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Fort McCoy leaders hold September 2026 housing town hall; dozens attend

More than 30 military family housing residents and community members attended a Fort McCoy Garrison Housing Town Hall Sept. 3 at the South Post Community Center to hear installation updates and share questions and concerns with Fort McCoy leaders.

Attendees included Fort McCoy Senior Commander Maj. Gen. Kevin F. Meisler, commanding general of the 88th Readiness Division; Col. Sarah Fraticelli, commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy; Command Sgt. Maj. James Riddle, garrison command sergeant major; and other Fort McCoy housing, garrison and installation representatives.

Housing town halls provide residents with a direct opportunity to engage with installation leaders and housing officials about matters affecting military families living on post. The events also provide Fort McCoy leaders an opportunity to hear directly from residents and provide updates about installation programs, services and upcoming changes.

The September town hall continued a longstanding Fort McCoy effort to maintain open communication with housing residents. Fort McCoy has held housing town halls for years, with past meetings addressing housing maintenance and services, resident concerns, safety, community activities and installation changes.

The format has evolved over time. In 2023, Fort McCoy held its first town hall following the transition to privatized housing, bringing together residents, garrison officials and representatives of Cadence Communities, Fort McCoy’s housing partner. In 2024, another resident town hall combined housing discussions with installation and winter-safety information. In 2025, Fort McCoy expanded its engagement approach by holding its first walking housing town hall, taking garrison and housing officials directly into the South Post neighborhood to speak with residents where they live.

During the September 2026 meeting, Meisler highlighted several upcoming plans and changes affecting Fort McCoy and its housing community.

Among the topics was the planned movement of 30 service members from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, to Fort McCoy. Meisler also discussed additional housing plans for the installation, training-related matters and efforts to improve cellular service on post.

Other topics discussed during the town hall included school bus operations and local school district information, along with other issues of interest to military families living at Fort McCoy.
Representatives from the Fort McCoy Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR) also provided information about upcoming events and activities available to the Fort McCoy community.

Housing town halls are an important part of Fort McCoy’s broader effort to maintain communication with military families and address issues affecting their quality of life. The meetings give residents a forum to ask questions directly, while allowing installation leaders to explain ongoing projects, upcoming changes and available services.

The next Fort McCoy Garrison Housing Town Hall is planned for November 2026.

The continued town hall schedule possibly reflects Fort McCoy’s commitment to maintaining an open dialogue with its housing residents as the installation continues to grow, adapt, and plan for the future.

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.” The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”

And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on DVIDS at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/FMPAO. Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

This post was originally published on this site

September 4, 2026
Fort Rucker Firefighters Climb to Remember 9/11

Firefighters on Fort Rucker took to the stairs of the Soldier Service Center today executing a memorial stair climb in honor of the victims of Sept. 11, with this year representing the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

More than 20 of Fort Rucker’s firefighters, as well as plenty of volunteers, supporters, and members of Fort Rucker leadership took time out of their day and climbed the stairs of building 5700 repeatedly until they’d climbed 110 flights of stairs, representing the number of flights of stairs in the World Trade Center. Many participants also wore a small picture of one of the firefighters who lost their lives attempting to evacuate the buildings.

“We try to recognize the 343 firefighters lost… 25 years ago it was a pretty big moment in time for us, a lot of us were just kids back then,” said Chris Quattlebaum, fire lieutenant and 20 year veteran firefighter. “It’s a big part of us and our traditions and remembering who we are as firefighters, a lot of us joined the service because of it.”

Many of them in turnout gear, the protective clothing and helmet worn by firefighters to protect them from injury and heat, and with some even carrying the oxygen tank, the firefighters climbed the stairs in the main lobby, and returned down a back stairwell to repeat the climb. Turnout gear is quite heavy, making the climb more challenging. “Being physically fit is part of the job, so we all train and try to stay in the best shape we can,” Quattlebaum said.

Around a decade old, the stair climbing event is just the most recent part of Fort Rucker’s 9/11 remembrance activities. In addition to the climb, Fort Rucker will also be holding a moving tribute walk Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m. starting at Fire Station 1, located at the intersection of Andrews Ave. and Lucky Star Street on Fort Rucker.

