April 2022 — M2CC Newsletter

News from M2CC
APRIL 2022 EDITION
$1.3 Billion Hospital,
DoD's Newest, Still
Without Drinkable Water
See page 14
Monthly Newsletter
US Lawmakers Call for
Deliveries of Heavy Weapons to
Ukraine as War Pivots East
WASHINGTON — Some
Capitol Hill lawmakers say
they want to see the U.S.
supply a steady stream
of heavy weapons to
Ukraine to help its forces
go on the offensive against
advancing Russian troops
as the battlefield shifts to
the country’s more rural
east.
The fight over the contested
Donbas region, where
Russia-backed separatists
have held territory since
2014, is expected to be
a protracted ground war
between infantry and
artillery on flat, open
terrain, according to
Pentagon and Ukrainian
officials. To fend off and
push out Russian forces,
Congress members said
the U.S. will need to
commit to sending Ukraine
hard power such as tanks,
artillery and aircraft.
President Joe Biden on
Wednesday announced
another $800 million
in new military aid for
Ukraine’s war effort.
The additional security
assistance could include
sophisticated equipment
such as howitzer cannons
and armored Humvees,
according to a report by
The Washington Post.
“It’s very important that
the American people
understand that we want
the Ukrainians to win, and
we will support them with
appropriate intelligence
information and weapons
so they can regain the
territory that has been lost
to Russia, and that includes
the area in the Donbas,”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.,
said last week during a
Senate Armed Services
Committee hearing.
The battle for Donbas will
resemble the large-scale
warfare of World War
II, according to Ukraine
Foreign Minister Dmytro
Kuleba, with thousands of
tanks, armored vehicles,
planes and artillery.
Russia’s larger military is
better positioned in the east
than around the Ukrainian
capital of Kyiv, where the
Ukrainian resistance was
able pick off columns of
Russian tanks and armored
vehicles through small-unit
strikes, Ukrainian officials
said.
Ukraine is requesting a
host of offensive weapons,
including long-range
artillery to keep Russians
at a distance, tanks and
armored vehicles to break
through Russian defenses
and liberate occupied
territories, and anti-ship
missiles to destroy Russian
forces blocking ports on
Continued on page 12
WWW.M2CC.US
the Black Sea, according
to Ukraine’s Defense
Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
“To win such a war, we need
different help than what
we have been receiving
before," he said in a video
released last week. "We
want to liberate the enemyoccupied
territories as soon
as possible. To do this, we
need other weapons.”
On Sunday, Rep. Liz
Cheney, R-Wyo., called
for the urgent delivery of
tanks, artillery and armored
vehicles to Ukraine and
said the U.S. needs to
expand its aid shipments
beyond defensive weapons
such as anti-tank and antiaircraft
systems.
“I think it's really important
for us to be very clear with
respect both to the kinds
of advanced weaponry,
the kinds of offensive
weaponry we need to be
providing them,” she said
during an interview with
CNN.
Rep. Mike Gallagher,
R-Wis., said the U.S.
should work with its allies
to ensure Ukraine receives
Soviet-model tanks,

2 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
3 Ways Veterans Can Help Themselves Choose a
Post-Military Career
There's no easy roadmap to a career, and it's
not something that we learn in school as young
people. Joining the military puts us in a career
field and trains us for that military-specific
career, but that doesn't mean it's our dream job.
As we learn our military specialty, we are also
given unparalleled access to free education
and training opportunities. That kind of access
isn't helpful if we are unsure of what kind of
work we want to pursue in the future. Worse
still, some of us get degrees or start degree
programs, only to discover that the kind of
work we're learning isn't all we thought it was
cracked up to be.
If you're in the military, don't think your
military occupation is for life and are unsure
of what to do next, you aren't alone. Roughly
half of the militarygoes in without knowing
what they want to do, and a smaller fraction
stays in until retirement. There are resources
available to help college graduates, civilians
switching careers and anyone else who might
be thinking of a change.
Here are just a few options available to veterans
and anyone else looking for their calling.
1. Career Assessment Tools
There are hundreds of career assessment and
career aptitude tests available, both on and
offline. A quick Google search will show so
many, both free and for a price, but be warned:
they're not all exactly scientific. Military.com's

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 3
parent company, Monster, has a good rundown
of 10 free career tests if you're interested in
using them as a starting point.
