Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, Former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning the news that Mohammed Jawad, an al Qaeda operative who attacked American troops in Afghanistan in 2002, has been transferred from Guantanamo Bay and released in Afghanistan.

Washington, DC - Brian Wise, Executive Director of Military Families United, a national military family and national security advocacy organization, released the following statement concerning today’s election in Afghanistan.

Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning the Obama Administration’s decision to deploy an interagency team to inspect a prison in Standish, Michigan, as a potential alternative to the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, Former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning the recently reported news that President Obama plans to  relocate Guantanamo detainees into the United States and create a US prison and courtroom-within-a-prison complex.  Three government sources told the Associated Press that as many as 170 of the detainees now at Guantanamo are unlikely to be held accountable for their terrorists acts and will not be prosecuted.

Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, Former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning the breaking news that Mohammed Jawad, an al Qaeda operative who attacked American troops in Afghanistan in 2002, will be transferred and released from Guantanamo Bay in up to three weeks.

Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning the six month delay of the Guantanamo Review Task Force. This Department of Justice-lead Task Force was supposed to outline specific recommendations on the future of the GITMO detainees. The Executive Order signed by President Obama on January 21, 2009, established the deadline for a Department of Justice review of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay at July 21, 2009.

Washington, DC - Brian Wise, Executive Director of Military Families United, a national military family and national security advocacy organization, released the following statement on the breaking news that Sec. Gates plans to increase the size of the military by 22,000 troops.
 
“Military Families United welcomes the announcement of the additional 22,000 soldiers to the Army. We believe that best way to reduce the strain on the armed forces and strengthen our national security is to recruit, train and equip a larger force.

Washington, DC – Kirk S. Lippold, former USS Cole Commander and Senior Military Fellow at Military Families United, released the following statement concerning tomorrow’s impending Justice Department report outlining specific recommendations on the future of GITMO detainees.  The Executive Order signed by President Obama on January 21, 2009, established the deadline for a Department of Justice review of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay at July 21, 2009.

Washington, DC - Brian Wise, Executive Director of Military Families United, a national military family and national security advocacy organization, released the following statement concerning the proposed ban of smoking in the military, even by combat troops in war zones.

Washington, DC  - Military Families United, a national military family and national security advocacy organization, released the following statement concerning the passage of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. This $133.7 billion spending bill will allocate $77.9 billion in discretionary spending for veterans - a nearly 7 percent increase from fiscal year 2009.