Biden to award Medal of Honor to Vietnam veteran, Russia proposes three-nation naval exercise with North Korea, China.
1. Larry Taylor will become the newest recipient of the military’s highest award for valor in battle when President Joe Biden presents the Vietnam veteran with the Medal of Honor today, more than 55 years after his heroic actions in combat. Taylor, who retired as a captain, was an Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and led a rescue mission in 1968 to save a small group of soldiers trapped in a rice field by enemy troops.
2. Russia’s defense minister has proposed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a first-ever, three-nation naval exercise that includes China, according to a South Korean lawmaker. Rep. Yoo Sangbum, a spokesman for the ruling People Power Party, told reporters Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu put the idea to Kim in July. Sangbum spoke to the media in Seoul after a closed-door intelligence briefing for South Korean lawmakers by National Intelligence Service director Kim Kyou-hyun.
3. Guided-missile destroyers from the U.S. and Philippine navies recently carried out “close proximity” maneuvering drills near a contested island chain in the South China Sea, according to both services. The USS Ralph Johnson joined the BRP Jose Rizal on Monday for “division tactics” training to help build “the confidence of the bridge teams to manage more challenging sailing conditions,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a same-day news release.
4. Chinese nationals, who sometimes posed as tourists, accessed U.S. military bases and other sensitive sites around 100 times in recent years, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper cited U.S. officials, who described the incidents as potential forms of espionage.
5. Military families who are enrolled in the Tricare premium plans for young adults, reservists and retired reservists, and separating service members will once again see hikes in their premiums, starting Jan. 1. For 2024, the largest monthly cost increase will be 11.8% for those in Tricare Young Adult Prime, at $637, compared to the current $570 a month. These increases have been the trend for years, especially in 2021, when the rates for Tricare Young Adult Prime increased by 22%.
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