Psychologist John Holland developed a system
of placing people into six categories: ​Doers,
Thinkers, Creators, Helpers, Persuaders and
Organizers. He then created Self-Directed
Search (SDS), an assessment based on
his research to help those categories find
successful career paths. It comes with a fee,
but is generally acknowledged as one of the
best career assessment tests.
2. A Career Coach or Mentor
Career coaches specialize in helping people
find the jobs and careers that will bring them
fulfillment. Since their job is to connect
people with sectors, industries and individual
businesses, they also often have a wide network
of individuals and resources to help connect
you. These, too, can come with a wide range
of fees, but the money might be well-spent.
Your local base education office might also
have a career counselor you can talk to about
your transition.
Mentors are another form of career coach. Who
better to help a service member transition out
of the military and into a fulfilling civilian job
than someone who has been there, done that?
Although it might be more helpful to figure out
your career path first if your goal is to land a
job, a mentor might have been facing the same
career uncertainty and can help you find a path
that works for you.
3. Interviewing Professionals
If you think you found an industry or career
that interests you, but still hesitate, there's
nothing wrong with setting up an informational
interview with someone already working in it.
It's not a job interview, so there's no reason
the person you're talking to can't have a frank
discussion about their job, their life and their
future prospects.
This person might be someone you already
know, someone you're connected to or someone
you met at a career fair. It's just a simple matter
of reaching out to them, setting up a quick 15-
to 20-minute conversation and then sending
them a heartfelt thank you afterward. Even if it
doesn't give you the warm fuzzy you hoped for,
it will still help narrow down your decision.
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Focus on Oversight a Key for Success at
CoreCivic
In the corrections industry, maintaining high standards of
operation is imperative to meeting the needs of the individuals
in our care. That's why CoreCivic adheres to a stringent set of
guidelines set forth by our own standards, as well as those of our
government partners and the American Correctional Association
(ACA).
Founded in 1870, the ACA is considered the national benchmark
for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout
the United States. To become accredited, a facility must achieve
compliance with ACA mandatory standards and a minimum of
90 percent non-mandatory standards. CoreCivic facilities adhere
to ACA standards, and in 2020, CoreCivic earned an average
ACA audit score of 99.6 percent across all facilities.
Key ACA audit areas include facility personnel, resident reentry
programs, resident safety, health care, and more.
holds our facilities and staff to a high standard. To be able to
represent our facility and receive reaccreditation in person is an
honor."
Adhering to ACA standards is only one part of CoreCivic's
commitment to robust oversight. When government partners
utilize CoreCivic's services, we are held not only to our own
high standards and those of the ACA, but we are often held to
the same or higher accountability of our public counterparts
through stringent government contracts, unfettered access to
our facilities for our partners, and hundreds of on-site quality
assurance monitors.
We provide access to our government partners, with most of
our facilities having government agency employees known as
contract monitors who are physically on-site to ensure we are
operating in line with partner guidelines.
Recently, the ACA held in Nashville, Tennessee, its 151st
Congress of Corrections, an annual convention that brings
together corrections professionals from across the country. In
addition to various workshops and events at the convention, the
ACA Commission on Accreditation also held panel hearings to
award accreditation to correctional facilities that meet the ACA's
rigorous requirements. Listed below are the seven CoreCivic
facilities that earned reaccreditation this year, with mandatory/
non-mandatory scores:
• Bent County Correctional Facility - 100/99.0
• Citrus County Detention Facility - 100/100
• Eloy Detention Center - 100/100
• Lake Erie Correctional Institution - 100/99.3
• Saguaro Correctional Center - 100/99.8
• Stewart Detention Center - 100/100
• Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility - 100/100
"The accreditation process is very important," said Warden
Fred Figueroa from Eloy Detention Center, one of the seven
CoreCivic facilities that was awarded reaccreditation. "ACA
To maintain our own high standards, annual on-site audits covering
all operational areas are administered to ensure compliance with
contractual and regulatory obligations and corporate-mandated
requirements. Each CoreCivic Safety facility is audited by our
internal quality assurance division, which is independent from
our operations division. Facilities are expected to be audit-ready
year-round, maintaining continuous compliance with numerous
applicable standards.
CoreCivic employs 75 staff members dedicated to quality
assurance, including several subject matter experts with extensive
experience from all major disciplines within our institutional
operations.
