By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 20, 2009 - An independent study by the Institute of Medicine last month resulted in broadened health coverage by the Veterans Affairs Department for Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Research found that three illnesses – B cell leukemias, Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease -- possibly are associated with Agent Orange exposure. Those conditions join a list of related diseases for which Vietnam War veterans already receive compensation, such as prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Veterans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 may qualify for monthly disability compensation and do not have to provide proof they were exposed to Agent Orange to qualify for health benefits.
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in statement released last month. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
The U.S. military used Agent Orange herbicides in the Vietnam conflict from 1961 to 1971 to clear foliage that provided enemy cover. VA officials estimate that about 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were affected.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman, released a statement today calling for additional support of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009. The bill expands eligibility for presumptive conditions to veterans who were not directly "boots on the ground," such as sailors and pilots.
Current law suggests that location of service in Vietnam affects some of the qualifications for Agent Orange compensation.
"Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans," Filner said. "Many are dying from their Agent Orange-related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange, and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would."
About 800,000 Vietnam veterans are estimated to be alive today and eligible for treatment for Agent Orange-related illnesses. According to VA's Web site, the department presumes all military members who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange. Also, some children of female Vietnam veterans may qualify for compensation, based on birth defects associated with the chemicals.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Army Announces Independent Body Armor Review
Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced today that the National Research Council (NRC) will perform an independent assessment of the Army's body armor testing, following last month's recommendation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for an independent review. The NRC functions under the auspices of the National Academies, a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and the public on critical national issues.
"We are committed to providing our warfighters with world-class equipment, and are confident that our body armor continues to defeat the threat to our soldiers," McHugh said. "The Army welcomes this independent review, and is grateful for the analysis and expertise of the National Research Council."
"I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this initiative with Dr. Gilmore, the Department of Defense's director of operational test and evaluation, prior to its completion," McHugh continued. "As I said at the time, I fully endorse this analysis and pledge the Army will render its total cooperation."
Under an agreement between the National Academies and the director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E), the Department of Defense's final independent authority on survivability testing of body armor, the NRC will perform an independent assessment of ongoing body armor testing. The purpose of the NRC assessment is to ensure that the Army maintains the highest standards for testing processes and protocols, thus addressing concerns raised by the GAO about current testing procedures.
"The continued partnership with DOT&E, the NRC, and the GAO will ensure the complete, accurate, and careful testing of body armor critical to ensuring soldiers' confidence in their equipment," McHugh said. "The Army is constantly refining and improving its testing processes and procedures, and we welcome additional expertise to help ensure that we continue to field the best body armor available."
Within the Army, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the army (acquisition, logistics and technology) has recently assigned a quality, process, and compliance executive who is responsible for oversight of process compliance across the acquisition community, and who is directly accountable to the Army acquisition executive. The highest priority for the compliance executive is the ongoing body armor ballistic testing by being conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
"We are committed to providing our warfighters with world-class equipment, and are confident that our body armor continues to defeat the threat to our soldiers," McHugh said. "The Army welcomes this independent review, and is grateful for the analysis and expertise of the National Research Council."
"I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this initiative with Dr. Gilmore, the Department of Defense's director of operational test and evaluation, prior to its completion," McHugh continued. "As I said at the time, I fully endorse this analysis and pledge the Army will render its total cooperation."
Under an agreement between the National Academies and the director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E), the Department of Defense's final independent authority on survivability testing of body armor, the NRC will perform an independent assessment of ongoing body armor testing. The purpose of the NRC assessment is to ensure that the Army maintains the highest standards for testing processes and protocols, thus addressing concerns raised by the GAO about current testing procedures.
"The continued partnership with DOT&E, the NRC, and the GAO will ensure the complete, accurate, and careful testing of body armor critical to ensuring soldiers' confidence in their equipment," McHugh said. "The Army is constantly refining and improving its testing processes and procedures, and we welcome additional expertise to help ensure that we continue to field the best body armor available."
Within the Army, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the army (acquisition, logistics and technology) has recently assigned a quality, process, and compliance executive who is responsible for oversight of process compliance across the acquisition community, and who is directly accountable to the Army acquisition executive. The highest priority for the compliance executive is the ongoing body armor ballistic testing by being conducted by the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Navy Announces Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Military Relocations to Guam
The Navy announced today the availability of the draft environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement (EIS/OEIS) for the military buildup on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
The draft EIS/OEIS analyzes the impacts of the following proposed actions:
Marine Corps: Development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support the relocation from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam of approximately 8,600 Marines and approximately 9,000 dependents; and development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian for the relocated Marines.
Navy: Construction of a new deep-draft wharf with shoreside infrastructure improvements creating the capability in Apra Harbor, Guam, to support a transient nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Army: Development of facilities and infrastructure on Guam to support the relocation of approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents and the establishment and operation of an Army Missile Defense Task Force.
The purpose of the proposed actions is to fulfill U.S. national security policy requirements to provide mutual defense, deter aggression, and dissuade coercion in the western Pacific region.
The Navy and the Department of Defense have held ongoing discussions with cooperating agencies (federal and local agencies with special expertise or regulatory insight) to review all relevant resource areas and have worked closely with elected leaders in Guam and the CNMI in the development of the draft EIS/OEIS.
After releasing the draft EIS/OEIS, the public is given time to review the document and provide comments. Due to the complexity of the draft EIS/OEIS and a desire to ensure all interested parties have the full opportunity to review the document, the comment period was extended from 45 to 90 days. All issues or concerns raised in public comments will be identified and appropriately considered in preparation of the final EIS. Six public hearings will also be held on Guam, Tinian and Saipan in January 2010.
To review the draft EIS/OEIS and to submit public comments, visit http://www.guambuildupeis.us.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.
The draft EIS/OEIS analyzes the impacts of the following proposed actions:
Marine Corps: Development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support the relocation from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam of approximately 8,600 Marines and approximately 9,000 dependents; and development and construction of facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian for the relocated Marines.
Navy: Construction of a new deep-draft wharf with shoreside infrastructure improvements creating the capability in Apra Harbor, Guam, to support a transient nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Army: Development of facilities and infrastructure on Guam to support the relocation of approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents and the establishment and operation of an Army Missile Defense Task Force.
The purpose of the proposed actions is to fulfill U.S. national security policy requirements to provide mutual defense, deter aggression, and dissuade coercion in the western Pacific region.
The Navy and the Department of Defense have held ongoing discussions with cooperating agencies (federal and local agencies with special expertise or regulatory insight) to review all relevant resource areas and have worked closely with elected leaders in Guam and the CNMI in the development of the draft EIS/OEIS.
After releasing the draft EIS/OEIS, the public is given time to review the document and provide comments. Due to the complexity of the draft EIS/OEIS and a desire to ensure all interested parties have the full opportunity to review the document, the comment period was extended from 45 to 90 days. All issues or concerns raised in public comments will be identified and appropriately considered in preparation of the final EIS. Six public hearings will also be held on Guam, Tinian and Saipan in January 2010.
To review the draft EIS/OEIS and to submit public comments, visit http://www.guambuildupeis.us.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.
Soldier Who Led Last Bayonet Charge Dies
American Forces Press ServiceNov. 20, 2009 - Retired Army Col. Lewis L. Millett, who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for leading what reportedly was the last major American bayonet charge, died Nov 14. Millett, 88, died in Loma Linda, Calif., after serving for more than 15 years as the honorary colonel of the 27th Infantry Regiment Association.
Millet received the Medal of Honor for his actions Feb. 7, 1951. He led the 25th Infantry Division's Company E, 27th Infantry, in a bayonet charge up Hill 180 near Soam-Ni, Korea. A captain at the time, Millet was leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position when he noticed that a platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire.
Millett placed himself at the head of two other platoons, ordered fixed bayonets, and led an assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge, Millett bayoneted two enemy soldiers and continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement, according to his Medal of Honor citation.
"Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill," the citation states. "His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder."
Millett was wounded by grenade fragments during the attack, but he refused evacuation until the objective was firmly secured. He recovered, and attended Ranger School after the war.
In the 1960s, he ran the 101st Airborne Division Recondo School for reconnaissance and commando training at Fort Campbell, Ky. He then served in a number of special operations advisory assignments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He founded the Royal Thai Army Ranger School with help of the 46th Special Forces Company. This unit reportedly is the only one in the U.S. Army to simultaneously be designated as both Ranger and Special Forces.
Millet retired from the Army in 1973.
"I was very saddened to hear Colonel Millett passed away," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., the current commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. "He was a rare breed -- a true patriot who never stopped serving his country. He was a role model for thousands of soldiers, and he will be missed."
Millet was born in Maine and first enlisted in 1940 in the Army Air Corps and served as a gunner. Soon after, when it appeared that the United States would not enter World War II, he left and joined the Canadian army.
In 1942, while Millet was serving in London, the United States entered the war. Millet turned himself in to the U.S. Embassy there and eventually was assigned to the 1st Armored Division. As an antitank gunner in Tunisia, Millet earned the Silver Star after he jumped into a burning halftrack filled with ammunition, drove it away from allied soldiers and jumped to safety just before the vehicle exploded. He later shot down a German fighter plane with a vehicle-mounted machine gun.
As a sergeant serving in Italy during the war, his desertion to join the Canadian forces caught up to him. He was court-martialed, fined $52 and denied leave. A few weeks later, he was awarded a battlefield commission. After the war, he joined the 103rd Infantry of the Maine National Guard, and he attended college until he was called back to active duty in 1949.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Millett earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit and four Purple Hearts during his 35-year military career. After his retirement, he remained active in both national and local veterans groups from his Idyllwild, Calif., home.
His son, Army Staff Sgt John Morton Millett, was a member of the 101st Airborne Division returning from duty in the Sinai on Dec. 12, 1985, when a charter plane crashed upon takeoff after stopping at Gander, Newfoundland. He was one of 256 soldiers killed in the crash.
On Feb. 7, 1994, Millet was honored with a ceremony on Hill 180, now located on Osan Air Base, South Korea. The ceremony became an annual one, and the road running up the hill was named "Millet Road."
In June 2000, Millet returned to Seoul, South Korea, and served as keynote speaker at the Army's 225th Birthday Ball at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. All eight of the then-living Korean War Medal of Honor recipients attended the event.
This year, Millet served as the grand marshal of a Salute to Veterans parade April 21 in Riverside, Calif. He died Nov. 14 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Loma Linda, of congestive heart failure.
A memorial service for Millet is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 5 at the National Medal of Honor Memorial at Riverside National Cemetery in California.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Obama Leads Troop Rally at Osan
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - More than 1,500 airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines from throughout South Korea had the opportunity to hear President Barack Obama speak, for the first time in Korea, at a troop rally here today. Obama said he stopped here en route home from a weeklong Asia trip to reaffirm the enduring alliance between the U.S. and South Korean governments. "This is an alliance rooted in sheer sacrifice, common values, mutual interests and a mutual respect," he said. "And as we look to the future, with a shared vision of our alliance in the 21st century, I made it clear America's commitment to the Republic of Korea will never waver and our alliance has never been stronger."
The president noted that though the reason for his visit was business, it would not be complete without visiting the troops. He had a message to deliver.
"I couldn't come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you and delivering a simple message -- a message of thanks to you and your families, because of all the privileges of serving as president, I have no greater honor than that of serving as commander in chief of the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
The security that allows families to live in peace in both Asia and America, the prosperity that allows them to pursue their dreams and the freedoms they all cherish have not been accidents of history, the president said.
"It is no exaggeration to say the progress that we see, not just in Korea, are provided by generations of American men and women in uniform, and has transformed the lives of millions of people," Obama said. "Many people have to wait a lifetime to see the difference they made, but you see the life of your service, and you have only to look around. Like generations before you, you've helped keep the peace, ... working with the wonderful people of the Republic of Korea as they forged a reliable alliance."
The president said that the alliance has seen South K
"Backed by our alliance, the Republic of Korea has taken on a leadership role -- promoting security and stability around the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the waters off the Horn of Africa and Eurasia, helping prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction - and that makes us all more secure," he said. "And that too, is part of your legacy."
However, he noted, that legacy did not come without sacrifice, a price the president said he recognizes few Americans will ever truly be able to understand.
"I want to assure you that every American appreciates what you do," Obama said. "I say to you today, on behalf of the American people, 'Thank you for your service. We honor your sacrifices, and just as you fulfilled your responsibilities to your nation, your nation will fulfill its responsibilities to you.'"
Before wrapping up his visit, Obama thanked Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, U.S. Forces Korea commander, for working to normalize tours in Korea, a feat he said will help to provide more stability and security in the region.
"This is a day that stands out in history for not only Osan, but the Republic of Korea," said Air Force Col. Thomas Deale, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "President Obama made it a point to come to Korea and commend the servicemembers here for what they do best - being ready to fight and win. ... I am proud to be their commander, and proud to present their accomplishments to our president."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere serves with the 51st Fighter Wing public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - More than 1,500 airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines from throughout South Korea had the opportunity to hear President Barack Obama speak, for the first time in Korea, at a troop rally here today. Obama said he stopped here en route home from a weeklong Asia trip to reaffirm the enduring alliance between the U.S. and South Korean governments. "This is an alliance rooted in sheer sacrifice, common values, mutual interests and a mutual respect," he said. "And as we look to the future, with a shared vision of our alliance in the 21st century, I made it clear America's commitment to the Republic of Korea will never waver and our alliance has never been stronger."
The president noted that though the reason for his visit was business, it would not be complete without visiting the troops. He had a message to deliver.
"I couldn't come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you and delivering a simple message -- a message of thanks to you and your families, because of all the privileges of serving as president, I have no greater honor than that of serving as commander in chief of the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
The security that allows families to live in peace in both Asia and America, the prosperity that allows them to pursue their dreams and the freedoms they all cherish have not been accidents of history, the president said.
"It is no exaggeration to say the progress that we see, not just in Korea, are provided by generations of American men and women in uniform, and has transformed the lives of millions of people," Obama said. "Many people have to wait a lifetime to see the difference they made, but you see the life of your service, and you have only to look around. Like generations before you, you've helped keep the peace, ... working with the wonderful people of the Republic of Korea as they forged a reliable alliance."
The president said that the alliance has seen South K
"Backed by our alliance, the Republic of Korea has taken on a leadership role -- promoting security and stability around the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the waters off the Horn of Africa and Eurasia, helping prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction - and that makes us all more secure," he said. "And that too, is part of your legacy."
However, he noted, that legacy did not come without sacrifice, a price the president said he recognizes few Americans will ever truly be able to understand.
"I want to assure you that every American appreciates what you do," Obama said. "I say to you today, on behalf of the American people, 'Thank you for your service. We honor your sacrifices, and just as you fulfilled your responsibilities to your nation, your nation will fulfill its responsibilities to you.'"
Before wrapping up his visit, Obama thanked Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, U.S. Forces Korea commander, for working to normalize tours in Korea, a feat he said will help to provide more stability and security in the region.
"This is a day that stands out in history for not only Osan, but the Republic of Korea," said Air Force Col. Thomas Deale, 51st Fighter Wing commander. "President Obama made it a point to come to Korea and commend the servicemembers here for what they do best - being ready to fight and win. ... I am proud to be their commander, and proud to present their accomplishments to our president."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere serves with the 51st Fighter Wing public affairs office.)
Wife Succeeds Husband on Deployment
By Air Force Senior Airman Stephen LinchSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - He was there, and then he was gone. It was just a glimpse on the night of Oct. 31. She continued to exit the C-130 Hercules that had just landed at an air base here, still scanning her surroundings to see if it could be. Then she saw him again. Her face lit up as she joyfully greeted her husband at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing reception area. Although she was ecstatic to see her husband for the first time in six months, Air Force Capt. Kieran Dhillon-Davis, the newly arrived chief of the wing's mental health services, didn't come here to see him. She came to take his place.
Her job is to ensure mission readiness by providing mental health services such as individual therapy, tobacco cessation aid and suicide awareness training to airmen and soldiers. She also focuses on behavior change and on stress and anger management.
Her husband, Air Force Capt. Luther Dhillon-Davis, the departing chief of mental health services, soon would return to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, the couple's home station. But for now, he was focusing on managing the hand-off and preparing his wife for a successful stay.
"I was eagerly anticipating her arrival," he said. "I was and still am excited to get to share with her this transition."
Over the next 14 days, he facilitated the transfer by seeing patients alongside his wife, providing her with continuity, detailing location-specific information and showing her around the wing. He noted how grateful he was to spend time with her over the changeover period, saying it was the "closest thing to a traditional mid-tour break," they would get.
The couple became acquainted when 23-year-old Kieran Dhillon enrolled in a neuropsychology class on the nature of emotion in the summer of 2002, after seeing 24-year-old Luther Davis's name on the class's roster at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif.
Over the next four years, Luther Davis would create a holiday for his college sweetheart: "Blue Day," named after her favorite color and a commemoration of their engagement. Both would join the Air Force and start their residency, and they would combine and hyphenate their last names in a wedding ceremony at a winery in Temecula, Calif.
They celebrated their third wedding anniversary separately on May 28, shortly after Luther left for his deployment.
They knew there would be sacrifices when both entered the Air Force. The couple agrees that getting deployed back-to-back is not an ideal situation, but they are learning to deal with the challenges it brings.
"I've had to learn how to be supportive without being there physically," admitted Luther, a 31-year-old Wichita Falls, Texas, native.
When the couple informs people of their situation, the response they normally receive is, "Geez, that sucks! Why couldn't they work something different?" he said.
Kieran explained that their career field is critically undermanned, and constant deployments have left a shortage of airmen capable of deploying. They agree the situation could have been far more stressful if they were deployed to separate locations.
As their two-week overlap drew to a close, the couple sat beside each other, smiling, laughing and getting lost in somber moments of silence -- moments that soon were ended by the realization that the KC-10 Extender was waiting on the ramp to take him home, and the two would have to say goodbye again.
In the upcoming months, Luther will re-integrate into the 82nd Medical Group and serve the airmen of Sheppard Air Force Base, and Kieran will continue to hold the line as the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's only clinical psychologist.
Reflecting on her husband's departure, the 30-year-old Redland, Calif., native said she has only the mission at hand on her mind, and plans on "doing what I have been called out here to do, just like everyone else."
The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing provides intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and aerial refueling in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
(Air Force Senior Airman Stephen Linch serves with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs office.)
Gates Supports 'Contiguous Training' for Reserve Components
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - While admitting initial reservations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a National Guard conference today he sees benefits of a new plan that allows reserve-component servicemembers to conduct pre-deployment training before the clock starts ticking on their 12-month mobilization cycles. Gates told the National Guard Bureau Senior Leadership Conference he wasn't initially a fan of the so-called "contiguous mobilization" plan he approved earlier this month at the Army and National Guard leadership's request.
The plan authorizes reserve-component members to conduct pre-deployment training – frequently by amassing scheduled annual training and weekend drill periods into a block period – without counting it as part of their official mobilization cycles.
The exception to policy will last for one year as the Defense Department studies its impact and effectiveness, Gates said today.
Gates emphasized that he remains committed to the 12-month mobilization policy he instituted for reserve-component members, and thought long and hard before approving the contiguous mobilization plan.
"I really wrestled with this, worried our soldiers would see it as breaking faith with my decision in January 2007 to limit mobilization to 12 months," he said. "But I was persuaded that contiguous training may lead to improved combat preparation for our reserve-component servicemembers."
He said he also realized that contiguous mobilizations would support another goal: giving Guardsmen and reservists more predictability about deployments.
"I was told that, by grouping training [periods] together immediately before federal mobilization, the reservists, their families and their employers may realize more stability and predictability within the deployment cycle," he said, prompting the audience to jump to its feet in broad applause.
"Thank you for that," he told the group. "It truly was a difficult decision for me."
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the group the new policy is designed to reduce the "churn" within reserve-component members' lives as they balance their military and civilian obligations.
"I worry about Sergeant Jones sitting at the table in his civilian capacity with his family looking at their future, having some predictability, along with the employer," Mullen said.
Gates thanked the leaders who brought the issue to his attention, and said he was gratified by the deliberate process, with well-considered solutions, that led to his decision.
The Defense Department will gather information during the next six months or so to support an analysis Gates said he hopes charts a "clear way ahead" about whether to continue contiguous training.
Gates and Mullen both emphasized the need to build more predictability about deployments and "dwell time" at home between deployments for the Guard and reserve.
Expanding the active Army's end strength will translate into less demand – and stress – on the National Guard, Gates said.
The secretary emphasized the long-term need for support networks established for reserve-component members during their deployments and after they return home.
"You have made great strides in all of these areas to reduce stress and improve quality of life for the force, but don't let up," he said. "Our current engagements will keep forces on foreign soil at some level for years to come."
Both Gates and the chairman praised the multiple roles the National Guard has played, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at home in responding to natural disasters and security threats.
"We could not have done it without you," Mullen said.
"Please convey to your Guardsmen my thanks for their significant contributions to our national security," Gates said. "The service Guardsmen render to the nation and the cause of freedom around the world represents the best America has to offer."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - While admitting initial reservations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a National Guard conference today he sees benefits of a new plan that allows reserve-component servicemembers to conduct pre-deployment training before the clock starts ticking on their 12-month mobilization cycles. Gates told the National Guard Bureau Senior Leadership Conference he wasn't initially a fan of the so-called "contiguous mobilization" plan he approved earlier this month at the Army and National Guard leadership's request.
The plan authorizes reserve-component members to conduct pre-deployment training – frequently by amassing scheduled annual training and weekend drill periods into a block period – without counting it as part of their official mobilization cycles.
The exception to policy will last for one year as the Defense Department studies its impact and effectiveness, Gates said today.
Gates emphasized that he remains committed to the 12-month mobilization policy he instituted for reserve-component members, and thought long and hard before approving the contiguous mobilization plan.
"I really wrestled with this, worried our soldiers would see it as breaking faith with my decision in January 2007 to limit mobilization to 12 months," he said. "But I was persuaded that contiguous training may lead to improved combat preparation for our reserve-component servicemembers."
He said he also realized that contiguous mobilizations would support another goal: giving Guardsmen and reservists more predictability about deployments.
"I was told that, by grouping training [periods] together immediately before federal mobilization, the reservists, their families and their employers may realize more stability and predictability within the deployment cycle," he said, prompting the audience to jump to its feet in broad applause.
"Thank you for that," he told the group. "It truly was a difficult decision for me."
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the group the new policy is designed to reduce the "churn" within reserve-component members' lives as they balance their military and civilian obligations.
"I worry about Sergeant Jones sitting at the table in his civilian capacity with his family looking at their future, having some predictability, along with the employer," Mullen said.
Gates thanked the leaders who brought the issue to his attention, and said he was gratified by the deliberate process, with well-considered solutions, that led to his decision.
The Defense Department will gather information during the next six months or so to support an analysis Gates said he hopes charts a "clear way ahead" about whether to continue contiguous training.
Gates and Mullen both emphasized the need to build more predictability about deployments and "dwell time" at home between deployments for the Guard and reserve.
Expanding the active Army's end strength will translate into less demand – and stress – on the National Guard, Gates said.
The secretary emphasized the long-term need for support networks established for reserve-component members during their deployments and after they return home.
"You have made great strides in all of these areas to reduce stress and improve quality of life for the force, but don't let up," he said. "Our current engagements will keep forces on foreign soil at some level for years to come."
Both Gates and the chairman praised the multiple roles the National Guard has played, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at home in responding to natural disasters and security threats.
"We could not have done it without you," Mullen said.
"Please convey to your Guardsmen my thanks for their significant contributions to our national security," Gates said. "The service Guardsmen render to the nation and the cause of freedom around the world represents the best America has to offer."
'Real Warrior' Helps Others Get Help
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Sheri Hall could tell something was wrong with her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, at the hangar during his welcome home ceremony. "His eyes were dead," she said. It should have been a joyous time. The major was returning from his second deployment to Iraq at the end of 2005. He had been with a military training team with the 3rd Infantry Division. He went from Fort Stewart, Ga., to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
But he was having problems. One boss told him he exhibited "visceral anger."
"I do know I was trying to correct a lot of deficiencies physically," he said. "I've had nightmares. I was distant from my family, and I had thoughts of killing myself."
But he coped, letting the anger build up for two and a half years. "I went through 28 rotations at the JRTC, and I finally said, 'I can't do this any more,'" he said.
Hall expected "the hammer" from his boss, he said. Instead, his boss got him the help he needed. He was accepted for a three-week treatment program at the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
As part of the treatment, doctors checked Hall out thoroughly. They discovered old injuries from his airborne days and a new back injury he incurred in Iraq charging through what he called "the only oak door in Baghdad." They started a regimen to help him deal with the pain of these injuries, which, he said, "helped with everything else."
The program had group therapy in the morning followed by one-on-one sessions with a therapist. He asked, and the other soldiers in the group agreed, for Sheri to be involved.
"It was kind of a cry of desperation on my part," he said. "I was trying to hang on to my family, even though I thought I'd already lost them."
Including Sheri led to what the major said was the best part of the one-on-one sessions, when the therapist told him to "shut the hell up and listen to my wife," he said. "I had just tuned her out," he added.
People have to want to get better, Hall said. "You learn coping mechanisms, and I learned I wasn't alone in the process."
He also learned his reactions to the stress of combat were normal. "They keep telling you it's a normal reaction to abnormal things," he said. "They made this very clear."
The Halls have two teenage daughters. "They knew something was going on," Sheri said. "It was not the father they knew." She said she tried to shelter the girls as much as possible, "but kids are really smart, and they knew a lot more than they let on."
Following the treatment at the clinic, the Halls went back to Fort Polk, and Jeff eased back into work. "I was able to function again at the JRTC," he said.
With the help they got at the clinic they are better able to deal with the depression and anger, Sheri said. "We also started having more fun together," she said. The two are high school sweethearts from Oklahoma.
After he got help, Hall reached out to the soldiers he commanded in Iraq to get them help, too. Some have gone through the Walter Reed clinic. Others were worried that getting help "would ruin their careers and cause them to lose their security clearances," Hall said.
Then representatives from the "Real Warrior" program contacted him. The program aims to take the stigma away from receiving mental health treatment by encouraging servicemembers to seek treatment. It involves a series of public service announcements by servicemembers describing what they have gone through and how they got the help they needed.
"I wanted to help guys who want to keep their career, but don't know how to," Hall said. "I'm here to say there is a way to do it."
