By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
April 29, 2007 – Popular rock musician John Mellencamp took to the stage at Walter Reed Army Medical Center April 27 and delivered his trademark Americana singing style as a tribute to the wounded soldiers who inspired him at the hospital. The down-home singer-songwriter known for his bushy black hair and jeans-and-t-shirt performances said he wanted to do something for the soldiers recovering at Walter Reed. About 200 wounded soldiers, staff and family members attended the event, providing a small but energetic crowd.
In the hour-long performance, the Indiana-born-rocker, who became a star in the 1980s, performed many of his older hits such as his opener "Small Town," and "Little Pink Houses," as well as songs from his current Freedom's Road album. "Jack and Diane" was probably the most popular, bringing the crowd to its feet, rivaled only by the finale "Hurts So Good."
The stage was the historical Old Red Cross Building built in 1926 on Walter Reed's campus. Soldiers, families and staff sat on the hard wood floors or on chairs they brought, but they mostly stood and danced as Mellencamp performed. In the front, some waved a flag during parts of the performance. Toward the end, Mellencamp came off the stage to sing to front-row concertgoers.
Mellencamp opened by saying he hoped that everyone could forget about any problems they may have and have a good time. The concert provided a respite for soldiers and their family members recovering at the center.
Army 1st Lt. Josh Mantz arrived at Walter Reed less than a week ago, after being wounded in Iraq. Mantz attended the concert with his fiance, Justina Hollenbach, and best friend, Jesse Scholl. All three are Mellencamp fans.
"It's just awesome what he is doing," said Mantz. "It took a lot of stress off of them [Hollenbach and Scholl]. It kind of let them forget about the stress they've had the past few days worrying about me.
"It takes a lot of stress off the soldiers, a lot of stress off of the families. It's a nice little break. It can be a real sad place without people like John who lighten things up a little bit," he said.
An outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, Mellencamp steered clear of any political statement, choosing instead to emphasize his support to the troops. Mellencamp performed his hit "Our Country" at the opening of the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in January.
His publicist, Bob Merlis, said Mellencamp was impressed then by the attitudes of the soldiers recovering from severe wounds.
"He's very inspired by them. He was awestruck," Merlis said. "He said to me, 'I don't know if this happened to me that I'd have this really positive outlook like some of these guys do."
While at the center, Mellencamp visited with troops and even struck up an impromptu rendition of "Pink Houses" with a soldier who had a guitar.
Mellencamp earned a GRAMMY award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1982 with "Hurts So Good" from his 1982 American Fool album.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Business Leaders Learn About Air Force Mission in Southwest Asia
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 29, 2007 – Participants of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference yesterday met some of the men and women of U.S. Central Command Air Forces who serve here as "guardian angels" for troops deployed to this region. Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Shugg told the group of 45 business and civic leaders, who were on a whirlwind tour of the Central Command area of responsibility, that the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing has planes in air around the clock to support operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa.
The expeditionary wing includes more than 8,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve members, as well as joint and coalition forces, and more than nine different Air Force airframes. The command has more than 100 different types of aircraft that conduct more than 160 take offs and landings every nine minutes, 24 hours a day, Shugg said.
The unit serves as a hub for humanitarian airlift activities while providing mission-essential combat power, aero-medical evacuation and intelligence support for its three theaters of operations.
Pilots typically conduct eight- to 12-hour-long missions and have conducted 274 raids, 413 shows of force, 1,543 air supply requests and 146 high value target eliminations within the past four months, Shugg said.
More than 319,120 sorties have been flown by the 379th AEW during Operation Iraqi Freedom, while 209,372 have been flown for Operation Enduring Freedom.
The JCOC members had the opportunity to see some of $9 billion worth of equipment and the men and women operating it when they went on a tour of the flight line to see KC-135 air refuelers, C-130 cargo planes, E-BC Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, RC-135 intelligence system aircraft, and B-1 bombers.
They also met medical teams who man C-130s on emergency missions and the base's mobile forward surgical team. The C-130 the group toured was prepared for medical evacuations and can assist in getting wounded or sick troops out of the combat zone and to stateside hospitals within 24 hours.
Air Force First Lt. John Shafeshaft, who has served on five deployments with the medical team to the region, said the unit has a very tough mission, but he found it extremely rewarding.
The group also had the opportunity to meet with airmen who conduct safety inspections on aircraft, who perform explosive ordinance disposal and those who build and maintain the wing's engines.
"It's nice that people are interested is learning about what we are doing here," said Air Force Tech Sgt. Clint Conrad. "It means a lot that they are willing to come out here and visit us."
The participants also had the chance to visit the bases' Combined Air and Space Operations Center where they watched as joint and coalition troops execute the day-to-day air operations for the region.
The $60 billion facility serves as the primary theater command and control facility responsible for orchestrating the air campaign throughout the region. Troops at the center plan, monitor and direct sortie execution, time sensitive targeting, battlefield coordination, theater missile defense and countless other activities.
"What amazed me about the Air Force is the tremendous amount of logistics work that goes on," said JCOC participant Denis McFarlane, who is the chief executive officer of the Infinitive consulting firm based in McLean, Va. "I am incredibly impressed by the amount of supplies that comes through here."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 29, 2007 – Participants of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference yesterday met some of the men and women of U.S. Central Command Air Forces who serve here as "guardian angels" for troops deployed to this region. Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Shugg told the group of 45 business and civic leaders, who were on a whirlwind tour of the Central Command area of responsibility, that the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing has planes in air around the clock to support operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa.
The expeditionary wing includes more than 8,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve members, as well as joint and coalition forces, and more than nine different Air Force airframes. The command has more than 100 different types of aircraft that conduct more than 160 take offs and landings every nine minutes, 24 hours a day, Shugg said.
The unit serves as a hub for humanitarian airlift activities while providing mission-essential combat power, aero-medical evacuation and intelligence support for its three theaters of operations.
Pilots typically conduct eight- to 12-hour-long missions and have conducted 274 raids, 413 shows of force, 1,543 air supply requests and 146 high value target eliminations within the past four months, Shugg said.
