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SOURCE:  Office of Senator Mitch McConnell

McConnell Names Fayette County Native as New Legislative Director for his Kentucky Office in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he has named Phil Maxson to serve as his Legislative Director in his personal office. Phil, a Lexington, Kentucky native, will replace Jennifer Kuskowski who will be taking a new position as Senior Policy Advisor on the majority staff of the Senate Finance Committee.

Phil previously served as Policy Advisor and oversaw the appropriations portfolio for the office as the Director of Projects. Phil also handled the defense and military legislative affairs for the office, including the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Fort Campbell, Fort Knox and the Blue Grass Army Depot. As Legislative Director, Phil will oversee all legislative matters for Senator McConnell’s Kentucky office and will help manage the policy staff. He will continue to communicate daily with Kentuckians and meet with them while in the Commonwealth and the Nation’s Capital.

“Phil has done a fantastic job over the past several years making sure Kentucky’s priorities are known to all the key staff on Capitol Hill. He’s earned my trust, and I’m confident that his diligence, good nature, and smarts will continue to serve my constituents well in this important new role,” Senator McConnell said.

The change will officially take place on Monday, April 4, 2016.

SOURCE:  Office of  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

McConnell Letter to Governors: Court-Mandated Halt of Administration’s Anti-Coal Regulation Shows Merits of ‘Wait and See’ Approach

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote to the nation’s governors regarding the Supreme Court’s recent nationwide stay of the Obama Administration’s so-called “Clean Power Plan” (CPP) – a massive regulatory plan that will not have a meaningful impact on global emissions but will punish states’ most vulnerable citizens and ship middle-class jobs overseas.

The letter follows one he sent governors in March 2015, urging them to carefully review the consequences of this deeply misguided plan and to reject

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) photographed at the Capitol on December 2, 2008. Photograph by Karen Ballard

submitting a state implementation plan to the Obama Administration until the courts rule on its legality.

In today’s letter, Senator McConnell wrote, “The court’s action in State of West Virginia et.al. v. EPA et.al. will likely extend well beyond this administration, providing a welcome reprieve to states while simultaneously underlining the serious legal and policy concerns I wrote you about last year. In that letter I advised you to carefully consider the significant economic and legal ramifications at stake before signing your states up to a plan that may well fall in court, given that it was unclear — in my view, unlikely — such a plan could survive legal scrutiny… This is precisely why I suggested a ‘wait-and-see’ approach with respect to the CPP last year… even if the CPP is ultimately upheld, the clock would start over and your states would have ample time to formulate and submit a plan; but if the court overturns the CPP as I predict, your citizens would not be left with unnecessary economic harm. Nor would your states be left with responsibility for billions in unnecessary investment obligations.”

Senator McConnell added, “Moving forward, I hope that each of you will consider taking advantage of the relief granted by the Supreme Court and keep in mind that many of us in Congress stand ready to help you as you fight for the best interests of your states.”

The full text of Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s letter is HERE.

SOURCE:  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

General Officer Assignments

The chief of staff, Army announced the following assignments:

Maj. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, to chief of staff, U.S. Africa Command, Germany.

Maj. Gen. Christopher K. Haas, director, force management and development, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to deputy chief of staff, operations, Resolute Support Mission, North Atlantic Treaty Organization/U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan.

Maj. Gen. Mark R. Quantock, deputy chief of staff, intelligence, Resolute Support Mission, North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and director, J-2, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan, to director, J-2, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Maj. Gen. Robert P. White, deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to commanding general, 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Brig. Gen. Willard M. Burleson III, director, Mission Command Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to senior advisor to the Ministry of Defense, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan.

Brig. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, commanding general, Joint Multinational Training Command, U.S. Army Europe, Germany, to commanding general, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Brig. Gen. Douglas C. Crissman, deputy commanding general, support, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, to deputy commanding general, 3d (United Kingdom) Division, United Kingdom.