Sheri also is featured in the ads, and she wants families to know what is available.
"I want to help him get his message out, but I also want to see that families are taken care of," she said. "We suffer through [post-traumatic stress disorder], too."
Hall is now with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Sheri Hall could tell something was wrong with her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, at the hangar during his welcome home ceremony. "His eyes were dead," she said. It should have been a joyous time. The major was returning from his second deployment to Iraq at the end of 2005. He had been with a military training team with the 3rd Infantry Division. He went from Fort Stewart, Ga., to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
But he was having problems. One boss told him he exhibited "visceral anger."
"I do know I was trying to correct a lot of deficiencies physically," he said. "I've had nightmares. I was distant from my family, and I had thoughts of killing myself."
But he coped, letting the anger build up for two and a half years. "I went through 28 rotations at the JRTC, and I finally said, 'I can't do this any more,'" he said.
Hall expected "the hammer" from his boss, he said. Instead, his boss got him the help he needed. He was accepted for a three-week treatment program at the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
As part of the treatment, doctors checked Hall out thoroughly. They discovered old injuries from his airborne days and a new back injury he incurred in Iraq charging through what he called "the only oak door in Baghdad." They started a regimen to help him deal with the pain of these injuries, which, he said, "helped with everything else."
The program had group therapy in the morning followed by one-on-one sessions with a therapist. He asked, and the other soldiers in the group agreed, for Sheri to be involved.
"It was kind of a cry of desperation on my part," he said. "I was trying to hang on to my family, even though I thought I'd already lost them."
Including Sheri led to what the major said was the best part of the one-on-one sessions, when the therapist told him to "shut the hell up and listen to my wife," he said. "I had just tuned her out," he added.
People have to want to get better, Hall said. "You learn coping mechanisms, and I learned I wasn't alone in the process."
He also learned his reactions to the stress of combat were normal. "They keep telling you it's a normal reaction to abnormal things," he said. "They made this very clear."
The Halls have two teenage daughters. "They knew something was going on," Sheri said. "It was not the father they knew." She said she tried to shelter the girls as much as possible, "but kids are really smart, and they knew a lot more than they let on."
Following the treatment at the clinic, the Halls went back to Fort Polk, and Jeff eased back into work. "I was able to function again at the JRTC," he said.
With the help they got at the clinic they are better able to deal with the depression and anger, Sheri said. "We also started having more fun together," she said. The two are high school sweethearts from Oklahoma.
After he got help, Hall reached out to the soldiers he commanded in Iraq to get them help, too. Some have gone through the Walter Reed clinic. Others were worried that getting help "would ruin their careers and cause them to lose their security clearances," Hall said.
Then representatives from the "Real Warrior" program contacted him. The program aims to take the stigma away from receiving mental health treatment by encouraging servicemembers to seek treatment. It involves a series of public service announcements by servicemembers describing what they have gone through and how they got the help they needed.
"I wanted to help guys who want to keep their career, but don't know how to," Hall said. "I'm here to say there is a way to do it."
Sheri also is featured in the ads, and she wants families to know what is available.
"I want to help him get his message out, but I also want to see that families are taken care of," she said. "We suffer through [post-traumatic stress disorder], too."
Hall is now with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
Gates Welcomes New German Defense Minister
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed new German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the Pentagon today. Guttenberg was appointed as Germany's defense minister Oct. 28, replacing Franz Josef Jung. After meeting with Guttenberg in the Pentagon, Gates told reporters that he and his German counterpart "agreed to consult on a frequent basis on common challenges we face as close allies, particularly in Afghanistan."
Germany, which has more than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan, is the second-largest contributor to Afghan National Police training, Gates said. Germany also is the third-largest troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gates added, and the fourth-largest provider of civilian-development assistance.
Gates said he congratulated Guttenberg for Germany's continued leadership and steadfast response to increased violence in northern Afghanistan. Guttenberg recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan.
Gates said he and Guttenberg welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initiative with British and French counterparts to convene an international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Other common issues, such as the new NATO strategic concept, Iran, and advancing nuclear nonproliferation, also were part of today's discussion, Gates said.
The German government yesterday approved a one-year extension of Germany's troop deployment to Afghanistan, according to news reports. Guttenberg said he told Gates today that Germany's commitment regarding Afghanistan "is firm."
Guttenberg said he and Gates also discussed the need for NATO to continue as an instrument for international security.
The German defense minister thanked Gates for welcoming him to Washington, noting he would meet the U.S. defense secretary again tomorrow at a security conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Asked by a reporter if Germany would boost the number of its forces in Afghanistan, Guttenberg replied that his country would maintain the current number of about 4,500 troops.
Guttenberg said his government is awaiting President Barack Obama's decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. Germany, too, is concerned, he said, about allegations of corruption within Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's government.
Karzai, who was elected to a second five-year term, today pledged to address the corruption issue at his inauguration ceremony in Kabul.
"We will see what will be the result of it," Guttenberg said of Karzai's vow to attack corruption. "We need more than just words; we need action also in Afghanistan, by the Afghan government."
Meanwhile, Guttenberg said, Germany is awaiting developments regarding potential change in U.S. strategic policy in Afghanistan, the Afghan's government's resolve to fight corruption, and the outcome of the international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Germany "will certainly reassess its mandate" regarding its troop presence in Afghanistan and make decisions after the conference, Guttenberg said.
"We can use all the help we can get," said Gates, noting 43 countries contribute troops to the mission in Afghanistan. However, he cautioned against speculation about potential troop plus-ups by other nations engaged in Afghanistan.
Until Obama announces his decisions regarding Afghanistan, Gates said, any guesswork about other nations' troop contributions "is probably premature."
Guttenberg said he believes that Germany is an equal partner among the coalition nations engaged in Afghanistan. "Togetherness is the basis for any success in Afghanistan," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed new German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the Pentagon today. Guttenberg was appointed as Germany's defense minister Oct. 28, replacing Franz Josef Jung. After meeting with Guttenberg in the Pentagon, Gates told reporters that he and his German counterpart "agreed to consult on a frequent basis on common challenges we face as close allies, particularly in Afghanistan."
Germany, which has more than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan, is the second-largest contributor to Afghan National Police training, Gates said. Germany also is the third-largest troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gates added, and the fourth-largest provider of civilian-development assistance.
Gates said he congratulated Guttenberg for Germany's continued leadership and steadfast response to increased violence in northern Afghanistan. Guttenberg recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan.
Gates said he and Guttenberg welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initiative with British and French counterparts to convene an international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Other common issues, such as the new NATO strategic concept, Iran, and advancing nuclear nonproliferation, also were part of today's discussion, Gates said.
The German government yesterday approved a one-year extension of Germany's troop deployment to Afghanistan, according to news reports. Guttenberg said he told Gates today that Germany's commitment regarding Afghanistan "is firm."
Guttenberg said he and Gates also discussed the need for NATO to continue as an instrument for international security.
The German defense minister thanked Gates for welcoming him to Washington, noting he would meet the U.S. defense secretary again tomorrow at a security conference held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Asked by a reporter if Germany would boost the number of its forces in Afghanistan, Guttenberg replied that his country would maintain the current number of about 4,500 troops.
Guttenberg said his government is awaiting President Barack Obama's decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. Germany, too, is concerned, he said, about allegations of corruption within Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's government.
Karzai, who was elected to a second five-year term, today pledged to address the corruption issue at his inauguration ceremony in Kabul.
"We will see what will be the result of it," Guttenberg said of Karzai's vow to attack corruption. "We need more than just words; we need action also in Afghanistan, by the Afghan government."
Meanwhile, Guttenberg said, Germany is awaiting developments regarding potential change in U.S. strategic policy in Afghanistan, the Afghan's government's resolve to fight corruption, and the outcome of the international conference on Afghanistan in January.
Germany "will certainly reassess its mandate" regarding its troop presence in Afghanistan and make decisions after the conference, Guttenberg said.
"We can use all the help we can get," said Gates, noting 43 countries contribute troops to the mission in Afghanistan. However, he cautioned against speculation about potential troop plus-ups by other nations engaged in Afghanistan.
Until Obama announces his decisions regarding Afghanistan, Gates said, any guesswork about other nations' troop contributions "is probably premature."
Guttenberg said he believes that Germany is an equal partner among the coalition nations engaged in Afghanistan. "Togetherness is the basis for any success in Afghanistan," he said.
Sailors Seek to Deter Piracy
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. "We're extremely well equipped to support this mission," said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship's commanding officer. "An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy."
Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted a suspicious group of small boats called "dhows," and within 10 minutes coordinated and intercepted with the crew of the Italian frigate Lebeccio. The two ships operated in close quarters and coordinated all operations to ensure the safety of the boarding team.
"There is an extraordinary level of communication and cooperation among all of the nations conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden," said Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, commander of Combined Task Force 151. "Because of our close cooperation with the European Union, NATO and independent navies, we've been able to prevent several suspected pirate attacks."
The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy, commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community must compliment coalition efforts, task force officials said.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in early January and has a mandate to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It includes naval forces from the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn serves with the Combined Maritime Forces public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. "We're extremely well equipped to support this mission," said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship's commanding officer. "An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy."
Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted a suspicious group of small boats called "dhows," and within 10 minutes coordinated and intercepted with the crew of the Italian frigate Lebeccio. The two ships operated in close quarters and coordinated all operations to ensure the safety of the boarding team.
"There is an extraordinary level of communication and cooperation among all of the nations conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden," said Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, commander of Combined Task Force 151. "Because of our close cooperation with the European Union, NATO and independent navies, we've been able to prevent several suspected pirate attacks."
The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy, commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community must compliment coalition efforts, task force officials said.
Combined Task Force 151 was established in early January and has a mandate to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It includes naval forces from the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn serves with the Combined Maritime Forces public affairs office.)
Task Force Teaches Mental Health Classes in Philippines
By Navy Lt. j.g. Theresa DonnellySpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - Members of the Camp Navarro General Hospital and the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines chaplain team concluded three days of teaching crisis intervention management techniques to more than 50 care providers at the Philippine armed forces Western Mindanao Command yesterday. The classes focused on the hidden scars of the battlefield -- the psychological wounds that affect many servicemembers. Participants included hospital staff, volunteer Red Cross workers, Philippine soldiers and spouses of Marines in combat operations.
"Some of our deepest wounds of war are in our hearts, our souls and our minds," said Col. Jose Johriel M. Cenabre, chief of staff for Western Mindanao Command. "We must find effective treatments for these wounds. We may not be wounded in violence, but wounded inside."
The class was taught jointly by Camp Navarro General Hospital psychologist Lolina Necesario Bajin and task force chaplain assistant Air Force Master Sgt. Rose Gould.
Gould, an Air Force reservist, has more than 20 years of experience working with military trauma victims, and helping people in her civilian career deal with the impact of humanitarian crises, critical incidents and war zones at the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants.
Seminars focused on several aspects of combat stress, from psychological first aid for manmade disasters to family crisis intervention. One seminar focused on how to explain to a child the appearance of their parents after being wounded on the battlefield.
The intent of the class, task force officials said, was to train select members who will then go back to their respective units and teach others. All participants received a packet with all the training materials, including copies of the lectures, videos and handouts.
This is the first time the joint special operations task force and the hospital staff have worked together for this type of training, officials said, adding that the team hopes to have more seminars to help those who provide care for others.
Many of the participants expressed their appreciation for the seminar and the help it has provided for them.
"We can now take what we have learned and conduct our own training ... for all those who were unable to attend," Bajin said. "This training is so important, because there is so much happening here in terms of disasters, armed conflict and manmade incidents, and we have to know how to effectively respond."
At the course's end, participants received graduation certificates and an increased understanding and best practices on how to treat the psychological effects of war effectively.
"It's easy to identify and appreciate the sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen when they bear visible physical injury from the execution of their duty," said Army Lt. Col. David Smith, the task force's chief of staff. "However, it is much more difficult to identify mental injuries. The need to provide care to people with these types of problems is very real."
At the request of the Philippine government, the joint special operations task force works in partnership with the Philippine armed forces in a variety of subject-matter exchanges, humanitarian missions and construction projects in the southern Philippines.
(Navy Lt. j.g. Theresa Donnelly serves with the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines public affairs office.)
Army Guard Leaders Key to Ready, Capable Force, Director Says
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The quality and readiness of the Army Guard is in the hands of its senior leadership, the Army Guard's top officer told more than 2,000 officers and senior noncommissioned officers here today. "Historically, the National Guard has always been responsible for manning the National Guard, and that has not changed," said Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director of the Army National Guard, who spoke at the National Guard's first-ever Joint Senior Leadership Conference.
Pointing out the "absolutely tremendous" accomplishment of recruiters and retainers in meeting the Army Guard's end strength in 2009, Carpenter told those gathered that the component's level of readiness and quality of its ranks this year were the highest in its modern history.
"The readiness inside your formations, out there in hometown America, is better than it has ever been in terms of people we are bringing in and the people who are coming to drill," he said.
The Army Guard's end-strength goal for fiscal 2010 is 358,200 soldiers.
Carpenter told the audience that finding quality recruits in hometown America to maintain that end strength will become increasingly challenging.
Tying the future of the nation's youth with the future of the Guard, Carpenter called on leaders to continue their engagement in programs that mentor and assist the nation's growing percentages of troubled youth.
He pointed out the success of the Guard's community programs, including the Patriot Academy, Youth ChalleNGe, About Face, Partners in Education and Forward March, as well as many other programs in the states and territories that support hometown America.
"We live in these towns, and if we don't [help] solve the problems [of this nation] we will also be the benefactors of what we have not taken care of," he said. "I applaud all of you for what you are doing."
Carpenter also said that one of the greatest success stories in his more than 42-year military career was the rebuilding of the NCO corps of the Army.
The NCO corps of the Army National Guard is a strategic asset to this nation, he said.
The Army and the reserves celebrated their enlisted forces in 2009, calling it the "Year of the NCO."
In the last 11 months, the Army Guard sponsored many events paying tribute to the competence, qualifications, experience and leadership that NCOs provide the Army Guard every day, he said.
"It has truly been a great year of the NCO," Carpenter said. He asked the audience to stand and applaud NCOs in all service components.
"Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to count our blessings," he said. "I would hope that as you give thanks, one of the blessings you count is the modern day National Guard and Army National Guard. It's truly a treasure, and that treasure is the soldiers, families, friends, communities and employers who are on-point for this state and nation."
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves in the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The quality and readiness of the Army Guard is in the hands of its senior leadership, the Army Guard's top officer told more than 2,000 officers and senior noncommissioned officers here today. "Historically, the National Guard has always been responsible for manning the National Guard, and that has not changed," said Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director of the Army National Guard, who spoke at the National Guard's first-ever Joint Senior Leadership Conference.
Pointing out the "absolutely tremendous" accomplishment of recruiters and retainers in meeting the Army Guard's end strength in 2009, Carpenter told those gathered that the component's level of readiness and quality of its ranks this year were the highest in its modern history.
"The readiness inside your formations, out there in hometown America, is better than it has ever been in terms of people we are bringing in and the people who are coming to drill," he said.
The Army Guard's end-strength goal for fiscal 2010 is 358,200 soldiers.
Carpenter told the audience that finding quality recruits in hometown America to maintain that end strength will become increasingly challenging.
Tying the future of the nation's youth with the future of the Guard, Carpenter called on leaders to continue their engagement in programs that mentor and assist the nation's growing percentages of troubled youth.
He pointed out the success of the Guard's community programs, including the Patriot Academy, Youth ChalleNGe, About Face, Partners in Education and Forward March, as well as many other programs in the states and territories that support hometown America.
"We live in these towns, and if we don't [help] solve the problems [of this nation] we will also be the benefactors of what we have not taken care of," he said. "I applaud all of you for what you are doing."
Carpenter also said that one of the greatest success stories in his more than 42-year military career was the rebuilding of the NCO corps of the Army.
The NCO corps of the Army National Guard is a strategic asset to this nation, he said.
The Army and the reserves celebrated their enlisted forces in 2009, calling it the "Year of the NCO."
In the last 11 months, the Army Guard sponsored many events paying tribute to the competence, qualifications, experience and leadership that NCOs provide the Army Guard every day, he said.
"It has truly been a great year of the NCO," Carpenter said. He asked the audience to stand and applaud NCOs in all service components.
"Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time to count our blessings," he said. "I would hope that as you give thanks, one of the blessings you count is the modern day National Guard and Army National Guard. It's truly a treasure, and that treasure is the soldiers, families, friends, communities and employers who are on-point for this state and nation."
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves in the National Guard Bureau.)
Shinseki Urges Guard Leaders to Spread VA Message
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The National Guard can play an important role in helping to spread the news about the Veterans Affairs Department's new programs to veterans in their communities, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told a National Guard conference just outside the nation's capital today. Despite a long list of successful new programs this year, only about one-third of the nation's veterans have taken advantage of the services, Shinseki told more than 2,400 participants in the National Guard's first Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"We want them to know that VA is here," Shinseki said. "If you have the opportunity to talk about what VA offers, I appreciate some help here, and if you need help getting a VA representative to speak with veterans in your communities, call and we'll provide someone to do that. But I do need your help."
Shinseki highlighted some of VA's efforts this year to enhance education benefits through the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the department's efforts to end homelessness among veterans and to reduce veteran unemployment.
VA has the nation's largest integrated medical system, with 153 health care centers with affiliations with 102 university medical schools, the secretary said. VA's electronic health care records also are networked with nearly 800 community-based outpatient clinics in the United States, and VA operates 232 veteran centers, including mobile clinics, to reach veterans in rural areas, he added.
Nearly 300,000 civil servants man VA's health, benefits and national cemetery administrations to provide care and services for those who've served, Shinseki told the group.
In addition, he said, VA is the eighth-largest life insurance enterprise, with more than $1 trillion in coverage to more than 7 million clients. In education, VA is behind only the Department of Education in education benefits provided to Americans, with an annual payout of $9 billion a year. Also, VA guarantees about 1.3 million home loans with a balance of $175 billion.
But of the 23 million veterans in the United States, Shinseki said, fewer than 8 million are enrolled in VA programs.
"In purely business terms, that would describe a 30 percent market penetration," Shinseki said. "Veterans are our clients, so caring for veterans and providing them the services and benefits they have earned is VA's sole reason for existing, yet 70 percent of our market chooses to go elsewhere for support, or they do without."
With support from the National Guard, Shinseki said, he is certain more veterans can learn about what VA has to offer. It's the business of VA to make sure veterans get the benefits and services they've earned, he said.
"It's our intent to go after that 15 million part of the population that are not enrolled with us," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 19, 2009 - The National Guard can play an important role in helping to spread the news about the Veterans Affairs Department's new programs to veterans in their communities, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told a National Guard conference just outside the nation's capital today. Despite a long list of successful new programs this year, only about one-third of the nation's veterans have taken advantage of the services, Shinseki told more than 2,400 participants in the National Guard's first Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor.
"We want them to know that VA is here," Shinseki said. "If you have the opportunity to talk about what VA offers, I appreciate some help here, and if you need help getting a VA representative to speak with veterans in your communities, call and we'll provide someone to do that. But I do need your help."
Shinseki highlighted some of VA's efforts this year to enhance education benefits through the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the department's efforts to end homelessness among veterans and to reduce veteran unemployment.
VA has the nation's largest integrated medical system, with 153 health care centers with affiliations with 102 university medical schools, the secretary said. VA's electronic health care records also are networked with nearly 800 community-based outpatient clinics in the United States, and VA operates 232 veteran centers, including mobile clinics, to reach veterans in rural areas, he added.
Nearly 300,000 civil servants man VA's health, benefits and national cemetery administrations to provide care and services for those who've served, Shinseki told the group.
In addition, he said, VA is the eighth-largest life insurance enterprise, with more than $1 trillion in coverage to more than 7 million clients. In education, VA is behind only the Department of Education in education benefits provided to Americans, with an annual payout of $9 billion a year. Also, VA guarantees about 1.3 million home loans with a balance of $175 billion.
But of the 23 million veterans in the United States, Shinseki said, fewer than 8 million are enrolled in VA programs.
"In purely business terms, that would describe a 30 percent market penetration," Shinseki said. "Veterans are our clients, so caring for veterans and providing them the services and benefits they have earned is VA's sole reason for existing, yet 70 percent of our market chooses to go elsewhere for support, or they do without."
With support from the National Guard, Shinseki said, he is certain more veterans can learn about what VA has to offer. It's the business of VA to make sure veterans get the benefits and services they've earned, he said.
"It's our intent to go after that 15 million part of the population that are not enrolled with us," he said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 20, 2009
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Valero Marketing & Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas is being awarded a maximum $118,035,840 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel. Other location of performance is in Corpus Christi, Texas. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-0460).
Accenture National Security Services, LLC, Reston, Va., is being awarded a maximum $22,753,881firm fixed price, FSS blanket purchase agreement contract for integration and management support of supply chain systems and into the Enterprise Business System. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-A-0001).
NAVY
DRS Systems, Parsippany, N.J., is being awarded a $22,488,322 modification to previously awarded contract for the DDG 1002 low voltage power distribution system and associated engineering services for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wis. (70 precent), Johnston, Pa. (28 precent) and High Ridge, Mo. (2 precent), and is expected to be completed by 30 September 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4206).
Terex Corp., Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $9,320,871 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract to exercise an option for 27 heavy maintenance crane production units, which will be used for aircraft maintenance and component removal and replacement (engines, transmission, propellers, rotor blades, etc.) in support of the AV-8, C-130, CH-53, V-22, E-6, P-3, and H-46 aircraft. Work will be performed in Waverly, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-C-0459).
BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $7,152,343 firm, fixed-price contract for the 75-day post shake-down availability (PSA) for Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $8,304,545. Work will be performed at BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed within 75 calendar days. Contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year 2010. This was competitively procured with an unrestricted solicitation posted to the MSC, Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities web pages. Three offers were received. Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity (N40442-10-C-3003).
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Mass., is being awarded a Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract in the amount of $5,566,768 for engineering services in support of platform and payload integration department. Work will be performed in Woods Hole, Mass, and is expected to be completed by November 2014. The contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Navy Electronic Commerce Online. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-10-D-0002).
AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman of Clearfield, Utah was awarded a $31,086,219 contract which will provide for the Remote Visual Assessment Program in support of the ICBM security modernization program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
Valero Marketing & Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas is being awarded a maximum $118,035,840 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel. Other location of performance is in Corpus Christi, Texas. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-0460).
Accenture National Security Services, LLC, Reston, Va., is being awarded a maximum $22,753,881firm fixed price, FSS blanket purchase agreement contract for integration and management support of supply chain systems and into the Enterprise Business System. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency. The original proposal was web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-A-0001).
NAVY
DRS Systems, Parsippany, N.J., is being awarded a $22,488,322 modification to previously awarded contract for the DDG 1002 low voltage power distribution system and associated engineering services for use in the Navy's Integrated Power System Land Based Test Site. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wis. (70 precent), Johnston, Pa. (28 precent) and High Ridge, Mo. (2 precent), and is expected to be completed by 30 September 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4206).
Terex Corp., Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $9,320,871 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract to exercise an option for 27 heavy maintenance crane production units, which will be used for aircraft maintenance and component removal and replacement (engines, transmission, propellers, rotor blades, etc.) in support of the AV-8, C-130, CH-53, V-22, E-6, P-3, and H-46 aircraft. Work will be performed in Waverly, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in December 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-C-0459).
BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $7,152,343 firm, fixed-price contract for the 75-day post shake-down availability (PSA) for Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $8,304,545. Work will be performed at BAE Systems, Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed within 75 calendar days. Contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year 2010. This was competitively procured with an unrestricted solicitation posted to the MSC, Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities web pages. Three offers were received. Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity (N40442-10-C-3003).
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Mass., is being awarded a Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract in the amount of $5,566,768 for engineering services in support of platform and payload integration department. Work will be performed in Woods Hole, Mass, and is expected to be completed by November 2014. The contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Navy Electronic Commerce Online. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-10-D-0002).
AIR FORCE
Northrop Grumman of Clearfield, Utah was awarded a $31,086,219 contract which will provide for the Remote Visual Assessment Program in support of the ICBM security modernization program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
USO Targets Military Women With Care Packages
By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The USO has changed a lot in 68 years and today marked another milestone in the group's history of supporting the military when it sponsored a care package service specifically for female servicemembers. While previous USO care packages were unisex, containing little sundries from home – snacks, magazines, toiletry items – the new line of female-specific packages contain items specifically requested by servicewomen such as cosmetics, moisturizers and special soaps.
In a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building here, Congress members joined servicemembers and volunteers, including Dr. Jill Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in stuffing the "for women only" packages.
"I've seen firsthand how acts of kindness and service can improve the life of a servicemember," Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, said. The Bidens' son, Beau, a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard recently returned from service in Iraq.
"Thank you to the USO for giving Americans a concrete way to give back to our men and women in uniform," she added.
USO President Sloan Gibson said he planned to have 2,000 packages prepared at the ceremony.
The USO of Metropolitan Washington began preparing care packages for servicemembers in 2002, he said, and will soon send its 2 millionth package abroad.
Pelosi applauded the many legislators and staffers who came to celebrate and contribute to the USO effort, noting that when it came to the well-being of servicemembers, party lines disappeared.
"It's not about any one of us here," Pelosi said. "It's about all of us, and the work we can do to support our troops."
Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a Vietnam veteran, said the USO was the only link to home that he and his fellow soldiers had when they were in the war zone.
"It's a connection the troops can have to home when they are, as you can imagine, under some of the harshest conditions in the world," he said.
He added that if there was any doubt about women's roles in the military, they've been answered. Women in the services make us proud, and like any other servicemember before or after them, "they make it possible for us to be here today," he said.
Donna Lagani, publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, said her company was "thrilled" to contribute to the USO's new effort. Cosmopolitan donated thousands of magazines to be included in the care packages.
"Our slogan at Cosmo is 'Fun, Fearless, Female,' and I can't think of any more fearless females than the ones in the military serving on the front lines," she said.
The care packages contained many items typical in care packages for servicemembers: hand wipes, sanitizer and food products, but also contained two cosmetic products courtesy of Maybelline.
Deborah Marquardt, vice president of marketing communications for Maybelline New York & Garnier, said even in a war zone, women like to be themselves.