More than 319,120 sorties have been flown by the 379th AEW during Operation Iraqi Freedom, while 209,372 have been flown for Operation Enduring Freedom.
The JCOC members had the opportunity to see some of $9 billion worth of equipment and the men and women operating it when they went on a tour of the flight line to see KC-135 air refuelers, C-130 cargo planes, E-BC Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, RC-135 intelligence system aircraft, and B-1 bombers.
They also met medical teams who man C-130s on emergency missions and the base's mobile forward surgical team. The C-130 the group toured was prepared for medical evacuations and can assist in getting wounded or sick troops out of the combat zone and to stateside hospitals within 24 hours.
Air Force First Lt. John Shafeshaft, who has served on five deployments with the medical team to the region, said the unit has a very tough mission, but he found it extremely rewarding.
The group also had the opportunity to meet with airmen who conduct safety inspections on aircraft, who perform explosive ordinance disposal and those who build and maintain the wing's engines.
"It's nice that people are interested is learning about what we are doing here," said Air Force Tech Sgt. Clint Conrad. "It means a lot that they are willing to come out here and visit us."
The participants also had the chance to visit the bases' Combined Air and Space Operations Center where they watched as joint and coalition troops execute the day-to-day air operations for the region.
The $60 billion facility serves as the primary theater command and control facility responsible for orchestrating the air campaign throughout the region. Troops at the center plan, monitor and direct sortie execution, time sensitive targeting, battlefield coordination, theater missile defense and countless other activities.
"What amazed me about the Air Force is the tremendous amount of logistics work that goes on," said JCOC participant Denis McFarlane, who is the chief executive officer of the Infinitive consulting firm based in McLean, Va. "I am incredibly impressed by the amount of supplies that comes through here."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
A Fed and Two Local Cops
Editor's Note: Two of the authors are "prior military"
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added a federal law enforcement agent as well as two local police officers.
Anna Mydlarz has been a career law enforcement officer, serving with the city of Buffalo Police Department for over 20 years. She has had experience in patrol work and has been promoted to detective, serving with the burglary task force, vice squad and narcotics squad. She currently serves in the communication crime unit, which specializes in high-tech crimes. stalking, telephone harassment, and Internet crimes. Furthermore, she serves on several task forces that are at the foremost of emerging issues.
Anna Mydlarz co-authored with Donald Hutton Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. According to the book description of the Guide to Law Enforcement Careers, “Hundreds of jobs are listed and described in local, state, federal, military, and special law enforcement agencies. Here’s advice on where to look for job openings, how to apply, and how to meet law enforcement agency qualifications. Careers cover a variety of areas including municipal police officer, deputy sheriff, corrections officer, state police officer, federal agents, criminal investigators, and many more. Advice is given and opportunities are cited for current and recently retired law enforcement officers. Helpful web sites are listed in this edition, and more than 100 law enforcement insignia patches are illustrated.”
Donald B. Hutton served as an executive staff member for the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation. He worked progressively for several law enforcement agencies; with the New York State Office of Inspector General as executive deputy inspector general, as a Delaware & Hudson Railroad Police Department special agent, as a United States Department of Veteran Affairs police officer, and as a United States Customs Service Inspector.
Donald B. Hutton served in the United States Coast Guard as a reservist from 1976 until 1992 in the following capacities: as a boatswains mate, a pollution investigator, a special agent in intelligence, and in mobilization/augmentation administration. In 1992, Donald Hutton received and honorable discharge. He has a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Buffalo
Donald Hutton is also the author of numerous articles and books. He co-authored with Anna Mydlarz Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. He also wrote Guide to Military Careers, and in 2000 published a suspense thriller, A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the book description of A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard, “The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cape Solace mysteriously sinks while on patrol off the coast of Florida, taking 26 crewmembers to a deep water grave. At the same time, Coast Guard Intelligence Agent Brad Thomas surfaces from a deep cover sting operation in New York City netting two “coasties” involved in smuggling for the mob.” According to John Wallace, author of POW-83, “This riveting book will alter America's view of the Coast Guard. Don Hutton is a writer of genuine purpose and originality.”
Robert "Bob" Taubert is thought of by FBI veterans as the finest firearms and tactics instructor to serve in the FBI. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education and served 12 years as a reconnaissance infantry Marine pulling two combat tours in Vietnam, rising to the rank of Major and serving as company commander.
Robert Taubert joined the FBI serving his country as a Special Agent for over twenty-four years. While in the FBI he was heavily involved in Special Operations and was one of the founders and trainers of the FBI’s Elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT. Bob served as the FBI SOG liaison for the USMC and US Navy special operations entities. Bob is responsible for the birth of the widely known SEAL Team 6 and assisted what was to become today’s US Navy's Development Group, in gaining official recognition as a national counter terrorism asset by the military.
Serving as the senior instructor at the FBI Academy in the FBI’s SOARS, the elite Special Operations units he was chosen by the DEA to train and equip DEA agents in Close Quarters Battle, SWAT tactics and combat survival skills. These agents went on to participate in some of the most highly secretive joint agency covert operations that the US has ever run. During his tours of duty with the Bureau and DEA he attended every major firearms school in the world and qualified as a Master or Expert in long and short firearms.
Following the FBI he was a staff instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy; he is a subject matter expert in SWAT, Anti-Terrorism, Hostage Rescue and Police Survival issues; he is a Staff Instructor for the US Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and is also an adjunct Instructor at Alan Brosnan's Tactical Explosive Entry School and Kelly McCain’s Crucible Training Center. He is an accomplished author and is a staff writer for many LE Magazines, publications, and journals. Robert Taubert is the co-author of Soldiering on: The Stories of Two Former Kiwi SAS Men in Their Continuing World-Wide Careers of Adventure.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 506 police officers (representing 213 police departments) and their 1070 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added a federal law enforcement agent as well as two local police officers.
Anna Mydlarz has been a career law enforcement officer, serving with the city of Buffalo Police Department for over 20 years. She has had experience in patrol work and has been promoted to detective, serving with the burglary task force, vice squad and narcotics squad. She currently serves in the communication crime unit, which specializes in high-tech crimes. stalking, telephone harassment, and Internet crimes. Furthermore, she serves on several task forces that are at the foremost of emerging issues.
