News 6 Mashup: July 11, 2022
Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of July 11, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:
Ukraine is Holding Defensive Position Against Russia
U.S. Officials announced that “The Russians are making ‘slow and uneven advances’ through northern Ukraine.”
“What we have found is that Ukrainians are possessing a will and spirit that a good portion of folks just did not take into account,” said a U.S. Senior Military official.
The Department of Defense reported, “The Ukrainians have given up ground to a much larger foe, but they have moved into better defensive positions. In this type of warfare, the advantage is with the defense.”
Air Force Slowing NCO Promotions
The Air Force announced that it will be promoting fewer NCOs over the next two years to “help resolve its recent workforce challenges, such as rebuilding institutional knowledge in a young and understaffed maintenance corps,” reported Air Force Times. Job numbers are expected to remain flat.
Army Drops High School Diploma and GED Requirement
The Army has temporarily dropped its high school diploma or GED requirements to address an “escalating recruiting crisis hitting the entire Defense Department,” reported Military.com.
The recruits may enlist if they are at least 18 years old and scored at least a 50 on the ASVAB. But the timeline is quick: those interested must ship to basic training by the end of the fiscal year, October 1.
“Extinct” Oak Tree Found in Texas
A rare oak tree, that was thought to be extinct, was found in Big Bend National Park in Texas. The tree is about 30 feet tall and in poor condition, said Good News Network.
“Murphy Westwood of The Morton Arboretum says Quercus tardifolia is considered one of the rarest—if not the rarest—oak in the world.”
The tree was discovered May 25 and researches are working with the National Park Service to keep the tree safe from wildfire threat and to collect acorns to try to grow more of the trees.
This Week in History
On July 11, 1804 Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr, shot former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, in a pistol duel. The bullet wounded his stomach and lodged next to his spine. Hamilton died the next afternoon.