"A lot of hard work goes into preparing for these audits,"
Figueroa said. "Once they're complete, the staff can see their
accomplishments and feel proud."
Having multiple levels of oversight helps CoreCivic maintain
a safe environment for those in our care. By holding ourselves
accountable to our own high standards, along with our
government partners' and ACA's standards, CoreCivic continues
to be a trusted partner working to better the public good.

6 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION

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8 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
New Air Force Leave
Policy Allows up to 35
Days Off for Infertility
Treatments
Airmen and guardians struggling to conceive are now afforded extra
time off to undergo fertility treatments at a military hospital, under a
revised Air Force policy adopted earlier this month.
Male and female service members participating in a fertility treatment
program can take up to 35 days of permissive temporary duty, which
can be divided into separate trips if approved by a medical provider.
It’s the first time the Air Force has authorized permissive TDY for
fertility treatment.
The benefit allows military members to travel at no cost to the
government while conserving earned leave days.
The Air Force’s women’s initiative team championed the new policy,
a service statement said. Members of the team said the change is
significant for everyone dealing with infertility.
“I have had several members struggle with fertility issues and can
attest to the rippling effects it has across the military,” said U.S. Space
Force Chief Master Sgt. Martha Burkhead, the women’s team lead for
the initiative.
There six military medical centers where service members may seek
infertility treatments are Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii;
Walter Reed National Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.; Womack Army
Medical Center, Fayetteville, N.C.; San Antonio Military Medical
Center, Texas; Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash.; and
Naval Medical Center San Diego, Calif.
Other updates include permission for commanders to authorize up to
30 days of convalescent leave for sexual assault victims to receive
support or allow time for recovery. The authorization was directed by
the Pentagon following an independent review of sexual assault in the
military.
Convalescent leave is a nonchargeable absence typically granted to
help service members return to duty after illness, injury or childbirth.
Another change allows service members within a year of retiring to
attend Defense Department-sponsored employment seminars that
aren’t available locally.
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12 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
artillery and planes as well
as small-arms ammunition
and real-time intelligence
about the Russian army.
“Anti-tank and antiaircraft
systems are still
critical to protecting
Ukrainian troops on the
offense and we should
continue to supply them
as needed. That said,
there is more the U.S. can
and should do to ensure
President [Volodymyr]
Zelenskyy is in as
strong of a position as
possible,” Gallagher, a
former Marine, said in a
statement.
The U.S. is constrained
in the kind of heavy
equipment it can provide
Ukraine, said Mark
Cancian, a former Marine
and senior adviser with
the Center for Strategic
and International Studies,
a Washington think
tank. Most, if not all,
the weapons will need
to be Soviet-made and
sent through Eastern
European allies who will
then receive replacements
from the U.S. Recent
appeals by Reznikov and
Zelenskyy to purchase
NATO-standard heavy
weapons are not practical,
he said.
“If we send them M1
tanks, they wouldn’t know
what to do with them, they
don’t have anybody that’s
trained on them and to
make an M1 tank effective
would take at least a
year,” Cancian said. “And
that’s true of F-16 aircraft
or anything else like that
that they don’t already
operate.”
Slovakia received a Patriot
missile system from the
U.S. after sending its
S-300 air defense system
to Ukraine last week.
Only the Czech Republic
has supplied Ukraine with
tanks, sending Soviet-era
T-72s.
Rep. Stephanie Bice,
R-Okla., said tanks
should be sent to Ukraine
“in a swift manner”
but acknowledged that
brokering the delivery of
aircraft, which Ukraine
has repeatedly asked for to
“close the sky” to Russian
bombardment, will be
difficult. The White House
nixed a deal to transfer
MiG fighter jets from
Poland to Ukraine last
month, fearing it would
provoke Russia.
“Unfortunately, we are not
able to provide the types
of planes that Ukrainian
pilots can immediately
fly,” Bice said in a
statement. “We are
relying on other nations to
supply those, and so far,

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 13
that hasn’t been possible
either.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
D-Conn., said he has
strongly supported
providing more lethal
weapons, including
fighter jets, to Ukraine
since Russia first invaded
in 2014 and annexed
the Crimean Peninsula.
He suggested during a
hearing with top military
officials last week that
the U.S. consider sending
A-10 Thunderbolt II
attack aircraft, known as
Warthogs, which the Air
Force wants to retire.