Anna Mydlarz co-authored with Donald Hutton Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. According to the book description of the Guide to Law Enforcement Careers, “Hundreds of jobs are listed and described in local, state, federal, military, and special law enforcement agencies. Here’s advice on where to look for job openings, how to apply, and how to meet law enforcement agency qualifications. Careers cover a variety of areas including municipal police officer, deputy sheriff, corrections officer, state police officer, federal agents, criminal investigators, and many more. Advice is given and opportunities are cited for current and recently retired law enforcement officers. Helpful web sites are listed in this edition, and more than 100 law enforcement insignia patches are illustrated.”
Donald B. Hutton served as an executive staff member for the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation. He worked progressively for several law enforcement agencies; with the New York State Office of Inspector General as executive deputy inspector general, as a Delaware & Hudson Railroad Police Department special agent, as a United States Department of Veteran Affairs police officer, and as a United States Customs Service Inspector.
Donald B. Hutton served in the United States Coast Guard as a reservist from 1976 until 1992 in the following capacities: as a boatswains mate, a pollution investigator, a special agent in intelligence, and in mobilization/augmentation administration. In 1992, Donald Hutton received and honorable discharge. He has a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Buffalo
Donald Hutton is also the author of numerous articles and books. He co-authored with Anna Mydlarz Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. He also wrote Guide to Military Careers, and in 2000 published a suspense thriller, A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the book description of A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard, “The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cape Solace mysteriously sinks while on patrol off the coast of Florida, taking 26 crewmembers to a deep water grave. At the same time, Coast Guard Intelligence Agent Brad Thomas surfaces from a deep cover sting operation in New York City netting two “coasties” involved in smuggling for the mob.” According to John Wallace, author of POW-83, “This riveting book will alter America's view of the Coast Guard. Don Hutton is a writer of genuine purpose and originality.”
Robert "Bob" Taubert is thought of by FBI veterans as the finest firearms and tactics instructor to serve in the FBI. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education and served 12 years as a reconnaissance infantry Marine pulling two combat tours in Vietnam, rising to the rank of Major and serving as company commander.
Robert Taubert joined the FBI serving his country as a Special Agent for over twenty-four years. While in the FBI he was heavily involved in Special Operations and was one of the founders and trainers of the FBI’s Elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT. Bob served as the FBI SOG liaison for the USMC and US Navy special operations entities. Bob is responsible for the birth of the widely known SEAL Team 6 and assisted what was to become today’s US Navy's Development Group, in gaining official recognition as a national counter terrorism asset by the military.
Serving as the senior instructor at the FBI Academy in the FBI’s SOARS, the elite Special Operations units he was chosen by the DEA to train and equip DEA agents in Close Quarters Battle, SWAT tactics and combat survival skills. These agents went on to participate in some of the most highly secretive joint agency covert operations that the US has ever run. During his tours of duty with the Bureau and DEA he attended every major firearms school in the world and qualified as a Master or Expert in long and short firearms.
Following the FBI he was a staff instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy; he is a subject matter expert in SWAT, Anti-Terrorism, Hostage Rescue and Police Survival issues; he is a Staff Instructor for the US Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and is also an adjunct Instructor at Alan Brosnan's Tactical Explosive Entry School and Kelly McCain’s Crucible Training Center. He is an accomplished author and is a staff writer for many LE Magazines, publications, and journals. Robert Taubert is the co-author of Soldiering on: The Stories of Two Former Kiwi SAS Men in Their Continuing World-Wide Careers of Adventure.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 506 police officers (representing 213 police departments) and their 1070 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
War Hero, Firefighter, Police Officer, Actor and Writer
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added James McEachin to the website. He is a war hero and has been a firefighter, police officer, accomplished actor, writer and now a movie director.
James McEachin, a former police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) is an African-American actor and award-winning author most notably noted for his role as the first black man to have his own show on NBC called TENAFLY, and for his many character roles such as portraying police lieutenant Brock in the Perry Mason television movie series.
As a young man, James McEachin served in the U.S. Army before, and then during the Korean War. Serving in King Company, he was wounded (nearly fatally) in an ambush and left for dead. He was rescued by a young blond boy who carried him for two days and many miles over difficult terrain and nearby gunfire to safety before disappearing from McEachin's life forever. McEachin was one of only two soldiers to survive the ambush. He was discharged from the Army as a corporal. He was awarded both the Purple Heart and Silver Star in 2005 by California Congressman David Dreier after McEachin participated in a Veterans History Project interview given by Dreier's office and in which they discovered McEachin had no copies of his own military records. Dreier's office quickly traced the records and notified McEachin of the Silver Star commendation and awarding him all seven of his medals of valor shortly thereafter and fifty years after his service.
Following his military career James McEachin dabbled in civil service as first a fireman and then a police officer. In 1953, he had a brief law enforcement career as a police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) before he moved to California and became a record producer. Known as Jimmy Mack in the industry, he worked with young artists like Otis Redding and went on to produce The Fury's. He began his acting career shortly after, and was signed by Universal as a contract actor in the 1960s. He was regularly cast in professional, "solid citizen" occupational roles, such as a lawyer or a police commander, guesting on numerous series such as Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and Dragnet. He played the dee-jay Sweet Al Monty in Play Misty for Me (1971) with Clint Eastwood. In 1973, McEachin starred as Harry Tenafly, the title character in Tenafly, a short-lived detective series about a police officer turned private detective who relied on his wits and hard work, rather than guns and fistfights.
While continuing to guest star in many television series and appearing in several feature-length films, McEachin landed his most memorable role, that of police lieutenant Brock in the 1986 television movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun. He would reprise this role in more than a dozen Perry Mason telemovies, appearing opposite the late Raymond Burr.
In the 1990s, McEachin semi-retired from acting to pursue a writing career. His first work was a military history of the court-martial of 63 black American soldiers during the First World War, titled Farewell to the Mockingbirds (1995), which won the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award. His next works, mainly fiction novels, included The Heroin Factor (1999), Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue (2000), The Great Canis Lupus (2001), and Tell me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (2003). McEachin also published Pebbles in the Roadway in (2003), a collection of short stories and essays which the author describes as "a philosophical view of America and Americans." In (2005) McEachin produced the award-winning audio book VOICES: A Tribute to the American Veteran.