"We want to support the brave women in uniform and we know how important the little things in life are -- beauty," she said. "Women intrinsically understand beauty and it can change their whole outlook to get a new lipstick or a mascara. Women like to feel like women no matter where they are and what context. I think anything that helps you feel like yourself and reminds you of back home and gives you confidence ... is important, no matter what the context."
Women make but about 15 percent of the active duty military, and about 18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve.
(Ian Graham is assigned to Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media Directorate. C. Todd Lopez with Army News Service contributed to this report.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The USO has changed a lot in 68 years and today marked another milestone in the group's history of supporting the military when it sponsored a care package service specifically for female servicemembers. While previous USO care packages were unisex, containing little sundries from home – snacks, magazines, toiletry items – the new line of female-specific packages contain items specifically requested by servicewomen such as cosmetics, moisturizers and special soaps.
In a ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building here, Congress members joined servicemembers and volunteers, including Dr. Jill Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in stuffing the "for women only" packages.
"I've seen firsthand how acts of kindness and service can improve the life of a servicemember," Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, said. The Bidens' son, Beau, a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard recently returned from service in Iraq.
"Thank you to the USO for giving Americans a concrete way to give back to our men and women in uniform," she added.
USO President Sloan Gibson said he planned to have 2,000 packages prepared at the ceremony.
The USO of Metropolitan Washington began preparing care packages for servicemembers in 2002, he said, and will soon send its 2 millionth package abroad.
Pelosi applauded the many legislators and staffers who came to celebrate and contribute to the USO effort, noting that when it came to the well-being of servicemembers, party lines disappeared.
"It's not about any one of us here," Pelosi said. "It's about all of us, and the work we can do to support our troops."
Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a Vietnam veteran, said the USO was the only link to home that he and his fellow soldiers had when they were in the war zone.
"It's a connection the troops can have to home when they are, as you can imagine, under some of the harshest conditions in the world," he said.
He added that if there was any doubt about women's roles in the military, they've been answered. Women in the services make us proud, and like any other servicemember before or after them, "they make it possible for us to be here today," he said.
Donna Lagani, publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, said her company was "thrilled" to contribute to the USO's new effort. Cosmopolitan donated thousands of magazines to be included in the care packages.
"Our slogan at Cosmo is 'Fun, Fearless, Female,' and I can't think of any more fearless females than the ones in the military serving on the front lines," she said.
The care packages contained many items typical in care packages for servicemembers: hand wipes, sanitizer and food products, but also contained two cosmetic products courtesy of Maybelline.
Deborah Marquardt, vice president of marketing communications for Maybelline New York & Garnier, said even in a war zone, women like to be themselves.
"We want to support the brave women in uniform and we know how important the little things in life are -- beauty," she said. "Women intrinsically understand beauty and it can change their whole outlook to get a new lipstick or a mascara. Women like to feel like women no matter where they are and what context. I think anything that helps you feel like yourself and reminds you of back home and gives you confidence ... is important, no matter what the context."
Women make but about 15 percent of the active duty military, and about 18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve.
(Ian Graham is assigned to Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media Directorate. C. Todd Lopez with Army News Service contributed to this report.)
First Lady Honors Military Women, Vets
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today cited Army Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, one of 13 killed during the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, as an example of the determination and courage that has characterized women's service to the military throughout U.S. history. Obama, who hosted about 130 military women and veterans to tea at the White House today, remembered Krueger's response when her mother told her she could not track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden singlehandedly.
"Watch me," replied Krueger, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.
"That phrase, 'Watch me," sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history," Obama told her guests.
"When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission, that was your response, 'Watch me," she said. "Watch me succeed. Watch me risk everything I have for the country I love. Watch me do my part to protect this nation and protect this union. Watch me."
Obama joined Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in honoring military women, many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others whose service dates back to World War II.
Retired Air Force Wilma Vaught, president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., board of directors, had suggested the idea of a White House tea – a tradition popularized by Eleanor Roosevelt -- during the first lady's recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
So as Vaught and the other guests in the White House East Room sat around tables with vases of yellow roses and plates piled high with party sandwiches and cookies, Obama recognized women's long tradition of military service. Some served before the country's independence, she noted, and in many cases, before women had the right to vote or own property.
They overcame challenges through sheer determination and hard work, the first lady said, serving as role models for those who followed in their footsteps and breaking one "brass ceiling" after another along the way.
"Your legacy is more than your own service," she told the women. "I hope you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you've blazed – every woman who benefits from your daring and determination."
It will also be measured, she said, by those inspired by that service.
Biden told the group she and the first lady, in their travels around the country, have been "truly overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform, and inspired by the dignity and sense of patriotism that you exhibit every day."
"What an extraordinary group of individuals we have here today," she said, noting the women representing all branches and ranks of the U.S. military, as well as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior enlisted advisors and others serving the country.
"As each of you knows, women have always played a critical role in supporting our nation's defense and security, and this role will only continue to evolve and grow in the future," Biden said.
Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Obama and Biden on the podium as they honored the guests.
Cartwright joked that it felt a bit strange for a Marine fighter pilot to sit down for a "spot of tea," but said he welcomed the chance to pay tribute to the strides military women have made and the contributions they continue to make.
"When Eleanor Roosevelt hosted similar events, attitudes were significantly different," he said, adding that, today, women are no longer considered a distinct, separate group within the military.
"Today's women are key contributors to our military team," he said, noting the achievements women have made and critical contribution they have made. More than 200,000 women have deployed since 9/11, more than 100 of them making the ultimate sacrifice.
Cartwright thanked the women at today's tea for their service. "These women represent the core and essential values of our military, and they also represent the true treasure of this nation – our youth and the people who serve," he said.
Navy Lt. Kate Maslowski, assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a flag lieutenant for Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, said she felt overwhelmed to be part of today's event.
"I'm taking it all in, amazed to see so many influential men and women here, and others who have played such a big role in empowering women," she said. "It means a lot to be here. I'm excited beyond words."
Air Force Brig. Gen. Allyson Solomon, assistant adjutant general for the Maryland Air National Guard, said she felt particularly privileged to be among the women veterans who paved the way for today's women in uniform.
She noted two attendees at today's tea: 104-year-old Esther Corcoran, one of the Army's first women lieutenant colonels; and Alyce Dixon, who was born in 1907 and served with the Army's 668th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.
"They're inspiring," Solomon said. "I just want to thank them for all the changes they helped make."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today cited Army Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, one of 13 killed during the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, as an example of the determination and courage that has characterized women's service to the military throughout U.S. history. Obama, who hosted about 130 military women and veterans to tea at the White House today, remembered Krueger's response when her mother told her she could not track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden singlehandedly.
"Watch me," replied Krueger, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.
"That phrase, 'Watch me," sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history," Obama told her guests.
"When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission, that was your response, 'Watch me," she said. "Watch me succeed. Watch me risk everything I have for the country I love. Watch me do my part to protect this nation and protect this union. Watch me."
Obama joined Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in honoring military women, many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others whose service dates back to World War II.
Retired Air Force Wilma Vaught, president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc., board of directors, had suggested the idea of a White House tea – a tradition popularized by Eleanor Roosevelt -- during the first lady's recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
So as Vaught and the other guests in the White House East Room sat around tables with vases of yellow roses and plates piled high with party sandwiches and cookies, Obama recognized women's long tradition of military service. Some served before the country's independence, she noted, and in many cases, before women had the right to vote or own property.
They overcame challenges through sheer determination and hard work, the first lady said, serving as role models for those who followed in their footsteps and breaking one "brass ceiling" after another along the way.
"Your legacy is more than your own service," she told the women. "I hope you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you've blazed – every woman who benefits from your daring and determination."
It will also be measured, she said, by those inspired by that service.
Biden told the group she and the first lady, in their travels around the country, have been "truly overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform, and inspired by the dignity and sense of patriotism that you exhibit every day."
"What an extraordinary group of individuals we have here today," she said, noting the women representing all branches and ranks of the U.S. military, as well as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior enlisted advisors and others serving the country.
"As each of you knows, women have always played a critical role in supporting our nation's defense and security, and this role will only continue to evolve and grow in the future," Biden said.
Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Obama and Biden on the podium as they honored the guests.
Cartwright joked that it felt a bit strange for a Marine fighter pilot to sit down for a "spot of tea," but said he welcomed the chance to pay tribute to the strides military women have made and the contributions they continue to make.
"When Eleanor Roosevelt hosted similar events, attitudes were significantly different," he said, adding that, today, women are no longer considered a distinct, separate group within the military.
"Today's women are key contributors to our military team," he said, noting the achievements women have made and critical contribution they have made. More than 200,000 women have deployed since 9/11, more than 100 of them making the ultimate sacrifice.
Cartwright thanked the women at today's tea for their service. "These women represent the core and essential values of our military, and they also represent the true treasure of this nation – our youth and the people who serve," he said.
Navy Lt. Kate Maslowski, assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy as a flag lieutenant for Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, said she felt overwhelmed to be part of today's event.
"I'm taking it all in, amazed to see so many influential men and women here, and others who have played such a big role in empowering women," she said. "It means a lot to be here. I'm excited beyond words."
Air Force Brig. Gen. Allyson Solomon, assistant adjutant general for the Maryland Air National Guard, said she felt particularly privileged to be among the women veterans who paved the way for today's women in uniform.
She noted two attendees at today's tea: 104-year-old Esther Corcoran, one of the Army's first women lieutenant colonels; and Alyce Dixon, who was born in 1907 and served with the Army's 668th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.
"They're inspiring," Solomon said. "I just want to thank them for all the changes they helped make."
Children's Reactions to Deployment Vary
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - It is hard to predict how a child will react to having a parent deployed in a war zone, the Marine Corps' family advocacy manager said here today on the last day of the 2009 Department of Defense Child Development Conference. Keita Franklin said she's often asked how children react to war, and she called it a "loaded question," noting that reactions depend on the individual child and any pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Some children do very well, she added.
"What I will tell you is that the normal sort of childhood trials and tribulations of parenting are all cranked up a notch," she told attendees at the conference hosted by the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy.
Children with a deployed parent may become increasingly clingy or whiny, cry more, exhibit aggressive behavior, and have a greater fear of separation, Franklin said. But, she reminded the group, war affects every child differently, and a child's reaction to one deployment will not necessarily be the same reaction he or she has to subsequent deployments.
Researchers have been able to isolate a correlation between repeat deployments and family stressors, as well as with behavioral problems in children, she said. "All of this becomes a 'feedback loop.'"
A child has behavioral problems, she explained, and then another parental deployment causes a higher level of stress, and then the behavioral problems can increase. "So, you can see how the cycle continues," Franklin said.
In addition, a parent's behavior can influence a child's reaction through what Franklin called "transgenerational transmission of trauma" -- children being raised by parents who have been exposed to severe situations of trauma and adopt some of those symptoms themselves.
There's little research on this idea, Franklin said, but some comparisons can be made by looking at the effects of depression on children since traumatic stress and depression often present similar symptoms. And just as the absence of a parent can affect a child, she noted, so can the parent's return, especially if the returning parent is exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some of those symptoms include irritability, hypervigilance, avoidance or emotional numbness. Early intervention is the key to helping the servicemember cope with those feelings as well as keeping those feelings from affecting children in the family, Franklin said, possibly averting "a full-blown diagnostic issue."
While Franklin's discussion included children of all ages, she read a letter from the son of a Vietnam veteran who was just a toddler when his father returned with signs of what is now called post-traumatic stress. His father was always angry and emotionally detached from the family.
"I share that with you because he says he was a toddler, and toddlers are the age group you are often dealing with," Franklin told the conferees. "Even though this person was a toddler, he's now an adult child reflecting on that experience. So, PTSD does have something to do with the mental health needs of children."
No one understands this in quite the same way as those with the Zero to Three organization.
With the mission of promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, Zero to Three doesn't interact directly with parents, but rather provides training and guidance to those who do. For military children, the group's focus is resilience, said Colleen Legasse of Zero to Three's military projects department.
"We know that young children feel the spectrum of emotions that adults do [and] that older children do," she said.
She told the conferees that certain changes are normal during a deployment. Some children's eating and sleeping habits change, or they express anger toward the deployed parent. They may even refuse to come to the phone or computer to say hello to the deployed parent, Legasse said.
And much as it is for older children, homecomings aren't always as smooth as the parent or caregiver at home hopes they'll be.
"I think it's important to think of homecomings as very stressful as well," Legasse said.
Depending on the age of the child and the length of the deployment, young military children may have never met their returning parent before. Some may have been so young when the parent deployed that they don't remember them. And if a parent returns injured, temporarily or permanently, it can be traumatic for a young child who remembers Mom or Dad a certain way.
Caregivers can help to ease their young charges' stress by helping them build secure attachments, helping them maintain a schedule and to understand what's happening in an age-appropriate manner, and helping them gauge their reactions to stressful events.
Zero to Three offers resources for caregivers of military children on its Web site.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - It is hard to predict how a child will react to having a parent deployed in a war zone, the Marine Corps' family advocacy manager said here today on the last day of the 2009 Department of Defense Child Development Conference. Keita Franklin said she's often asked how children react to war, and she called it a "loaded question," noting that reactions depend on the individual child and any pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Some children do very well, she added.
"What I will tell you is that the normal sort of childhood trials and tribulations of parenting are all cranked up a notch," she told attendees at the conference hosted by the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy.
Children with a deployed parent may become increasingly clingy or whiny, cry more, exhibit aggressive behavior, and have a greater fear of separation, Franklin said. But, she reminded the group, war affects every child differently, and a child's reaction to one deployment will not necessarily be the same reaction he or she has to subsequent deployments.
Researchers have been able to isolate a correlation between repeat deployments and family stressors, as well as with behavioral problems in children, she said. "All of this becomes a 'feedback loop.'"
A child has behavioral problems, she explained, and then another parental deployment causes a higher level of stress, and then the behavioral problems can increase. "So, you can see how the cycle continues," Franklin said.
In addition, a parent's behavior can influence a child's reaction through what Franklin called "transgenerational transmission of trauma" -- children being raised by parents who have been exposed to severe situations of trauma and adopt some of those symptoms themselves.
There's little research on this idea, Franklin said, but some comparisons can be made by looking at the effects of depression on children since traumatic stress and depression often present similar symptoms. And just as the absence of a parent can affect a child, she noted, so can the parent's return, especially if the returning parent is exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some of those symptoms include irritability, hypervigilance, avoidance or emotional numbness. Early intervention is the key to helping the servicemember cope with those feelings as well as keeping those feelings from affecting children in the family, Franklin said, possibly averting "a full-blown diagnostic issue."
While Franklin's discussion included children of all ages, she read a letter from the son of a Vietnam veteran who was just a toddler when his father returned with signs of what is now called post-traumatic stress. His father was always angry and emotionally detached from the family.
"I share that with you because he says he was a toddler, and toddlers are the age group you are often dealing with," Franklin told the conferees. "Even though this person was a toddler, he's now an adult child reflecting on that experience. So, PTSD does have something to do with the mental health needs of children."
No one understands this in quite the same way as those with the Zero to Three organization.
With the mission of promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers, Zero to Three doesn't interact directly with parents, but rather provides training and guidance to those who do. For military children, the group's focus is resilience, said Colleen Legasse of Zero to Three's military projects department.
"We know that young children feel the spectrum of emotions that adults do [and] that older children do," she said.
She told the conferees that certain changes are normal during a deployment. Some children's eating and sleeping habits change, or they express anger toward the deployed parent. They may even refuse to come to the phone or computer to say hello to the deployed parent, Legasse said.
And much as it is for older children, homecomings aren't always as smooth as the parent or caregiver at home hopes they'll be.
"I think it's important to think of homecomings as very stressful as well," Legasse said.
Depending on the age of the child and the length of the deployment, young military children may have never met their returning parent before. Some may have been so young when the parent deployed that they don't remember them. And if a parent returns injured, temporarily or permanently, it can be traumatic for a young child who remembers Mom or Dad a certain way.
Caregivers can help to ease their young charges' stress by helping them build secure attachments, helping them maintain a schedule and to understand what's happening in an age-appropriate manner, and helping them gauge their reactions to stressful events.
Zero to Three offers resources for caregivers of military children on its Web site.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 18, 2009
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $248,787,610 modification to previously awarded contract (00024-07-C-2100) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pa. (95 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y. (five percent). Contract funds in the amount of $326,653 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on naval nuclear propulsion program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded at $14,664,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-09-D-1274) for Hangar 1552 repairs at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Work includes reconfiguration of administrative spaces, replacement of hangar heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, structural upgrade to foundations and cladding, complete renovation of bathroom/shower spaces, replacement of hangar doors, repair/replacement of 400 hertz flight line distribution system, replacement of aqueous film-forming foam system and seismic retrofit. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
John Bean Technologies Corp., Ogden, Utah, is being awarded a $12,529,720 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N68335-07-C-0459) to exercise an option for 80 landbased air conditioner production units in support of the C-130, C-40, C-9, P-8, E-2 and P-3 aircraft. The landbased air conditioners will supply conditioned air to aircraft equipment and avionics compartments during ground maintenance. Work will be performed in Ogden, Utah and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Engineering Services Network, Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $47,000,000 contract which will provide information technology consolidated service supporting the 75th Air Base Wing. At this time, $10.3 million was obligated. 75 CONS/PKA, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8201-10-F-A006).
Northrop-Grumman Mission Systems, Clearfield, Utah, was awarded a $14,700,000 contract which will provide for sustainment support for the Minuteman weapons system. At this time, $13,843,248 has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
United Launch Services, LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $9,000,000 contract which will provide for the acceleration of the launch-to-launch time spans of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launches to preserve the capability to launch the National Reconnaissance Office L-32 mission in October 2010. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002, P00171).
Northrop-Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp.,of Carson, Calif., was awarded a $8,000,000 contract for the Integrated Base Defense Security System which will provide continued support for the acquisition and maintenance of force protection systems, equipment and system requirements. At this time, no money has been obligated. 642 ESS/PK of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-03-D-0019, P00028).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ashland, Inc., Dublin, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $8,128,810 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for fuel system inhibitors. Other location of performance is in Louisiana. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 20 proposal solicitations with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 30, 2011. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-0750).
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $248,787,610 modification to previously awarded contract (00024-07-C-2100) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pa. (95 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y. (five percent). Contract funds in the amount of $326,653 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on naval nuclear propulsion program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded at $14,664,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-09-D-1274) for Hangar 1552 repairs at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Work includes reconfiguration of administrative spaces, replacement of hangar heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, structural upgrade to foundations and cladding, complete renovation of bathroom/shower spaces, replacement of hangar doors, repair/replacement of 400 hertz flight line distribution system, replacement of aqueous film-forming foam system and seismic retrofit. Work will be performed in Mayport, Fla., and is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
John Bean Technologies Corp., Ogden, Utah, is being awarded a $12,529,720 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N68335-07-C-0459) to exercise an option for 80 landbased air conditioner production units in support of the C-130, C-40, C-9, P-8, E-2 and P-3 aircraft. The landbased air conditioners will supply conditioned air to aircraft equipment and avionics compartments during ground maintenance. Work will be performed in Ogden, Utah and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Engineering Services Network, Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $47,000,000 contract which will provide information technology consolidated service supporting the 75th Air Base Wing. At this time, $10.3 million was obligated. 75 CONS/PKA, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8201-10-F-A006).
Northrop-Grumman Mission Systems, Clearfield, Utah, was awarded a $14,700,000 contract which will provide for sustainment support for the Minuteman weapons system. At this time, $13,843,248 has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).
United Launch Services, LLC, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $9,000,000 contract which will provide for the acceleration of the launch-to-launch time spans of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launches to preserve the capability to launch the National Reconnaissance Office L-32 mission in October 2010. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002, P00171).
Northrop-Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp.,of Carson, Calif., was awarded a $8,000,000 contract for the Integrated Base Defense Security System which will provide continued support for the acquisition and maintenance of force protection systems, equipment and system requirements. At this time, no money has been obligated. 642 ESS/PK of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-03-D-0019, P00028).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Ashland, Inc., Dublin, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $8,128,810 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract for fuel system inhibitors. Other location of performance is in Louisiana. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. There were originally 20 proposal solicitations with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jan. 30, 2011. The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SPO600-10-D-0750).
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Funeral Highlights Search for Missing Servicemembers
By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The leaves are changing color at Arlington National Cemetery – a bright backdrop for something as sobering as a funeral. An Army chaplain in his dress blues presents a folded flag to the fallen's next of kin, a man who looks to be in his 40s. This is not a father mourning the loss of his son, though. Rather, it's a son finally receiving closure after his father went missing in the South Pacific decades ago. Funeral services like this, identical in form and location to the ones performed for the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring to light the ongoing search the Defense Department has undertaken to make sure every servicemember who goes abroad comes home.
"We're not looking for a name on a piece of paper, we're looking for our fathers, uncles, and brothers," said Army Lt. Col. Eric Wolf, chief of the Past Conflict Repatriations Branch of the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center.
Wolf's office oversees the Army's effort to locate and identify the remains of every missing soldier. Forensic evidence, genealogy and old-fashioned detective work are all a part of the process, which sometimes begins in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Wolf described one story that began with a scuba expedition. The divers found the wreckage of a B-26 that had gone down in 1942 off the coast of Palau. After a string of phone calls to different groups and agencies that dealt with military wreckage, the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, or JPAC, became involved.
The JPAC, based in Honolulu, conducted a full archaeological dig, 70 feet under water, gathering human remains and other artifacts from the wreckage. Some research gave them the names of the men who were aboard the plane.
"It's then we get to make the phone call, to this family who's known their father and husband have been missing, to tell them 'We think we've found your father,'" Wolf said.
Wolf's office then works with the family to get any information it might need to positively identify remains, whether it's something forensic like a blood sample or dental records or photographs and anecdotal evidence, such as artifact identification.
In the case of the Palau wreckage, Wolf found the family, then living in Texas, and got to brief them on how their father was found and what the Army would be able to do for them as the family of a deceased servicemember.
Sometimes a search is quick, and remains can be easily identified because of artifacts such as identification tags or dental remains that are easy to research and compare. But some cases have been in the works for more than 10 years.
Wolf's office stays in contact with the families it works with as it investigates, sharing information to put the pieces together, even if it takes waiting for new technology such as mitochondrial DNA testing to develop before conclusive results can be found. Once those results are found, he said, the length of the wait seems trivial.
"It's the most rewarding and fulfilling mission I've had in my 26 years in the Army," he said. "It's heartwarming to know, as a soldier myself, that no matter where I am in the world, or what I'm doing, I have the confidence and knowledge that, should I perish or go missing, the military and our government will never stop looking for me. Every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine has a long trail of family and the nation behind them."
Once they remains are identified and returned to the family, they can be buried with the honors given to any current servicemember – in today's case, a caisson and honor guard from the Army's Old Guard and music by the Army Band helped bring to an end the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the crew of "The Happy Legend," a B-25 that went missing Dec. 5, 1942, near Papua, New Guinea.
For Wolf, it means seven fewer people on the ever-shrinking list of soldiers unaccounted for, and a return to the continuing pursuit of soldiers still missing.
"It may sound cliché -- I know it does -- but they are never forgotten," he said. "We will never forget. We're going to keep searching until we bring every one of our brothers home from the battlefield."
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The leaves are changing color at Arlington National Cemetery – a bright backdrop for something as sobering as a funeral. An Army chaplain in his dress blues presents a folded flag to the fallen's next of kin, a man who looks to be in his 40s. This is not a father mourning the loss of his son, though. Rather, it's a son finally receiving closure after his father went missing in the South Pacific decades ago. Funeral services like this, identical in form and location to the ones performed for the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring to light the ongoing search the Defense Department has undertaken to make sure every servicemember who goes abroad comes home.
"We're not looking for a name on a piece of paper, we're looking for our fathers, uncles, and brothers," said Army Lt. Col. Eric Wolf, chief of the Past Conflict Repatriations Branch of the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center.
Wolf's office oversees the Army's effort to locate and identify the remains of every missing soldier. Forensic evidence, genealogy and old-fashioned detective work are all a part of the process, which sometimes begins in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
Wolf described one story that began with a scuba expedition. The divers found the wreckage of a B-26 that had gone down in 1942 off the coast of Palau. After a string of phone calls to different groups and agencies that dealt with military wreckage, the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command, or JPAC, became involved.
The JPAC, based in Honolulu, conducted a full archaeological dig, 70 feet under water, gathering human remains and other artifacts from the wreckage. Some research gave them the names of the men who were aboard the plane.
"It's then we get to make the phone call, to this family who's known their father and husband have been missing, to tell them 'We think we've found your father,'" Wolf said.
Wolf's office then works with the family to get any information it might need to positively identify remains, whether it's something forensic like a blood sample or dental records or photographs and anecdotal evidence, such as artifact identification.
In the case of the Palau wreckage, Wolf found the family, then living in Texas, and got to brief them on how their father was found and what the Army would be able to do for them as the family of a deceased servicemember.
Sometimes a search is quick, and remains can be easily identified because of artifacts such as identification tags or dental remains that are easy to research and compare. But some cases have been in the works for more than 10 years.
Wolf's office stays in contact with the families it works with as it investigates, sharing information to put the pieces together, even if it takes waiting for new technology such as mitochondrial DNA testing to develop before conclusive results can be found. Once those results are found, he said, the length of the wait seems trivial.
"It's the most rewarding and fulfilling mission I've had in my 26 years in the Army," he said. "It's heartwarming to know, as a soldier myself, that no matter where I am in the world, or what I'm doing, I have the confidence and knowledge that, should I perish or go missing, the military and our government will never stop looking for me. Every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine has a long trail of family and the nation behind them."
Once they remains are identified and returned to the family, they can be buried with the honors given to any current servicemember – in today's case, a caisson and honor guard from the Army's Old Guard and music by the Army Band helped bring to an end the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the crew of "The Happy Legend," a B-25 that went missing Dec. 5, 1942, near Papua, New Guinea.
For Wolf, it means seven fewer people on the ever-shrinking list of soldiers unaccounted for, and a return to the continuing pursuit of soldiers still missing.
"It may sound cliché -- I know it does -- but they are never forgotten," he said. "We will never forget. We're going to keep searching until we bring every one of our brothers home from the battlefield."
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Scouts Honor Servicemembers at Ceremony
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Character was the focus as Scouting saluted the military yesterday. U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri told about 500 people from Boy Scouts' National Capital Area Council that the values of Boy Scouts and the military are constant and that both organizations seek to serve something greater than themselves.
