Latest news with #NavalAcademy
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Annapolis Fire Department is dangerously understaffed, union president says
The Annapolis Firefighters' Union says the city fire department is dangerously understaffed after a medical emergency at the U.S. Naval Academy on Sunday showed the need for more medic units. However, additional units are up to the city and its help with funding. "The truth is we're understaffed and we struggle daily to do our job, and they rely on the fact that we as firefighters, we make it happen one way or another, but that's just not good enough anymore," said Joe Pilat, the president of IAFF Local 1926. Annapolis Acting City Manager Jaqueline Guild said the city remains open to continued discussions with the fire department and union leadership to collaboratively address concerns and uphold quality emergency response. Union president: 4 units responded to the Naval Academy A group of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy suffered some sort of heat illness during a drill Sunday evening, which required medical attention, and left the Annapolis Fire Department spread thin. Around 9 p.m., all four of the Annapolis Fire Department's medical units responded to treat six Midshipmen, who were suffering from heat-related issues. Meanwhile, the union president said the rest of the city was left without coverage. "If we had the staffing that we had been asking for for years, we would have had another medic unit in service – a fifth medic unit, and we would have still had coverage for the city of Annapolis," Pilat said. Push for funding for the fire department Pilat says that far too often, the city is left without available fire units. "Usually multiple times a week, every medic unit in the city is on a transport, at the hospital, and we're waiting on mutual aid partners to assist us," Pilat said. "It can cause significant delays when we are out of paramedic units." Pilat says the union frequently raises the issue at City of Annapolis Council meetings. Acting City Manager Guild told WJZ that the Annapolis Fire Department received a funding enhancement of around $2.2 million for Fiscal Year 2026, which starts on July 1. However, Pilat says that only covers costs of business, including the contractually obligated increase in salaries and benefits ($1,082,400), replacing ballistic vests, cardiac monitors, and SCBA cylinders ($395,000), and boiler replacements ($785,400). It does not include the 10 positions the fire department desperately needs to put another medic unit in service and meet NFPA recommendations. "The fire engine that just went by only has three firefighters on it," Pilat said. "Their standard is four." City defends budget decisions Pilat said that EMS billing is projected to bring in nearly $4 million this year, but none of that money gets reinvested into the fire department. He said the money instead goes into the general fund." Acting City Manager Guild said in a statement, "While we recognize that the fire union has advocated for additional staffing resources, budget decisions must balance many critical needs across all city departments. The city continues to maintain an iso class 1 rating, the highest possible for fire protection."
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan army chief hails cadets from Arab and allied nations at Naval Academy graduation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Saturday hailed the presence of cadets from Arab and allied countries at a Naval Academy graduation ceremony, saying it reflected the high standard of training the country offers to its military partners. The commissioning parade, held in Karachi, marked the completion of the 123rd Midshipmen and 31st Short Service Commission courses. Among the 127 graduating midshipmen were 19 cadets from Bahrain, four from Iraq and two from the State of Palestine, with additional participants from the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye. 'The Pakistan Naval Academy has consistently provided excellent professional training to cadets from allied nations,' the army chief said, according to a statement issued by the military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). 'The presence of cadets from Bahrain, Iraq, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Djibouti and the Republic of Türkiye in today's commissioning parade is a reflection of the Academy's high training standards,' he added. Pakistan regularly trains cadets and officers from partner nations and sends its own officers abroad to institutions in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom for advanced military education and joint training. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from Pakistan and other countries, government representatives and families of the graduating cadets. In his remarks, the army chief also praised the Navy's professionalism and its efforts as a regional maritime force committed to securing international sea lines of communication. He also referenced the recent standoff with India, saying the country's armed forces had 'responded swiftly and decisively against a numerically superior enemy,' and were fully prepared to defend Pakistan's sovereignty.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