“It’s going to be a long
slog," Blumenthal said.
"This is a protracted war
going to the east, but we
need to be there for the
Ukrainians in the midst of
this long slog."
The most critical element
of supporting Ukraine’s
offensive is maintaining
a consistent influx of
munitions, Cancian said.
Even lighter weapons such
as shoulder-fired, antiaircraft
Stingers missiles
and anti-tank Javelins
missiles can be effective
in a drawn-out fight, he
said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin told senators last
week that those weapons,
as well as drones
and communications
equipment, have proved
“somewhat decisive” in
Ukraine’s stiff resistance.
Ukraine continues to deny
Russia air superiority
through tens of thousands
of anti-aircraft systems
from the U.S., added
Army Gen. Mark Milley,
chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
“The biggest thing is that
they need this flow of
supplies and equipment
to continue because that
is what has allowed them
to maintain a continuous
combat capability that's
defeated the Russians so
far,” Cancian said.
Republican Sens. Joni
Ernst of Iowa and Jim
Inhofe of Oklahoma said
the U.S. should equip
Ukraine with the ability
to trounce Russian forces,
not just repel them. But
they agree the speed of
heavy weapons delivery
will be a major deciding
factor in whether Ukraine
can boot Russia from its
territory.
“President Zelenskyy,
and all of the Ukrainians
I’ve met with over the
last month, have said
weapons are not being
delivered fast enough —
particularly with their high
burn rate,” Ernst, a former
Army officer, said in a
statement. “The U.S. can
deliver more capability
quicker, and Congress
will continue to pressure
this administration.”
Russia has warned that it
will treat arms convoys
from NATO countries to
Ukraine as “legitimate
targets” for military action
and deliveries of more
sophisticated weapons
will not go unnoticed,
Cancian said. The risk of
Russia making good on
its threat, however, is not
likely for now, he said.
“The Russians have their
hands full,” Cancian said.
“In terms of shipping
equipment, they seem to
have accepted that, they
really haven’t even struck
the supply lines.”
Sens. Jacky Rosen,
D-Nev., and Jeanne
Shaheen, D-N.H., said
they will work with their
Republican colleagues in
the coming weeks to shore
up Ukraine’s military
capabilities for a renewed
Russian onslaught. Before
leaving for spring recess
last week, the Senate
passed a bipartisan bill
to expedite U.S. arms
transfers to Ukraine
through a World War IIstyle
lend-lease program.
The legislation has moved
to the House.
“As the military situation
in Ukraine evolves, so
must our global response,”
said Shaheen, the bill's cosponsor.
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14 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
$1.3 Billion Hospital, DoD's Newest, Still Without
Drinkable Water
Water restrictions have
continued this week at
the William Beaumont
Army Medical Center at
Fort Bliss, Texas, just nine
months after the facility
opened its doors.
As of Wednesday, hospital
employees and patients
were able to use the water
for handwashing and
showering, but restrictions
continued on its use for
drinking or medical needs
such has sterilization and
surgery after sediment and
discoloration was found
throughout the facility last
week.
out of "an abundance of
caution" on April 7.
They noted, however,
that the installation's
environmental health team
found no "pathogenic or
environmental concerns,"
and also determined, via
testing, that the problem
did not stem from the
water supply, which is
drawn from the city of El
Paso.
"Hospital officials suspect
the root cause ... lies within
the hospital's internal
plumbing," they wrote in
a press release.
A replacement for an
aging medical center 10
miles away, the hospital
was scheduled to open in
2017 at a cost of $740.4
million. The opening was
pushed to September 2020
and again to this year as
a result of the pandemic,
with the cost exceeding
$1.3 billion.
The seven-story complex
serves thousands of
patients with 30 specialty
clinics, 10 operating
Employees noticed there
was debris in the water in
one department on March
25, according to a base
press release. Officials
thought the problem was
limited to that section,
but hospital-wide testing
found the sediment
elsewhere.
Hospital leaders declared
the water unsafe to drink

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 15
rooms and an emergency
department and trauma
center.
A Fort Bliss spokesperson
told Military.com that
water test results are
expected Thursday. In the
meantime, the installation
has brought in stand-alone
eye-washing facilities and
"exterior water storage
solutions."
It flushed the pipes last
week and shut off the main
water line for inspections
before allowing limited
use over the weekend.