This was the first Scout dinner saluting the military. Retired Navy Capt. Scott Gray, who now works with event sponsor General Dynamics, said he hopes to make the event an annual affair. The Crystal Gateway Marriott – a stone's throw from the Pentagon – hosted the event.
The council honored a servicemember from each service. Each honoree demonstrated the commitment to service that Scouting exemplifies and promotes, said former Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West, an Eagle Scout and the event host. The Eagle Scout award is the highest in the organization.
The honorees are role models for youth and exemplify the values of both Scouting and the military, West said. "The Boy Scouts of America and the armed forces of the United States share ... a common bond of service and honor," he said.
Skelton, also an Eagle Scout, spoke of his experiences in Scouting since December 1943, when he first became a Tenderfoot Scout. It was World War II, and Skelton, now the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talked about how his Scout troop would send off older Scouts as they went to war.
He praised the council for hosting an event that ties Scouting with the military. "One builds character, and the military defends our freedoms," he said. "Scouting is not just an organization, it is a way of life."
The honorees are:
-- Army Staff Sgt. David R. Gibbons, based at Fort Bragg. N.C.;
-- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Herrod, a bostswain's mate with the Navy Ceremonial Unit in Anacostia Naval Station, D.C.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Marshall, an aerospace medical expert at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.;
-- Marine Corps Sgt. Henry J. Reinewald, a recruiter in Detroit; and
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer Lavelas D. Luckey, based at the Coast Guard Station in Baltimore.
Gibbons enlisted in 2003 as one of the first soldiers to go directly into Special Forces. He is an Eagle Scout and served in Afghanistan. He now is an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School, and is the Bear Den leader for his son Ethan's Cub Scout pack.
Herrod has served as the Ceremonial Guard's community service coordinator since she arrived in December 2007. She has organized her sailors to help with local Special Olympics and National Lands Day, and for working with wounded warriors and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
While an Air Force medic, Marshall deployed with NATO troops in Afghanistan, where he saved the life of a Canadian soldier. Here, he works closely to aid the homeless. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen and has initiated a blanket drive to aid the homeless.
Reinewald is another Eagle Scout. He joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and has deployed overseas as an artilleryman. Reinewald is a recruiter in Detroit and he hopes to work closely with recruits wishing to join the service.
Luckey received the Coast Guard Medal – the highest award in the service – for rescuing a 5-year old girl who was trapped in a burning car following an accident. He joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and has served aboard two ships.
"Those of you in uniform tonight, you are examples to our Scouts," Skelton said. "That's what the young Scouts of today must learn. They need to follow your example, because they are going to be in your shoes and they need to be challenged to give the best that is in them."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Character was the focus as Scouting saluted the military yesterday. U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri told about 500 people from Boy Scouts' National Capital Area Council that the values of Boy Scouts and the military are constant and that both organizations seek to serve something greater than themselves.
This was the first Scout dinner saluting the military. Retired Navy Capt. Scott Gray, who now works with event sponsor General Dynamics, said he hopes to make the event an annual affair. The Crystal Gateway Marriott – a stone's throw from the Pentagon – hosted the event.
The council honored a servicemember from each service. Each honoree demonstrated the commitment to service that Scouting exemplifies and promotes, said former Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West, an Eagle Scout and the event host. The Eagle Scout award is the highest in the organization.
The honorees are role models for youth and exemplify the values of both Scouting and the military, West said. "The Boy Scouts of America and the armed forces of the United States share ... a common bond of service and honor," he said.
Skelton, also an Eagle Scout, spoke of his experiences in Scouting since December 1943, when he first became a Tenderfoot Scout. It was World War II, and Skelton, now the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talked about how his Scout troop would send off older Scouts as they went to war.
He praised the council for hosting an event that ties Scouting with the military. "One builds character, and the military defends our freedoms," he said. "Scouting is not just an organization, it is a way of life."
The honorees are:
-- Army Staff Sgt. David R. Gibbons, based at Fort Bragg. N.C.;
-- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Herrod, a bostswain's mate with the Navy Ceremonial Unit in Anacostia Naval Station, D.C.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Marshall, an aerospace medical expert at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.;
-- Marine Corps Sgt. Henry J. Reinewald, a recruiter in Detroit; and
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer Lavelas D. Luckey, based at the Coast Guard Station in Baltimore.
Gibbons enlisted in 2003 as one of the first soldiers to go directly into Special Forces. He is an Eagle Scout and served in Afghanistan. He now is an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School, and is the Bear Den leader for his son Ethan's Cub Scout pack.
Herrod has served as the Ceremonial Guard's community service coordinator since she arrived in December 2007. She has organized her sailors to help with local Special Olympics and National Lands Day, and for working with wounded warriors and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
While an Air Force medic, Marshall deployed with NATO troops in Afghanistan, where he saved the life of a Canadian soldier. Here, he works closely to aid the homeless. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen and has initiated a blanket drive to aid the homeless.
Reinewald is another Eagle Scout. He joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and has deployed overseas as an artilleryman. Reinewald is a recruiter in Detroit and he hopes to work closely with recruits wishing to join the service.
Luckey received the Coast Guard Medal – the highest award in the service – for rescuing a 5-year old girl who was trapped in a burning car following an accident. He joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and has served aboard two ships.
"Those of you in uniform tonight, you are examples to our Scouts," Skelton said. "That's what the young Scouts of today must learn. They need to follow your example, because they are going to be in your shoes and they need to be challenged to give the best that is in them."
Foiled Pirate Attack Encourages Defense Officials
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Defense Department officials are pleased with the Maersk Alabama's successful defense against suspected pirates today off the coast of Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four suspected pirates in a skiff used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the U.S.-flagged ship, but were unsuccessful. The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, acoustic devices and small-arms fire, which deterred the attack without assistance from U.S. military in the region.
"We are pleased that we had a ship that was able to take appropriate actions to prevent itself from being hijacked," Whitman told Pentagon reporters.
Whitman noted that the international shipping industry has been very engaged in sharing best practices against pirates. Pentagon officials have encouraged such talks, which involve evasion techniques, transit routes and protection teams, he said.
"It's clear, at least in this particular case, some of those practices were employed," he said, adding that there was no specific U.S. military involvement in the repelled attack.
But piracy in the region remains a concern, Whitman said, and the department is looking for ways to help in reducing the threat. But in addition to U.S. military involvement, he said, efforts from the international community and continued measures within the shipping industry are necessary.
"There is no single solution to piracy," Whitman said. "It's something that has to be dealt with internationally and across the broad front with a broad array of tactics and techniques.
"We're seeing that employed more often," he continued. "This, I think, is an example not only of evasive techniques, but defense posture ... making it more challenging for pirates."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the Maersk Alabama, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Defense Department officials are pleased with the Maersk Alabama's successful defense against suspected pirates today off the coast of Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Four suspected pirates in a skiff used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the U.S.-flagged ship, but were unsuccessful. The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, acoustic devices and small-arms fire, which deterred the attack without assistance from U.S. military in the region.
"We are pleased that we had a ship that was able to take appropriate actions to prevent itself from being hijacked," Whitman told Pentagon reporters.
Whitman noted that the international shipping industry has been very engaged in sharing best practices against pirates. Pentagon officials have encouraged such talks, which involve evasion techniques, transit routes and protection teams, he said.
"It's clear, at least in this particular case, some of those practices were employed," he said, adding that there was no specific U.S. military involvement in the repelled attack.
But piracy in the region remains a concern, Whitman said, and the department is looking for ways to help in reducing the threat. But in addition to U.S. military involvement, he said, efforts from the international community and continued measures within the shipping industry are necessary.
"There is no single solution to piracy," Whitman said. "It's something that has to be dealt with internationally and across the broad front with a broad array of tactics and techniques.
"We're seeing that employed more often," he continued. "This, I think, is an example not only of evasive techniques, but defense posture ... making it more challenging for pirates."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the Maersk Alabama, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
High-Performance MRO in the Military
Nov. 18, 2009 Military supply chains are unique because what is supplied to the end user is routinely returned to the supply chain for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Offering a blueprint for transforming military depot workload and processes into those of high-performance commercial facilities, Enterprise Sustainability: Enhancing the Military’s Ability to Perform Its Mission provides a powerful system of concepts and tools for enhancing the ability of the military to perform MRO on its weapon systems. These concepts and tools are applicable to any enterprise, military or commercial, that is concerned about sustainability.
The text focuses on five abilities that must be considered to achieve efficient, cost-saving operations: Availability of required parts, facilities, tools, and manpower; Dependability of the weapon systems; Capability of the enterprise to perform the mission; Affordability and improving the life cycle cost (LCC) of a system or project; Marketability of concepts and motivating decision makers; Aging weapons systems, an aging workforce, limited financial resources, new technologies, and an increased military operational tempo demand that the military develop an aggressive transformation plan for its sustainability.
This book follows An Architecture for a Lean Transformation, the first in a series dedicated to sustaining an enterprise. In this second volume, the authors continue to provide an analysis of, and prescription for, the strategies, principles, and technologies that are necessary to sustain an enterprise like the military and the weapons system it develops and utilizes.
About the Authors
Dennis F.X. Mathaisel holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from MIT. He was a Research Scientist in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT for over 20 years, where most recently he was a lead researcher for the MIT Lean Sustainment Initiative and consultant for the U.S Air Force. He was founder and President of a computer software firm that developed systems for airline scheduling and resource allocation, and he was a Branch Manager for Operations Research at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Currently, he is Professor of Management Science at Babson College, where his teaching interests are in the fields of management science and quantitative methods, and his research is focused on the sustainment of complex aging systems and lean manufacturing. His publications appear in numerous academic and professional journals, and he is a Full Member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). He was President of the Air Transportation Research International Forum (ATRIF). Dennis is a private pilot and an owner of a Cessna 182 aircraft.
Joel M. Manary is a senior systems engineer for Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation. He has more than 20 years experience in acquisition program management and systems engineering management. He was a program manager of an automated tool improvement project. He was a senior systems analyst, staff consultant and advisor to senior managers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and Naval Air Systems Command. He also has more than 20 years experience in operational systems support, as an active duty Air Force maintenance officer. He holds a master of science degree in logistics and systems acquisition management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is an MIT research fellow and has participated in several studies as part of the MIT Advanced Studies Program.
Clare L. Comm is professor of marketing in the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where she specializes in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has also taught at Babson College, Radcliffe Seminars Program, and the University of Indonesia for MIT’s Flight Transportation Laboratory. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Business Excellence. She also is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation affiliate. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
More Information
The text focuses on five abilities that must be considered to achieve efficient, cost-saving operations: Availability of required parts, facilities, tools, and manpower; Dependability of the weapon systems; Capability of the enterprise to perform the mission; Affordability and improving the life cycle cost (LCC) of a system or project; Marketability of concepts and motivating decision makers; Aging weapons systems, an aging workforce, limited financial resources, new technologies, and an increased military operational tempo demand that the military develop an aggressive transformation plan for its sustainability.
This book follows An Architecture for a Lean Transformation, the first in a series dedicated to sustaining an enterprise. In this second volume, the authors continue to provide an analysis of, and prescription for, the strategies, principles, and technologies that are necessary to sustain an enterprise like the military and the weapons system it develops and utilizes.
About the Authors
Dennis F.X. Mathaisel holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from MIT. He was a Research Scientist in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT for over 20 years, where most recently he was a lead researcher for the MIT Lean Sustainment Initiative and consultant for the U.S Air Force. He was founder and President of a computer software firm that developed systems for airline scheduling and resource allocation, and he was a Branch Manager for Operations Research at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Currently, he is Professor of Management Science at Babson College, where his teaching interests are in the fields of management science and quantitative methods, and his research is focused on the sustainment of complex aging systems and lean manufacturing. His publications appear in numerous academic and professional journals, and he is a Full Member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). He was President of the Air Transportation Research International Forum (ATRIF). Dennis is a private pilot and an owner of a Cessna 182 aircraft.
Joel M. Manary is a senior systems engineer for Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation. He has more than 20 years experience in acquisition program management and systems engineering management. He was a program manager of an automated tool improvement project. He was a senior systems analyst, staff consultant and advisor to senior managers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and Naval Air Systems Command. He also has more than 20 years experience in operational systems support, as an active duty Air Force maintenance officer. He holds a master of science degree in logistics and systems acquisition management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is an MIT research fellow and has participated in several studies as part of the MIT Advanced Studies Program.
Clare L. Comm is professor of marketing in the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where she specializes in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has also taught at Babson College, Radcliffe Seminars Program, and the University of Indonesia for MIT’s Flight Transportation Laboratory. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Business Excellence. She also is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation affiliate. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.
More Information
Homeless Dogs Help Healing Troops
By Fred W. Baker IIIAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - Lawrence Minnis never met a dog he didn't like. "I want just about every dog I see," the Army captain said with a laugh. Minnis is especially fond of pit bulls, and he somewhat resembles his favorite breed -- broad-shouldered, stocky and muscular. He sat on the floor in the back of a classroom at a Washington Humane Society shelter here recently, stroking his adopted black pit bull, Ebony.
As happy and healthy as the two appear now, they met when they were both on the mend – Minnis from a near-crippling infection and Ebony from nearly starving and freezing to death. The two shared a companionship that helped them heal and ultimately altered the course of their lives.
Minnis met Ebony through the Humane Society's Dog Tags program in which soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center sign up to help the shelter dogs learn to behave. It's a program in which everyone benefits, officials said; the soldiers get out of the hospital and learn to care for and train the dogs, and the dogs learn better behavior, making them more adoptable.
"They're really loving those relationships with the animals," said Diana Foley, behavior and training counselor with the Humane Society. "It gives them a way to get away from Walter Reed. They can come here and interact with the animals."
The program began simply enough more than a year ago. The shelter is located just across the street from the Walter Reed campus. Soldiers out walking would come across shelter staff members walking the dogs. They would stop and pet the dogs and seemed to enjoy getting to know them. Officials at the shelter had the idea to hook the two together through a training program for the troops and the dogs.
The society now offers two classes weekly that teach soldiers about dog behavior and training. Troops filter through the Georgia Avenue shelter learning the basics of dog behavior and how to read dog body language and train the dogs. The mix of hands-on and classroom training offers the troops enough expertise that they can use the skills as a launching pad for a career.
"We want the program to be educational so that if there are servicemembers in the program that want to potentially pursue this as a career, ... they're getting as much information as possible and as much hands-on time as possible with the dogs," Foley said. "We also want it to be recreational, too, for people who ... just love animals and like spending time with the dogs."
The six-month program is split into three levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. In the beginner class, troops learn basic animal body language and obedience commands such as "sit" and "stay." In the advanced classes, troops learn to evaluate the dogs' temperament and how to begin working with aggression issues and separation anxiety.
The skills the dogs learn in the classes translate to better placement opportunities, Foley said. The program has far expanded the amount of training the shelter's dogs received previously.
"This is another way our dogs are outside of their kennels being talked to and touched and interacting with people," she said. "That's extremely beneficial to reduce the stress levels of the animals in our kennels, and at the same time, it makes the animals far more successful in their new homes if they come into it with some basic obedience training."
But for all of the good it is for the dogs, it is equally beneficial for the recovering troops, Foley said.
"It's really just an outlet to be social with people and social with the animals and have time away from the hospital," she said.
Foley described one soldier who came to the class who was having difficulty interacting with people. He didn't make eye contact and kept to himself. Working with the dogs built his confidence and helped to bridge his shyness with the staff.
"It really helped him develop social relationships with people," Foley said. "He went from being a very, very shy person when he first entered. [Now] he's totally not that same shy person that he came into the program being."
Some of the dogs are at the shelter for a few months, and many of the soldiers develop close relationships with them. Others develop friendships with the staff. Some soldiers remain on as volunteers at the shelter long after the classes end, Foley said. Minnis continues to work with the shelter.
After a viral infection in his brain stem left him temporarily unable to walk and barely able to talk, the Army officer found himself recovering at Walter Reed. He was deployed to Iraq at the start of a promising Army career when he got sick. At Walter Reed, he found out he couldn't deploy again.
In May 2008, his occupational therapist recommended him to the Dog Tags program. Minnis said he had wanted to get a dog for a pet anyway, so he thought it would be a good opportunity to learn a few skills. The shelter had several of his favorite breed on hand, and the dogs were good companions and good for his physical therapy.
"It helped me while I was still trying to walk, being active, having to walk around with the dog. [During training], I'm not focused on me having balance issues or [not] being able to speak. I'm concentrating on what I need to do to train the dog," Minnis said. "It takes the focus completely off of me and puts it on the dog and what we're doing."
But Minnis' interests soon expanded, and often he would visit the shelter just to sit and play with the dogs. He said it was his quiet time.
"You don't have anybody asking you what's going on. You don't feel a threat. It's a just a dog to bond with and have fun with," he said.
As it looked more like he would be medically retired, Minnis said the training took on a different perspective. He was a business major in college, and always wanted to be an entrepreneur. He figured a dog training business would be easy to start and not require a lot of money or overhead.
"I figured it's a perfect opportunity," he said. "I get to learn how to train [and] have a business I can work on, or at least a side business."
Minnis eventually adopted Ebony, one of his favorite dogs. The two now regularly attend the shelter classes, helping to train others on animal behavior. Minnis also takes Ebony to the Metropolitan Police Department when he speaks to cadets going through training there, noting that he hopes to cast a more positive light on a breed that has captured a lot of negative attention.
He teaches the cadets to read a dog's body language so they can tell when there is a real threat.
"I would take her with me ... so they can get used to seeing a pit bull that's not what they see on TV," Minnis said. "Often, officers don't really know if the dog is friendly, scared or ready to attack."
In fact, Ebony is one of the friendliest dogs the cadets will meet, he said -- friendly enough that he felt comfortable bringing her home to his two small boys.
"It's never about the breed. It's about who owns them and how well you train them and the structure you have around them," Minnis said. "From Day One, she was perfect around my kids. She respected them."
In the end, though, it is not a dog-training business that Minnis decided to pursue. It is, however, what he learned from the lessons during the training and while working with the dogs that led to what he hopes is a promising career.
During the training, Minnis said, he began pondering how leadership principles in dog training are the same as with dealing with people.
"Dogs are pack creatures. Humans are pack creatures. It's the same leadership," he said. "It's not about a title, or in our case in the military, your rank, that makes you a leader. It's if you're doing the natural things that make you a leader in your pack."
Now Minnis is researching and writing a book on the principles of leadership and packaging a presentation targeting businesses, the military and government. He already has given a few presentations on his theories, and is refining and expanding on them.
Minnis still is a few weeks away from his medical retirement, and is working to get back to 100 percent. He has joined a gym, started jogging, and adopted another pit bull from the shelter named Nina.
Between working on his recovery and his book, Minnis said, he hopes to help the humane society expand the Dog Tags program. It is worthy, he said, of reaching beyond the Capital Beltway and out to other active duty installations.
"Anywhere you go, there are going to be dogs that need training and soldiers who are going through some type of therapy that will benefit from it," he said. "I want to make sure that's going to be able to expand and reach out to a lot more soldiers. It's a great program."
Maersk Alabama Crew Repels Suspected Pirate Attack
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama's security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship.
The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears.
"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best [anti-piracy] practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked, and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the ship, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama's security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship.
The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears.
"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best [anti-piracy] practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked, and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."
No injuries or damage were reported aboard the ship, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.
Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)
National Guard (In Federal Status) And Reserve Activated As Of November 17, 2009
This week the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard announced an increase in activated reservists, while the Army and Marine Corps announced a decrease. The net collective result is 1,045 fewer reservists activated than last week.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 106,104; Navy Reserve, 6,516; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,756; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,838; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 134,988, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091117ngr.pdf.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 106,104; Navy Reserve, 6,516; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,756; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,838; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 134,988, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091117ngr.pdf.
Pentagon Ceremony Honors Top Teachers
By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 18, 2009 - The top teachers in the Defense Department's worldwide school system were recognized yesterday by the U.S. military's senior officer at a Pentagon ceremony. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted and thanked the Department of Defense Education Activity's Teacher of the Year and District Teachers of the Year award recipients for 2010.
"There is probably no more important profession at this time in our history than teaching," Mullen told the assembled educators.
The annual Teacher of the Year program highlights the significant role that DoDEA teachers play in students' lives and the contributions they make to the quality of life for military families, particularly the stability and consistency they provide during times of deployment and separation. A panel selects the annual Teacher of the Year from among district nominees.
DoDEA's teachers have "been a big part of the glue that is holding us together in an enormously stressful time," said Mullen, noting many military parents are deployed overseas in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is important, Mullen said, for military parents "to know that their kids are in good schools and [are] being well taught."
Susan S. Morris, nominated by the Heidelberg District in Germany, is the 2010 DoDEA Teacher of the Year.
District Teachers of the Year also honored at the ceremony include:
-- Gretchen Wall, Bavaria District, Germany;
-- Pam Koon, Georgia/Alabama District;
-- Juana Aguon, Guam District;
-- Margaret Ann Bruce, Isles District, England;
-- Cleo Strazdas, Kaiserslautern District, Germany;
-- Brenda Schultz-von-Hawker, Kentucky District;
-- Clover Stephenson, Korea District;
-- Suzanne Sperl, Mediterranean District;
-- Lynn Magalong Lowe, New York/Virginia/Puerto Rico District;
-- Darla Williamitis, North Carolina District;
-- Seth Renquist, Okinawa District, Japan; and
-- Mitch Finley, South Carolina/Fort Stewart District.
"It is just the ultimate milestone of my career to represent the men and women of the military and their children and all the teachers that we have in DoDEA," Morris said. She teaches social studies to 7th and 8th graders in Heidelberg, Germany.
Teaching "is a personal calling," Morris said, and good teachers build positive relationships with students and their families.
"Get to know your kids and develop a great relationship with them," she said. "From that, you invest in the families, and you find out what their needs are."
Aguon teaches algebra and geometry at Guam High School.
"I really shouldn't be self-congratulatory" about being recognized as a district-level DoDEA Teacher of the Year, she said, noting her honor is "all about" the teaching profession.
"We all have a responsibility to our kids; especially to our military kids," she said.
Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, was on hand to congratulate the department's top teachers.
"These teachers represent the highest quality of educators that we have in this country," said Thomas, noting that DoDEA's Teacher of the Year recipient goes on to compete in the National Teacher of the Year competition. President Barack Obama is slated to announce the winner in April.
"Our Department of Defense teachers have one of the highest pass rates of students in the country – and that's on a global scale," Thomas said. "It is important to recognize the fact that they are teaching and building American citizens through education."
More than 85,000 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, began this school year at 192 DoDEA schools worldwide. About 8,700 teachers work at DoDEA schools located stateside and in 12 foreign countries.
"We understand that as we teach them, both abroad and stateside, it is for the well-being of the country," Thomas said. "And that is our future."
A CRITICAL LOOK AT NAVY V. EGAN
A 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Department of the Navy v. Egan has often been interpreted to support broad presidential authority over national security generally and over access to classified information in particular. Along with United States v. Reynolds, Curtiss-Wright, and a few other cases, Egan is regularly cited in support of strong, even unchecked executive authority and judicial deference to executive claims. It has become a cornerstone of national security law as practiced today.
But the case has often been misunderstood and misrepresented, according to a new study by Louis Fisher of the Law Library of Congress, who reviewed the development and interpretation of Egan in more than 180 judicial decisions.
The Egan decision was prompted by a narrow statutory dispute: Did the Merit Systems Protection Board (an executive branch body) have the authority to review the revocation of a security clearance by the Navy (another executive branch body)? The court concluded that Congress had not intended to permit such review.
But in reaching that straightforward conclusion, "various passages in Egan strayed from this central issue and created confusion and misconceptions"
about the scope of executive authority and the role of the courts, wrote Dr. Fisher. Among such passages was a discussion of the President's constitutional powers culminating in the statement that "Unless Congress specifically has provided otherwise, courts traditionally have been reluctant to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs."
Over time, Egan came to signify the notion that courts should grant the "utmost deference" -- or even absolute deference -- to the executive on issues of national security. Citing Egan, one court in 1993 held that "the presumption of reviewability is entirely inapplicable in matters concerning national security." This is an extreme view that would exclude the courts altogether from national security affairs. "Egan does not support that interpretation," wrote Fisher. But there it is.
In a 2002 report on leaks of classified information, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited Egan in support of the proposition that "The President has the power under the Constitution to protect national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure. This extends to defining what information constitutes a national security secret and to determining who may have access to that secret." These statements are true except for the implication that such authority is exclusively the province of the executive. The Attorney General conspicuously neglected to note the qualification in Egan which stated "Unless Congress has specifically provided otherwise...."
Recently, observed Fisher, some courts have presented a more nuanced reading of Egan. In proceedings such as Al-Haramain and Horn v. Huddle, courts have rebuffed executive arguments for complete deference in cases where Congress has legislated its intent into statute.
Fundamentally, Fisher concludes, "Nothing in Egan recognizes a plenary or exclusive power on the part of the President over classified information."
See "Judicial Interpretations of Egan" by Louis Fisher, Law Library of Congress, November 13, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/egan.pdf
Dr. Fisher will be the luncheon speaker at a day-long conference November
18 on "The State of the State Secrets Privilege" at American University Washington College of Law.
But the case has often been misunderstood and misrepresented, according to a new study by Louis Fisher of the Law Library of Congress, who reviewed the development and interpretation of Egan in more than 180 judicial decisions.
The Egan decision was prompted by a narrow statutory dispute: Did the Merit Systems Protection Board (an executive branch body) have the authority to review the revocation of a security clearance by the Navy (another executive branch body)? The court concluded that Congress had not intended to permit such review.
But in reaching that straightforward conclusion, "various passages in Egan strayed from this central issue and created confusion and misconceptions"
about the scope of executive authority and the role of the courts, wrote Dr. Fisher. Among such passages was a discussion of the President's constitutional powers culminating in the statement that "Unless Congress specifically has provided otherwise, courts traditionally have been reluctant to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs."
Over time, Egan came to signify the notion that courts should grant the "utmost deference" -- or even absolute deference -- to the executive on issues of national security. Citing Egan, one court in 1993 held that "the presumption of reviewability is entirely inapplicable in matters concerning national security." This is an extreme view that would exclude the courts altogether from national security affairs. "Egan does not support that interpretation," wrote Fisher. But there it is.
