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Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz., the home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, has enacted updated regulations that increase visibility requirements for troops riding motorcycles.

Effective July 1, any servicemember riding a motorcycle on or off the post will have to wear a full reflective vest during the day. Army regulations already require vests for after-dark motorcycle operation.

The former regulation only required wearing a 50-square inch PT strip of reflective material in daytime, which was being abused says Master Sgt. Floyd Threat, operations sergeant for Fort Huachuca’s Directorate of Emergency Services.

“Some people were wearing it around their waist, others around a backpack, and we’ve even seen the PT strips tied around the back of a bike,” he says.

Threat says in the past two years there have been between 50 to 60 incidents on post that resulted in accidents or damage to motorcycles. In the three-week period immediately preceding the republished regulations, there were three automobile-motorcycle accidents on post, one requiring the motorcycle operator to be transported to a hospital.

The post already has a rule in place making wearing helmets mandatory when military personnel ride a motorcycle, even though Arizona state law does not require it.

Threat says besides a helmet and the reflective vest, motorcycle riders also must wear a face shield or safety goggles (even if the motorcycle has a windshield), over-the-ankle boots (high-topped sneakers do not count), a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and finger-tipped gloves (no open workout-style gloves).

Safety is the chief reason for the updated regulations, Threat says.

“We gave everyone a one-month grace period and didn’t begin writing tickets for non-compliance until after Aug. 1,” he notes. “We’ve only written three or four since the [regulation] went into effect.”

The tickets carry a penalty of between $50 and $75.

About the author: Alan M. Petrillo is a Tucson, Ariz., freelance writer who writes in a variety of fields for national and regional magazines and newspapers. He’s also the author of the historical mystery, Full Moon.

The Department of Defense is reviewing its policy on social networking and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed.  Do you want to be heard? Then here’s your chance!

Visit the DoD “Web 2.0 Guidance Forum” blog. DoD is soliciting comments and feedback from friends and family especially- and these policies could affect you and any family or loved ones you may have serving on Active Duty or overseas.

The nation’s first and leading provider of free directory assistance, 1-800-FREE411, has launched a new feature that connects callers to most phone numbers worldwide for a FREE long distance call. Callers from the continental United States can place a five minute call through 1-800-FREE411 to reach out and connect with loved ones no matter how far away they may be.

To place a free call long distance call, callers dial 1-800-FREE411 and listen to the main menu prompts where they can select “free call.” After entering the phone number that they wish to call, including a country code, they will be connected free of charge for five minutes. Callers have to listen to two short advertisements and there is no limit on the number of calls they can make in a day. Mobile phone callers may still be charged for minutes by their service provider.

1-800-FREE411 offers callers any business, residential, government or toll-free phone listing for free, saving them up to $2 in directory assistance charges. 1-800-FREE411 also doles out sports news, horoscopes, celebrity gossip and weather so consumers have all this information and more at their fingertips and just a free phone call away!

The United States Navy has transformed into a sleek, high tech, and forward deployed military asset prepared to assist allies in crisis or strike against enemies at any moment.  In a time of global uncertainty and unrest, the U.S. Navy is in the midst of innovative technological advances that have enhanced the way they protect the seas in the face of an ever-changing enemy.

Now, the three-part special AT SEA will allow viewers to experience first hand the revolutionary changes that are currently taking place in the mission, manpower and machinery of this unmatched maritime force.  In cooperation with the U.S. Navy, Military Channel cameras were granted access to capture key moments unfolding on the waters around the world, as well as rarely documented operations, weapons and technologies across the breadth of Naval operations.  Each hour-long episode focuses on some of the new responsibilities of the U.S. Navy, as well as new technologies and training necessary to achieve success on the high seas.

The visually stunning mini-series AT SEA premieres Sunday, August 9 through Tuesday, August 11 at 10 PM ET on Military Channel.

Check your local listings for more information!

Two years ago, someone called up Arthur Bloom with an unusual request: A badly wounded soldier, a former drummer, wanted to start playing music again. Trouble was, he’d lost a leg in Iraq and couldn’t use his old drum kit. Did Bloom have any ideas?…

The Washington Post’s Anne Applebaum tells the story of Arthur Bloom and MusiCorps helping wounded veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Read the full story on The Washington Post Web site.

Innkeepers from Alaska to Alabama and almost every state in between are opening their doors to active military and first responders with discount offers, special rates, and free-night stays. Knowing that those on military leave want every moment to be special, BedandBreakfast.com members are making pampered B&B getaways easy and affordable, especially important during the holiday season.

Additionally, in commemoration of Veteran’s Day, BedandBreakfast.com will support Fisher House Foundation, a private-public partnership supporting the U.S. military in their time of need, while making it easier for you to offer a B&B getaway to your favorite service man or woman.

Visit their site for full details and a list of participating locations!

The U.S. Air Force is considering using unmanned dirigibles as spy craft at high altitudes, giving new life to the one-time popular early-20th century airships.

DARPA and the Air Force are spending $400 million to develop a dirigible prototype that would use an airborne radar system able to give ground stations close detail over wide expanses of territory.

Chief scientist for the Air Force Werner Dahm pronounced the idea “absolutely revolutionary,” calling it “a cross between a satellite and a Global Hawk [spy plane].”

The airship is expected to fly 12 miles high, at 65,000 feet, which would make it nearly impossible to see from the ground and beyond the range of hand-held missiles and most fighter planes.

With its 450-foot long hull filled with helium, the dirigible will derive its power from hydrogen fuel cells that are recharged by solar panels. The craft is expected to carry low power transmitters that don’t put unreasonable strain on the dirigible’s power system.

Called Isis (Integrated Sensor Is the Structure), the airship’s name is derived from the radar system that will be built into its structure. Program officials say Isis is more like a blimp than a zeppelin, which has a rigid external hull instead of the thick, lightweight skin of Isis.

With such an eye in the sky, military commanders will be able to develop a more thorough picture of an enemy’s tactics and movements, providing more detailed information for military intelligence.

“It is constant surveillance, uninterrupted,” Dahm says. “To be able to observe over a long period of time, you get a much better understanding of how an adversary operates. When you only have a short-time view, whether it is a few hours or a few days, that is not enough to put the picture together.”

About the author: Alan M. Petrillo is a Tucson, Ariz., freelance writer who works in a wide variety of fields, writing for national and regional magazines and newspapers. He’s also the author of the historical mystery, Full Moon.