According to officials,
experts from U.S.
Army Environmental
Command, the Defense
Health Agency, the Corps
of Engineers, Army
Installation Management
Control and Army
Medical Command have
responded to the problem.
"We have the right
experts on the ground,
and everybody's working
around the clock. I am
in no way a scientist, but
to these folks work, it's
pretty awesome," said
Lt. Col. Allie Scott, the
spokesperson.
No patients have been
moved from the hospital,
she added.
The 6-building hospital
complex, with a 135-bed
inpatient capacity and
two large outpatient clinic
buildings, opened last
August following years
of construction delays and
cost overruns.
The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers managed
the project, which
was designed by HDR
Inc., a Nebraska-based
architectural firm, and
built by Clark McCarthy
Healthcare Partners II,
a joint venture between
Clark Construction in
Bethesda, Maryland,
and McCarthy Building
Companies in St. Louis.
The Corps of Engineers
also is managing
construction of a
replacement for Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center
in Germany. The Defense
Health Agency announced
earlier this year that it had
awarded a $969 million
contract to joint partners
Züblin, a Stuttgart-based
company, and Gilbane
Building Company, which
constructed Fort Belvoir
Community Hospital in
Virginia.
That facility is expected to
open in late 2027.
The water issues appear to
be confined to the William
Beaumont Army Medical
Center campus and do not
affect any base housing or
work spaces other than the
hospital facilities.
"WBAMC and Fort Bliss
place the safety of patients
and the hospital staff first.
Technical experts continue
to troubleshoot systems
and develop both near and
long-term solutions," Fort
Bliss officials said in a
press release.
In November, residents
of U.S. Navy housing
in Honolulu reported
fuel contamination in
their tap water leading
to the displacement of
thousands of families
from their homes for
more than three months.
The fuel spill that caused
the contamination and
subsequent investigation
led the Navy to shut
down the largest Defense
Department fuel depot in
the Pacific Region.
William Beaumont
officials advised any
Tricarebeneficiaries who
have health concerns
about the facility's water
to contact their primary
care provider; call the
Tricare Nurse Advice
Line, 1-800-874-2273; or
go to an urgent care clinic
in El Paso.
As a result of the issues,
the hospital is sending
new trauma patients to
local facilities and has
postponed all elective
surgeries. Equipment
sterilization is being
conducted in various
locations off-site,
according to Scott.

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Man Sentenced to Prison
for Derailing Train Near
Hospital Ship at LA Port in
Pandemic’s Early Weeks
Eduardo Moreno, 46, pleaded guilty in December to committing a terrorist
attack and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation
systems in connection with the incident, which came as the Mercy was
docked in L.A. to relieve healthcare systems strained by skyrocketing
COVID-19 cases in the early weeks of the pandemic.
In addition to his prison sentence, Moreno was ordered to pay over $755,000
in restitution for the damage caused by the derailment, according to the U.S.
attorney’s office for the Central District of California.
On March 31, 2020, Moreno drove the train off the tracks at high speed,
crashing through barriers before it came to a stop 250 yards from the Mercy.
The ship was not damaged, and no injuries were reported, although the
incident caused a diesel fuel leak of approximately 2,000 gallons.
A California Highway Patrol officer saw the crash and detained Moreno at
the scene.
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The Mercy had docked in the Port of L.A. a week before the crash. With
1,000 beds, the ship was meant to take patients who did not have COVID-19
to ease the burden of Los Angeles County hospitals that had quickly reached
capacity.
Moreno told Los Angeles Port Police that he had caused the derailment
because he was suspicious of the Mercy and believed it was docked for a
“government takeover,” not pandemic assistance, the U.S. attorney’s office
said.
Moreno said that he had acted alone and that the act was not premeditated.
At the time of the crash, he was an employee of Pacific Harbor Line, which
operates in the L.A. and Long Beach port complex.
“While admitting to intentionally derailing and crashing the train, he said he
knew it would bring media attention and ‘people could see for themselves,’
referring to the Mercy,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Seven weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, the Mercy left to return to its
home port in San Diego, having treated only 77 patients.

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Republican Lawmakers Call for Reopening US
Embassy in Ukraine’s Capital
WASHINGTON — Some Republican
lawmakers are calling for the U.S.
to resume its diplomatic presence in
Ukraine and reopen its embassy in the
capital Kyiv now that Russia’s invading
forces have withdrawn from the city’s
surrounding areas.