In early (2006) the film short REVEILLE in which James McEachin starred with David Huddleston began to play to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and people began to request copies of the film. The film was posted on video,google.com and quickly garnered 1.5 million hits and a deluge of fan mail to the jamesmceachin.com website which inspired McEachin's latest contribution, OLD GLORY in which he wrote, produced, directed, and acted. OLD GLORY is McEachin's directorial debut.
In 2001, McEachin received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Morgan State University. In 2005, he became an Army Reserve Ambassador, this distinction carries the protocol of a two-star general. (Source for some of the information was en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McEachin)
As a former member of the U.S. Military, James McEachin is also listed on www.military-writers.com
Police-Writers.com now hosts 504 police officers (representing 211 police departments) and their 1066 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
James McEachin, a former police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) is an African-American actor and award-winning author most notably noted for his role as the first black man to have his own show on NBC called TENAFLY, and for his many character roles such as portraying police lieutenant Brock in the Perry Mason television movie series.
As a young man, James McEachin served in the U.S. Army before, and then during the Korean War. Serving in King Company, he was wounded (nearly fatally) in an ambush and left for dead. He was rescued by a young blond boy who carried him for two days and many miles over difficult terrain and nearby gunfire to safety before disappearing from McEachin's life forever. McEachin was one of only two soldiers to survive the ambush. He was discharged from the Army as a corporal. He was awarded both the Purple Heart and Silver Star in 2005 by California Congressman David Dreier after McEachin participated in a Veterans History Project interview given by Dreier's office and in which they discovered McEachin had no copies of his own military records. Dreier's office quickly traced the records and notified McEachin of the Silver Star commendation and awarding him all seven of his medals of valor shortly thereafter and fifty years after his service.
Following his military career James McEachin dabbled in civil service as first a fireman and then a police officer. In 1953, he had a brief law enforcement career as a police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) before he moved to California and became a record producer. Known as Jimmy Mack in the industry, he worked with young artists like Otis Redding and went on to produce The Fury's. He began his acting career shortly after, and was signed by Universal as a contract actor in the 1960s. He was regularly cast in professional, "solid citizen" occupational roles, such as a lawyer or a police commander, guesting on numerous series such as Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and Dragnet. He played the dee-jay Sweet Al Monty in Play Misty for Me (1971) with Clint Eastwood. In 1973, McEachin starred as Harry Tenafly, the title character in Tenafly, a short-lived detective series about a police officer turned private detective who relied on his wits and hard work, rather than guns and fistfights.
While continuing to guest star in many television series and appearing in several feature-length films, McEachin landed his most memorable role, that of police lieutenant Brock in the 1986 television movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun. He would reprise this role in more than a dozen Perry Mason telemovies, appearing opposite the late Raymond Burr.
In the 1990s, McEachin semi-retired from acting to pursue a writing career. His first work was a military history of the court-martial of 63 black American soldiers during the First World War, titled Farewell to the Mockingbirds (1995), which won the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award. His next works, mainly fiction novels, included The Heroin Factor (1999), Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue (2000), The Great Canis Lupus (2001), and Tell me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (2003). McEachin also published Pebbles in the Roadway in (2003), a collection of short stories and essays which the author describes as "a philosophical view of America and Americans." In (2005) McEachin produced the award-winning audio book VOICES: A Tribute to the American Veteran.
In early (2006) the film short REVEILLE in which James McEachin starred with David Huddleston began to play to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and people began to request copies of the film. The film was posted on video,google.com and quickly garnered 1.5 million hits and a deluge of fan mail to the jamesmceachin.com website which inspired McEachin's latest contribution, OLD GLORY in which he wrote, produced, directed, and acted. OLD GLORY is McEachin's directorial debut.
In 2001, McEachin received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Morgan State University. In 2005, he became an Army Reserve Ambassador, this distinction carries the protocol of a two-star general. (Source for some of the information was en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McEachin)
As a former member of the U.S. Military, James McEachin is also listed on www.military-writers.com
Police-Writers.com now hosts 504 police officers (representing 211 police departments) and their 1066 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
A Marine and A Sailor
Military-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing all former United States military personnel who have written books. The website added a sailor, Shane Moore, and a Marine, Robert Taubert.
Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome. Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.
One reader/reviewer of Shane Moore’s novel said, “A Prisoner's Welcome is a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind ride with politics, deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale.” Shane Moore served in the United States Navy.
Robert "Bob" Taubert is thought of by FBI veterans as the finest firearms and tactics instructor to serve in the FBI. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education and served 12 years as a reconnaissance infantry Marine pulling two combat tours in Vietnam, rising to the rank of Major and serving as company commander.
Robert Taubert joined the FBI serving his country as a Special Agent for over twenty-four years. While in the FBI he was heavily involved in Special Operations and was one of the founders and trainers of the FBI’s Elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT. Bob served as the FBI SOG liaison for the USMC and US Navy special operations entities. Bob is responsible for the birth of the widely known SEAL Team 6 and assisted what was to become today’s US Navy's Development Group, in gaining official recognition as a national counter terrorism asset by the military.
Serving as the senior instructor at the FBI Academy in the FBI’s SOARS, the elite Special Operations units Robert Taubert was chosen by the DEA to train and equip DEA agents in Close Quarters Battle, SWAT tactics and combat survival skills. These agents went on to participate in some of the most highly secretive joint agency covert operations that the US has ever run. During his tours of duty with the Bureau and DEA he attended every major firearms school in the world and qualified as a Master or Expert in long and short firearms.
Following the FBI he was a staff instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy; he is a subject matter expert in SWAT, Anti-Terrorism, Hostage Rescue and Police Survival issues; he is a Staff Instructor for the US Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and is also an adjunct Instructor at Alan Brosnan's Tactical Explosive Entry School and Kelly McCain’s Crucible Training Center. He is an accomplished author and is a staff writer for many LE Magazines, publications, and journals. Robert Taubert is the co-author of Soldiering on: The Stories of Two Former Kiwi SAS Men in Their Continuing World-Wide Careers of Adventure.