In a 2002 report on leaks of classified information, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited Egan in support of the proposition that "The President has the power under the Constitution to protect national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure. This extends to defining what information constitutes a national security secret and to determining who may have access to that secret." These statements are true except for the implication that such authority is exclusively the province of the executive. The Attorney General conspicuously neglected to note the qualification in Egan which stated "Unless Congress has specifically provided otherwise...."
Recently, observed Fisher, some courts have presented a more nuanced reading of Egan. In proceedings such as Al-Haramain and Horn v. Huddle, courts have rebuffed executive arguments for complete deference in cases where Congress has legislated its intent into statute.
Fundamentally, Fisher concludes, "Nothing in Egan recognizes a plenary or exclusive power on the part of the President over classified information."
See "Judicial Interpretations of Egan" by Louis Fisher, Law Library of Congress, November 13, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/egan.pdf
Dr. Fisher will be the luncheon speaker at a day-long conference November
18 on "The State of the State Secrets Privilege" at American University Washington College of Law.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 17, 2009
NAVY
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $41,100,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5102) for combat systems engineering (CSE) and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 2 to support Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Military Sales. ROK competitively selected the U.S. Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System (ACS) for its KDX-III shipbuilding program. These requirements include the necessary CSE, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system Baseline 7 Phase I computer program and equipment to support the construction of the second Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the ACS. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (53 percent), and (Korea 47 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Nov. 12, 2009, a $16,623,805 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract is to determine and provide long lead materials required to support the reset of Stryker Brigades 3/2, 4/2 and 5/2. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (3 percent), and Shelby Township, Mich. (97 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Tank Automotive & Armament Command, SFAE-GCS-BCT-P, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112)
Ascend Intelligence, LLC, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $14,035,223 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development, sustainment and procurement of an advanced tactical information system, a tactical ground reporting system of networked information systems with map based user interface. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va. (86.95 percent), Fort Washington, Pa. (4.7 percent), San Diego, Calif., (1.95 percent), Falls Church, Va. (5.36 percent), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (1.04 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 16, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 59 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0030).
King Fisher Marine Service, LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $8,937,945 firm-fixed-price contract. The work will consist of maintenance deep draft channel dredging of approximately 3.6 million cubic yards and spillbox repair. Work is to be performed in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Ten bids solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0007).
Kustom Truck & RV, Inc., Coos Bay, Ore., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $6,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 200 each and 100 percent option maintenance kits, for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Work is to be performed in Coos Bay, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2010. One bid was solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Tank, Automotive Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0017).
GTS International, LLC, Euless, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $5,942,797 firm-fixed-price contract for various night vision equipment items and various support items for Foreign Military Sales cases. Work is to be performed in Euless, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. The CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W12P7T-10-C-D210).
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Services, Inc., of Reston, Va., was awarded a $24,827,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a base year and four optional years for the imagery analysis services requirement in support of Special Operations Command. The work will be performed primarily at Fort Bragg, N.C. The services will run through Nov. 16, 2014, if all options are exercised. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded through full and open competition. The contract number is H92222-10-C-0005.
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $41,100,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5102) for combat systems engineering (CSE) and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 2 to support Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Military Sales. ROK competitively selected the U.S. Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System (ACS) for its KDX-III shipbuilding program. These requirements include the necessary CSE, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system Baseline 7 Phase I computer program and equipment to support the construction of the second Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the ACS. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (53 percent), and (Korea 47 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Nov. 12, 2009, a $16,623,805 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract is to determine and provide long lead materials required to support the reset of Stryker Brigades 3/2, 4/2 and 5/2. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (3 percent), and Shelby Township, Mich. (97 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Tank Automotive & Armament Command, SFAE-GCS-BCT-P, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112)
Ascend Intelligence, LLC, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $14,035,223 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development, sustainment and procurement of an advanced tactical information system, a tactical ground reporting system of networked information systems with map based user interface. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va. (86.95 percent), Fort Washington, Pa. (4.7 percent), San Diego, Calif., (1.95 percent), Falls Church, Va. (5.36 percent), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (1.04 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 16, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 59 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0030).
King Fisher Marine Service, LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $8,937,945 firm-fixed-price contract. The work will consist of maintenance deep draft channel dredging of approximately 3.6 million cubic yards and spillbox repair. Work is to be performed in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Ten bids solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0007).
Kustom Truck & RV, Inc., Coos Bay, Ore., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $6,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 200 each and 100 percent option maintenance kits, for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Work is to be performed in Coos Bay, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2010. One bid was solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Tank, Automotive Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0017).
GTS International, LLC, Euless, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $5,942,797 firm-fixed-price contract for various night vision equipment items and various support items for Foreign Military Sales cases. Work is to be performed in Euless, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. The CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W12P7T-10-C-D210).
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Services, Inc., of Reston, Va., was awarded a $24,827,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a base year and four optional years for the imagery analysis services requirement in support of Special Operations Command. The work will be performed primarily at Fort Bragg, N.C. The services will run through Nov. 16, 2014, if all options are exercised. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded through full and open competition. The contract number is H92222-10-C-0005.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Fort Hood Casualties to Receive Combatant Status Under New House Legislation
Army and civilian personnel who were wounded or killed in the shooting attack on Fort Hood would be granted the same legal status as combatant casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, if bipartisan legislation introduced today by U.S. Representative John Carter (R-TX31) passes into law. Carter was joined by U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX10) for a news conference unveiling the bill in the House Radio-TV Gallery in the U.S. Capitol this afternoon. Watch the news conference here.
“Our Fort Hood casualties should receive the same benefits and recognition as other combat casualties,” says Carter, who represents the Fort Hood area in the House, “as this was a planned terror attack on U.S. military personnel. It should make no difference in our care for the wounded and the families of the slain whether it occurred on an Army base in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Texas.”
While many military and survivor benefits are the same regardless of the status of the casualty, combatant status allows military personnel to receive the Purple Heart, and civilians to receive the equivalent award, the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom. Combatant status would also guarantee that the beneficiaries of all military personnel who lost their lives in the attack would receive the maximum life insurance available, extended family housing privileges, and other benefits.
“This bill is not about investigations or assigning blame,” says Carter. “It is about taking care of our troops and their families first. That’s why we have such strong support from both sides of the aisle, and why we hope and expect this to move quickly.”
Over 30 House Members nearly evenly split between parties joined Carter as original co-sponsors on the legislation. Carter is Co-chairman of the House Army Caucus for the 111th Congress, and is Secretary of the House Republican Conference.
“Our Fort Hood casualties should receive the same benefits and recognition as other combat casualties,” says Carter, who represents the Fort Hood area in the House, “as this was a planned terror attack on U.S. military personnel. It should make no difference in our care for the wounded and the families of the slain whether it occurred on an Army base in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Texas.”
While many military and survivor benefits are the same regardless of the status of the casualty, combatant status allows military personnel to receive the Purple Heart, and civilians to receive the equivalent award, the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom. Combatant status would also guarantee that the beneficiaries of all military personnel who lost their lives in the attack would receive the maximum life insurance available, extended family housing privileges, and other benefits.
“This bill is not about investigations or assigning blame,” says Carter. “It is about taking care of our troops and their families first. That’s why we have such strong support from both sides of the aisle, and why we hope and expect this to move quickly.”
Over 30 House Members nearly evenly split between parties joined Carter as original co-sponsors on the legislation. Carter is Co-chairman of the House Army Caucus for the 111th Congress, and is Secretary of the House Republican Conference.
Obama Offers Tough Talk on North Korea, Iran
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today emphasized the importance of keeping international efforts focused on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. In a joint news conference in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said both leaders agreed on the need for the six-party dialogue involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas to resume as soon as possible. He also warned of potential "consequences" if Iran fails to demonstrate its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
"North Korea has a choice: It can continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that has led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community," Obama said, "or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."
North Korea backed out of talks last spring after receiving widespread international condemnation for conducting a missile launch in April, which it followed with a second nuclear test.
Obama expressed appreciation to China, considered one of North Korea's main allies, for supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts aimed at Pyongyang.
"I told [Hu] how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program," Obama told reporters following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall.
Speaking about the nuclear program in Iran, Obama said he and Hu agreed that the government in Tehran must provide assurances to the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.
"On this point, our two nations and the rest of our P5-plus-1 partners are unified," Obama said, referring to the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.
The International Atomic Energy Agency this week demanded Iran provide more information about the purpose of a previously secret nuclear site and indicated Tehran could be hiding other facilities, according to reports.
"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions," Obama said. "But if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today emphasized the importance of keeping international efforts focused on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. In a joint news conference in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said both leaders agreed on the need for the six-party dialogue involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas to resume as soon as possible. He also warned of potential "consequences" if Iran fails to demonstrate its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
"North Korea has a choice: It can continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that has led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community," Obama said, "or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."
North Korea backed out of talks last spring after receiving widespread international condemnation for conducting a missile launch in April, which it followed with a second nuclear test.
Obama expressed appreciation to China, considered one of North Korea's main allies, for supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts aimed at Pyongyang.
"I told [Hu] how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program," Obama told reporters following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall.
Speaking about the nuclear program in Iran, Obama said he and Hu agreed that the government in Tehran must provide assurances to the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.
"On this point, our two nations and the rest of our P5-plus-1 partners are unified," Obama said, referring to the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.
The International Atomic Energy Agency this week demanded Iran provide more information about the purpose of a previously secret nuclear site and indicated Tehran could be hiding other facilities, according to reports.
"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions," Obama said. "But if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences."
Air Force Warfare Center Improves Warfighter Support
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nev., Nov. 17, 2009 - At the Air Force Warfare Center here, lessons learned supporting ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are being shared with the aviation community and incorporated into the training as quickly as they're developed. Meanwhile, the center's operational arm, the 57th Wing, is helping to train warfighters to take maximum advantage of air assets available to support them, as well as airmen who operate directly with them in the combat theater.
"When you look around the warfare center, it is hard to think of what really isn't connected to today's fight in some shape or form," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, Air Force Warfare Center commander. "The entire institution is responding to what is going on, and how it can better support the troops on the ground."
The 561st Joint Tactics Squadron is the most forward edge of that effort. Its members regularly deploy into the combat theater to identify emerging tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as gaps in warfighter support.
"We form teams of experts across mission areas and travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to interview people at war, sit down and have discussions about what's working, what's not working, what's going on, and [asking], 'What have you learned since you have been here?'" Kresge said. "They're not only trying to find out what is working, but also what is not working, then to close the book and do something about it with a feedback cycle."
The teams report their findings back to the schoolhouse to incorporate into its programs, which provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to combat air forces officers.
The warfare center shares these lessons with the Air Force aviation community, as well as Army and Marine Corps leaders, during regular joint forums. But another popular venue, the Web-based "Community of Practice," reaches out to a broader population with a real-time tactics exchange. The forum is by far the most-viewed network on the Air Force Knowledge Now portal.
"Folks can get on there and prepare their training plan before they go to the [combat theater]," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Russell J. Handy, the 57th Wing commander. "It gives them the opportunity to learn first-hand what is going on over there, and what they need to train for differently."
Meanwhile, as the warfare center's operations arm, the 57th Wing supports this effort through tactics development geared to the evolving threat.
For example, the wing helped to identify the best ways for the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft, designed as a long-range interdiction platform, to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and close-air support missions in the current fight.
Also, training on the massive Nevada Test and Training Range here, it tested tactics used to provide reconnaissance and close-air support in conditions found in the combat zone. The wing came up with techniques for tracking high-value targets riding in fast-moving vehicles, "skipping" bombs deep inside tunnels serving as insurgent hiding grounds, and increasing the precision of strikes in busy urban centers without causing collateral damage.
Currently, the wing is focused heavily on taking better advantage of digital tools such as the remote operated video enhanced receiver, or ROVER, to improve coordination between ground troops and Air Force support elements, Handy said.
"What we found over the years is that there is a lot more efficient and better way to pass information than just jumping on the radio and talking to each other," he said.
Far better, he explained, is enabling front-line forces to receive streaming video directly from both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. Digitally aided close-air support tools provide the same operational picture to ground commanders, the on-the-ground joint terminal attack controller and aircraft pilot, he explained.
"Every time you hear better or different ways of doing things, we're on top of it," Handy said. "It's all about how to most quickly and efficiently support those troops on the ground."
As the 57th Wing advances new tactics, techniques and procedures, the Air Force Warfare Center works to get them out to the Air Force community as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the wing also helps to train ground troops to take maximum advantage of air support available to them.
It provides air support for ground forces about to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq during their mission rehearsal exercises at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
A detachment based at the Army Fires Center at Fort Sill, Okla., trains joint fires officers operating at the platoon level to coordinate close-air support, when needed.
In addition, the wing provides advanced training for airmen who working directly with ground troops in the combat theater, with an increasing focus on training more joint terminal attack controllers who typically work at the corps level to coordinate close-air support.
"We are rapidly expanding that program to meet the demands in the area of responsibility, and looking for better and more efficient ways to train," Handy said.
Ultimately, he said, the mission comes down to increasing the Air Force's effectiveness in supporting ground troops in harm's way. "It's all about being able to find out that there is someone in trouble on the ground, and as quickly and efficiently as possible, help that soldier on the ground," he said.
The joint effort – ground forces supported by air assets – brings a capability exponentially larger than what either ground or air forces could provide alone, he said. "I've never seen the joint relationship any stronger," he added.
Army Leaders Struggle With Soldier Suicide Rate
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The rate of soldier suicides continues to concern Army leadership, with 211 active-duty and reserve-component suicides confirmed this year, the Army's No. 2 officer told Pentagon reporters today. "Simply stated, it is not a single problem with a defined set of symptoms or markers," said Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff. "There are no easy answers or solutions. We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior."
As of yesterday, 140 active-duty soldiers and 71 reserve-component troops had taken their own lives this year. The Army reported 140 active-duty suicides for all of 2008, a record high since 1980, when the Army first began tracking suicide statistics.
Although 2009 likely will be another record high for suicides in the Army, Chiarelli said, a variety of actions and studies have made progress. The general noted the recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Army's five-year research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. But leadership intervention is the biggest factor in prevention, he said.
Almost one-third of the Army's suicides this year occurred in January and February. The trend for most months since then has been significantly lower because of the Army's initiatives to raise awareness, identify undiagnosed mental illnesses and remove the stigma of psychological issues, Chiarelli said.
"We're making progress," the general said. "The general trend line, with the exception of a couple of months, has been down. If you were to ask me the single reason why I think we're starting to make progress, it's leader involvement across the entire force."
The reality, Chiarelli noted, is that each incident is as unique as the individual. While the Army's initial cause for concern was in the stresses brought on by frequent deployments, he said, about one-third of suicides have been by soldiers who never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Soldier suicides increased this year at Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, but were down at other frequently deployed Army posts such as Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Drum, N.Y., the general said.
Army officials are having difficulty pinpointing specific contributing reasons for suicide, he acknowledged, but have gained a better understanding of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress as factors, he said.
"Fortunately, we've come to a better understanding of some of the specific symptoms that may indicate high-risk individuals," he said. "We continue to focus on the related areas of undiagnosed mild TBI, PTSD and mental illnesses, risky behavior and other stressors."
The Army continues to study the individual cases and learn more about prevention methods through its civilian partnerships and internal programs. Data from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, the National Institute of Mental Health and the execution of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness "looks very promising," Chiarelli said.
"We're continuing to conduct a holistic program review on all programs related to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention," he said. "We're examining our legacy programs to ensure they are coordinated, streamlined, properly resourced and appropriate for today's soldiers, Army civilians and family members."
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is "the biggest step" the Army has taken to enhance mental wellness through prevention rather than treatment, he added.
"It's an investment in the readiness of our force that gives the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we have previously given to physical fitness," he said.
Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, chief of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, said that although the Army historically has focused primarily on physical fitness and technical proficiency of soldiers in their job-related field, psychological fitness is essential in today's era of persistent conflict.
Through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, she said, Army leadership and individual soldiers can assess and build on their decision-making abilities, coping skills and communication skills. Eventually, more mentally fit soldiers will be able to pass their knowledge on to less-fit soldiers, just as soldiers always have done with physical fitness, she said.
"Those things together, if you improve on them, are increasing resilience and psychological fitness," Cornum said. "And happily, these are things that can be taught. We need to give everybody an education so that we bring everybody up to a higher level than they came.
"Just like physical fitness," she added, "we need to bring [soldiers] up to their psychological potential. And if people are already good at those things, we then teach them how to be an example."
Chiarelli and Army leadership have their first of what will be annual briefings from the National Institute of Mental Health in early December. For the past year, the Army has been providing the institute with information and data on its suicide cases.
The institute's recommendations will be implemented in the Army's current programs and initiatives, he said, adding that such briefings will be constant for at least the next five years.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The rate of soldier suicides continues to concern Army leadership, with 211 active-duty and reserve-component suicides confirmed this year, the Army's No. 2 officer told Pentagon reporters today. "Simply stated, it is not a single problem with a defined set of symptoms or markers," said Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff. "There are no easy answers or solutions. We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior."
As of yesterday, 140 active-duty soldiers and 71 reserve-component troops had taken their own lives this year. The Army reported 140 active-duty suicides for all of 2008, a record high since 1980, when the Army first began tracking suicide statistics.
Although 2009 likely will be another record high for suicides in the Army, Chiarelli said, a variety of actions and studies have made progress. The general noted the recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Army's five-year research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. But leadership intervention is the biggest factor in prevention, he said.
Almost one-third of the Army's suicides this year occurred in January and February. The trend for most months since then has been significantly lower because of the Army's initiatives to raise awareness, identify undiagnosed mental illnesses and remove the stigma of psychological issues, Chiarelli said.
"We're making progress," the general said. "The general trend line, with the exception of a couple of months, has been down. If you were to ask me the single reason why I think we're starting to make progress, it's leader involvement across the entire force."
The reality, Chiarelli noted, is that each incident is as unique as the individual. While the Army's initial cause for concern was in the stresses brought on by frequent deployments, he said, about one-third of suicides have been by soldiers who never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Soldier suicides increased this year at Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, but were down at other frequently deployed Army posts such as Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Drum, N.Y., the general said.
Army officials are having difficulty pinpointing specific contributing reasons for suicide, he acknowledged, but have gained a better understanding of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress as factors, he said.
"Fortunately, we've come to a better understanding of some of the specific symptoms that may indicate high-risk individuals," he said. "We continue to focus on the related areas of undiagnosed mild TBI, PTSD and mental illnesses, risky behavior and other stressors."
The Army continues to study the individual cases and learn more about prevention methods through its civilian partnerships and internal programs. Data from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, the National Institute of Mental Health and the execution of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness "looks very promising," Chiarelli said.
"We're continuing to conduct a holistic program review on all programs related to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention," he said. "We're examining our legacy programs to ensure they are coordinated, streamlined, properly resourced and appropriate for today's soldiers, Army civilians and family members."
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is "the biggest step" the Army has taken to enhance mental wellness through prevention rather than treatment, he added.
"It's an investment in the readiness of our force that gives the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we have previously given to physical fitness," he said.
Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, chief of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, said that although the Army historically has focused primarily on physical fitness and technical proficiency of soldiers in their job-related field, psychological fitness is essential in today's era of persistent conflict.
Through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, she said, Army leadership and individual soldiers can assess and build on their decision-making abilities, coping skills and communication skills. Eventually, more mentally fit soldiers will be able to pass their knowledge on to less-fit soldiers, just as soldiers always have done with physical fitness, she said.
"Those things together, if you improve on them, are increasing resilience and psychological fitness," Cornum said. "And happily, these are things that can be taught. We need to give everybody an education so that we bring everybody up to a higher level than they came.
"Just like physical fitness," she added, "we need to bring [soldiers] up to their psychological potential. And if people are already good at those things, we then teach them how to be an example."
Chiarelli and Army leadership have their first of what will be annual briefings from the National Institute of Mental Health in early December. For the past year, the Army has been providing the institute with information and data on its suicide cases.
The institute's recommendations will be implemented in the Army's current programs and initiatives, he said, adding that such briefings will be constant for at least the next five years.
Commander Returns to Vietnam
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. WhiteSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - Nearly 35 years ago, Navy Cmdr. H.B. Le left Vietnam aboard a fishing trawler. He returned at the helm of a U.S. Navy warship when the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen arrived here Nov. 7 for a scheduled port visit. "My crew and I are proud to be able to represent our country to the people of Vietnam," said Le, Lassen's commanding officer. "This visit is a symbol of the friendship between our two nations, and we are deeply honored to be a part of it. I'm very humbled by the amazing opportunity to get to Vietnam after more than 34 years. I feel so fortunate to bring Lassen and my crew to Vietnam."
Le's story of escape followed by prosperity in the United States reads like a Hollywood script.
"My father was a commander in the South Vietnamese Navy and was serving as the deputy commanding officer of Nha Be Naval Support Base when we left Vietnam," he said. "The evening of the 29th of April, 1975, his commanding officer left the country with his family without telling my dad, and when his officers told him about that, he assumed command.
"The next day, only after realizing Saigon had fallen, did my dad tell his remaining men to go home to their families and to make sure to take care of them," he continued. "My dad navigated a fishing trawler with 400 passengers out to sea, where we were picked up by USS Barbour County on May 2, 1975."
Leaving Vietnam had a profound impact on his family, Le said. "My parents had to start all over again with no money in their pockets. Thanks to some truly generous and wonderful Americans who sponsored us, my dad was able to forge a new beginning," he said.
The Le family settled in Virginia. As his father had many years before him, Le heard the call of the seas as he grew older. He became a U.S. citizen in 1985, and graduated with merit from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992 and received his commission a U.S. Navy officer.
"Growing up, my father never pushed me to join the Navy or anything like that," Le said. "He said, 'Do what you want to do, but whatever you do, do your best at it.' So when I did decide to go to the Naval Academy, he was proud of me for that."
The crew Le leads is one of few in the Navy who have had the opportunity to visit the Asia-Pacific nation since the end of hostilities in 1975.
"I never thought I'd have a chance to visit Vietnam," said Navy Seaman Michael McLean, a logistics specialist from Gahanna, Ohio. "All that history that happened in Vietnam, and now I get to see it first-hand," he said.
The port visit gives McLean and his fellow sailors the opportunity to interact with the people of Da Nang and experience their customs and culture, and to compete in soccer and basketball games against students from the University of Da Nang. But the visit is not just about fun and games; Lassen's crew will take part in two community service projects in the Da Nang area.
Le assumed command of Lassen and its crew of nearly 300 in April. The ship is one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. White serves with Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Detachment Japan.)
Official Calls Military Child Care 'Model for Nation'
By Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The Military Child Care Act of 1989 has made the military child care system the one to emulate. "We have come a long way," said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, during the opening remarks of the department's annual child development conference. "The Department of Defense Child Development System is ... a model for this nation."
Thomas' statement echoes what President Bill Clinton said about the military's child development programs in 1997.
In the 20 years since enactment of the Military Child Care Act, military child care has undergone enormous change. Those changes have led to recognition by a number of organizations, including the National Association of Regulatory Administration and the National Women's Law Center for the department's commitment to high-quality, accessible, affordable child care.
Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, lauded the military's approach to improving its system. The Military Child Care Act was particularly important, she said, because it applied a systemic approach to improving the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all servicemembers, regardless of rank or income.
"The military child care system has been faithful in adhering to these goals in operations and furthering them in a systemic way," she said.
By contrast, she said, the private-sector child care industry is a patchwork of legislative initiatives resulting in an incomprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of providing affordable child care to the civilian population.
Speakers at the Defense Department conference agreed that accreditation, inspection and training are necessary for a successful child-care program. In fact, 97 percent of the more than 300 military child development centers serving more than 200,000 children are accredited through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Army suicides to top 2008, but progress reported
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday.
Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.
"We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year ... this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," he said.
But Chiarelli said there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.
"Our goal since the beginning has been to reduce the overall incidence of suicide and I do believe we are finally beginning to see progress being made," Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference.
He attributed those hints of a turning to some unprecedented efforts the Army has made since February to educate soldiers and leaders about the issue.
Officials are still stumped about what is driving the historically high rates across the military force. When asked whether the rates reflect unprecedented high stress from long and repeated deployments to provide manpower for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chiarelli said he didn't know.
"The reality is there is no simple answer," he said. "Each suicide is as unique as the individuals themselves."
Chiarelli said that on top of the 140 suicides reported from the active duty force, there were another 71 suicides by troops in the National Guard and Reserve.
All of the numbers are preliminary in that investigations into some of the deaths are still ongoing. Of the 140 so far this year among active duty troops, 90 have been confirmed as suicides and 50 are suspected but the probes are not yet finished.
Each year, nearly all suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. For instance in 2008, there were 143 suspected and 140 were eventually confirmed.
Chiarelli said officials will continue to focus on things that are symptoms of high-risk individuals such as undiagnosed brain injuries like concussions; on Post-Traumatic Stress, and on risky behavior such as poor diet and sleep habits as well as more serious behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The Army widened its suicide prevention in March in an attempt to make rapid improvements. In October, the service introduced its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which Chiarelli called "the biggest step ... taken to enhance wellness in the entire force through prevention rather than treatment."
The program aims to put the same emphasis on mental and emotion strength as the military traditionally has on physical strength. Basic training now includes anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.
Also last month, the Army started using a new screening questionnaire to try to determine preexisting or current mental health issues among troops as part of the enlistment process.
Despite those campaigns, another jump in suicide figures for 2009 would make it the fifth straight year that such deaths have set a record within the military. Last year's 140 record erased a high 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006.
Chiarelli said officials are concerned with increases this year at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart and Schofield Barracks and are trying to learn why suicides rates are down at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg and Fort Drum.
At Fort Campbell in Kentucky there were 18, while at Fort Bragg, N.C., which has almost double the population, there have been six all year.
Using some bases as examples of the trend downward, Chiarelli said that of the 18 suicides reported this year at Fort Campbell, 11 of those were in the first four months of the year. At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, there were seven all year so far — five in the first five months of the year and only two since.
The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.
The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.
___
On the Net: http://www.army.mil
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WASHINGTON – Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday.
Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.
"We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year ... this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," he said.
But Chiarelli said there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.
"Our goal since the beginning has been to reduce the overall incidence of suicide and I do believe we are finally beginning to see progress being made," Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference.
He attributed those hints of a turning to some unprecedented efforts the Army has made since February to educate soldiers and leaders about the issue.
