surface Navy Association conference in Arlington, Virginia, when asked whether the Navy will soon have to choose between arming itself and helping…


Putin Oversees Commissioning of New Russian Navy Warships

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the commissioning of new warships and vowed Thursday to further strengthen his country’s navy. “We will speed up and increase the volumes of construction of ships of various projects, equip them with the most modern weapons, and conduct the operational and combat training using the experience received during the special…


Naval Lieutenant Who Refused COVID Shot, Faces $75,000 Bonus Payback

Levi Beaird loves the Navy. Through hard work and commitment, he has built a gratifying career. When much of the world was shut down in 2020 due to COVID-19, Lieutenant Beaird, 38, kept working. He moved more than 400 sailors and Marines through multiple theaters across Bahrain. It was a “bubble-to-bubble” transfer, carefully guarding against…


Navy SEAL Team 1 Commander Found Dead in California Home: Officials

A decorated Navy SEAL commander was found dead at his California home late last week, officials confirmed Wednesday. Naval Special Warfare Command officials said in a statement no foul play was suspected in Cmdr. Robert Ramirez III’s death in San Diego County on Dec. 19. No cause of death was provided for Ramirez, who commanded SEAL Team…


US Military Members Who Refused COVID Shot Await Answers, Face Challenges

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, ends the requirement for military members to be vaccinated for COVID-19. But it doesn’t say what happens to the people who have refused the COVID shot and were either kicked out of the military or who are in the middle of the separation…


Survivor Found From Thai Navy Ship That Sank Sunday

BANGKOK—Rescuers found a survivor and recovered five bodies from a Thai warship that sank over the weekend in the Gulf of Thailand, navy officials said Tuesday, as hopes faded for two dozen people still missing. Officials acknowledged there were not enough life jackets for all those aboard. The HTMS Sukhothai, a corvette in service for…


China Says It Drove Away US Cruiser Near Spratly Islands

BEIJING—China’s military said on Tuesday it drove away a U.S. guided-missile cruiser that “illegally intruded” into waters near the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, an assertion the U.S. Navy disputed. The ship in question, the USS Chancellorsville guided-missile cruiser, had recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait. In a statement, the U.S. Navy said the Chinese…


Navy SEAL Wins Appeal of Sentence in Soldier’s Hazing Death

NORFOLK, Va.—A military appeals court has ordered a new sentencing hearing for a U.S. Navy SEAL who got 10 years in prison for his role in the hazing death of a U.S. Army Green Beret while the men served in Africa. Prosecutors failed to disclose that a U.S. Marine who testified against the SEAL—and who…