'Journey to Freedom' brings students closer to Black history
A mentoring program for Black girls and young women takes participants on a 14-day tour to learn about Black history, the Underground Railroad. WASHINGTON ‒ Samaria Helton had learned about Thomas Jefferson in school, but she didn't know the former president had hundreds and hundreds of enslaved people until she recently visited his Monticello plantation in Virginia. The visit was important in her quest to know more about Black history, she said. 'This is my history,'' said Helton, a 16-year-old high school junior from Sanford, North Carolina. 'I need to learn my history.' Monticello was one of several stops on a 14-day journey north for Helton and eight other middle and high schoolers in Leadership LINKS Inc., a mentoring program for Black girls and young women. They are learning firsthand about Black history as they visit historic Black churches, former plantations, the national African American museum and other sites that tell that story. The trip, 'The Journey to Freedom," also takes participants through states where abolitionist Harriet Tubman led enslaved people, including herself, on the Underground Railroad to freedom. Organizers said the trip is particularly important now with the stripping of Black historic figures, including Tubman, from websites, the banning of books, the dismantling of education programs and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'Knowledge is a core value for us,'' said Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, a co-founder of Leadership LINKS. 'We're passing on this history across generations.' 'Representation matters' Though the early part of the trip includes stops with Black history connections, it's at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Maryland June 25 where the girls began tracing her path. More: Who gets to write America's history? Activists aim to protect Harriet Tubman, other sites The program aims to introduce the girls to Black female leaders, both historic and present-day, 'so they can see what they can become,'' said Robinson, a graduate of the Naval Academy. The girls had already studied abolitionist Sojourner Truth, so it made sense to focus next on Tubman, Robinson said. 'Not just the mythical figure of Harriet Tubman, but for them to know the full history of her life,' she said, noting that Tubman faced many barriers escaping to freedom. 'That didn't stop her from liberating herself, liberating her family and fighting for liberation for others.' Helton, the high school junior, appreciated the focus on Tubman 'There's a lot to learn from her, to follow her path and fight for our people like she did.'' Juneteenth kicks off trip The trip began on Juneteenth in North Carolina, where the girls celebrated with a soul food dinner and a documentary, 'Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom Documentary.'' 'It was a fun way to kick off our trip,'' said Capria Daniels, 16, a high school junior from Clinton, Maryland. Daniels said she couldn't pass up the opportunity to join the two-week trip. The girls, who range from sixth graders to seniors in high school, came from Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The trip is funded by grants and donations. Stops include the University of Virginia, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Howard University, a historic Black school in Washington, D.C. There's also a visit to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia and Tubman's home in upstate New York. The journey ends in Toronto, where many enslaved Black people fled. There are also lighter outings, including the musical 'Hamilton' on Broadway. At some stops, guest speakers discuss the importance of leadership. Daniels said the stops provide a 'better understanding of where I came from so I can teach the next generation.'' 'Most of it is sugarcoated' Beyond site visits and reading assignments, the girls have a passport book to collect stamps at each stop and jot down reflections. They are also equipped with a songbook to learn classic protest songs, such as ''Eyes on the Prize'' and contemporary gospel songs like ''Goodness of God.'' But at the heart of the trip is visiting sites with connections to Black history. 'That makes what we read about real for them in a very different way,'' Robinson said. Helton and Daniels said history lessons in school often don't tell the whole story, including the brutality of slavery. 'We learn the basics, and most of it is sugarcoated,' Helton said. During a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has come under attack by the Trump administration, Helton said she learned more about the horrid conditions of millions of Africans packed into slave ships. 'It was sad just to know they had to go through that,'' she said. Destiny Davis, 20, a summer intern for the program, said even colleges have fallen short in teaching the truth about Black history. 'They leave out a lot of graphic information,'' said Davis, a junior at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. 'They're teaching you the history they want you to know.'' For Daniels, each stop meant learning something new. 'It definitely taught me a lot more about my history.'