Officials are still stumped about what is driving the historically high rates across the military force. When asked whether the rates reflect unprecedented high stress from long and repeated deployments to provide manpower for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chiarelli said he didn't know.
"The reality is there is no simple answer," he said. "Each suicide is as unique as the individuals themselves."
Chiarelli said that on top of the 140 suicides reported from the active duty force, there were another 71 suicides by troops in the National Guard and Reserve.
All of the numbers are preliminary in that investigations into some of the deaths are still ongoing. Of the 140 so far this year among active duty troops, 90 have been confirmed as suicides and 50 are suspected but the probes are not yet finished.
Each year, nearly all suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. For instance in 2008, there were 143 suspected and 140 were eventually confirmed.
Chiarelli said officials will continue to focus on things that are symptoms of high-risk individuals such as undiagnosed brain injuries like concussions; on Post-Traumatic Stress, and on risky behavior such as poor diet and sleep habits as well as more serious behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The Army widened its suicide prevention in March in an attempt to make rapid improvements. In October, the service introduced its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which Chiarelli called "the biggest step ... taken to enhance wellness in the entire force through prevention rather than treatment."
The program aims to put the same emphasis on mental and emotion strength as the military traditionally has on physical strength. Basic training now includes anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.
Also last month, the Army started using a new screening questionnaire to try to determine preexisting or current mental health issues among troops as part of the enlistment process.
Despite those campaigns, another jump in suicide figures for 2009 would make it the fifth straight year that such deaths have set a record within the military. Last year's 140 record erased a high 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006.
Chiarelli said officials are concerned with increases this year at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart and Schofield Barracks and are trying to learn why suicides rates are down at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg and Fort Drum.
At Fort Campbell in Kentucky there were 18, while at Fort Bragg, N.C., which has almost double the population, there have been six all year.
Using some bases as examples of the trend downward, Chiarelli said that of the 18 suicides reported this year at Fort Campbell, 11 of those were in the first four months of the year. At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, there were seven all year so far — five in the first five months of the year and only two since.
The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.
The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.
___
On the Net: http://www.army.mil
Monday, November 16, 2009
Casey Visits Soldiers in Resilience Training
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited a program designed to help soldiers and their families develop resilience here today. asey met with about 200 soldiers and civilians studying to be master resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania. About 50 other soldiers and civilians participated in the course via video teleconference from Fort Jackson, S.C.
Resilience is more than a buzzword; it is a new way of thinking for the service. "All soldiers want to do better – whether it is physically or mentally," Casey said. "This is a way to help them do that."
The group Casey addressed here had noncommissioned officers and officers from a variety of different military occupations. The video screen from Fort Jackson showed soldiers with drill sergeant hats on their desks.
"You will be the first group to go out and help me bring this way of thinking to the Army," Casey said during a news conference and in an interview. "I firmly believe that this effort to build resilience and enhance performance is fundamentally necessary if we are going to sustain this force over the coming years."
The soldiers in the class supported this notion. "The [master resilience trainer] program is not a module to teach, but a concept to embrace and use in all things," an NCO from Fort Campbell, Ky., said.
Casey and other Army leaders began thinking of the need in the summer of 2008. Active duty soldiers were deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and returning to their home stations for a year. Reserve-component units were deploying for a year and at home for three. "We had been doing that for about five years," Casey said. The Army may be called on to continue this personnel tempo.
The Army understood it faced a problem, Casey said. The effects of repeated deployments – particularly with short "dwell times" at home stations between them are cumulative. "All our studies show that the more times you deploy with little time between deployments, the more susceptible you are to having mental fitness challenges," the general said.
Service leaders looked at what was available to combat the problem. The general said there were pre- and post-deployment assessments. There were education programs. Finally, there were good programs and treatments if there were problems. "But when we looked at the front end, we were very light on the preventive tools," Casey said. "We didn't have ways of building resilience and enhancing performance."
The Army brought together some of the best minds in the country on the subject and that led them to the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the university's Positive Psychology Center. Seligman put together a course for NCOs and officers to use to train their soldiers in resilience skills. "People say this helps them, not only as a soldier, but as a person," Casey said.
The goal is to have a master resilience trainer in each battalion by this time next year, Casey said. General officers and sergeants major all have been briefed on the program, and Casey is putting out another letter to them about the program.
The program has to do more than just train skills, Casey said. It also has to change attitudes.
"There is a perception out there that everyone who goes into combat gets post-traumatic stress," the general said. "That's just not true. In fact, science tells us just the opposite; the majority of people who go to combat have post-traumatic growth. They're confronted by something very difficult, and they are stronger as a result."
Studies show that people do grow from adversity. The program seeks to give trainers skills they can pass on to soldiers.
"Someone said to me that we are trying to change the Army, one soldier at a time," Casey said. "No, I want to change the Army one NCO at a time, because they will go back and change 10 soldiers."
The soldiers are receptive, Seligman said. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the way they have responded," he said during a news conference. "I think the soldiers are taking this to their lives at least as well, if not better than the many civilians we have taught."
Karen Reivich, the main teacher of the course, said "everyone in that room is putting their heart and soul into this training." She said the soldiers are "engaged and task-focused."
Reivich noted similarities between the Army training and that for civilians. "We're all humans after all," she said, but the "situations that these soldiers deal with are more complex."
This was Casey's third visit to the facility. The general also visited two pilot classes, and has studied the feedback from students and suggested changes.
"The intent of this program is to give more and more of our soldiers the skills they need so when they come out of combat they will have a growth experience," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited a program designed to help soldiers and their families develop resilience here today. asey met with about 200 soldiers and civilians studying to be master resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania. About 50 other soldiers and civilians participated in the course via video teleconference from Fort Jackson, S.C.
Resilience is more than a buzzword; it is a new way of thinking for the service. "All soldiers want to do better – whether it is physically or mentally," Casey said. "This is a way to help them do that."
The group Casey addressed here had noncommissioned officers and officers from a variety of different military occupations. The video screen from Fort Jackson showed soldiers with drill sergeant hats on their desks.
"You will be the first group to go out and help me bring this way of thinking to the Army," Casey said during a news conference and in an interview. "I firmly believe that this effort to build resilience and enhance performance is fundamentally necessary if we are going to sustain this force over the coming years."
The soldiers in the class supported this notion. "The [master resilience trainer] program is not a module to teach, but a concept to embrace and use in all things," an NCO from Fort Campbell, Ky., said.
Casey and other Army leaders began thinking of the need in the summer of 2008. Active duty soldiers were deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and returning to their home stations for a year. Reserve-component units were deploying for a year and at home for three. "We had been doing that for about five years," Casey said. The Army may be called on to continue this personnel tempo.
The Army understood it faced a problem, Casey said. The effects of repeated deployments – particularly with short "dwell times" at home stations between them are cumulative. "All our studies show that the more times you deploy with little time between deployments, the more susceptible you are to having mental fitness challenges," the general said.
Service leaders looked at what was available to combat the problem. The general said there were pre- and post-deployment assessments. There were education programs. Finally, there were good programs and treatments if there were problems. "But when we looked at the front end, we were very light on the preventive tools," Casey said. "We didn't have ways of building resilience and enhancing performance."
The Army brought together some of the best minds in the country on the subject and that led them to the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the university's Positive Psychology Center. Seligman put together a course for NCOs and officers to use to train their soldiers in resilience skills. "People say this helps them, not only as a soldier, but as a person," Casey said.
The goal is to have a master resilience trainer in each battalion by this time next year, Casey said. General officers and sergeants major all have been briefed on the program, and Casey is putting out another letter to them about the program.
The program has to do more than just train skills, Casey said. It also has to change attitudes.
"There is a perception out there that everyone who goes into combat gets post-traumatic stress," the general said. "That's just not true. In fact, science tells us just the opposite; the majority of people who go to combat have post-traumatic growth. They're confronted by something very difficult, and they are stronger as a result."
Studies show that people do grow from adversity. The program seeks to give trainers skills they can pass on to soldiers.
"Someone said to me that we are trying to change the Army, one soldier at a time," Casey said. "No, I want to change the Army one NCO at a time, because they will go back and change 10 soldiers."
The soldiers are receptive, Seligman said. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the way they have responded," he said during a news conference. "I think the soldiers are taking this to their lives at least as well, if not better than the many civilians we have taught."
Karen Reivich, the main teacher of the course, said "everyone in that room is putting their heart and soul into this training." She said the soldiers are "engaged and task-focused."
Reivich noted similarities between the Army training and that for civilians. "We're all humans after all," she said, but the "situations that these soldiers deal with are more complex."
This was Casey's third visit to the facility. The general also visited two pilot classes, and has studied the feedback from students and suggested changes.
"The intent of this program is to give more and more of our soldiers the skills they need so when they come out of combat they will have a growth experience," he said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 16, 2009
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $96,682,393 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization, trade, and industrial support for Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia, Ohio SSBN, and Ohio SSGN Class submarines, special mission submersible interfaces, submarine support facilities, as well as Foreign Military Sales programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $635,287,686. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $44,473,900 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-2102).
Lockheed Martin MS2, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $59,592,068 cost-plus incentive-fee, performance based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide development, integration, and testing of the multistatic active coherent modification to the P-3C aircraft acoustic subsystem and tactical software. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (80 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $400,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0003).
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $44,490,000 modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (M67854-07-C-2072) to increase the estimated cost ceiling for the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar System development and demonstration, target cost, and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 by $17,490,000 to reflect undefinitized change orders for the UPX40, change to medium tactical vehicle replacement as the prime mover and the up armor. Additionally, this contract modification increases the estimated cost ceiling, target cost and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 in increase by an additional $27,000,000 to reflect the estimated cost increase associated with the 9 month schedule extension. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent), and Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 15, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The L3/Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $39,187,635 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide flight test data acquisition, processing and analysis of the TRIDENT missile flight test missions for the United States and United Kingdom. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $49,437,854. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (50 percent); Austin, Texas (20 percent); Ascension Island (10 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (10 percent); and St. Croix (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010 (Sept. 2012 with options). Contract funds in the amount of $33,863,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0009).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $28,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to incorporate a revised specification and statement of work for the infrared search and track technology development effort for the F/A-18E/F aircraft weapon system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (40 percent); Santa Ana, Calif. (5 percent); and Irvine, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $20,005,318 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to provide necessary supplies and services to support follow-on test and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded a $9,096,597 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-D-4219) on Nov. 13, 2009, for waterborne hull cleaning and associated services to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
ITT Industries, Inc., of Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $66,370,706 contract which will exercise Option Year 10 contract line items. This modification will provide for the continued support for program management, interface management, systems engineering and integration, depot maintenance transition, product acquisitions and modifications, and instrument modernization for operational systems and infrastructure. At this time, $8,563,882 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00601).
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $18,423,384 contract which will provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Mission Targeting System fiscal year 10 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,608,096 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003, P00003).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $7,167,408 cost-plus fixed-price with economic price adjustment for vibratory compactors. Other location of performance is in Minnesota. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal had two solicitations with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0393).
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $96,682,393 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization, trade, and industrial support for Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia, Ohio SSBN, and Ohio SSGN Class submarines, special mission submersible interfaces, submarine support facilities, as well as Foreign Military Sales programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $635,287,686. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $44,473,900 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-2102).
Lockheed Martin MS2, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $59,592,068 cost-plus incentive-fee, performance based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide development, integration, and testing of the multistatic active coherent modification to the P-3C aircraft acoustic subsystem and tactical software. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (80 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $400,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0003).
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $44,490,000 modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (M67854-07-C-2072) to increase the estimated cost ceiling for the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar System development and demonstration, target cost, and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 by $17,490,000 to reflect undefinitized change orders for the UPX40, change to medium tactical vehicle replacement as the prime mover and the up armor. Additionally, this contract modification increases the estimated cost ceiling, target cost and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 in increase by an additional $27,000,000 to reflect the estimated cost increase associated with the 9 month schedule extension. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent), and Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 15, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The L3/Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $39,187,635 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide flight test data acquisition, processing and analysis of the TRIDENT missile flight test missions for the United States and United Kingdom. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $49,437,854. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (50 percent); Austin, Texas (20 percent); Ascension Island (10 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (10 percent); and St. Croix (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010 (Sept. 2012 with options). Contract funds in the amount of $33,863,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0009).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $28,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to incorporate a revised specification and statement of work for the infrared search and track technology development effort for the F/A-18E/F aircraft weapon system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (40 percent); Santa Ana, Calif. (5 percent); and Irvine, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $20,005,318 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to provide necessary supplies and services to support follow-on test and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded a $9,096,597 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-D-4219) on Nov. 13, 2009, for waterborne hull cleaning and associated services to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
ITT Industries, Inc., of Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $66,370,706 contract which will exercise Option Year 10 contract line items. This modification will provide for the continued support for program management, interface management, systems engineering and integration, depot maintenance transition, product acquisitions and modifications, and instrument modernization for operational systems and infrastructure. At this time, $8,563,882 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00601).
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $18,423,384 contract which will provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Mission Targeting System fiscal year 10 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,608,096 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003, P00003).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $7,167,408 cost-plus fixed-price with economic price adjustment for vibratory compactors. Other location of performance is in Minnesota. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal had two solicitations with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0393).
Nellis Plans for F-35's Opportunities, Challenges
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - With the new F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft's arrival just four years away, officials at the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center here are looking forward to joint training opportunities while recognizing the challenges of providing realistic training on such a technologically advanced aircraft. Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, the warfare center's commander, said there's a lot of excitement about the next-generation fighter jet slated to begin arriving here in 2014.
Much of the construction under way here will provide the new hangars, maintenance facilities and other infrastructure the new aircraft will require. Meanwhile, Kresge's staff is focused on establishing a new weapons school for F-35 pilots – an effort he said lends itself to interservice collaboration as the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps prepare for their first joint aircraft program since the Vietnam War.
Unlike the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber, initially developed for the Navy, then adopted by the Marine Corps and Air Force, the F-35 was conceived from the drawing board as a single platform with three different variants to meet the needs of three services.
The Air Force will receive the F-35's "A" variant, which will provide conventional takeoff and landing capabilities. The Marine Corps is slated to receive the "B" variant, which has a vertical-lift capability. The Navy will receive the "C" variant, designed for carrier launches.
Plans are on track to equip the first F-35 training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., by 2011, and for the Marine Corps to reach initial operational capability by 2012.
Kresge said he looks forward to working with his Navy counterparts as the Air Force stands up the first F-35 weapons school program at Nellis. Weapons schools provide graduate-level instructor courses, including the most advanced tactics, techniques and procedures for pilots and aircrews.
"If we are going to build a weapons school first, let's partner on it and then make it easier for them to build their weapons school," he said.
Even with three aircraft variants, the airplanes are going to be more alike than different, he said. "So since we are fundamentally going to be flying the same aircraft, I think we can all benefit from a closer collaboration," he added.
For the Air Force program, Kresge expects to tap F-35 test pilots, along with other Weapons School graduates who fly other aircraft. "We'll put them in a room, lock the door for six months, and they'll come up with the syllabus, courseware and academics," Kresge said.
They'll share their efforts as the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as "Top Gun," prepares to start up its own F-35 program, he said, while soliciting different approaches to incorporate into the Air Force program.
"It would make no sense for the Navy to discover a new way of doing business, and then a year later, we stumble onto it ourselves," Kresge said.
The general stressed the importance of F-35 leader training to the future Air Force, noting that today's young fighter pilots will be tomorrow's F-35 squadron commanders.
"Set your watch," he said. "Fifteen years from now, we are going to want that F-35 squadron commander to be prepared to lead a squadron in war, and to bring along the squadron full of young lieutenants and captains to be the next squadron commander."
As Kresge wrestles with the training and leadership challenges associated with the F-35, the staff here is working to ensure that when the F-35 arrives, crews will have the most realistic training environment possible at the sweeping Nevada Test and Training Range.
That's particularly challenging, explained Air Force Col. John P. "Bama" Montgomery, the 98th Range Wing commander, because the F-35's systems are so advanced that they can tell simulated targets from the real thing.
"The F-35 is so smart that if it is not a real target, it won't let you hit it, because it knows what a real target is," he said. Montgomery oversees the nearly 3 million acres of ranges and 12,000 square miles of airspace that make up the Nevada Test and Training Range. A big part of the job is making the battle space as close as possible to what aircrews will experience in combat, including realistic targets.
So long before the F-35 arrives here, Montgomery and his staff are trying to figure out ways to build the next-generation targets the next-generation aircraft will need.
"We are planning ahead for it now, to give it the right kind of target sets that look visually, optically, [through] infrared and radar like the real thing," he said. "It's got to have the same acoustics, and smell like it, too."
Meanwhile, he's trying to figure out what kind of aircraft will be capable of standing in for the opposing force during advanced-level training exercises, and how to replicate multiple threats simultaneously.
"The F-35 is a very capable system, and we only have so many aircraft to throw against it," Montgomery said, noting the need to create virtual threats that the F-35 will recognize.
"It is not the same kind of problem that we used to solve," he said. "It was an easier problem before stealth [technology], and the fact that these [F-35s] are just amazingly capable. All of a sudden, the targets have to look a lot like the real thing, and the threats have to be a lot more capable, and there have to be a lot of them."
Montgomery said he's committed to working through those challenges before the F-35s start arriving at Nellis. "It's a tough problem," he said. "But the Air Force knows about it, the Department of Defense knows about it. Lots of people are working on it to solve that problem."
Ultimately, the goal is to provide F-35 crews the same level of training their counterparts receive at the Nevada Test and Training Range. "In the end, the guy gets real feedback, real time about how we has done against the threat he's going at, in a high-pressure environment," Montgomery said. "And he gets to live – and to come back and do it all over again tomorrow."
Initiative Helps Disabled Vets Stay Active
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A recent initiative launched by the Veterans Affairs Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving disabled veterans a chance to rediscover their potential through athletics and competition. memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organizations Oct. 21 to expand Paralympics sport programs to wounded warriors rehabilitating at community-level recreational facilities. Before the memorandum, Paralympics programs were offered primarily through warrior transition units at facilities such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and VA rehabilitation centers.
Through the agreement, the Paralympics division of the U.S. Olympic Committee and VA hope to ensure disabled veterans can be physically active when they return home, Charlie Huebner, the Paralympic division's chief, said in a recent telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.
"There's 24-hour-a-day care when you're at a VA medical center, and you've got the best care in the world there," he said. "But what we're most concerned about is when you leave that facility and go home. You might go home to a rural community that just doesn't have the resources and expertise to provide a person in a wheelchair everyday physical activity."
When rehabilitating veterans return home and they've left VA therapy behind, there may not be much opportunity to continue physical training and activity, Huebner said. Making programs available and providing training at existing recreational facilities will help to alleviate that issue.
"We've identified a significant need for injured veterans," he said. "When they return home, we want to ensure that there's expert programming, support, equipment and mentors available to them to participate in everyday physical activity. It's a significant need, and we see every day the importance of physical activity in the rehab process."
Adaptive sports rehabilitation has proven time and again to have a positive, long-lasting effect on wounded warriors, Huebner added.
Although the Paralympics focus on physical rehabilitation, it's difficult not to recognize the psychological impact, Huebner said. Something as simple as learning to play basketball or to ski with a disability, and to do so with friends and families, can greatly improve a disabled person's mental strength, which is an important aspect to recovery, he added.
"We see on a daily basis the additional outcomes that aren't necessarily our mission," he said. "Our mission isn't to find jobs and to get people in college, but what we see is persons with a physical disability going to college [or] pursuing careers who are active in their community because of the confidence they gained through sports."
The partnership gives $10 million of the VA's annual budget to the Paralympics. About $8 million of that will go to community-level recreation facilities that already serve veterans. Other funds from private Paralympics organizations will assist, Huebner said.
Huebner wouldn't speculate on exactly how many communities would be affected, but said Paralympics mentors and trainers will be on hand to enhance programs for community facilities across the country.
Since 2003, the Paralympics have been providing services for 105 community recreation facilities, 14 wounded warrior transition units and 15 VA health care systems.
"The healing power of sports is amazing," Huebner said. "When people become physically disabled, they think about all the things they can't do. That's just human nature, but something as simple as being able to shoot a basketball or skiing or playing catch with your child ... makes people realize a whole level of opportunity. Things are going to be different, but they're going to be OK."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A recent initiative launched by the Veterans Affairs Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving disabled veterans a chance to rediscover their potential through athletics and competition. memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organizations Oct. 21 to expand Paralympics sport programs to wounded warriors rehabilitating at community-level recreational facilities. Before the memorandum, Paralympics programs were offered primarily through warrior transition units at facilities such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and VA rehabilitation centers.
Through the agreement, the Paralympics division of the U.S. Olympic Committee and VA hope to ensure disabled veterans can be physically active when they return home, Charlie Huebner, the Paralympic division's chief, said in a recent telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.
"There's 24-hour-a-day care when you're at a VA medical center, and you've got the best care in the world there," he said. "But what we're most concerned about is when you leave that facility and go home. You might go home to a rural community that just doesn't have the resources and expertise to provide a person in a wheelchair everyday physical activity."
When rehabilitating veterans return home and they've left VA therapy behind, there may not be much opportunity to continue physical training and activity, Huebner said. Making programs available and providing training at existing recreational facilities will help to alleviate that issue.
"We've identified a significant need for injured veterans," he said. "When they return home, we want to ensure that there's expert programming, support, equipment and mentors available to them to participate in everyday physical activity. It's a significant need, and we see every day the importance of physical activity in the rehab process."
Adaptive sports rehabilitation has proven time and again to have a positive, long-lasting effect on wounded warriors, Huebner added.
Although the Paralympics focus on physical rehabilitation, it's difficult not to recognize the psychological impact, Huebner said. Something as simple as learning to play basketball or to ski with a disability, and to do so with friends and families, can greatly improve a disabled person's mental strength, which is an important aspect to recovery, he added.
"We see on a daily basis the additional outcomes that aren't necessarily our mission," he said. "Our mission isn't to find jobs and to get people in college, but what we see is persons with a physical disability going to college [or] pursuing careers who are active in their community because of the confidence they gained through sports."
The partnership gives $10 million of the VA's annual budget to the Paralympics. About $8 million of that will go to community-level recreation facilities that already serve veterans. Other funds from private Paralympics organizations will assist, Huebner said.
Huebner wouldn't speculate on exactly how many communities would be affected, but said Paralympics mentors and trainers will be on hand to enhance programs for community facilities across the country.
Since 2003, the Paralympics have been providing services for 105 community recreation facilities, 14 wounded warrior transition units and 15 VA health care systems.
"The healing power of sports is amazing," Huebner said. "When people become physically disabled, they think about all the things they can't do. That's just human nature, but something as simple as being able to shoot a basketball or skiing or playing catch with your child ... makes people realize a whole level of opportunity. Things are going to be different, but they're going to be OK."
Soldiers Compete for Barbecue Bragging Rights
By Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr.Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A little bit of home made its way to this remote base in Iraq's Maysan province recently, as soldiers tested their skills in a barbecue competition. Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail Nov. 1, an afternoon that might otherwise have been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy backdrop for a delicious contest at Task Force Saber.
"If it ain't raining, we ain't training," Army Capt. Rick Cook said with a laugh. Cook is attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment.
"But seriously," the captain added, "the competitors really came through and cooked up some scrumptious dishes under less-than-favorable conditions. The rain was just a challenge they needed to overcome to win. Once they got on a cooking 'glide path,' everything really fell into place."
Soldiers used closely guarded spice and sauce combinations from their hometowns, some getting their secret ingredients from as far as Washington and Georgia. They hovered over charcoal and flames as they turned otherwise average ribs, steaks and chicken into personalized, mouth-watering, culinary creations.
The competition's judges, spearheaded by Army Sgt. Maj. Steve Lewis, squadron operations sergeant major, based their appraisals on factors including taste, texture and presentation.
"The seasonings used by [B Troop] were probably the best," Lewis said. "They weren't planning on sharing their secret recipe, though."
Teams spent the final minutes of the competition perfecting their presentations, using each second to make memorable first impressions. Leading the way in overall presentation, B Troop pulled out all the stops: silver plates with matching cutlery created a sight no judge could ignore.
"We certainly took presentation into account while assessing the entries," Lewis said.
Border Transition Team Tribal, led by Army Master Sgt. Michael Grimes, used just the right blend of seasoning, mixed with a little personal touch and a dash of experience, to push its dishes into victory lane.
By the end of the competition, a broad representation of other victors emerged, including B Troop for the best chicken, and B Company, 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment for the best steak.
(Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr. serves with the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team.)
Officer Works to Walk Again
By Heather GrahamSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Five months ago, Army Lt. Col. Tim Karcher was in Sadr City, Iraq, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, and preparing to complete the hand-off of the volatile region to the Iraqis. Today, he is relearning how to walk.
On June 28, Karcher was on his way to a ceremony to hand over control of a joint security station in Sadr City to Iraq, when a powerful roadside bomb designed to pierce armor ripped through the mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle in which he was riding. Karcher lost both legs above the knees.
It was Karcher's third deployment. He was shot in his left shoulder in January 2006 during his second deployment, but recovered quickly and returned to his unit in Iraq six months later. This time, things were different.
Karcher was transferred from the U.S. Army Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on July 5. There, complications arose. Amputation of both legs above the knees was not the most serious of his injuries.
"Four weeks after getting to Walter Reed, they stopped talking about his legs," his wife, Alesia, said.
Karcher lost 120 pounds, dropping from his original weight of 225 to 105 pounds. Massive blood loss and the blast trauma affected his internal organs. He was nauseated and had difficulty eating. His kidney function was so poor he was on dialysis. One medication caused him to go blind for a day, which he later said was the only part of this journey that scared him.
But things slowly improved, and Karcher arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center here Aug. 19. He now stays at the Fisher House on the medical center's campus and receives therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, an outpatient rehabilitation institute for wounded warriors.
Now, the whole challenge is physical, Karcher said, adding that he is in the best place to overcome his physical challenges.
"This is the single most capable place on Earth to get us better," he said.
Family Support
Steadfast in their love and support, Karcher's wife and their three daughters -- Anna, 14, Audrey, 13, and Abbey, 8 -- have been with him every step of the way. Audrey has taken on the role of Karcher's caregiver during the time he stays at the family home near Killeen.
Karcher said he was concerned his teenage daughters would worry about the image of a father with no legs. But his concern was unfounded, he added, as all three daughters treat him the same as ever.