This post was originally published on this site

September 4, 2026
Navy Expeditionary Medicine training center changes command, accelerating ready medical force

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Capt. George Brand relieved Capt. Kevin Bailey as commanding officer of the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center during a change of command ceremony held aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on Sept. 3, 2026.

Rear Adm. Kevin Brown, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, presided over the ceremony, commending the NEMWDC for rapidly evolving into the cornerstone of operational readiness for Navy Medicine, bridging the gap between traditional military treatment facilities and the rigorous medical requirements of the modern warfighter operating in distributed and contested theaters.

Brown traced the historical lineage of the command from the initial groundbreaking of the Fleet Hospital Training Activity in 1986 through the Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute, culminating in the establishment of NEMWDC as an Echelon 4 command in October 2024. He emphasized that this transformation operationalized medical training to directly match the demands of future conflict, ensuring deployed teams possess the capabilities needed to save lives on the battlefield and project naval power worldwide.

“This is where we prepare Expeditionary Medicine teams to save lives, projecting Navy Medicine power that deters aggression and supports combat operations,” Brown said. “Today is more than a change of command. It’s a chance to reflect on the strategic importance of Navy Medicine in defending our nation, sustaining our warfighters, and strengthening alliances. And none of that is possible without the exemplary leadership Capt. Bailey has demonstrated during his tour.”

Highlighting Bailey’s 23-month tenure, Brown detailed the command’s operational achievements, which included leading Operational Readiness Evaluations for more than 1,800 medical and non-medical personnel and certifying more than 1,100 expeditionary medical personnel across the joint force. Under Bailey’s watch, the command rigorously validated 38 En Route Care Systems, 19 Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical Systems, five Expeditionary Medical Facilities, and four forward-deployable Preventive Medicine units, while maintaining complete accountability of critical platforms and passing a comprehensive Medical Inspector General inspection within seven weeks of establishment.

Brown also underscored Bailey’s focus on joint integration, noting that exercises routinely incorporated U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation teams, Army veterinary units, and Navy Seabees to cultivate cohesive joint patient movement and tactical survivability. As Bailey transitions to his next assignment at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Falls Church, Virginia, Brown noted that his operational focus left an enduring mark on the readiness of the Navy Medicine enterprise.

Addressing the NEMWDC staff, Bailey reflected on the collective effort of the Sailors and civilian professionals who built the command’s capabilities from the deckplate up. He highlighted how student feedback directly reshaped curriculum development, transitioning classroom theory into high-stress, reality-tested training that incorporated advanced trauma moulage, high-fidelity manikins, and complex command-and-control scenarios in austere environments.

“Two short years ago, few on the deckplates even knew what an ‘EXMED’ was,” Bailey said. “Today, NEMWDC sets the standard across the enterprise. To the Sailors and staff of NEMWDC, you built this command brick by brick. NEMWDC’s transition wasn’t an overnight overhaul. It was hundreds of small wins earned by dedicated professionals. “

Brand, a Nurse Corps officer who previously served as the director of education and training at NMFP, arrives with extensive operational experience across the Marine Corps, surface fleet, and aviation communities. Returning to the grounds where he trained as an ensign, returned as a lieutenant, and later served as assistant officer-in-charge preparing medical teams for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Brand reaffirmed his commitment to operational excellence and warfighter survivability.

“NEMWDC is a premier command with a critical, no-fail mission,” Brand said. “If our military treatment facilities are the foundry of Navy Medicine, NEMWDC is the forge, the place where we transform medical capability into ready expeditionary medical forces required for the distributed maritime environment.”

Brand closed by expressing gratitude to his family and pledging to lead focusing on personnel proficiencies as NEMWDC continues to forge the future of Expeditionary Medicine.

“The true engine of this command is our deckplate leadership and personnel,” Brand said.
“Rain or shine, you work relentlessly to turn individual health care providers into cohesive, ready expeditionary units. I am deeply honored to take the helm and lead this incredible team.”

NEMWDC, located at Camp Pendleton, serves as Navy Medicine’s center of excellence for Expeditionary Medicine training. The command develops, delivers, and sustains advanced, scenario-based training to ensure medical personnel are ready to support combat operations across the globe. NEMWDC’s programs strengthen warfighter readiness and prepare Sailors to provide critical care anytime, anywhere.

