Former Defense Sec. Mark Esper warned of the US military’s dismal recruiting numbers, writing that only a small fraction of the US remains operational, as many are either overweight, on drugs, or have criminal histories.

“The US military’s all-volunteer force (AVF) is slowly dying,” Esper wrote in a Fox News commentary. “The armed forces are struggling like never before to meet their recruitment goals.”

Esper, a former Secretary of the Army, noted that the branch will be hardest hit – up to 15,000 soldiers will be left behind this year.

“The fact is, the number of Americans ages 17 to 24 who are qualified and interested in ministry continues to shrink,” he said. In 2018, only 29 percent of young people met military entry requirements, with the other 71 percent likely ineligible primarily due to “obesity, drug use, physical and mental health problems, and criminal misconduct,” Esper wrote.

Today it is just 23 percent, with a tenth failing to meet academic standards for service.

Esper warned of the US military’s dismal recruiting numbers, writing that only a small fraction of the US remains operational, as many are either overweight, on drugs, or have criminal histories

“Worse, of the 3.5 million remaining young Americans, only 9% (~320,000) have an inclination to serve. A nation of 332 million should do better,” Esper wrote.

The former secretary also lamented a “knowledge gap” due to the “lack of interaction from civilians with those in uniform” and said the White House and Congress must act together to clear up “misconceptions” about life in uniform.

He called for a commission to be established to examine ways to improve the health and fitness of American youth and find new ways for civilians and military personnel to interact, including ensuring recruiters have “unrestricted access to high schools across America.”

“The Pentagon must refrain from lowering standards, reducing the size of the military, or creating hollow battle formations,” he added.

“With the growing threats from China and elsewhere, we cannot risk our future by ignoring these issues,” the former secretary concluded.

Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, offered a similar theory about why the Army was likely to fall so far short of its recruitment targets this year.

Esper, a former Secretary of the Army, noted that the branch will be hardest hit – up to 15,000 soldiers will be left behind this year

“Worse, of the 3.5 million remaining young Americans, only 9% (~320,000) have an inclination to serve. A nation of 332 million should do better,” Esper wrote

“Some of the challenges we have are obesity, we have pre-existing medical conditions, we have behavioral health issues, we have crime, people with crime and we have drug use,” Brunson told Spokesman Review.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between 2017 and 2020, over 22 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds were obese. In adults, that number rose to 42 percent.

To increase recruitment numbers, according to the New York Times, the Army plans to “lower the gates” and find new ways to attract youth to the armed forces, especially amid the lowest deficit since the Vietnam War.

A survey conducted by the Army in June found that young people knew little about Army services, including home buying, early retirement and educational benefits.

More than half also thought soldiers had a bad work-life balance.

The Army plans to shift its recruiting focus by using “influencers.”

The service industry plans to maintain its standards, focus on quality and invest in youth. Educators will be a key component in reaching potential recruits by teaching the various opportunities the Army offers, Brunson said.

Monetary efforts are also being made to increase recruitment, with enlistment bonuses of up to $50,000 and bonuses of up to $35,000 for soldiers departing within 45 days, according to US Army Chief of Staff General James McConville .

“I think we just want to show people that the military is a viable option,” Sgt. Jesse Wallace, of a Spokane recruiting office, told the Spokesman Review.

“We don’t want it to be seen as a last resort.”

Residents stand amid their homes damaged by Hurricane Fiona September 19 in the Kosovo neighborhood of Veron de Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Ricardo Hernandez/AP)

Hurricanes are enormous heat engines of wind and rain that feed on warm seawater and humid air — and scientists say the climate crisis is making them stronger.

According to a UN climate report released in August, the proportion of high-intensity hurricanes has increased due to warmer global temperatures. Scientists have also found that the storms are more likely to stall and produce devastating rainfall, and last longer after making landfall.

“We have good faith that greenhouse warming increases the maximum wind intensity that tropical cyclones can achieve,” Jim Kossin, chief scientist at the Climate Service, an organization that provides governments and businesses with climate risk modeling and analysis, told CNN.

“This, in turn, allows for the strongest hurricanes — which pose by far the greatest risk — to become even stronger,” he added.

When hurricanes are stronger and slower moving, they drop more rain, causing more damage and flooding in the areas they pass.

A 2020 study published in the journal Nature also found that storms are moving further inland than they were five decades ago. Hurricanes, fueled by warm seawater, usually weaken after they make landfall, but in recent years they have raged longer after making landfall. The study concludes that warmer sea surface temperatures result in “slower decay” by increasing the moisture a hurricane carries.