The family took a trip to San Diego recently for the Challenged Athletes Foundation's Triathlon Challenge. There, Karcher saw his daughters helping some of the athletes and saw their desire to help others. They also saw the possibilities of people who cannot walk or see.
Karcher attends soccer games, cross-country meets and has had lunch at his daughters' school since the injury. To his family, he is the same upbeat man who loves a challenge. "He is very much the same," Alesia said.
The family describes the support they've received from Fort Hood, the 1st Cavalry Division, the girls' schools and their church as "overwhelming."
"It makes you proud to be an Army family," said Alesia, who temporarily has stopped working as a home health-care physical therapist to focus on her family. "It definitely does not have to be the end of the world. It could always be worse."
She looks forward to their "new normal," she added. "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I think our life will be different, but not in a bad way."
Her biggest challenge, she said, has been time management to ensure her husband's and their daughters' needs are met. While her husband stays in the Fisher House, Alesia splits her time. She cooks meals and brings them to San Antonio. She still does his laundry.
Karcher said he welcomes his opportunities to leave his "cloistered environment" to spend time with his family. "It's awesome to get to church, soccer games and cross-country meets," he said. Alesia agreed. "It makes a huge difference to be able to go home and live in our own world," she said.
Trips home remove Karcher from an environment where everything is handicapped-accessible and catered toward people with injuries such as his. But he said he likes the challenges, and knowing that they can be addressed during sessions at the Center for the Intrepid.
"Being able to go home does as much for me as a week of therapy," Karcher said. "Life continues at home. I fit into it."
Family life also includes plans made before Karcher was injured.
Alesia ran the Army 10-Miler in October that she had signed up for with a group of Cavalry spouses in April.
Dealing With Reality
After an injury, e-mails and calls taper off. Friends, families and comrades get back to their everyday lives, said Army Maj. Stuart Campbell, officer in charge of physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, and some patients can have a letdown when the attention fades.
"There is a protective bubble here," he said. "My job is to return these guys to the highest level possible."
Campbell knows Karcher as "Hercules." Everyone at the center gets a nickname from Campbell. "I'm bad with names," he explained with a smile.
Campbell said he also gives the nicknames to encourage the feeling of being in a military unit, and the bonding that comes with that. Good-natured ribbing and joking are frequent as Campbell works to recreate the unit environment from which they have been removed.
"When you come here, you would think you are in an infantry unit," he said, noting that for these wounded warriors, the strongest piece of their rehabilitation is the peer support.
"That's as powerful as anything," Campbell said. "They motivate each other."
Amputees such as Karcher have to retrain their hip strategy and learn to balance using their hips, gluteus and core, Campbell said.
Karcher will always have to think to walk.
"A lot of this is mental," he said.
At this point, Karcher stands on "stubbies" and still is working on his balance. He is getting his legs and muscles accustomed to bearing weight and fitting in sockets. As he progresses, he will get longer prosthetics and, eventually, knees.
"You work out muscle groups you didn't know you have," Karcher said. "It's a new challenge." He took his first steps Nov. 3, traveling about 20 feet on stubbies.
Karcher said he expects to be here for at least a year or 18 months. He is progressing well, but wants to accomplish more, he said. He is not sure how much more, he added, but walking is a definite goal.
He uses humor and willpower to embrace his new life. "It's your choice of how you choose to handle it," he said.
The New Normal
At the Center for the Intrepid, amputees work out in often unorthodox ways to strengthen their bodies and stop boredom. A modified rock wall, a wave pool and creative exercises throw some diversity in to break up the monotony of physical therapy.
The wounded warriors have devised a hierarchy of injuries. There are jokes and laughs, and many of them come from Campbell.
"The last thing we want is sympathy," Karcher said.
He doesn't want people tip-toeing around him.
"People stare, they point," Campbell said. "We make fun of them [and] treat them like they're in a normal unit."
Good-natured teasing can be motivating as well as bonding.
"From the outside, it can look odd," Campbell admitted.
Karcher said he finds it motivating to see those with injuries similar to his who are farther along. "Morale here is great," he said. "Everybody wants to get better. You just need to use good judgment on where you are."
Every case is different. While some are happy to sit back and just let things happen, others work harder to reach their goals. Seeing buddies get better is motivating for everyone, Karcher said.
"There's a total atmosphere here of seeing everybody excel, everybody getting back to where they want to be," he said. "The only thing that limits us is ourselves."
In addition to the young soldiers he sees daily, a special child has been an inspiration to the battalion commander. Karcher met 8-year-old Cody McCaslund on Sept. 17. Cody also is a bilateral transfemoral amputee. Born without knees and missing several bones in both legs, he lost his legs as an infant. But don't tell Cody he is any different.
"That kid is a ball of fire," Karcher said. "He is just an awesome kid."
Cody offered to show Karcher how to use his new legs when he gets them. Through Cody, he said, he saw that the loss of legs does not mean the loss of a normal life.
"You realize he's as normal as any kid," he said. "You see a little kid doing [what Cody does], and you've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself."
Moving Forward
Karcher is quick to laugh and sees no sense in having a pity party about his injury. "It's a waste of your time," he said. "It's not going to change anything."
He said he knows his injury will limit him in some ways, but that the Center for the Intrepid staff is around to help the wounded figure out ways to do the things they want to do.
"There shouldn't be things we can't do," he said. For example, he said, he wants to stand more than six feet tall again -- because he doesn't want to have to buy new pants.
Amputees can change their height, Campbell said, but they want to be careful not to become unbalanced. "Body image is a big deal for a lot of these guys," Campbell said. Expectations are different for each person, but the wounded warriors all seem to have some in common. "Walking is an expectation. Sports are an expectation," he said.
Life Goes On
Karcher said he expects to continue his journey with humor and with his family by his side. And throughout his recovery, the soldiers of his regiment have been consistently on his mind and in his heart.
He keeps in contact with his Black Knight soldiers via e-mails, and many have visited him. Karcher said he always wants to know how his battle buddies are doing, and the fact that they are still in harm's way is never far from his mind.
"It feels rotten," he said.
Meanwhile, as his soldiers are completing their mission in Iraq, Karcher is focused on his mission at home: recovering. And one of his biggest goals is to be standing on Cooper Field at Fort Hood to welcome home his troops.
"I'm just wondering what is next," he said. "Right now, I am focusing on the here and now."
He wants to stay in the Army.
"I am hoping to stay in," he said. "I've been in 20 years, and this is the only thing I want to do."
(Heather Graham works in the public affairs office at Fort Hood, Texas.)
DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion
The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that beginning in January 2010, the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot will expand to an additional six installations across the country. The new locations will include: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va. This expansion brings the total number of military facilities using the pilot to 27.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.
In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."
In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.
"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.
The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.
In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."
In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.
"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.
The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.
Pentagon, VA Expand Disability Claims Test
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six installations. The new participants are medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va.
Twenty-seven other military facilities already take part in the program.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Nole Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, in a statement released by the Defense Department.
The pilot program began in November 2007 within the national capital region and concerns servicemembers who separated from the military under honorable conditions for service-related injuries. It addresses redundancy and inconsistent decisions in medical evaluations in separate disability processes used in the Defense Department and VA.
Outside of the medical facilities using the pilot programs, evaluations for veterans are managed first by Defense Department physicians, then by VA. Through this program, physicians in both departments collaborate on medical findings, speeding the claims and benefit payment processes for disabled veterans.
"The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments," the Defense Department statement said. "Key features of the [pilot] include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating."
More than 5,400 military members have participated in the pilot program.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with [the Defense Department] to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in the statement. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits ... by virtue of their service to the nation.”
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six installations. The new participants are medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va.
Twenty-seven other military facilities already take part in the program.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Nole Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, in a statement released by the Defense Department.
The pilot program began in November 2007 within the national capital region and concerns servicemembers who separated from the military under honorable conditions for service-related injuries. It addresses redundancy and inconsistent decisions in medical evaluations in separate disability processes used in the Defense Department and VA.
Outside of the medical facilities using the pilot programs, evaluations for veterans are managed first by Defense Department physicians, then by VA. Through this program, physicians in both departments collaborate on medical findings, speeding the claims and benefit payment processes for disabled veterans.
"The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments," the Defense Department statement said. "Key features of the [pilot] include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating."
More than 5,400 military members have participated in the pilot program.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with [the Defense Department] to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in the statement. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits ... by virtue of their service to the nation.”
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Obama, Medvedev Discuss Arms Reduction, Iran
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 15, 2009 - The mutual goal of negotiating an agreement on reducing nuclear arms by the end of the year is on track, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today. Obama and Medvedev met in Singapore during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
The two presidents agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals during a meeting in Moscow in July. Obama said the negotiations to reduce Russian and American nuclear arsenals have gone well.
"Our negotiators have made excellent progress over the last several months," he said during a joint news conference with Medvedev. "Our goal continues to be to complete the negotiations and to be able to sign a deal before the end of the year. And I'm confident that if we work hard and with a sense of urgency about it, we should be able to get that done."
Both men said some tough technical issues still need to be addressed. "We've agreed to give additional impetus to those negotiations [and] find solutions on remaining issues, because in some cases those are technical issues. Some require political solution," the Russian president said through a translator.
Medvedev said both leaders are aware of the world's interest in these negotiations.
"Even in the past, the situation and the world depended on us," he said. "It is all the more important now, since there are no longer the old ideological barriers."
The two presidents also spoke about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
Obama said the United States wants to resolve the problem of the Iranian nuclear program constructively. He proposed that the United States and Russia offer two paths for Iran. One is that if Iran forsakes nuclear weapons, the world would help it obtain peaceful nuclear energy. He called this the most positive outcome, as it would lead Iran to integration with other nations of the world.
"The alternative would be an approach that would involve increasing pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations," Obama said. "These concerns were further heightened with the Qom facility that had not been properly disclosed."
U.S. and Russian leaders have worked together to provide Iran a very concrete, specific and fair proposal. This includes a proposal to get low-enriched uranium out of Iran, processed, and then sent back to Iran. This would allow Iran to have a peaceful nuclear energy program without weaponization capacity, Obama said.
"Unfortunately, so far at least, Iran appears to have been unable to say yes to what everyone acknowledges is a creative and constructive approach," he said.
From the start of his administration, Obama has said negotiations with Iran would not be open-ended. "We are now running out of time with respect to that approach," he said.
Meanwhile, the United States and Russia will continue to speak with Iranian leaders, Obama said.
"We believe that the United States and Russia will continue to urge Iran to take the path that leads them to meeting its international obligations," he said. "We can't count on that, and we will begin to discuss and prepare for these other pathways."
In his statement, Medvedev reinforced Obama's point.
"Negotiation process is not for the pleasure of the process itself, but it is done in order to reach practical, specific outcomes," he said. "In this case, our goal is clear: it is a transparent, up-to-date, peaceful program – not a program that would raise questions or concerns from the international community. We're prepared to work further, and I hope that our joint work will yield in positive results. In case we fail, the other options remain on the table in order to move the process in a different direction."
The two presidents also discussed Afghanistan, economic issues and the overall standing of U.S-Russian relations. Obama said that Medvedev was "frank, thoughtful and constructive" during the discussion. "I am somebody who genuinely believes that the reset button has worked, and that we are moving in a good direction," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 15, 2009 - The mutual goal of negotiating an agreement on reducing nuclear arms by the end of the year is on track, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today. Obama and Medvedev met in Singapore during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
The two presidents agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals during a meeting in Moscow in July. Obama said the negotiations to reduce Russian and American nuclear arsenals have gone well.
"Our negotiators have made excellent progress over the last several months," he said during a joint news conference with Medvedev. "Our goal continues to be to complete the negotiations and to be able to sign a deal before the end of the year. And I'm confident that if we work hard and with a sense of urgency about it, we should be able to get that done."
Both men said some tough technical issues still need to be addressed. "We've agreed to give additional impetus to those negotiations [and] find solutions on remaining issues, because in some cases those are technical issues. Some require political solution," the Russian president said through a translator.
Medvedev said both leaders are aware of the world's interest in these negotiations.
"Even in the past, the situation and the world depended on us," he said. "It is all the more important now, since there are no longer the old ideological barriers."
The two presidents also spoke about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
Obama said the United States wants to resolve the problem of the Iranian nuclear program constructively. He proposed that the United States and Russia offer two paths for Iran. One is that if Iran forsakes nuclear weapons, the world would help it obtain peaceful nuclear energy. He called this the most positive outcome, as it would lead Iran to integration with other nations of the world.
"The alternative would be an approach that would involve increasing pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations," Obama said. "These concerns were further heightened with the Qom facility that had not been properly disclosed."
U.S. and Russian leaders have worked together to provide Iran a very concrete, specific and fair proposal. This includes a proposal to get low-enriched uranium out of Iran, processed, and then sent back to Iran. This would allow Iran to have a peaceful nuclear energy program without weaponization capacity, Obama said.
"Unfortunately, so far at least, Iran appears to have been unable to say yes to what everyone acknowledges is a creative and constructive approach," he said.
From the start of his administration, Obama has said negotiations with Iran would not be open-ended. "We are now running out of time with respect to that approach," he said.
Meanwhile, the United States and Russia will continue to speak with Iranian leaders, Obama said.
"We believe that the United States and Russia will continue to urge Iran to take the path that leads them to meeting its international obligations," he said. "We can't count on that, and we will begin to discuss and prepare for these other pathways."
In his statement, Medvedev reinforced Obama's point.
"Negotiation process is not for the pleasure of the process itself, but it is done in order to reach practical, specific outcomes," he said. "In this case, our goal is clear: it is a transparent, up-to-date, peaceful program – not a program that would raise questions or concerns from the international community. We're prepared to work further, and I hope that our joint work will yield in positive results. In case we fail, the other options remain on the table in order to move the process in a different direction."
The two presidents also discussed Afghanistan, economic issues and the overall standing of U.S-Russian relations. Obama said that Medvedev was "frank, thoughtful and constructive" during the discussion. "I am somebody who genuinely believes that the reset button has worked, and that we are moving in a good direction," he said.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Obama Lays Out America's Asia-Pacific Agenda
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - The United States is a Pacific nation, and America wants to strengthen alliances and understandings in the region, President Barack Obama said in Tokyo today. Obama gave a major policy speech at Suntory Hall to 1,500 Japanese leaders. He met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and with the emperor and empress of Japan.
The president praised the U.S-Japanese alliance as a partnership based on mutual interests and respect. The alliance has served both nations well in the past, and he expects it will change and deepen in the future, he said.
The United States pledged to defend Japan when a treaty was signed almost 50 years ago. Security is part of the overall relationship between the nations, and the two leaders agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the security agreement on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa, Obama said.
While Japan is the anchor of American interests and commitments in the Pacific, "it doesn't end here," the president said.
"Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it," he said. "We are bound by our past – by the Asian immigrants who helped build America, and the generations of Americans in uniform who served and sacrificed to keep this region secure and free."
Prosperity binds the regions together, the president said, and he noted that millions of Americans trace their ancestry to Asia. "So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home," Obama said.
Japan and China are two of America's largest trading partners, and the nations of Southeast Asia – especially Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – are growing in importance to the American economy.
But the United States is interested in the region not only for economics, Obama said, but also for security.
"This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents," he said.
Obama said the United States will engage with old friends and seek new ones throughout the region. Alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines "continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan," he said.
"And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world," he added, "our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakeable, and it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region – above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud."
The United States looks for nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia to play larger roles regionally, he said, and he stressed that the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another.
"I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence," he said. "But as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation – not competing spheres of influence – will lead to progress in the Asia-Pacific [region]."
This does not mean that China has a blank check, the president noted.
"America will approach China with a focus on our interests," he said. "It's precisely for this reason that it is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone, and the United States and China will both be better off when we are able to meet them together."
America welcomes China's effort to play a greater role on the world stage – a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility, he said.
"China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to jumpstart economic recovery," the president said. "China has promoted security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And it is now committed to the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of American bilateral alliances in the region, Obama said.
"On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," he said. "So in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries.
"Of course, we will not agree on every issue," he continued, "and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people – because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership, rather than rancor."
The president said he also believes multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific.
"I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years," he acknowledged. "So let me be clear: Those days have passed. As an Asia-Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve."
The security of the 21st century in the area, the president said, is threatened by a legacy of the 20th century: the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
"In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal," he said. "I am pleased that Japan has joined us in this effort, for no two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can do, and together we must seek a future without them. This is fundamental to our common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future hangs in the balance."
But as long as nuclear weapons exist, Obama added, "the United States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies – including South Korea and Japan."
Still, he said, an escalating nuclear arms race in the region would undermine decades of growth and prosperity. "So we are called upon to uphold the basic bargain of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – that all nations have a right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament and those without nuclear weapons have a responsibility to forsake them," he said.
The United States is pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles and also is working to ratify and bring into force a nuclear test ban treaty. "And next year at our Nuclear Security Summit, we will advance our goal of securing all the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years," Obama said.
Strengthening the global nonproliferation movement is not about singling out individual nations, he said. "It's about all nations living up to their responsibilities," the president said. "That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And it includes North Korea."
North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation, Obama said, and is developing nuclear arms and the means to deliver them.
"It should be clear where this path leads," the president said. "We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping U.N. Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction activities. We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more."
North Korea can renounce these efforts and be welcomed into the community of nations, Obama said.
"Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international integration," he said. "Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity – where trade and investment and tourism can offer the North Korean people the chance at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater security and respect. This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living up to its international obligations."
He called on North Korea to return to the six-party talks and uphold previous commitments including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He also called for the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The United States will stand with Asian allies in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century: extremism, piracy, disease, poverty and modern-day slavery, the president said. "The final area in which we must work together'" he added, is in upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of all human beings."
The American agenda in the area is ambitious, and it will not be easy, Obama said. "But at this moment of renewal ... history tells us it is possible," the Hawaiian-born president said. "This is ... America's agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership with Japan, and with the nations and peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt: As America's first Pacific president, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - The United States is a Pacific nation, and America wants to strengthen alliances and understandings in the region, President Barack Obama said in Tokyo today. Obama gave a major policy speech at Suntory Hall to 1,500 Japanese leaders. He met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and with the emperor and empress of Japan.
The president praised the U.S-Japanese alliance as a partnership based on mutual interests and respect. The alliance has served both nations well in the past, and he expects it will change and deepen in the future, he said.
The United States pledged to defend Japan when a treaty was signed almost 50 years ago. Security is part of the overall relationship between the nations, and the two leaders agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the security agreement on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa, Obama said.
While Japan is the anchor of American interests and commitments in the Pacific, "it doesn't end here," the president said.
"Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it," he said. "We are bound by our past – by the Asian immigrants who helped build America, and the generations of Americans in uniform who served and sacrificed to keep this region secure and free."
Prosperity binds the regions together, the president said, and he noted that millions of Americans trace their ancestry to Asia. "So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home," Obama said.
Japan and China are two of America's largest trading partners, and the nations of Southeast Asia – especially Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – are growing in importance to the American economy.
But the United States is interested in the region not only for economics, Obama said, but also for security.
"This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents," he said.
Obama said the United States will engage with old friends and seek new ones throughout the region. Alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines "continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan," he said.
"And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world," he added, "our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakeable, and it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region – above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud."
The United States looks for nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia to play larger roles regionally, he said, and he stressed that the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another.
"I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence," he said. "But as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation – not competing spheres of influence – will lead to progress in the Asia-Pacific [region]."
This does not mean that China has a blank check, the president noted.
"America will approach China with a focus on our interests," he said. "It's precisely for this reason that it is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone, and the United States and China will both be better off when we are able to meet them together."
America welcomes China's effort to play a greater role on the world stage – a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility, he said.
"China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to jumpstart economic recovery," the president said. "China has promoted security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And it is now committed to the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of American bilateral alliances in the region, Obama said.
"On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," he said. "So in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries.
"Of course, we will not agree on every issue," he continued, "and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people – because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership, rather than rancor."
The president said he also believes multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific.
"I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years," he acknowledged. "So let me be clear: Those days have passed. As an Asia-Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve."
The security of the 21st century in the area, the president said, is threatened by a legacy of the 20th century: the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
"In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal," he said. "I am pleased that Japan has joined us in this effort, for no two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can do, and together we must seek a future without them. This is fundamental to our common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future hangs in the balance."
But as long as nuclear weapons exist, Obama added, "the United States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies – including South Korea and Japan."
Still, he said, an escalating nuclear arms race in the region would undermine decades of growth and prosperity. "So we are called upon to uphold the basic bargain of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – that all nations have a right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament and those without nuclear weapons have a responsibility to forsake them," he said.
The United States is pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles and also is working to ratify and bring into force a nuclear test ban treaty. "And next year at our Nuclear Security Summit, we will advance our goal of securing all the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years," Obama said.
Strengthening the global nonproliferation movement is not about singling out individual nations, he said. "It's about all nations living up to their responsibilities," the president said. "That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And it includes North Korea."
North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation, Obama said, and is developing nuclear arms and the means to deliver them.
"It should be clear where this path leads," the president said. "We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping U.N. Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction activities. We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more."
North Korea can renounce these efforts and be welcomed into the community of nations, Obama said.
"Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international integration," he said. "Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity – where trade and investment and tourism can offer the North Korean people the chance at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater security and respect. This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living up to its international obligations."
He called on North Korea to return to the six-party talks and uphold previous commitments including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He also called for the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The United States will stand with Asian allies in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century: extremism, piracy, disease, poverty and modern-day slavery, the president said. "The final area in which we must work together'" he added, is in upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of all human beings."
The American agenda in the area is ambitious, and it will not be easy, Obama said. "But at this moment of renewal ... history tells us it is possible," the Hawaiian-born president said. "This is ... America's agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership with Japan, and with the nations and peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt: As America's first Pacific president, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world."
Obama Orders Review of Fort Hood Prelude
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama used his weekly address today to call for a careful and complete review of what happened before the Nov. 5 tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.
Here is the text of the president's address:
This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.
Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veterans Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.
On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.
Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it's unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.
There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts. As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won't compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.
On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.
The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.
I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should. But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.
Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.
We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they'll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As commander in chief, I won't settle for anything less.
This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.
Nov. 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama used his weekly address today to call for a careful and complete review of what happened before the Nov. 5 tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.
Here is the text of the president's address:
This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.
Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veterans Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.
On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.
Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it's unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.
There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts. As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won't compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.
On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.
The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.
I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should. But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.
Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.
We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they'll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As commander in chief, I won't settle for anything less.
This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.
Guard Members in Three States Respond to Flooding
By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - More than 160 National Guard members in three states have responded to flooding caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida today. Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey have called up Guard members to evacuate residents in high-water areas as well as provide cots, sandbags and potable water.
In Virginia, almost 100 Guardsmen have deployed high-water vehicles in support of the Portsmouth, Va., fire department.
The governor of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency for the Cape May and Atlantic counties due to flooding. The New Jersey National Guard has provided 18 Army Guardsmen with 10 5-ton trucks to help civilian authorities with evacuations, Guard officials reported.
About 40 members of the Delaware National Guard have provided support to civilian emergency relief agencies in Kent and Sussex counties.
On Nov. 12, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell placed 32 Army Guardsmen on state active duty. They reported to readiness centers in Georgetown, Seaford, Dagsboro, and Milford to serve as crew for 16 large M1078 trucks, known as light-medium tactical vehicles.
These four teams will provide a quick response if needed for evacuation or use by emergency personnel, Guard officials said.
According to Army 2nd Lt. Nathan Bright, a Delaware Guard spokesman, the Guard has so far:
-- Provided transport for a medical evacuation in the Oaks Orchard area;
-- Provided and transported 50 cots to the evacuation center in the Indian River area and 1,000 sandbags to affected communities; and
-- Prepared and staged seven 400-gallon water "buffalos" and a 4,000-gallon water tanker for distribution of potable water if needed after waters recede.
A second shift of 33 soldiers began processing at the readiness centers early this morning to relieve those activated last night, Bright said. All 65 soldiers will remain on alert in shifts.
The Delaware National Guard's Joint Operations Center and military support directorate continue to coordinate with and assist the Delaware Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to state and local agencies, Bright said.
The National Hurricane Center reports that the rain is fading along the mid-Atlantic coast. Flood warnings and advisories will remain in effect for portions of the central Gulf Coast, the southeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic States.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - More than 160 National Guard members in three states have responded to flooding caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida today. Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey have called up Guard members to evacuate residents in high-water areas as well as provide cots, sandbags and potable water.
In Virginia, almost 100 Guardsmen have deployed high-water vehicles in support of the Portsmouth, Va., fire department.
The governor of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency for the Cape May and Atlantic counties due to flooding. The New Jersey National Guard has provided 18 Army Guardsmen with 10 5-ton trucks to help civilian authorities with evacuations, Guard officials reported.
About 40 members of the Delaware National Guard have provided support to civilian emergency relief agencies in Kent and Sussex counties.
On Nov. 12, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell placed 32 Army Guardsmen on state active duty. They reported to readiness centers in Georgetown, Seaford, Dagsboro, and Milford to serve as crew for 16 large M1078 trucks, known as light-medium tactical vehicles.
These four teams will provide a quick response if needed for evacuation or use by emergency personnel, Guard officials said.
According to Army 2nd Lt. Nathan Bright, a Delaware Guard spokesman, the Guard has so far:
-- Provided transport for a medical evacuation in the Oaks Orchard area;
-- Provided and transported 50 cots to the evacuation center in the Indian River area and 1,000 sandbags to affected communities; and
-- Prepared and staged seven 400-gallon water "buffalos" and a 4,000-gallon water tanker for distribution of potable water if needed after waters recede.
A second shift of 33 soldiers began processing at the readiness centers early this morning to relieve those activated last night, Bright said. All 65 soldiers will remain on alert in shifts.
The Delaware National Guard's Joint Operations Center and military support directorate continue to coordinate with and assist the Delaware Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to state and local agencies, Bright said.
The National Hurricane Center reports that the rain is fading along the mid-Atlantic coast. Flood warnings and advisories will remain in effect for portions of the central Gulf Coast, the southeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic States.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Army Reports Possible Increase in Suicides for October
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - The Army is investigating 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in October, about twice the number reported among the same population in September, Army officials said. Of the seven reported in September, three have been confirmed as suicides, and four still are under investigation to determine the manner of death.