Multiple countries recently announced
plans to reopen embassies in Kyiv,
including Italy, Portugal, Belgium,
Austria and Turkey. The embassies
of Slovenia, the Czech Republic and
Lithuania have already opened their
doors, as has the diplomatic office of
the European Union. The U.S. needs to
quickly follow suit, Republicans said.
“It’s time,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa,
an Army veteran. “We have numerous
American [non-governmental
organizations] operating in Ukraine,
thousands of Americans who never left,
and American news operations in the
country. It’s time to return — and show
Ukraine, and the world, our enduring
commitment to their freedom.”
The U.S. Embassy moved its consular
operations to the western Ukrainian city
of Lviv, near the Polish border, days
before Russia’s invasion and shuttered
its Kyiv office entirely on Feb. 28.
Diplomats and staff have been working
from Poland ever since.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
on Monday declined to set a timetable
for a return this week. Jake Sullivan,
the national security adviser, said
Sunday that U.S. officials are “working
through” when to send diplomats back
to Kyiv. The State Department said it
is constantly evaluating safety in Kyiv
and does not have specifics on when
the U.S. Embassy there could reopen.
“In the meantime, we continue to stay
in close touch with the government of
Ukraine and its leadership at all levels
and engage in conversations with our
Ukrainian counterparts every day,” a
spokesperson said Thursday.
Ernst criticized the administration of
President Joe Biden for being “far
too risk-averse” about restoring a
diplomatic presence in Ukraine and said
a U.S. diplomat she met in Poland last
month “tearfully told me she wanted to
return.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy has urged governments to
send back their embassy staff, saying
the return of foreign missions would
signal to Russia “that Kyiv is ours.”
Russian forces retreated from the
northern part of the country earlier this
month after failing to seize the capital.
“We need your support, even at the level
of symbols and diplomatic gestures,”
Zelenskyy said last week in a video
address. “Please come back, everybody

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 21
who is brave, please come back to our
capital and continue working.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Rep.
Rob Wittman, R-Va., praised foreign
governments for heeding that call and
said the U.S. must now back up its
commitment to Ukraine and diplomacy
with on-the-ground action.
“We must safely reopen the U.S.
Embassy in Kyiv as quickly as possible,”
Wittman said. “To do so will send a clear
message of our support for Ukraine,
emphasize the country’s unquestioned
sovereignty, and support and facilitate
critical diplomatic channels between
the U.S. and Ukrainian governments at
various levels.”
der Leyen toured the nearby town of
Bucha, where Russians are accused of
committing mass atrocities. The United
Kingdom's prime minister, Boris
Johnson, walked the streets of Kyiv
with Zelenskyy in a surprise visit on
Saturday.
Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla.,
described Johnson’s visit as a “powerful
demonstration of support for the people
of Ukraine.” There are no plans for
President Joe Biden to make a similar
trip, White House officials have said,
though there are reportedly discussions
of sending another high-level official to
the Ukraine capital.
On Tuesday, Rep. Victoria Spartz,
the first Ukrainian-born member of
Congress, asked Secretary of State
Antony Blinken to consider redeploying
diplomats to Lviv, a city largely
untouched by Russian artillery that has
served as a hub for people displaced by
the war.
“As the single largest provider of
military and humanitarian assistance to
Ukraine, it is past time that the United
States follow our European allies in
kind," Spartz, R-Ind., wrote in a letter.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., cautioned
that a diplomatic return to Kyiv would
need to be carefully vetted for security.
Embassy personnel in Poland have
continued to perform their “important
work” even outside the country, she
said.
“While it is valuable to have a
diplomatic presence on the ground in
Ukraine, the State Department will
have to determine when our diplomats
are able to safely carry out their mission
in Kyiv,” she said.
Top politicians, as well as envoys, have
poured into the city in recent days.
The presidents of Poland, Lithuania,
Latvia and Estonia traveled by train
into Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy
on Wednesday. Last week, European
Commission President Ursula von
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22 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
Biden Approves
Another $800M in US
Military Aid to Ukraine,
Including Howitzers,
Helicopters and
Armored Vehicles
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will send another $800
million in weapons that includes artillery, helicopters
and armored vehicles to Ukraine as its forces prepare
for a new Russian attack in the country’s eastern region,
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.