For every fraction of a degree the planet warms, precipitation rates from high-intensity storms will increase because warmer air can hold more moisture, according to the UN report. Earlier this week, Tropical Storm Fred dumped more than 10 inches of rain on western North Carolina, according to the National Weather Servicewhich pushed the Pigeon River near Canton nine feet above flood level, killing at least four people.

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It is a joint decision of the mayors of the municipalities of Guadeloupe and the rectorate. Circumstances after Fiona are still difficult for many and everywhere it will be necessary to clean the facilities before receiving students.

FJO. • Posted September 18, 2022 2:59 PM, updated September 18, 2022 5:54 PM

This Sunday morning, the list of press releases announcing the postponement of the resumption of classes in certain communities continued to grow. Little by little, each municipality, after assessing the condition of their buildings, came to the conclusion that it was necessary to postpone the return of students to their school.
It must be said that not all assessments could be made at this time, but it is evident that most of the communities affected by the passage of the tropical storm have found it necessary to postpone the resumption of courses .
In addition, in addition to the need for cleaning, the establishments that, like the François Auguste school in Goyave, welcome the victims of the community must also be taken into account.
Finally, the distribution of water is particularly disturbed, the return to normal also necessitates the day of this resumption of courses.

During a meeting between them, the chiefs of aedility came to a common decision, expressed by the president of their association.

©Guadeloupe

In the afternoon, the Prefecture published a joint press release summarizing the decision taken jointly by the State, the Rectorate, the Region, the Department and the Municipalities, which established the procedures for the resumption of classes in the schools of the archipelago:

. • ©Prefecture, Region, Department, Municipalities, Rectorate

The logistics teams of all schools must carry out this cleaning and assess the conditions for the resumption of classes.
In most cases, this seems possible as early as Tuesday. In special cases, it is then up to them to inform the parents of the effective date of this withdrawal.

However, it should be noted that private institutions are free to resume classes from this Monday if circumstances permit.
For its part, the School City of Sports Excellence will welcome its students this Monday afternoon for a Tuesday resumption.

The Russian side demanded immediate action to ensure adequate protection of Russian institutions abroad. Photo: Healthy.

Canadian Ambassador to Moscow Alison LeClaire has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministrywhere a strong protest was expressed against the recent attack on the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, the State Department said in a statement.

“On September 19, Canadian Ambassador to Moscow Alison LeClaire was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministrywhere a protest was expressed against the criminal actions of an unidentified person who threw a Molotov cocktail on the territory of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa,” the Russian Foreign Ministry website condemned.

It also denounced “the blocking of the official entrance to the consular office of the Russian embassy by aggressive demonstrators with the acquiescence of the police team that arrived there”.

The Russian Foreign Ministry drew the Canadian Ambassador’s attention to the fact that “as in other similar cases of hostile actions against Russian diplomatic missions in Canada, Law enforcement agencies have not prevented these incidents or arrested those responsible.”

“The Russian side demanded that immediate measures be taken to ensure adequate protection of Russia’s foreign institutions, as well as employees and their families, in accordance with the Canadian side’s obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the Russian foreign minister stressed ministry.

(With information from Sputnik)

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Tourists pose for a mirror effect in the water of Chihibugahama Beach, Japan (Photo: Reproduction / Instagram)

Located on the outskirts of Mitoyo city in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, Chihibugahama Beach has become a hit with tourists and photo enthusiasts thanks to its natural pools. Its water has a mirror effect that perfectly reflects the sky, creating beautiful images.

Such is the success that the region has already been tagged on Instagram more than 175,000 times and also has its own page on the social network where visitors’ best photos are posted. According to the British newspaper Chron, some of the most popular poses travelers like to do include jumping in the air, holding balloons and posing with props like umbrellas.

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The beach, which until recently was relatively unknown, experienced a surge in popularity in 2016 when a photo showing two children reflected in the water impressed the judges of a photo contest in Mitoyo, according to the Japan Forward portal.

The image inspired other photographers around the world to take their own pictures and turned the milelong beach into a tourist attraction. In 2019, the region recorded around 460,000 visitors.

According to Mitoyo’s tourism website, the mirror effect works best at sunset and when there is no wind disturbing the water’s surface. The site also published tips on how to take the best photos, in addition to a calendar listing low and sunset times, helping those looking for the perfect photo.

Chihibugahama Beach is also a popular spot for swimmers, and since 1995 a group has been dedicated to cleanliness.

To reach the site, take the Nio Line bus from JR Takuma Station in Mitoyo the journey takes about 25 minutes. There is also a parking lot next to the beach for those arriving by car.

*Supervised by Lia Hama

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