In addition to hosting current, former and retired military personnel who have written books, Military-Writers.com is building and extensive web-based directory of military personnel who own businesses.
Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome. Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.
One reader/reviewer of Shane Moore’s novel said, “A Prisoner's Welcome is a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind ride with politics, deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale.” Shane Moore served in the United States Navy.
Robert "Bob" Taubert is thought of by FBI veterans as the finest firearms and tactics instructor to serve in the FBI. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education and served 12 years as a reconnaissance infantry Marine pulling two combat tours in Vietnam, rising to the rank of Major and serving as company commander.
Robert Taubert joined the FBI serving his country as a Special Agent for over twenty-four years. While in the FBI he was heavily involved in Special Operations and was one of the founders and trainers of the FBI’s Elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT. Bob served as the FBI SOG liaison for the USMC and US Navy special operations entities. Bob is responsible for the birth of the widely known SEAL Team 6 and assisted what was to become today’s US Navy's Development Group, in gaining official recognition as a national counter terrorism asset by the military.
Serving as the senior instructor at the FBI Academy in the FBI’s SOARS, the elite Special Operations units Robert Taubert was chosen by the DEA to train and equip DEA agents in Close Quarters Battle, SWAT tactics and combat survival skills. These agents went on to participate in some of the most highly secretive joint agency covert operations that the US has ever run. During his tours of duty with the Bureau and DEA he attended every major firearms school in the world and qualified as a Master or Expert in long and short firearms.
Following the FBI he was a staff instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy; he is a subject matter expert in SWAT, Anti-Terrorism, Hostage Rescue and Police Survival issues; he is a Staff Instructor for the US Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and is also an adjunct Instructor at Alan Brosnan's Tactical Explosive Entry School and Kelly McCain’s Crucible Training Center. He is an accomplished author and is a staff writer for many LE Magazines, publications, and journals. Robert Taubert is the co-author of Soldiering on: The Stories of Two Former Kiwi SAS Men in Their Continuing World-Wide Careers of Adventure.
In addition to hosting current, former and retired military personnel who have written books, Military-Writers.com is building and extensive web-based directory of military personnel who own businesses.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Modern Missions Rely on Languages, Cultural Awareness, Official Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – The Defense Department needs more servicemembers who understand other languages and cultures to meet current and envisioned 21st-century challenges, a senior official said at a Capitol Hill hearing. "Foreign language and regional expertise, which includes cultural awareness, are emerging as key competencies for our 21st-century Total Force," Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans and the department's senior language authority, said in her prepared statement submitted to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee's emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee April 25.
Military operations conducted in Afghanistan and Iraq following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States highlighted "the reality that the Defense Department needs an improved capability in languages and dialects of strategic interest," McGinn said.
To address this need, the department in 2005 began assembling a cadre of high-proficiency-level language specialists who could be employed in multinational military operations, as well as peacekeeping and civil-military affairs missions, McGinn said.
For example, the department's foreign area officer program develops a corps of commissioned officers who are trained to understand and recognize the nuances of foreign cultures and are skilled in one or more languages spoken in their regional area of expertise, McGinn said. Today, about 1,600 FAOs have been designated, qualified or are in training, she said.
The Army's 09L interpreter/translator program is another success story, McGinn said. The Army launched a pilot program in 2003 to recruit people living in communities in America who understand Arabic, Dari and Pashto to join the Individual Ready Reserve and support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, she said.
"The program was so successful that in 2006, the Army formally established the 09L Translator Aide as a permanent military occupational specialty with a career path from recruit through sergeant major," McGinn said. To date, the program has trained and deployed more than 317 such linguists, she said, with another 175 people in various stages of training.
Senior leaders also recognized that the department "had to assume a more proactive role in promoting and encouraging language education in the American population," McGinn said. To that end, President Bush announced the National Security Language Initiative in January 2006.
This initiative is designed "to dramatically increase the number of Americans learning critical-need foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi and Farsi," McGinn explained, noting the Defense Department's contribution to the president's initiative is made through the National Security Education Program.
The NSEP "provides scholarships and fellowships to enable U.S. students to study critical languages and cultures in return for federal national security service," McGinn explained.
Other NSLI initiatives such as the Flagship program reach out to kindergarten- to college-age young people who are interested in learning a foreign language that's deemed critical to national security, McGinn noted. One such Chinese-language partnership enlists the University of Oregon and Portland (Oregon) Public Schools.
"While focusing on early language learning, this effort has already succeeded in enrolling 10 students, as freshmen, from the Portland high schools in an experimental advanced four-year Chinese program at the University of Oregon," McGinn reported. Similar partnerships, she added, have been established with Ohio State University and the Dearborn, Mich., public school district.
The Language Corps is another Defense Department initiative that contributes to the president's language-skills outreach program, McGinn said.
"This effort will identify Americans with skills in critical languages and develop the capacity to mobilize them during times of national need or emergency," she explained. "We just awarded a contract to assist us as we begin a three-year pilot (program) to meet our goal of 1,000 Language Corps members."
McGinn said the Defense Department also is coordinating a series of regional meetings with state and local governments, educational institutions, school boards, parents and businesses to communication the need for more foreign-language specialists.
"These summits will take place later this spring and action plans will be produced by the fall (of) 2007," McGinn said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – The Defense Department needs more servicemembers who understand other languages and cultures to meet current and envisioned 21st-century challenges, a senior official said at a Capitol Hill hearing. "Foreign language and regional expertise, which includes cultural awareness, are emerging as key competencies for our 21st-century Total Force," Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans and the department's senior language authority, said in her prepared statement submitted to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee's emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee April 25.
Military operations conducted in Afghanistan and Iraq following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States highlighted "the reality that the Defense Department needs an improved capability in languages and dialects of strategic interest," McGinn said.
To address this need, the department in 2005 began assembling a cadre of high-proficiency-level language specialists who could be employed in multinational military operations, as well as peacekeeping and civil-military affairs missions, McGinn said.