This post was originally published on this site

September 4, 2026
Pentagon wants to use AI-generated ‘personalities’ for decoy cellphones

Using fake radio signals to spoof the enemy is a common stratagem.

The Department of Defense wants to take that idea one step further and wield AI-generated “personalities” to mimic real people — and fool enemy AI trying to identify patterns in friendly cellphone traffic.

The goal is to mask “digital exhaust,” the metadata automatically emitted by mobile phones, such as location and specific device IDs. Intelligence agencies, law enforcement, militaries and even criminals have become adept at using this digital debris to locate users and analyze their behavior.

In particular, “accessing foreign mobile phone networks exposes individuals and organizations to surveillance and espionage threats,” warned the DoD Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, which opens Sept. 23 and closes Oct. 21.

“Adversaries can leverage this data to track daily routines, identify deviations indicating special events (e.g., VIP visits or mission preparation), and map sensitive facilities based on cell phone concentration or periods of inactivity,” the solicitation explained.

The solicitation doesn’t specifically mention AI-created people chatting on their mobiles. But DoD does envision a “digital exhaust deception system” in which AI “personas” generate cellphone signals that mimic the behavior of real people.

Each device should have a minimum of two personas, and eventually four or more. The device should weigh fewer than 2 pounds and have a battery life of up to 36 hours.

Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display

Merely generating fake cellphone signals isn’t enough. The device must “mimic realistic patterns of life to defeat automated network analysis,” DoD said.

At a minimum, this means defeating basic traffic analysis. Ultimately, the Pentagon wants a system that can defeat behavioral tracking by advanced AI.

Phase I of the project involves creating a design concept and algorithms, as well as listing any “proprietary software required to conduct AI-enabled mission planning and operations.” Phase II will generate a prototype, followed by Phase III and delivery of “fully integrated mission management software and hardened decoy box form factors (e.g., Wi-Fi router-sized team devices and puck-sized personal devices).”

The technology could lend itself to civilian applications. A capability to obscure cell phone metadata “directly translates to protecting high-value corporate assets, personnel, and intellectual property from commercial espionage and tracking,” the solicitation states.

Analyzing signal traffic has long been a useful intelligence tool. For example, in World War II, the U.S. Navy used it to derive intelligence on Japanese naval deployment. Today, police have software that uses cell phone data to trace a user’s past movement for months.

On the other hand, traffic analysis can boomerang on its creators. Japan used decoy radio signals in 1941 to convince U.S. analysts that the Japanese fleet was at home, rather than steaming toward Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

This post was originally published on this site.

September 4, 2026
Pentagon wants to use AI-generated ‘personalities’ for decoy cellphones

Using fake radio signals to spoof the enemy is a common stratagem.

The Department of Defense wants to take that idea one step further and wield AI-generated “personalities” to mimic real people — and fool enemy AI trying to identify patterns in friendly cellphone traffic.

The goal is to mask “digital exhaust,” the metadata automatically emitted by mobile phones, such as location and specific device IDs. Intelligence agencies, law enforcement, militaries and even criminals have become adept at using this digital debris to locate users and analyze their behavior.

In particular, “accessing foreign mobile phone networks exposes individuals and organizations to surveillance and espionage threats,” warned the DoD Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, which opens Sept. 23 and closes Oct. 21.

“Adversaries can leverage this data to track daily routines, identify deviations indicating special events (e.g., VIP visits or mission preparation), and map sensitive facilities based on cell phone concentration or periods of inactivity,” the solicitation explained.

The solicitation doesn’t specifically mention AI-created people chatting on their mobiles. But DoD does envision a “digital exhaust deception system” in which AI “personas” generate cellphone signals that mimic the behavior of real people.

Each device should have a minimum of two personas, and eventually four or more. The device should weigh fewer than 2 pounds and have a battery life of up to 36 hours.

Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display

Merely generating fake cellphone signals isn’t enough. The device must “mimic realistic patterns of life to defeat automated network analysis,” DoD said.

At a minimum, this means defeating basic traffic analysis. Ultimately, the Pentagon wants a system that can defeat behavioral tracking by advanced AI.

Phase I of the project involves creating a design concept and algorithms, as well as listing any “proprietary software required to conduct AI-enabled mission planning and operations.” Phase II will generate a prototype, followed by Phase III and delivery of “fully integrated mission management software and hardened decoy box form factors (e.g., Wi-Fi router-sized team devices and puck-sized personal devices).”

