At a ceremony on the grounds of the Iwo Jima memorial this morning, some 50 wounded warriors will receive brand new Segway personal transport vehicles, the reward for “graduating” from a training program sponsored by the military charity Segs4Vets.
Although two such graduation ceremonies have taken place here every year for the past couple of years, this is the first in which the Arlington Police Department is playing an integral part.
This car was spotted at the Pentagon Row parking lot, outside Harris Teeter.
Welcome home, soldier.
Cicadas Are Back — It’s not the swarm of 2004, but there are a few cicadas around this summer. This one was spotted on a window screen in Pentagon City.
Breast-Feeding Mix-up at Virginia Hospital Center — In January, a newborn went missing in Arlington’s Virginia Hospital Center. The child’s mother eventually found him being breast-fed by another woman — the result of a hospital mix-up. The Washington Post reports that the incident has given rise to questions about the frequency of such incidents and the possibility that the baby could be harmed as a result.
Army Chief Apologizes for Mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery — Poor record-keeping and inept management has resulted in hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery, the military revealed. At a press conference, Secretary of the Army John McHugh apologized to families whose loved one’s final resting place was affected by the mix-ups. He also promised to reform the “dysfunctional” management culture at the cemetery. Two of the top cemetery administrators are being forced out as a result of the Army probe. More from the Washington Post.
Battle Lines Drawn for East Falls Church Redevelopment Fight — A plan to redevelop the area around the East Falls Church Metro Station has many East Falls Church residents up in arms. Michael Perkins of the blog Greater Greater Washington, however, is singing the plan’s praises, saying it would “transform the East Falls Church Metro area into a mixed-use, pedestrian, bicycle and transit-oriented community.” More from Greater Greater Washington.
The Marine Corps’ first Sunset Parade of the year starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Iwo Jima Memorial. The hour-long performance features the music of “The Commandant’s Own” Marine Corps Band and a silent precision drill team.
The parade is free and open to the public. Plus there’s plenty of room on the grounds to lay out a blanket for a picnic before or even during the performance.
Give to the World, an Arlington-based organization that helps the U.S. military conduct humanitarian relief efforts, is seeking volunteers to help box up supplies destined for Afghanistan.
Volunteers will meet at an area thrift shop to pack up clothes, shoes, blankets, stuffed animals and other donated items. The goods will then be sent to villagers in Afghanistan.
The annual Memorial Day weekend tradition of “Flags In” will take place from 4:00 to 7:00 tonight at Arlington National Cemetery. A group of service members from each branch of the armed forces will place small flags in front of each of the cemetery’s more than 250,000 graves.
More from the Arlington National Cemetery Facebook page:
About 500 enlisted employees, DoD civilians and contract workers showed up at the Crystal Gateway Marriott to find alternatives to moving to out-of-state bases or commuting to traffic-clogged exurbs. The moves are mandated by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closing Act, which will result in the closing of dozens of government offices and the loss of about 17,000 jobs in Arlington by next September.
The job fair attendees shared two common traits: they all like their current job and they all want to stay here.
Col. Jack Mosher and Maj. Herbert Brock are taking turns running daily half marathons, for a total of 26.2 miles every day. They’re also documenting their experience on the web.
The men say doing it to promote “resiliency” and to encourage “the warrior spirit in everyone.”
Secretary Gates Calls For Reduction of DoD Spending — On Saturday Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave a blistering speech that called for a significant restructuring of Pentagon spending, reports Andrea Stone at AOL News. Citing a “gusher of defense spending” following 9/11, Gates stated his desire to reduce spending on weapons systems and military health care. He also called for a reduction in the number of generals and admirals in the services. Defense spending is a major component of the local economy.
BRAC Moves May Cause Traffic Woes — The transfer of 13,000 DoD jobs from Crystal City to Ft. Belvoir, Alexandria’s Mark Center development and elsewhere may cause major traffic problems, the Washington Post reports. The areas where the jobs are moving to are not Metro accessible and are not prepared to receive the ensuing crush of traffic, several people told the Post. By law, about four million square feet of office space in Crystal City must be vacated by September 2011.
Connection Newspapers has an inspiring article about Maj. Justin Constantine, a Marine who was shot in the head in Iraq and lived to tell the tale.
Constantine, 40, has since endured major surgeries, disfiguring scars, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. But along with the low points, there have been the highs — including his October 2008 marriage and the foundation he started for wounded veterans.
Update at 3:15 p.m. — On our Facebook page, Robert Cannon responds with another possible move: “Richmond announces its planning to relocate Arlington to the Soviet Union..”
It’s looking like a bleak day for south Arlington. First, Greater Greater Washington revealed that the 14th Street Bridge may be closed on nights and weekends to help plug the District’s budget gap. Now, in a press release, the Army said it’s looking to relocate the Pentagon to northwest Kansas.