“This new package of assistance will contain many of
the highly effective weapons systems we have already
provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider
assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine,”
Biden said in a prepared statement.
Those additional weapons will include 300 Switchblade
tactical drones, 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 18 155mm
howitzer artillery systems, 200 M113 armored personnel

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 23
carriers and 100 armored high-mobility multipurpose
wheeled vehicles, according to the Pentagon.
“The steady supply of weapons the United States and
its allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has
been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian
invasion,” Biden said. “It has helped ensure that Putin
failed in his initial war aims to conquer and control
Ukraine. We cannot rest now.”
Pentagon officials have said they believe Russian
forces are preparing an onslaught of the Donbas region
in eastern Ukraine.
The new aid to Ukraine comes as Russia has been
adding helicopters, additional artillery systems and
troops to infantry units that recently left the capital
of Kyiv and Chernihiv in northern Ukraine “for what
we continue to believe is going to be a renewed push”
toward the Donbas, a senior U.S. defense official said
Wednesday.
“We continue to see movements and activity of Russian
forces in Belarus and in Russia as they continue
to reassemble their forces, stage them, [and add]
equipment and material support,” said the official who
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Biden made the announcement after telling Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of his plans by phone
Wednesday afternoon, according to the statement.
The expected new Russian offensive on the Donbas
region could prove to be easier for Russian forces than
prior assaults in northern and southern Ukraine, chief
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.
That’s because Russia is more familiar with the terrain
there after fighting in the region since it last invaded
Ukraine in 2014.
"The other aspect of this is the topography [of eastern
Ukraine.] It's been described to me [as] a bit like
Kansas — a little bit flatter, it's a little bit more open,”
he said. “It's the kind of place where we can anticipate
[Russia] to use tanks and long-range fires, artillery and
rocket fire to achieve some of their objectives before
committing ground troops.”
The range of weapons in the latest military aid
package was chosen, in part, based on that assessment.
The security package also includes 10 AN/TPQ-36
counter-artillery radars, 2 AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air
surveillance radars, 500 Javelin missiles and thousands
of “other anti-armor systems,” 40,000 artillery rounds,
30,000 sets of body armor and helmets, and more than
2,000 optics and laser rangefinders, according to the
Pentagon.
An undisclosed number of “unmanned coastal-defense
vessels” is also being sent to Ukraine, along with C-4
explosives and demolition equipment for clearing
obstacles, M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions,
medical supplies and protective equipment to guard

24 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
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WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 25
against chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear
exposure, the Pentagon said.
U.S. troops will need to train
Ukrainians on some of the
systems in the new package,
Kirby said, such as the howitzers,
counter-artillery and air
surveillance radars, rangefinders
and Claymores.
“We’re still working on what
that’s going to look like,” he
said. “Because they are in an
active fight, [we may conduct]
a train-the-trainers program —
pull a small number of Ukrainian
forces out so they can get trained
on these systems and then send
them back in.”
The additional weapons for
Ukraine come as Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin met
with defense industry leaders
Wednesday regarding “the kinds
of systems that had been involved
in the security assistance
program,” a senior U.S. defense
official said.
“[Austin] wanted to focus this
particular meeting on … making
sure that we have a good sense of
where industry is in transactions
and that they have a good sense
of where we are in terms of our
production needs,” the official
told reporters at the Pentagon.
While Austin was “very
adamant” about discussing
equipment sent to Ukraine,
“we're not having this meeting
with them because our stocks
are so low that our readiness is
impaired,” the official said.
“We have been giving an awful
lot of stuff to the Ukrainians, and
so it would be the prudent thing
to do before it becomes a crisis
issue for our own readiness to
have a discussion with them
about accelerated production
and advanced production,” the
official said.
Since taking office in January
2021, Biden has now sent
Ukraine about $3.2 billion in
military aid — an amount that
“equates to more than half of
Ukraine's defense budget for
last year, which was about $4.2
billion,” the official said.
“The Ukrainian military has used
the weapons we are providing to
devastating effect,” Biden said
in his statement Wednesday.
“As Russia prepares to intensify
its attack in the Donbas region,
the United States will continue
to provide Ukraine with the
capabilities to defend itself.”