The technology could lend itself to civilian applications. A capability to obscure cell phone metadata “directly translates to protecting high-value corporate assets, personnel, and intellectual property from commercial espionage and tracking,” the solicitation states.

Analyzing signal traffic has long been a useful intelligence tool. For example, in World War II, the U.S. Navy used it to derive intelligence on Japanese naval deployment. Today, police have software that uses cell phone data to trace a user’s past movement for months.

On the other hand, traffic analysis can boomerang on its creators. Japan used decoy radio signals in 1941 to convince U.S. analysts that the Japanese fleet was at home, rather than steaming toward Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

This post was originally published on this site.

September 4, 2026
Pentagon wants to use AI-generated ‘personalities’ for decoy cellphones

Using fake radio signals to spoof the enemy is a common stratagem.

The Department of Defense wants to take that idea one step further and wield AI-generated “personalities” to mimic real people — and fool enemy AI trying to identify patterns in friendly cellphone traffic.

The goal is to mask “digital exhaust,” the metadata automatically emitted by mobile phones, such as location and specific device IDs. Intelligence agencies, law enforcement, militaries and even criminals have become adept at using this digital debris to locate users and analyze their behavior.

In particular, “accessing foreign mobile phone networks exposes individuals and organizations to surveillance and espionage threats,” warned the DoD Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, which opens Sept. 23 and closes Oct. 21.

“Adversaries can leverage this data to track daily routines, identify deviations indicating special events (e.g., VIP visits or mission preparation), and map sensitive facilities based on cell phone concentration or periods of inactivity,” the solicitation explained.

The solicitation doesn’t specifically mention AI-created people chatting on their mobiles. But DoD does envision a “digital exhaust deception system” in which AI “personas” generate cellphone signals that mimic the behavior of real people.

Each device should have a minimum of two personas, and eventually four or more. The device should weigh fewer than 2 pounds and have a battery life of up to 36 hours.

Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display

Merely generating fake cellphone signals isn’t enough. The device must “mimic realistic patterns of life to defeat automated network analysis,” DoD said.

At a minimum, this means defeating basic traffic analysis. Ultimately, the Pentagon wants a system that can defeat behavioral tracking by advanced AI.

Phase I of the project involves creating a design concept and algorithms, as well as listing any “proprietary software required to conduct AI-enabled mission planning and operations.” Phase II will generate a prototype, followed by Phase III and delivery of “fully integrated mission management software and hardened decoy box form factors (e.g., Wi-Fi router-sized team devices and puck-sized personal devices).”

The technology could lend itself to civilian applications. A capability to obscure cell phone metadata “directly translates to protecting high-value corporate assets, personnel, and intellectual property from commercial espionage and tracking,” the solicitation states.

Analyzing signal traffic has long been a useful intelligence tool. For example, in World War II, the U.S. Navy used it to derive intelligence on Japanese naval deployment. Today, police have software that uses cell phone data to trace a user’s past movement for months.

On the other hand, traffic analysis can boomerang on its creators. Japan used decoy radio signals in 1941 to convince U.S. analysts that the Japanese fleet was at home, rather than steaming toward Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

This post was originally published on this site

September 4, 2026
Pentagon wants to use AI-generated ‘personalities’ for decoy cellphones

Using fake radio signals to spoof the enemy is a common stratagem.

The Department of Defense wants to take that idea one step further and wield AI-generated “personalities” to mimic real people — and fool enemy AI trying to identify patterns in friendly cellphone traffic.

The goal is to mask “digital exhaust,” the metadata automatically emitted by mobile phones, such as location and specific device IDs. Intelligence agencies, law enforcement, militaries and even criminals have become adept at using this digital debris to locate users and analyze their behavior.

In particular, “accessing foreign mobile phone networks exposes individuals and organizations to surveillance and espionage threats,” warned the DoD Small Business Innovation Research solicitation, which opens Sept. 23 and closes Oct. 21.

“Adversaries can leverage this data to track daily routines, identify deviations indicating special events (e.g., VIP visits or mission preparation), and map sensitive facilities based on cell phone concentration or periods of inactivity,” the solicitation explained.