From January through October, the Army reported 133 potential active-duty suicides. Of those, 90 deaths have been confirmed as suicides, and the other 43 remain under investigation. For the same period in 2008, there were 115 suicides among active-duty soldiers.
"Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront," said Army Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. "The more we educate our Army community about the need to get help, the need to get it early, and that full recovery is often possible, the less stigma we'll see."
Suicide is not absent from the reserve components, as 69 potential suicides were reported among reserve-component soldiers not on active duty for the first 10 months of 2009. Of those, 41 have been confirmed as suicides. For the same time period in 2008, there were 47 suicides. October accounted for eight of the potential suicides in 2009.
In an effort to curb suicides, the Army in March chartered the multidisciplinary task force McGuire heads up. Its mission was to make rapid improvements across the full spectrum of health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention programs. It has made more than 170 improvements to these programs, Army officials said.
Army leaders took it a step further when they announced the formal start of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program on Oct. 1. The holistic program is designed to emphasize psychological, emotional and mental strength. The new program uses a balanced, multifaceted approach and a lifelong learning model that includes individual assessment, tailored virtual training, classroom training at all levels of Army education, and embedded resilience experts.
The goal of the program is to provide soldiers the critical skills then need to face any and all of life's challenges, officials said.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in the newly revised Army Regulation 600-03.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Both organizations provide trained consultants around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - The Army is investigating 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in October, about twice the number reported among the same population in September, Army officials said. Of the seven reported in September, three have been confirmed as suicides, and four still are under investigation to determine the manner of death.
From January through October, the Army reported 133 potential active-duty suicides. Of those, 90 deaths have been confirmed as suicides, and the other 43 remain under investigation. For the same period in 2008, there were 115 suicides among active-duty soldiers.
"Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront," said Army Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. "The more we educate our Army community about the need to get help, the need to get it early, and that full recovery is often possible, the less stigma we'll see."
Suicide is not absent from the reserve components, as 69 potential suicides were reported among reserve-component soldiers not on active duty for the first 10 months of 2009. Of those, 41 have been confirmed as suicides. For the same time period in 2008, there were 47 suicides. October accounted for eight of the potential suicides in 2009.
In an effort to curb suicides, the Army in March chartered the multidisciplinary task force McGuire heads up. Its mission was to make rapid improvements across the full spectrum of health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention programs. It has made more than 170 improvements to these programs, Army officials said.
Army leaders took it a step further when they announced the formal start of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program on Oct. 1. The holistic program is designed to emphasize psychological, emotional and mental strength. The new program uses a balanced, multifaceted approach and a lifelong learning model that includes individual assessment, tailored virtual training, classroom training at all levels of Army education, and embedded resilience experts.
The goal of the program is to provide soldiers the critical skills then need to face any and all of life's challenges, officials said.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in the newly revised Army Regulation 600-03.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Both organizations provide trained consultants around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
All Services Meet or Exceed October Recruiting Goals
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - All active-duty and reserve-component military branches met or exceeded their recruiting goals for October, Defense Department officials said. October's results – the first for fiscal 2010 -- continue a successful military recruiting mission that experienced a banner year in fiscal 2009.
Active and reserve military components notched record recruiting numbers in fiscal 2009 and also signed up the highest-quality recruits since the all-volunteer force began in 1973, Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, told Pentagon reporters at an Oct. 13 news conference.
Active-duty military recruiting continued its winning ways in October:
-- The Army signed up 6,914 active-duty soldiers in October, making 101 percent of its 6,858 goal.
-- The Navy signed up 2,926 active-duty sailors in October, making 100 percent of its 2,926 goal.
-- The Marine Corps signed up 2,851 active-duty Marines in October, making 100 percent of its 2,843 goal.
-- The Air Force signed up 2,198 active-duty airmen in October, making 100 percent of its 2,198 goal.
All four active-duty services also met or exceeded their retention goals for October.
All six reserve components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in October:
-- The Army National Guard had 4,425 accessions, making 112 percent of its 3,947 goal.
-- The Army Reserve had 3,348 accessions, making 125 percent of its 2,675 goal.
-- The Navy Reserve had 671 accessions, making 100 percent of its 671 goal.
-- The Marine Corps Reserve had 1,132 accessions, making 144 percent of its 787 goal.
-- The Air National Guard had 698 accessions, making 124 percent of its 562 goal.
-- The Air Force Reserve had 1,083 accessions, making 100 percent of its 1,083 goal.
Attrition losses for the reserve components are not available, pending corrections and resubmissions from services, officials said.
Carr acknowledged that the current economic downturn probably is having a positive effect on recruiting, but he also pointed to the efforts of military recruiters for the results in fiscal 2009, noting that the military deployed a robust bonus program in which 40 percent of recruits received an average bonus of $14,000.
And last year's success should positively affect the military's recruiting mission in fiscal 2010, Carr added.
"You just don't start recruiting from zero. ... You would start with the number [of recruits] that are under contract to report for training in the months ahead," Carr pointed out.
For example, the Army's active-duty recruiting goal for fiscal 2010 is about 74,500 soldiers, Maj. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr., chief of Army Recruiting Command, told Pentagon reporters at the Oct. 13 news conference.
However, Campbell said, the Army had signed up about 30,000 new active soldiers through delayed-entry programs. And these troops, he said, will count toward the Army's fiscal 2010 recruiting goal.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - All active-duty and reserve-component military branches met or exceeded their recruiting goals for October, Defense Department officials said. October's results – the first for fiscal 2010 -- continue a successful military recruiting mission that experienced a banner year in fiscal 2009.
Active and reserve military components notched record recruiting numbers in fiscal 2009 and also signed up the highest-quality recruits since the all-volunteer force began in 1973, Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, told Pentagon reporters at an Oct. 13 news conference.
Active-duty military recruiting continued its winning ways in October:
-- The Army signed up 6,914 active-duty soldiers in October, making 101 percent of its 6,858 goal.
-- The Navy signed up 2,926 active-duty sailors in October, making 100 percent of its 2,926 goal.
-- The Marine Corps signed up 2,851 active-duty Marines in October, making 100 percent of its 2,843 goal.
-- The Air Force signed up 2,198 active-duty airmen in October, making 100 percent of its 2,198 goal.
All four active-duty services also met or exceeded their retention goals for October.
All six reserve components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in October:
-- The Army National Guard had 4,425 accessions, making 112 percent of its 3,947 goal.
-- The Army Reserve had 3,348 accessions, making 125 percent of its 2,675 goal.
-- The Navy Reserve had 671 accessions, making 100 percent of its 671 goal.
-- The Marine Corps Reserve had 1,132 accessions, making 144 percent of its 787 goal.
-- The Air National Guard had 698 accessions, making 124 percent of its 562 goal.
-- The Air Force Reserve had 1,083 accessions, making 100 percent of its 1,083 goal.
Attrition losses for the reserve components are not available, pending corrections and resubmissions from services, officials said.
Carr acknowledged that the current economic downturn probably is having a positive effect on recruiting, but he also pointed to the efforts of military recruiters for the results in fiscal 2009, noting that the military deployed a robust bonus program in which 40 percent of recruits received an average bonus of $14,000.
And last year's success should positively affect the military's recruiting mission in fiscal 2010, Carr added.
"You just don't start recruiting from zero. ... You would start with the number [of recruits] that are under contract to report for training in the months ahead," Carr pointed out.
For example, the Army's active-duty recruiting goal for fiscal 2010 is about 74,500 soldiers, Maj. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr., chief of Army Recruiting Command, told Pentagon reporters at the Oct. 13 news conference.
However, Campbell said, the Army had signed up about 30,000 new active soldiers through delayed-entry programs. And these troops, he said, will count toward the Army's fiscal 2010 recruiting goal.
Joint Typhoon Warning Center Marks 50 Years of Service
By Bob Freeman
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, a joint Navy and Air Force office that provides tropical cyclone reconnaissance and forecasting to support the safety of military and other government assets in the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. "The Joint Typhoon Warning Center was established by the United States Pacific Command in 1959. It actually formed out of the consolidation of several smaller tropical forecast centers that were scattered throughout the Pacific region, and those were actually created in the wake of what's known as Typhoon Cobra," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Callahan, operations officer at JTWC, in a Nov. 10 interview on Pentagon Web Radio's audio webcast "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
Callahan described Typhoon Cobra, which hit vessels of the Pacific Fleet in 1944, as one of the worst naval disasters in U.S. history. According to a fleet letter from Navy Adm. Chester Nimitz, the Pacific Fleet's commander in chief at the time, 790 sailors were lost and 80 were injured, three ships sank and nine suffered serious damage, and 146 aircraft on various ships were lost or damaged beyond repair.
Callahan explained that a typhoon is a western Pacific version of a hurricane. Both constitute the most developed and severe form of tropical cyclones, which are large storms that form over warm tropical waters.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center ensures that today's military forces in the Pacific will never again experience a disaster like Typhoon Cobra. Callahan said the center, which is composed of a mix of Navy, Air Force and civilian meteorologists and analysts, provides tropical cyclone guidance, advisories and warnings to U.S. military and government assets throughout the Pacific region.
The center's actual forecasting responsibilities are in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. Callahan explained that the civilian National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center share tropical cyclone forecasting responsibilities for the Atlantic and the Pacific region east of the International Dateline.
"We actually only do the forecasting west of the dateline," Callahan noted, "but our area includes both the northern and southern hemispheres." Since the seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, that means the center is kept busy throughout the year.
"So it's a year-round job here, and with both hemispheres in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, we actually cover about 89 percent of the world's tropical cyclones," Callahan said. He explained that JTWC provides forecasts to military bases and ships, U.S. embassies, and U.S. territories such as Guam that fall under their area of responsibility.
"Our main products are the storm track, the horizontal extent of the winds and the intensity of the systems," Callahan said. "These forecasts are very complex, so we use very large numerical models that are run on super computers. We actually have a large suite of these computer models. Some are run here at Joint Typhoon Warning Center, but most are run elsewhere.
"For instance," he continued, "the Navy has some models that are being run at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center. The National Center for Environmental Prediction, which is [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's] computing center, runs some of these models. The Air Force Weather Agency runs a model for us."
He added that the center also uses computer models operated by Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts.
Callahan noted that the models all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some are global in scope, depicting the atmosphere over the entire Earth, and some are regional, providing a higher-resolution look. He explained that the larger models are useful for overall atmospheric flow and forecasting a storm's track.
"But we need the smaller regional models to be able to determine the structure of the cyclone, what the winds are, and how the system is actually behaving within the local environment," he added.
"We are getting excited about the Navy's global model called NOGAPS, which is starting to do a new four-dimensional data assimilation," Callahan said. "Instead of just getting a static picture, it's able to identify trends in the data and, hopefully, get a better initialization before the model starts to run.
"We have also just implemented the Navy's regional model, COAMPS," he continued. "It has a specialized tropical cyclone tracker that we're currently evaluating, and the Air Force Weather Agency is running a regional model called WRF that also is starting to implement a tropical cyclone tracker. So there's a lot of good model development right now, and some other research that we're starting to get excited about."
As for tropical cyclone reconnaissance, Callahan said JTWC monitors storms through a suite of remote sensing technologies set on geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites, along with shore and ship observations and surface radar imagery.
"The No. 1 tool we use is called the scatterometer, and that's able to give us a direction and wind speed of winds at the surface over the ocean," Callahan explained. "It does this through the polarization of microwave energy reflected off the little capillary waves, the tiny one- and two-millimeter waves that are being caused by the wind as it goes over the surface of the ocean."
In addition to traditional weather satellites normally used to track storm movement, Callahan described the use of such space-based sensing devices as microwave imagers and sounders, infrared and water vapor imagers, and radar altimeters. All combine to provide an understanding of the shape, structure, size, intensity and movement of the storm.
Callahan noted that the center has a public-facing Web site that offers regular tropical cyclone warnings, text and graphical products, satellite imagery, and significant weather bulletins. He cautioned, however, that JTWC services are primarily for the Defense Department, and while it may be useful to review the products, viewers should consult their local national meteorological agency for products pertinent to their locality.
(Bob Freeman works in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, a joint Navy and Air Force office that provides tropical cyclone reconnaissance and forecasting to support the safety of military and other government assets in the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. "The Joint Typhoon Warning Center was established by the United States Pacific Command in 1959. It actually formed out of the consolidation of several smaller tropical forecast centers that were scattered throughout the Pacific region, and those were actually created in the wake of what's known as Typhoon Cobra," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Callahan, operations officer at JTWC, in a Nov. 10 interview on Pentagon Web Radio's audio webcast "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military."
Callahan described Typhoon Cobra, which hit vessels of the Pacific Fleet in 1944, as one of the worst naval disasters in U.S. history. According to a fleet letter from Navy Adm. Chester Nimitz, the Pacific Fleet's commander in chief at the time, 790 sailors were lost and 80 were injured, three ships sank and nine suffered serious damage, and 146 aircraft on various ships were lost or damaged beyond repair.
Callahan explained that a typhoon is a western Pacific version of a hurricane. Both constitute the most developed and severe form of tropical cyclones, which are large storms that form over warm tropical waters.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center ensures that today's military forces in the Pacific will never again experience a disaster like Typhoon Cobra. Callahan said the center, which is composed of a mix of Navy, Air Force and civilian meteorologists and analysts, provides tropical cyclone guidance, advisories and warnings to U.S. military and government assets throughout the Pacific region.
The center's actual forecasting responsibilities are in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. Callahan explained that the civilian National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center share tropical cyclone forecasting responsibilities for the Atlantic and the Pacific region east of the International Dateline.
"We actually only do the forecasting west of the dateline," Callahan noted, "but our area includes both the northern and southern hemispheres." Since the seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, that means the center is kept busy throughout the year.
"So it's a year-round job here, and with both hemispheres in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, we actually cover about 89 percent of the world's tropical cyclones," Callahan said. He explained that JTWC provides forecasts to military bases and ships, U.S. embassies, and U.S. territories such as Guam that fall under their area of responsibility.
"Our main products are the storm track, the horizontal extent of the winds and the intensity of the systems," Callahan said. "These forecasts are very complex, so we use very large numerical models that are run on super computers. We actually have a large suite of these computer models. Some are run here at Joint Typhoon Warning Center, but most are run elsewhere.
"For instance," he continued, "the Navy has some models that are being run at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center. The National Center for Environmental Prediction, which is [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's] computing center, runs some of these models. The Air Force Weather Agency runs a model for us."
He added that the center also uses computer models operated by Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts.
Callahan noted that the models all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some are global in scope, depicting the atmosphere over the entire Earth, and some are regional, providing a higher-resolution look. He explained that the larger models are useful for overall atmospheric flow and forecasting a storm's track.
"But we need the smaller regional models to be able to determine the structure of the cyclone, what the winds are, and how the system is actually behaving within the local environment," he added.
"We are getting excited about the Navy's global model called NOGAPS, which is starting to do a new four-dimensional data assimilation," Callahan said. "Instead of just getting a static picture, it's able to identify trends in the data and, hopefully, get a better initialization before the model starts to run.
"We have also just implemented the Navy's regional model, COAMPS," he continued. "It has a specialized tropical cyclone tracker that we're currently evaluating, and the Air Force Weather Agency is running a regional model called WRF that also is starting to implement a tropical cyclone tracker. So there's a lot of good model development right now, and some other research that we're starting to get excited about."
As for tropical cyclone reconnaissance, Callahan said JTWC monitors storms through a suite of remote sensing technologies set on geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites, along with shore and ship observations and surface radar imagery.
"The No. 1 tool we use is called the scatterometer, and that's able to give us a direction and wind speed of winds at the surface over the ocean," Callahan explained. "It does this through the polarization of microwave energy reflected off the little capillary waves, the tiny one- and two-millimeter waves that are being caused by the wind as it goes over the surface of the ocean."
In addition to traditional weather satellites normally used to track storm movement, Callahan described the use of such space-based sensing devices as microwave imagers and sounders, infrared and water vapor imagers, and radar altimeters. All combine to provide an understanding of the shape, structure, size, intensity and movement of the storm.
Callahan noted that the center has a public-facing Web site that offers regular tropical cyclone warnings, text and graphical products, satellite imagery, and significant weather bulletins. He cautioned, however, that JTWC services are primarily for the Defense Department, and while it may be useful to review the products, viewers should consult their local national meteorological agency for products pertinent to their locality.
(Bob Freeman works in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 13, 2009
NAVY
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $46,735,245 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) to exercise an option for the next phase of verification of the production design for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (48.2 percent), Tewksbury, Mass. (38.3 percent), Portsmouth, R.I. (7.8 percent), Sudbury, Mass. (4.3 percent), Minneapolis, Minn. (1.2 percent), and Marlborough, Mass. (0.2 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Terex Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $7,025,575 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide interim contract logistics services to support for the Terex 50 ton all terrain crane in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The contractor will provide maintenance and supply support for the crane and provide technical assistance to units operating the crane outside the continental United States and will provide all/specified personnel, material, services and necessary support documentation needed to complete the tasks, field service representatives, maintenance and parts. This contract contains an option, which if exercised, will bring the total contract value to $8,918,449. Work will be performed in Bagram, Afghanistan, and Balad, Iraq. Work is expected to be completed in December 2011. This was a sole source contract. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-5024).
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $6,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2100) for the accomplishment of the fiscal year 2008 Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) of USS Enterprise (CVN 65). EDSRAs are similar to overhauls in that they restore the ship, including all subsystems that affect combat capability and safety, to established performance standards. Additionally, an EDSRA provides an opportunity to perform hull inspections, recoating and other maintenance related evolutions below the waterline that cannot be accomplished while the ship is waterborne. The EDSRA provides sufficient time to perform more extensive repairs and testing than are possible during an Extended Selected Restricted Availability. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by January 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc., East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a maximum $18,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for environmental research and development on CO2 emission problems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. The original proposal was web solicited with 39 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 1, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-C-0001).
Falcon Fuels, Inc., Paramount, Calif., is being awarded a minimum $11,337,376.65 fixed-price with economic price adjustment for fuel. Other locations of performance are in various locations in California. Using services are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept., 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-4513).
American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $8,133,585 firm-fixed-price with indefinite-quantity for Navy apparel. Other locations of performance are in Alabama and Mississippi. Using service is the Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-07-D-1551).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $46,735,245 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) to exercise an option for the next phase of verification of the production design for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (48.2 percent), Tewksbury, Mass. (38.3 percent), Portsmouth, R.I. (7.8 percent), Sudbury, Mass. (4.3 percent), Minneapolis, Minn. (1.2 percent), and Marlborough, Mass. (0.2 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Terex Corporation, Fredericksburg, Va., is being awarded a $7,025,575 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide interim contract logistics services to support for the Terex 50 ton all terrain crane in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The contractor will provide maintenance and supply support for the crane and provide technical assistance to units operating the crane outside the continental United States and will provide all/specified personnel, material, services and necessary support documentation needed to complete the tasks, field service representatives, maintenance and parts. This contract contains an option, which if exercised, will bring the total contract value to $8,918,449. Work will be performed in Bagram, Afghanistan, and Balad, Iraq. Work is expected to be completed in December 2011. This was a sole source contract. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-5024).
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $6,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2100) for the accomplishment of the fiscal year 2008 Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) of USS Enterprise (CVN 65). EDSRAs are similar to overhauls in that they restore the ship, including all subsystems that affect combat capability and safety, to established performance standards. Additionally, an EDSRA provides an opportunity to perform hull inspections, recoating and other maintenance related evolutions below the waterline that cannot be accomplished while the ship is waterborne. The EDSRA provides sufficient time to perform more extensive repairs and testing than are possible during an Extended Selected Restricted Availability. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by January 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc., East Hartford, Conn., is being awarded a maximum $18,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for environmental research and development on CO2 emission problems. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Defense Energy Support Center. The original proposal was web solicited with 39 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 1, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP4701-10-C-0001).
Falcon Fuels, Inc., Paramount, Calif., is being awarded a minimum $11,337,376.65 fixed-price with economic price adjustment for fuel. Other locations of performance are in various locations in California. Using services are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with 48 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept., 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SPO600-10-D-4513).
American Apparel, Inc., Selma, Ala., is being awarded a maximum $8,133,585 firm-fixed-price with indefinite-quantity for Navy apparel. Other locations of performance are in Alabama and Mississippi. Using service is the Navy. The original proposal was web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Nov. 18, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-07-D-1551).
Volunteers Reach Out to Military Families
By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - An army of volunteers wrote letters of thanks and assembled care packages for delivery to military families during Operation Appreciation, held Nov. 11 at George Washington University here. The Veterans Day event was sponsored by military-support organization Blue Star Families and by ServiceNation, a national campaign that encourages volunteer service, in partnership with Target and the Public Broadcasting Service.
Volunteers in the university's Marvin Center packed about 500 care packages containing games, lip balm, popcorn, movies, digital cameras and key chains, said Claire Woodward, executive director for Blue Star Families. Other volunteers, she said, wrote letters and thank you notes to military families.
The packages and notes, Woodward said, will be distributed among military families with the Kansas Air National Guard; at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and at Little Creek Navy Base, Va.
"Military families are very proud of their service," Woodward said, noting that such events help to make servicemembers and military families feel appreciated.
Bank of America also partners with ServiceNation to support servicemembers, veterans and their families, said former Army captain Babette Oltmanns, now a senior vice president at the bank's corporate headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
"As a veteran, I understand the sacrifices that military and family members make," Oltmanns said as she watched volunteers from her company writing thank you letters to troops and their families. "It is so critical that the family members be recognized for the sacrifices that they make to support our servicemembers."
Bank of America also supports the hiring of military veterans, with a special focus on recruiting wounded warriors, Oltmanns said.
Constance A. Burns, a Blue Star Families volunteer and president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit National Association of American Veterans Inc., wrote letters to military families.
"Today is a day that we give thanks to them, and we're reaching out, letting them know that America cares about them," Burns said.
Some of the letters, Burns said, are going to grieving families at Fort Hood, Texas, who suffered from the Nov. 5 shootings there. "We're trying to give support, and we're trying to say, 'We love you and we care about you,'" Burns said.
Army Orders Probe at Arlington National Cemetery, Releases Investigation Findings
Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced today that he has ordered an investigation into allegations of lost accountability of some graves, poor record keeping and other issues at Arlington National Cemetery.
"This is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said after signing an order directing the Army's Inspector General to begin an investigation into allegations regarding cemetery operations. "As the final resting place of our nation's heroes, any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice."
McHugh's order comes on the heels of revelations that cemetery workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a gravesite already in use. The error was discovered in May 2008, and cemetery officials immediately took corrective measures, moving the cremated remains to another gravesite and remarking the original grave. Since then, questions have been raised over whether cemetery officials used proper procedures to correct the mistake, including notifying the next of kin.
McHugh's announcement of the probe follows completion of separate internal investigation by the Military District of Washington (MDW) - which the Army released today - over the discovery of an unmarked grave. Cemetery officials conducted an extensive search of both internal and Department of Veterans Affairs records, followed by the MDW investigation and additional efforts by the cemetery, which employed ground penetrating radar and a team of geoarchaeologists.
"Cemetery records, the MDW investigation, and the non-invasive geophysical analysis of the grave sites strongly indicate that a husband and wife, who died years apart and should have been buried in the same gravesite, were instead buried in adjacent graves," said MDW spokesman Col. Dan Baggio.
Cemetery officials have ordered new grave markers for the site. While exhuming the remains and conducting DNA testing would provide a 100 percent assurance of the cemetery's findings, the family has declined taking such invasive action. The Army is abiding by their wishes.
While the unmarked grave was first discovered in 2003, cemetery officials took no action until 2009. McHugh is now directing the Inspector General to examine accountability and policy issues in that case. The Inspector General is also in the midst of a management review of Arlington National Cemetery, begun under former Army Secretary Pete Geren, to make overall recommendations on how better to operate the facility, including possible changes in policy, procedures and regulations.
"A thorough investigation, and transparency in its results, can help correct whatever may be wrong, and ensure America's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground," McHugh said, adding, "We will take appropriate action as the facts dictate."
A copy of the Article 15-6 investigation can be found at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/ANC%2015-6%20redacted%2013%20Nov%2009.pdf
For more information regarding this release, media may contact Gary Tallman of Army public affairs at 703-614-1742.
"This is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said after signing an order directing the Army's Inspector General to begin an investigation into allegations regarding cemetery operations. "As the final resting place of our nation's heroes, any questions about the integrity or accountability of its operations should be examined in a manner befitting their service and sacrifice."
McHugh's order comes on the heels of revelations that cemetery workers inadvertently buried cremated remains at a gravesite already in use. The error was discovered in May 2008, and cemetery officials immediately took corrective measures, moving the cremated remains to another gravesite and remarking the original grave. Since then, questions have been raised over whether cemetery officials used proper procedures to correct the mistake, including notifying the next of kin.
McHugh's announcement of the probe follows completion of separate internal investigation by the Military District of Washington (MDW) - which the Army released today - over the discovery of an unmarked grave. Cemetery officials conducted an extensive search of both internal and Department of Veterans Affairs records, followed by the MDW investigation and additional efforts by the cemetery, which employed ground penetrating radar and a team of geoarchaeologists.
"Cemetery records, the MDW investigation, and the non-invasive geophysical analysis of the grave sites strongly indicate that a husband and wife, who died years apart and should have been buried in the same gravesite, were instead buried in adjacent graves," said MDW spokesman Col. Dan Baggio.
Cemetery officials have ordered new grave markers for the site. While exhuming the remains and conducting DNA testing would provide a 100 percent assurance of the cemetery's findings, the family has declined taking such invasive action. The Army is abiding by their wishes.
While the unmarked grave was first discovered in 2003, cemetery officials took no action until 2009. McHugh is now directing the Inspector General to examine accountability and policy issues in that case. The Inspector General is also in the midst of a management review of Arlington National Cemetery, begun under former Army Secretary Pete Geren, to make overall recommendations on how better to operate the facility, including possible changes in policy, procedures and regulations.
"A thorough investigation, and transparency in its results, can help correct whatever may be wrong, and ensure America's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground," McHugh said, adding, "We will take appropriate action as the facts dictate."
A copy of the Article 15-6 investigation can be found at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/ANC%2015-6%20redacted%2013%20Nov%2009.pdf
For more information regarding this release, media may contact Gary Tallman of Army public affairs at 703-614-1742.
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