For example, the department's foreign area officer program develops a corps of commissioned officers who are trained to understand and recognize the nuances of foreign cultures and are skilled in one or more languages spoken in their regional area of expertise, McGinn said. Today, about 1,600 FAOs have been designated, qualified or are in training, she said.
The Army's 09L interpreter/translator program is another success story, McGinn said. The Army launched a pilot program in 2003 to recruit people living in communities in America who understand Arabic, Dari and Pashto to join the Individual Ready Reserve and support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, she said.
"The program was so successful that in 2006, the Army formally established the 09L Translator Aide as a permanent military occupational specialty with a career path from recruit through sergeant major," McGinn said. To date, the program has trained and deployed more than 317 such linguists, she said, with another 175 people in various stages of training.
Senior leaders also recognized that the department "had to assume a more proactive role in promoting and encouraging language education in the American population," McGinn said. To that end, President Bush announced the National Security Language Initiative in January 2006.
This initiative is designed "to dramatically increase the number of Americans learning critical-need foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi and Farsi," McGinn explained, noting the Defense Department's contribution to the president's initiative is made through the National Security Education Program.
The NSEP "provides scholarships and fellowships to enable U.S. students to study critical languages and cultures in return for federal national security service," McGinn explained.
Other NSLI initiatives such as the Flagship program reach out to kindergarten- to college-age young people who are interested in learning a foreign language that's deemed critical to national security, McGinn noted. One such Chinese-language partnership enlists the University of Oregon and Portland (Oregon) Public Schools.
"While focusing on early language learning, this effort has already succeeded in enrolling 10 students, as freshmen, from the Portland high schools in an experimental advanced four-year Chinese program at the University of Oregon," McGinn reported. Similar partnerships, she added, have been established with Ohio State University and the Dearborn, Mich., public school district.
The Language Corps is another Defense Department initiative that contributes to the president's language-skills outreach program, McGinn said.
"This effort will identify Americans with skills in critical languages and develop the capacity to mobilize them during times of national need or emergency," she explained. "We just awarded a contract to assist us as we begin a three-year pilot (program) to meet our goal of 1,000 Language Corps members."
McGinn said the Defense Department also is coordinating a series of regional meetings with state and local governments, educational institutions, school boards, parents and businesses to communication the need for more foreign-language specialists.
"These summits will take place later this spring and action plans will be produced by the fall (of) 2007," McGinn said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Edwards Readies for Joint Strike Fighter Testing
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – All systems are moving toward "go" here as officials prepare for upcoming tests on the next-generation strike fighter, the F-35 "Lightning II" Joint Strike Fighter. A new mission control room opened its doors earlier this month, equipped so the Integrated Test Force will be able to monitor real-time performance of the aircraft during its test missions here beginning this fall.
The long-awaited aircraft, the first to be developed within the Defense Department to meet the needs of three services, promises state-of-the-art technology at a cost officials say simply couldn't be matched by three separate aircraft programs.
"What's unique about this aircraft is that we're building three variants, all at once," said Marc Trinklein, deputy director for the Integrated Test Force.
These variants are designed for the specific needs of the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as international partners that are helping fund and develop the aircraft, he said. This represents the first time in military procurement history that the United States has partnered with another nation to build an aircraft from the ground up.
Current partners are the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway, but Trinklein said more are expected to sign on.
This arrangement brings unprecedented economies of scale. The aircraft's three models share many common designs, technologies and maintenance requirements, Trinklein said. For example, all three aircraft can use a common engine, one produced by two different contractors.
At the same time, he said, they'll deliver revolutionary new capabilities adapted for close-air support, tactical bombing and air-to-air combat missions.
The bulk of the F-35s will be the "A" model, configured for the Air Force to replace F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and complement the F-22A Raptor. They will feature conventional takeoff and landing capabilities.
This aircraft, which made its maiden flight at the Lockheed-Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-December, is expected to undergo developmental testing here and at Fort Worth beginning in mid-2009 or early 2010.
Meanwhile, developmental testing for the other two F-35 variants, the "B" and "C" models, will take place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
The "B" model, being developed for the Marine Corps, will have short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. It is designed to replace the Marines' F/A-18C and D Hornet fighters and AV-8B Harrier IIs.
Initial plans called for the models to be developed sequentially, "A" followed by "B," then by "C," but Trinklein said the "B" model has moved to the front of the line. "The Marines have the greatest need due to the age of the Harrier fleet," he said. "They are flying Harriers, and they are very old and not so capable, so they are recognized as the biggest need."
The F-35B is expected to make its first flight in May 2008.
The "C" model F-35 will be adapted for the Navy for carrier landings. It will feature larger, folding wings and stronger landing gear than the other variants and complement the F/A18 "E" and "F" models.
After developmental testing here and at Patuxent River, all three models - six of each, plus two British versions -- will undergo operational testing here beginning in 2011, Trinklein said.
The goal, he said, is to get the first F-35B's fielded to the Marine Corps in 2012. The other two models are expected to follow to their respective services in 2013.
When they're delivered, these aircraft will bring cutting-edge technologies. They'll provide a level of stealth not found in previous Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and a highly advanced radar capability Trinklein said "is incredible compared to what's out in the field now."
An infrared electro-optical targeting system will provide "awesome" detail, and an integrated distributed aperture sensor system will enable a pilot to see infrared imagery from any direction via a helmet-mounted display.
"This is a huge step in situational awareness," Trinklein said. "It's revolutionary to have the pilot to have no blind spots, day or night."
An autonomic logistics system is designed to run without paper, technical orders or even checklists.
The aircraft also will monitor its own systems and issue reports as needed. "It's designed to be predictive," Trinklein said. "It will be able to tell if a system is starting to degrade before it becomes a problem. It will say what part is needed, so that part can be ready when the plane lands."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – All systems are moving toward "go" here as officials prepare for upcoming tests on the next-generation strike fighter, the F-35 "Lightning II" Joint Strike Fighter. A new mission control room opened its doors earlier this month, equipped so the Integrated Test Force will be able to monitor real-time performance of the aircraft during its test missions here beginning this fall.
The long-awaited aircraft, the first to be developed within the Defense Department to meet the needs of three services, promises state-of-the-art technology at a cost officials say simply couldn't be matched by three separate aircraft programs.