The solicitation doesn’t specifically mention AI-created people chatting on their mobiles. But DoD does envision a “digital exhaust deception system” in which AI “personas” generate cellphone signals that mimic the behavior of real people.

Each device should have a minimum of two personas, and eventually four or more. The device should weigh fewer than 2 pounds and have a battery life of up to 36 hours.

Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display

Merely generating fake cellphone signals isn’t enough. The device must “mimic realistic patterns of life to defeat automated network analysis,” DoD said.

At a minimum, this means defeating basic traffic analysis. Ultimately, the Pentagon wants a system that can defeat behavioral tracking by advanced AI.

Phase I of the project involves creating a design concept and algorithms, as well as listing any “proprietary software required to conduct AI-enabled mission planning and operations.” Phase II will generate a prototype, followed by Phase III and delivery of “fully integrated mission management software and hardened decoy box form factors (e.g., Wi-Fi router-sized team devices and puck-sized personal devices).”

The technology could lend itself to civilian applications. A capability to obscure cell phone metadata “directly translates to protecting high-value corporate assets, personnel, and intellectual property from commercial espionage and tracking,” the solicitation states.

Analyzing signal traffic has long been a useful intelligence tool. For example, in World War II, the U.S. Navy used it to derive intelligence on Japanese naval deployment. Today, police have software that uses cell phone data to trace a user’s past movement for months.

On the other hand, traffic analysis can boomerang on its creators. Japan used decoy radio signals in 1941 to convince U.S. analysts that the Japanese fleet was at home, rather than steaming toward Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

This post was originally published on this site.

September 4, 2026
US Air Force speeds Reaper successor timeline after Iran losses

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating its timeline for a cheaper, more expendable successor to the MQ-9A Reaper, officials said Sept. 3, after combat losses left the service unwilling to wait out the rest of the drone’s life.

Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the Air Force’s chief modernization officer, told reporters at the Pentagon that a follow-on was already under discussion as the MQ-9 aged out.

“Although we have plenty of MQ-9As today, we are going through them at a rate that is concerning to us,” he said, according to Breaking Defense, which covered the briefing.

Defense Daily reported that Air Force Secretary Troy Meink directed the acceleration, and that the fiscal 2031 target of 20 mission-ready aircraft could be pulled forward by about two years.

In May, Lt. Gen. David Tabor told the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland the fleet was down to about 135 aircraft, roughly 54 below the service’s 189-aircraft floor. Niemi did not update the inventory.

Backfilling the fleet is difficult. General Atomics shut down MQ-9A production in 2025, and Tabor said the service was pursuing a short-term buy of existing MQ-9A airframes in fiscal 2026. Niemi said Sept. 3 that budget constraints make buying a large number of upgraded MQ-9B SkyGuardians unrealistic. It is a misconception, he said, that the Air Force could write a check and take delivery of 100 aircraft.

A Congressional Research Service Insight updated May 13 cited an April 9 news report of 24 Reapers lost since military operations against Iran began in February, and said it was unclear whether the Pentagon had given Congress an accounting. The Washington Post reported Aug. 13, citing three U.S. officials, that at least 45 had been lost, roughly 25% of the fleet.

Niemi signed requirements in May for a cheaper, modular, mass-producible aircraft.

That program, Massed Modular Aircraft, or MMA, opened as a Defense Innovation Unit competition July 7 with the Air Force as partner. The solicitation, which closed July 23, asked for a drone that could fly Reaper-class strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare and communications-relay missions cheaply enough to absorb losses. It called for at least 2,800 pounds of payload and an 8,000-nautical-mile one-way ferry range.

That is the aircraft Niemi now prices against Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA. He put CCA air vehicles near $20 million and MMA at about half that, Defense Daily reported.

An Air Force spokesperson said those figures are for the air vehicle only, not a fully missionized aircraft, according to Breaking Defense. In May, Niemi told senators a Reaper with a full sensor package can cost up to $50 million. At the Sept. 3 briefing, he said the Air Force will probably field at least 180 MMA drones.

Niemi argued the Reaper’s value is not the airframe.

“What makes the MQ-9 special has nothing to do with the aircraft itself,” he said, calling its speed, altitude and range decades-old technology.

