Here are five noteworthy news stories and events to start your week, from the editors at Military.com.
1. Marine Commandant to Testify About Photo Scandal
Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller is scheduled to testify on Tuesday morning before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the scandal rocking the service in which Marines were found to have shared nude photos of female service members without their consent. Neller in a briefing to reporters at the Pentagon on Friday -- in his third time doing so in less than a week -- publicly denounced the alleged activity on the private Facebook group called Marines United. To date, he said, the Corps is aware of fewer than 10 women who have come forward publicly to identify themselves as victims of the page, though the actual number may be closer to 30.
2. Hearing for Drill Instructor Linked to Muslim Recruit's Suicide
As first reported by Hope Hodge Seck at Military.com, a commanding general has introduced charges for two Marine drill instructors accused of hazing recruits at Parris Island, including a senior enlisted member who allegedly threw a Muslim recruit in a dryer and turned it on and who later was alleged to have likely provided the impetus for another Muslim recruit's suicide. The senior drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix, will face an Article 32 investigative hearing Thursday on charges of failure to obey a lawful general order, cruelty and maltreatment, false official statement, drunk and disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice, officials said.
3. Coast Guard Commandant to Defend Service from Proposed Cuts
Also Thursday Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft will present his annual State of the Coast Guard address at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Watch for Zukunft to defend the Coast Guard from budget cuts. While President Donald Trump has proposed a massive spending hike -- some $54 billion -- for the Defense Department in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, as well as a more modest increase for the Homeland Security Department — of which the Coast Guard is a part -- the federal budget proposal would squeeze a number of areas, including the smallest uniformed service. Under the plan, the Coast Guard's $10.3 billion budget would lose $1.3 billion.
4. Army Leaders to Speak at Land Warfare Conference
The U.S. Army's top brass meets this week in Alabama for a three-day conference focusing on the future of land warfare. The event, "Global Force Symposium and Exposition," is organized by the Association of the United States Army's Institute of Land Warfare and runs from Monday through Wednesday at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley doesn't appear to be making an appearance at the event (he's not listed on the agenda), but Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer, as well as Gen. David Perkins, head of Training and Doctrine Command and Gen. Gustave Perna, head of Army Materiel Command, are set to speak.
5. Marine to Face Trial in Deadly Truck Rollover
The driver of a 7-ton truck that overturned at Camp Pendleton, California, in 2015 is expected to face court-martial later this year on a charge of negligent homicide. Cpl. Bin Guo, 27, of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, is accused of failing to slow down when the truck took a turn, resulting in a crash that killed one Marine, 21-year-old Cpl. Bryan Lauw, and injured 18 more, some critically. His military attorney says there's no evidence he did anything wrong. A preliminary hearing officer found there was no probable cause to charge Guo. But the convening authority for the case decided to overrule the officer's recommendation and send Guo to general court-martial.
-- Hope Hodge Seck and Richard Sisk contributed to this report.
-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
