Department of Justice lawyers have prosecuted a landlord that failed to return prepaid rent and a security deposit to Col. Deborah Bean, vice commander of the 78th Air Base Wing at Robins AFB, Ga.. This is the first DOJ lawsuit involving a landlord’s violation of the 2003 Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides protections to active-duty military members who must terminate residential leases to comply with military orders for a permanent change of station or for deployment. In this case, Bean’s landlord did not respond to requests for the return of her money, initially prompting her to turn to Robins’ legal office for help and then, with its assistance, to get DOJ involved. Bean said it is critical as a tenant to keep meticulous records. “Do everything you can to document communications,” she said. (Robins report by Kendahl Johnson)
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.