Brig. Gen. Edwin J. Deedrick Jr., commander, Special Operations Command-Korea, Republic of Korea, to deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Col. (Promotable) John S. Laskodi, director, strategic logistics integration (G-45/7), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, U.S. Army, Washington, District of Columbia, to commander, Defense Logistics Agency-Distribution, Defense Logistics Agency, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Col. (Promotable) Dennis P. LeMaster, commander, U.S. Army Medical Activity, Fort Carson, Colorado, to commander, Regional Health Command – Europe (Provisional); and command surgeon, U.S. Army Europe, Germany.

Col. (Promotable) Michael J. Talley, commander, 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to command surgeon, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The chief of staff, Air Force announced the following assignments:

Brig. Gen. Christopher E. Craige, commanding general, Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air, Operation Resolute Support, U.S. Central Command; and commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Kabul, Afghanistan, to vice commander, 3rd Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and 17th Expeditionary Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Col. Alexus G. Grynkewich, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, from chief, integration and planning; and deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia, to vice deputy director for nuclear, homeland defense, current operations, J-33, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Brig. Gen. Kyle J. Kremer, executive officer to the commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, to director, manpower and personnel, J-1, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Brig. Gen. David A. Krumm, vice commander, 5th Air Force; and director, Pacific Air Forces Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Pacific Air Forces, Yokota Air Base, Japan, to special assistant to the chief of staff, U.S. Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Brig. Gen. Bruce H. McClintock, senior defense official and defense attaché-Russia, U.S. European Command, Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Embassy, Moscow, Russia, to special assistant to the commander, Air Force Space Command, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Brig. Gen. Stephen W. Oliver Jr., deputy director, strategy, plans and programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Mohringen, Germany, to vice commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Air Mobility Command, Joint Base McGuire-Fort Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Col. Bradley C. Saltzman, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, from executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, to director, future operations, deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Col. Andrea D. Tullos, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, from commander, 42nd Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, to director of security forces, deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Col. Michael P. Winkler, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, from commander, 354th Fighter Wing, Pacific Air Forces, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to vice commander, 5th Air Force; and director, Pacific Air Forces Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Pacific Air Forces, Yokota Air Base, Japan.

SOURCE:  BLACKNEWS.COM

Checkered Flag Run Foundation. Photo Courtesy: Blacknews.com

CHECKERED FLAG RUN FOUNDATION & ARIZONA BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHAMPIONS YOUTH BY GIFTING WORLD CLASS SPORTING EVENT EXPERIENCES AND MORE

Phoenix, AZ — Maintaining its commitment to the City of Phoenix and area students, the Checkered Flag Run Foundation and the Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce announced that it will donate 500 tickets for local inner city youth to attend the Phoenix Grand Prix this year. The donation is part of the organizations ongoing commitment to supporting the education and enrichment needs of area children, and helping to ensure every child gets to cross the finish line.

The donation follows a presentation of a gift of $5,000 in November to the City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation during the City Council meeting for the Youth 365 initiative. Tickets for inner city youth to

Phoenix Grand Prix. Photo Courtesy: Blacknews.com

attend the NASCAR Sprint Cup were also donated. Nearly 250 guests attended.

The staff and youth participants had an opportunity to experience a new sporting event which was thoroughly enjoyed, said Inger Erickson, parks and recreation department director in a thank you letter to Alan AP Powell, Aaron D. Bare, Robert E. Branscomb II and Michael E. Johnson of the Checkered Flag Run Foundation. Several of the youth mentioned that they want to become race car drivers. It is great to see our inner city youth have the opportunity to see a world beyond their neighborhoods through these types of experiences.

The Checkered Flag Run Foundations mission is to provide diverse educational programs that impact under-served students. The organization strives to develop and invest in education specific to school readiness, raise awareness of educational opportunities that have a positive impact on educational attainment and promote diverse learning experiences to support necessary 21st century skills.

The organizations programs include the Bridge Summit, an invitation-only forum that seeks solutions and best practices for law enforcement professionals, Phoenix Tools 4 School, a school supply drive for students in need and Racing to the Top, a scholarship program that promotes the importance of higher education.

The Checkered Flag Run Foundation is also a supporter and partner of the My Brothers Keeper initiative which was launched by President Barack Obama to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color, and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.