Initial MMA versions, he said, will rely on proven technology rather than new systems to hit the price. He described a long-aspect-wing turboprop in the “4,000 miles-type class,” farther and heavier than a CCA but slower. Officials did not say how that class relates to the 8,000-nautical-mile ferry range in the July notice.

General Atomics is bidding a design it calls Wildfire, first reported by Aviation Week in August. Spokesman C. Mark Brinkley told Air & Space Forces Magazine it “meets every wish on the [MMA] list and exceeds most of them,” but declined to give capabilities or cost. The company has not released images.

Brinkley told The War Zone in August that treating MMA as a Reaper replacement misses the immediate need for a backfill. Wildfire does not depend on winning the competition, he said, and “we can deliver Wildfires years earlier than the current schedule.”

He framed the design targets as considerations rather than specs, among them a 10,000-nautical-mile ferry range, four Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles and 100 aircraft under semi-autonomous control.

Col. Todd Dye, senior materiel leader in the Air Force’s medium-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division, said awards for MMA concept refinement were expected in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, Breaking Defense reported.

Officials did not announce a new date at the Sept. 3 briefing.

This post was originally published on this site.

September 4, 2026
Sea Bream, Green Tomatoes, and a New Friend: My Week With James Beard Award-Winning Chef Gabriel Kreuther

It seems fitting that our 7-night cruise from Rouen to Bordeaux was also designated a James Beard Foundation voyage. Windstar has partnered with the foundation for 11 years now, sailing its award-winning chefs alongside guests and folding their dishes into Amphora menus, and this trip felt like a perfect showcase of why. So many of the ports we visited were immersed in a world-class way in either culinary arts or wine — and often both. It started in Rouen, on the Seine River. It’s a city I’d guess a lot of us weren’t that familiar with, but one that’s been named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. And our voyage finished in Bordeaux, by way of Honfleur, Guernsey, and St. Malo.

What stuck with me most wasn’t the food itself — it was how little distance there was between us and the person making it. Chef Gabriel wasn’t a name on a menu; he was someone you bumped into at the market, traded trekking stories from our visit to Mont-Saint-Michel, or chatted with by the pool. Here’s where that showed up.

Our guest chef

James Beard Foundation Chef Gabriel (center) prepares for his first presentation, Sea Bream with Green Tomato Marmalade./Carolyn Spencer Brown

Chef Gabriel Kreuther, a restaurateur in Manhattan who has earned two Michelin stars, was born and raised in France’s Alsace — a nice connection, even though it’s on pretty much the opposite side of the country. Early in the week, I sat in on a cooking demo where he prepared a sea bream with the most incredible green tomato marmalade (later that night, the dish was on every restaurant menu onboard). He didn’t just tell us how to make the marmalade — he shared his farm upbringing, about how at the end of summer his mother needed to find a way to use up the last, often not-quite-ripe, tomatoes. As he wove his family story into the recipe, I was entranced, both by the dish and the storytelling. How often do we get a private audience, as we did on Star Legend, with a James Beard award-winning chef?

The price tag for James Beard activities onboard? Zero.

James Beard Foundation guest chef Gabriel Kreutzer(left) and Star Legend’s head chef Renato are shopping for fresh products at the food market in Deauville./Carolyn Spencer Brown

They’re simply part of the cruise experience. This voyage was the fourth of five onboard partnerships this year; there’s one more to come in October. Does this program offer superb value for the money? You bet. And a PS: Windstar will announce its 2027 lineup in October.

Chef-led voyages also spotlight crew and culinary staff

Members of Star Legend’s waitstaff learn about Chef Gabriel’s dishes-of-the-day/Carolyn Spencer Brown

Guest activities got the spotlight, but the crew benefited too. It was wonderful to learn that the kitchen team and Amphora waitstaff got their own time with him. The onboard chefs cooked his dishes alongside him, while the waitstaff joined tastings so they could speak knowledgeably about his menu with guests. For them, working with a James Beard award-winning chef who’s also earned two Michelin stars was the chance of a lifetime.

The onboard chefs cooked his dishes alongside him, while the waitstaff joined tastings (and sampled dishes) so they could speak knowledgeably about his menu with guests.

