Armor Center ceases to exist
The Armor Center will cease to exist, said Army Vice Chief of Staff GEN Peter Chiarelli in his opening remarks at the Armor Warfighting Conference last week.
Its a bittersweet occasion for many of us. But I would remind you that the tank school was at Fort Benning from 1932 to 1938, so we are really just reclaiming what was ours, he said.
More than a few have expressed concern that Armor will be swallowed up by the much larger Infantry with the integration of the two branches into the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning. Chiarelli addressed that apprehension.
Some of you are concerned that the Armor branch is dead, but I assure you that Armor branch is alive and well, he said. Its a key element of MCoE. At the MCoE, we will train as we fight together just as we win together. The transfer of authority ceremony was May 27 at Fort Knox, Ky. Now, MG Michael Ferriter, Maneuver Center of Excellence, has responsibility for all Armor issues. Congress ready to vote on Dont ask, dont tell
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates can accept a proposed congressional amendment overturning the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, but would prefer that lawmakers wait until a Defense Department review to assess its full impact is completed, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said May 25.
Secretary Gates continues to believe that ideally, the (Defense Department) review should be completed before there is any legislation to repeal the dont ask, dont tell, law, Morrell said in a statement issued May 25. With Congress having indicated that is not possible, the secretary can accept the language in the proposed amendment.
Congress has made clear it wont wait for results of the Defense Comprehensive Review on the Implementation of Repeal of 10 U.S.C. 654, due Dec. 1, and expects to put the issue to a vote this week.