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'This is my history:' Students join 14-day \
A mentoring program for Black girls and young women takes participants on a 14-day "Journey to Freedom'' tour to learn about the Underground Railroad. WASHINGTON ‒ Samaria Helton had learned about Thomas Jefferson in school, but didn't know the former president had hundreds and hundreds of enslaved people until she recently visited his Monticello plantation in Virginia. The visit was important in her quest to know more about Black history, she said. 'This is my history,'' said Helton, a 16-year-old high school junior from Sanford, North Carolina. 'I need to learn my history.' Monticello was one of several stops on a 14-day journey North for Helton and eight other middle and high schoolers in Leadership LINKS Inc., a mentoring program for Black girls and young women. They are learning first-hand about Black history as they visit historic Black churches, former plantations, the national African American museum and other sites that tell that story. The trip, 'The Journey to Freedom,'' also takes participants through states where abolitionist Harriet Tubman led enslaved people, including herself, on the Underground Railroad to freedom. Organizers said the trip is particularly important now with the stripping of Black historic figures, including Tubman, from websites, the banning of books, the dismantling of education programs and the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'Knowledge is a core value for us,'' said Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, a co-founder of Leadership LINKS. 'We're passing on this history across generations.' 'Representation matters' While the early part of the trip includes stops with Black history connections, it's at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Maryland June 25 where the girls began tracing her path. More: Who gets to write America's history? Activists aim to protect Harriet Tubman, other sites The program aims to introduce the girls to Black women leaders, both historic and present-day. 'So they can see what they can become,'' said Robinson, a graduate of the Naval Academy. The girls had already studied abolitionist Sojourner Truth, so it made sense to focus next on Tubman, Sistrunk Robinson said. 'Not just the mythical figure of Harriet Tubman, but for them to know the full history of her life,' she said, noting that Tubman faced many barriers escaping to freedom. 'That didn't stop her from liberating herself, liberating her family and fighting for liberation for others.' Helton, the high school junior, appreciated the focus on Tubman 'There's a lot to learn from her, to follow her path and fight for our people like she did,'' she said. Juneteenth kicks off trip The trip began on Juneteenth in North Carolina where the girls celebrated with soul food dinner and a documentary, 'Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom Documentary.'' 'It was a fun way to kick off our trip,'' said Capria Daniels, 16, a high school junior from Clinton, Maryland. Daniels said she couldn't pass up the opportunity to join the two-week trip. The girls, who range from sixth graders to seniors in high school, came from Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The trip is funded by grants and donations. Stops include the University of Virgina, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Howard University, a historic Black school in Washington, D.C. There's also a visit to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia and Tubman's home in upstate New York. The journey ends in Toronto, where many enslaved Black people fled. There are also lighter outings, including the musical 'Hamilton' on Broadway. At some stops, guest speakers discuss the importance of leadership. Daniels said the stops provide a 'better understanding of where I came from so I can teach the next generation.'' 'Most of it is sugar coated' Beyond site visits and reading assignments, the girls have a passport book to collect stamps at each stop and jot down reflections. They are also equipped with a songbook to learn classic protest songs, such as ''Eyes on the Prize'' and contemporary gospel songs like ''Goodness of God.'' Still at the heart of the trip is visiting sites with connections to Black history. 'That makes what we read about real for them in a very different way,'' said Robinson. Helton and Daniels said history lessons in school often don't tell the whole story, including the brutality of slavery. 'We learn the basics and most of it is sugar coated,' Helton said. During a visit earlier this week to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has come under attack by the Trump administration, Helton said she learned more about the horrid conditions of millions of Africans packed into slave ships. 'It was sad just to know they had to go through that,'' she said. Destiny Davis, 20, a summer intern for the program, said even colleges have fallen short in teaching the truth about Black history. 'They leave out a lot of graphic information,'' said Davis, a junior at the University of North Carolina, at Greensboro. 'They're teaching you the history they want you to know.'' For Daniels, each stop meant learning something new. 'It definitely taught me a lot more about my history,' she said.
UPI
19-06-2025
- General
- UPI
Navy meets 2025 recruitment goal months ahead of schedule
Midshipmen sing during the Naval Academy graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Md., in May 2024. The Navy says it has already met its recruiting goal for 2025. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is saying it has already met its recruiting goal for 2025 and did so earlier than expected. Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan said that he is "proud to announce that we have met our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months ahead of schedule," in a post to X Wednesday evening. "A total of 40,600 future Sailors have stepped up to serve," he added, who will be sent to its Recruit Training Command by September. In an accompanying video, Phelan credited the efforts of naval recruiters, team innovation and "the courage of thousands of who stepped forward to serve" in regard to its having reached its enlistment target so quickly. The Navy further stated in a press release that it had also surpassed its 40,600 recruitments aim in 2024 by 378 people, and those 40,978 recruits were the most contracted since 2002. The Navy Recruiting Command's Rear Admiral Jim Waters said of the naval recruitment process in the release that "It shows that when we remove barriers, accelerate processes, and meet people where they are, the right individuals answer the call." He also noted that "Meeting the recruiting target is not the finish line," but instead a signal that "we're on the right course and ready to keep building the force of the future." The Navy has made moves in the recent past to help attract potential sailors, such as having raised its maximum enlistment age to 41 in 2022, and as of 2024 allows those without a high school diploma to join as long as they achieve a score a 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.