Making friends

Speaking of participating, the entire week with Chef Gabriel felt, for me and many others, like making a new friend who just happened to be a superstar chef. I overheard one passenger saying they’d taken a hiking excursion with he and his family, and that he was great to talk with. He, like many of us, complained about a few aches and pains after the trip up towering Mont-Saint-Michel. He joked with us, sat down for quick get-to-know-you conversations, and patiently answered every question we had during and after his cooking demos. My favorite interaction with him was at the Deauville Market, where the Frenchman could identify exotic dishes and explain how they were put together, while Star Legend’s executive chef, Renato, was busy buying fresh ingredients for all of us to try back onboard.

Something to enjoy for every level of culinary enthusiast

On Star Legend’s market tour, you didn’t have to be a hardcore foodie to make fabulous discoveries, like these fresh strawberries./Carolyn Spencer Brown

You don’t have to be a passionate foodie to have a blast on these chef-hosted cruises. You can pick and choose where you participate. You get to eat really great dishes that you can also make at home (or not — your choice). You can wander off to soak in a hot tub, read a book by the pool, or spend time in port just poking around. The ambience couldn’t have been more relaxed.

And one of the nicest realizations during my first James Beard Foundation-hosted cruise was this: Chef Gabriel’s dishes remain on the menu for future guests to enjoy, alongside selections from previous JBF chefs. It’s an inspiring (and delicious) way to celebrate Windstar’s 11-year partnership and the incredible collection of chefs who have graced its kitchens over the years.

The post Sea Bream, Green Tomatoes, and a New Friend: My Week With James Beard Award-Winning Chef Gabriel Kreuther appeared first on Windstar Cruises Travel Blog.

This post was originally published on this site.

September 4, 2026
Dakota Meyer to junior Marines: ‘You all are better than we were’

This post was originally published on this site.

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer gave an audience of junior Marines insight into his own unique position — a 38-year-old combat veteran of Afghanistan who, as a sergeant, now finds himself a peer of junior enlisted members. At a town hall earlier this week focused on suicide prevention, Meyer discussed his struggles after leaving the Marine Corps, his return to uniform, and offered the younger generation some words of encouragement

“I just spent 18 weeks at the School of Infantry-West with entry-level Marines at 38 years old. I want to tell you something. These Marines today, they’re better than me,” Meyer said Wednesday at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. “There’s more potential in the uniform today than there’s ever existed in the history of the uniform.”

Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama for rescuing dozens of U.S. and Afghan troops after a Taliban ambush in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in 2009. He was the first living Marine to receive the award in nearly four decades.

He spoke Wednesday at Lejeune along with senior Navy and Marine Corps leaders, including Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith. The group held two town halls, including one with about 1,400 junior Marines to discuss suicide prevention in the ranks.

While some Marines yelled questions from the mezzanine, a dozen more stood in a line for a microphone to ask questions on military standards, mental health stigmas, and resources. When one Marine asked what the old guard thought would define today’s younger generation, Meyer was quick to reply.

“I’m so happy that you think about your legacy. I wish I would have thought about my legacy in 2011, whenever they draped a medal around my neck. Because now I’m spending a lot of my time trying to re-steer that legacy,” Meyer said. “I hope it’s better than the legacy my generation left.”

Though veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq fought for two decades, Meyer said that in some ways, suicide has become part of the narrative about his generation’s experience at war. He cited the widely followed tradition of 22 push-up memorials for veteran suicide awareness.

“More people can tell you, and have done, 22 push-ups a day for my generation than they can name the battles that my generation won over 20 years,” he added.

Meyer told the audience of E-5 and below Marines of his days spent sleeping in his pick-up truck, as he struggled with post-traumatic stress and coping with alcohol.

“No matter what you’re going through, you can get through it. I want to be the example that anxiety, depression and PTSD … they are injuries. They’re not terminal illnesses,” he said. “Because I’m living proof of it.”

Meyer left service for over a decade and reenlisted in the Marine Reserve in 2025 to take a new civilian position as a special assistant to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In April, Meyer completed the Marine Corps’ Basic Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton, California.

“Coming back in has been the best thing for me, and I am honored every day. And what I want to tell you is, as somebody who was in the combat generation, to somebody who’s here now, somebody who’s standing in a formation next to these entry-level Marines, I want to tell you, you all are better than we were. Do you all hear that very often?” Meyer said. “You all have it. You all can be it. You all got to start taking care of each other.”

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September 4, 2026