"What's unique about this aircraft is that we're building three variants, all at once," said Marc Trinklein, deputy director for the Integrated Test Force.
These variants are designed for the specific needs of the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as international partners that are helping fund and develop the aircraft, he said. This represents the first time in military procurement history that the United States has partnered with another nation to build an aircraft from the ground up.
Current partners are the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway, but Trinklein said more are expected to sign on.
This arrangement brings unprecedented economies of scale. The aircraft's three models share many common designs, technologies and maintenance requirements, Trinklein said. For example, all three aircraft can use a common engine, one produced by two different contractors.
At the same time, he said, they'll deliver revolutionary new capabilities adapted for close-air support, tactical bombing and air-to-air combat missions.
The bulk of the F-35s will be the "A" model, configured for the Air Force to replace F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and complement the F-22A Raptor. They will feature conventional takeoff and landing capabilities.
This aircraft, which made its maiden flight at the Lockheed-Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-December, is expected to undergo developmental testing here and at Fort Worth beginning in mid-2009 or early 2010.
Meanwhile, developmental testing for the other two F-35 variants, the "B" and "C" models, will take place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
The "B" model, being developed for the Marine Corps, will have short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. It is designed to replace the Marines' F/A-18C and D Hornet fighters and AV-8B Harrier IIs.
Initial plans called for the models to be developed sequentially, "A" followed by "B," then by "C," but Trinklein said the "B" model has moved to the front of the line. "The Marines have the greatest need due to the age of the Harrier fleet," he said. "They are flying Harriers, and they are very old and not so capable, so they are recognized as the biggest need."
The F-35B is expected to make its first flight in May 2008.
The "C" model F-35 will be adapted for the Navy for carrier landings. It will feature larger, folding wings and stronger landing gear than the other variants and complement the F/A18 "E" and "F" models.
After developmental testing here and at Patuxent River, all three models - six of each, plus two British versions -- will undergo operational testing here beginning in 2011, Trinklein said.
The goal, he said, is to get the first F-35B's fielded to the Marine Corps in 2012. The other two models are expected to follow to their respective services in 2013.
When they're delivered, these aircraft will bring cutting-edge technologies. They'll provide a level of stealth not found in previous Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and a highly advanced radar capability Trinklein said "is incredible compared to what's out in the field now."
An infrared electro-optical targeting system will provide "awesome" detail, and an integrated distributed aperture sensor system will enable a pilot to see infrared imagery from any direction via a helmet-mounted display.
"This is a huge step in situational awareness," Trinklein said. "It's revolutionary to have the pilot to have no blind spots, day or night."
An autonomic logistics system is designed to run without paper, technical orders or even checklists.
The aircraft also will monitor its own systems and issue reports as needed. "It's designed to be predictive," Trinklein said. "It will be able to tell if a system is starting to degrade before it becomes a problem. It will say what part is needed, so that part can be ready when the plane lands."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Edwards Test Mission Helping Shape Future Force
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A team of military and civilian employees and contractors at the Air Force Flight Test Center here is helping to build the Air Force of the future as they improve on air systems in use around the world today in the war on terror. For the past 60 years, this sprawling Mojave Desert base has hosted more major aviation milestones than any other spot on the globe. Then-Capt. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft here in 1947. Other test pilots here followed his lead, pushing Yeager's speed and altitude records to new limits.
It was also here that the X-15 rocket plane probed the threshold of space, and where the space shuttle landed on its initial return from orbit.
Today, "Team Edwards" is building on that legacy, pushing aviation to new limits and ensuring the safest, most dependable aircraft possible, Col. Chris Cook, commander of the 412th Operations Group, told American Forces Press Service.
Engineers, scientists, logisticians, technicians and test pilots here - "50-pound brains," as Cook calls them -- strive to push the aviation envelope and work out every imaginable "bug" before delivering a new aircraft or system to the field.
"We try to mitigate some of the risk," said Cook, a former test pilot himself. "What we try to make sure is that the second lieutenant flying the aircraft for the first time isn't a test pilot."
For that, Edwards has its own test pilots, trained at the Air Force Test Pilot School here. Most are senior captains or junior majors who come armed with technical degrees and high ratings as aircrew members before being selected for the rigorous year-long program.
One of their most important attributes, Cook said, is the ability to think on their feet - or in just about any other position or situation imaginable. "I have to be able to talk to you about my altitude while upside down and spinning," he said. "Those are the things that separate test pilots from the rest of the world. You have to be able to fly, but you also have to be technically oriented to understand that side of things."
These test pilots work shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the country's brightest engineers, scientists, logisticians and technicians throughout the aircraft research, development, testing and evaluation process, Cook said.
"We try to get involved as early as possible in the concept stage so the testing effort gets planned for early," Cook said.
The goal is to avoid surprises and the need for "rework" that can send a project back to the drawing board or signal its death knell. "Rework is the thing that kills us," Cook said. "The (development) schedule goes out the window and the cost goes way up."
As aircraft systems and platforms are developed, they're put through the test process in what Cook calls "baby steps." Tests typically begin through computer models and in simulators before progressing to real flight operations.
Those tests, too, go in a precise step-by-step sequence. "Sometimes going very fast requires us to go slow," Cook said. "We're very methodical. After all, you have only one opportunity to do it right."
Only when real-life results begin to validate those projected in computer models, the testing expands "from what we know to what we don't know," he said. They're subjected to different altitudes, different speeds and new demands.
"It's kind of like being a blind person," he said. "We have our cane and start to tap around looking for cliffs. There are still cliffs out there we don't even know about."
The meticulous work done here aims to make sure operators never have to encounter those cliffs during real operations, he said. "We want to ensure they have the safest, most reliable systems possible," he said.
Cook said the staff members here recognize they "stand on the shoulders of giants" who served before them. Over Edwards' history, its people have played key roles in developing nearly every aircraft that's entered the Air Force inventory since World War II.
Now, as they focus on new and future systems - the F-22A Raptor, the RQ-4A Global Hawk and the F-35 "Lightning II" Joint Strike Fighter, among them - Cook said he recognizes they're helping shape the future Air Force for generations to come.