About $2.5 billion of the U.S.
aid has been sent since Russia
invaded Ukraine less than
seven weeks ago, according to
the Pentagon. The contents of
the packages have ranged from
small arms and ammunitions to
anti-aircraft systems and 100
Switchblade tactical drones.
By the end of Thursday, the U.S.
expects to have delivered all
the previously approved drones,
the official said. Switchblades,
dubbed “kamikaze drones,” are
portable loitering munitions
that crash into targets while
detonating explosive warheads,
according to AeroVironment,
which makes the weapon.
Most Ukrainian troops are not
trained on the system, though
“a small number” recently
completed Switchblade training
with U.S. troops at the Naval
Small Craft Instruction and
Technical Training School in
Biloxi, Miss., Kirby said Sunday.
Those forces, which had been
in the U.S. since before the
Russian invasion, returned to
Ukraine on Monday and are
expected to train their fellow
Ukrainian troops to operate
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the systems. But American
troops in neighboring NATO
countries also could be called
upon to train Ukrainians on the
systems, the official said.
"We are looking at options
for additional switchblade
training,” the official said.
“Certainly, one option that
would be available to us would
be to utilize [U.S.] troops that
are closer to Ukraine."
The U.S. has more than
100,000 troops stationed in
Europe — the most it’s had
on the Continent since 2005.
More than 14,000 of them
are deployed to countries on
NATO’s eastern flank, such
as Poland, Romania, Slovakia
and Hungary.
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26 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
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WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 27
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28 | M2CC - News www.m2cc.us APRIL 2022 EDITION
Schriever Space Force Base Receives $30 Million for
New Fitness Center
A project for a $30 million renovation of
the fitness center at Schriever Space Force
Baseoutside of Colorado Springs, Colorado,
was approved last month, giving Guardians
stationed in the rural area access to a more
modern gym after several years of fighting for
updates to the building.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., earmarked
the project in the fiscal 2022 omnibus funding
bill. The funding was secured last month,
and will be crucial for maintaining morale,
recruitment and readiness.
Our service members at Schriever are on
watch 24/7 -- and the $30 million we secured
in the government spending bill will meet the
demands of the growing population on base
and support their readiness," Bennet said in an
emailed statement.
In the 1980s, a little more than 200 Air
Forcepersonnel called Schriever home. Now,
more than 8,000 Guardians, contractors and
other military personnel work out of the Space
Force base.
An aide for Bennet said the rural location of
the base makes it hard for Guardians to easily
access a gym outside of the fence line and the
one at Schriever is too small with the recent
influx of service members at the installation.
The nearest private gym options are in
Colorado Springs, about 30 minutes away.
Prior to becoming a Space Force installation
last year, Schriever was an Air Force base
focused on missile defense and satellite
logistics.
When it was an Air Force base, Schriever's
fitness center had been undergoing small
renovations for half a decade.
In 2017, rot and corrosion were found behind
the walls when the base began renovating the
locker room showers. Prior to that, there had
been no changes made to the building since
2001, according to an Air Force press release
at that time.
With the $30 million funding secured, a
government contract seeking bids for the
renovations was posted online late last month.
Details of the project show lofty plans for the
gym.
The more than 5,000 square meters being added
to the gym will include new construction and
renovations for "an indoor running track, two
large multi-use basketball courts, racquetball
court, fitness areas, group exercise area," as
well as updated men's and women's locker
rooms.
Bennet told Military.com that securing the
funding for the project "was an opportunity
for Colorado communities, including our
military communities, to tell Washington
directly about their needs and concerns."
A timeline for the completion of the
renovations has not yet been released.
In 2023 budget documents released last
month, Space Force -- which falls under the
department of the Air Force -- requested $24.5
billion, which marked a nearly 40% increase
from the previous year.
There were no construction estimates in the
2023 budget request for the Space Force, but
the Air Force budget did ask for $68 million to
build a dormitory at Clear Space Force Station
in Denali, Alaska.
Many construction projects for the Space
Force, such as the fitness center renovations
at Schriever, will be picked up by state or
congressional funding.
The construction of the fitness center at
Schriever also comes as the Space Force
makes plans to scrap an annual physical
fitness test and will rely mostly on wearable
fitness trackers by 2023.
As Guardians await beta-testing and rollout of
the program, they will be required to complete
an Air Force physical fitness test in 2022 if
they haven't done so already.