"We recognize the importance of what we do here and the long-term implications it has for the Air Force," he said. "I tell my guys we're history makers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A team of military and civilian employees and contractors at the Air Force Flight Test Center here is helping to build the Air Force of the future as they improve on air systems in use around the world today in the war on terror. For the past 60 years, this sprawling Mojave Desert base has hosted more major aviation milestones than any other spot on the globe. Then-Capt. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft here in 1947. Other test pilots here followed his lead, pushing Yeager's speed and altitude records to new limits.
It was also here that the X-15 rocket plane probed the threshold of space, and where the space shuttle landed on its initial return from orbit.
Today, "Team Edwards" is building on that legacy, pushing aviation to new limits and ensuring the safest, most dependable aircraft possible, Col. Chris Cook, commander of the 412th Operations Group, told American Forces Press Service.
Engineers, scientists, logisticians, technicians and test pilots here - "50-pound brains," as Cook calls them -- strive to push the aviation envelope and work out every imaginable "bug" before delivering a new aircraft or system to the field.
"We try to mitigate some of the risk," said Cook, a former test pilot himself. "What we try to make sure is that the second lieutenant flying the aircraft for the first time isn't a test pilot."
For that, Edwards has its own test pilots, trained at the Air Force Test Pilot School here. Most are senior captains or junior majors who come armed with technical degrees and high ratings as aircrew members before being selected for the rigorous year-long program.
One of their most important attributes, Cook said, is the ability to think on their feet - or in just about any other position or situation imaginable. "I have to be able to talk to you about my altitude while upside down and spinning," he said. "Those are the things that separate test pilots from the rest of the world. You have to be able to fly, but you also have to be technically oriented to understand that side of things."
These test pilots work shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the country's brightest engineers, scientists, logisticians and technicians throughout the aircraft research, development, testing and evaluation process, Cook said.
"We try to get involved as early as possible in the concept stage so the testing effort gets planned for early," Cook said.
The goal is to avoid surprises and the need for "rework" that can send a project back to the drawing board or signal its death knell. "Rework is the thing that kills us," Cook said. "The (development) schedule goes out the window and the cost goes way up."
As aircraft systems and platforms are developed, they're put through the test process in what Cook calls "baby steps." Tests typically begin through computer models and in simulators before progressing to real flight operations.
Those tests, too, go in a precise step-by-step sequence. "Sometimes going very fast requires us to go slow," Cook said. "We're very methodical. After all, you have only one opportunity to do it right."
Only when real-life results begin to validate those projected in computer models, the testing expands "from what we know to what we don't know," he said. They're subjected to different altitudes, different speeds and new demands.
"It's kind of like being a blind person," he said. "We have our cane and start to tap around looking for cliffs. There are still cliffs out there we don't even know about."
The meticulous work done here aims to make sure operators never have to encounter those cliffs during real operations, he said. "We want to ensure they have the safest, most reliable systems possible," he said.
Cook said the staff members here recognize they "stand on the shoulders of giants" who served before them. Over Edwards' history, its people have played key roles in developing nearly every aircraft that's entered the Air Force inventory since World War II.
Now, as they focus on new and future systems - the F-22A Raptor, the RQ-4A Global Hawk and the F-35 "Lightning II" Joint Strike Fighter, among them - Cook said he recognizes they're helping shape the future Air Force for generations to come.
"We recognize the importance of what we do here and the long-term implications it has for the Air Force," he said. "I tell my guys we're history makers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
New JKO Portal to Offer Joint Online Training
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A new system unveiled today is designed to better prepare servicemembers to operate with other services, government agencies, foreign militaries and non-governmental organizations while reducing the time they spend away from home or their units for military classes. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, joined Air Force Gen. Lance L. Smith, commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, at the general's headquarters in Suffolk, Va., to officially cut the ribbon on the new Joint Knowledge Online, or JKO, enterprise portal system.
The system will go live worldwide April 30 to deliver coursework and learning tools for people involved in integrated, joint operations, Smith told reporters during a teleconference following the ceremony.
Chu called JKO a major step in the Defense Department's training transformation effort to improve how it prepares its people for their missions around the world. It recognizes that operations now and in the future will be not just joint, but also integrated, meaning they include elements of other U.S. government agencies, foreign militaries and non-governmental organizations, he said.
"For our forces to be effective in that world, they have to prepare with a joint perspective from the start," he said.
JKO's distance-learning classes will give users a chance to learn or brush up on skills they need to operate in a challenging and constantly changing environment, Chu said.
Smith said JKO's unveiling represents a big step toward improving individual training that helps prepare troops to go to war.
"It makes sure that when our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines are out there in the field having to fight a war, that those over them, especially in the joint arena, are prepared to make the kind of decisions that need to be made so they can go do their mission, and know that they are trained to do it," Smith said. "So it fills a very important capability for us."
JKO delivers this critical training with consideration to the heavy demands already being placed on their personal time, he said.
"In today's environment, where the operations tempo is so high, ... this will allow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to be able to train in many areas at their own pace, in their own houses or their own workspace without having to take more time away from their family and their units," he said.
For example, one of the portal's first offerings, the Joint Individual Augmentee Module, will replace a week-long resident course that was offered in Suffolk, Va. Rather than receiving orders to attend the resident school, students will receive orders directing them to a specific Web site and telling them how to access the coursework.
Other offerings will shorten resident course time by giving students the basics online before they show up for the first day of class.
With unit rotations sometimes giving troops only a year of "dwell time" at home between deploying, "every day counts," Smith said. "And I think this will go a long way toward easing their training scheme as they prepare to go to Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever else it is that they are going to do."
A particularly unique feature of the new portal is that it's open not just to servicemembers, but also to others who will work alongside them in integrated operations.
Smith said giving these groups the opportunity to train for missions they'll conduct together, such as running a provincinal reconstruction team, will put them a step ahead when they hit the ground. "We can make sure we show up to the PRTs or some other function we are doing together at least with the basic knowledge that we can share and talk about," he said.
Chu praised the portal's ability to bring together players in different locations and allow them to interact in virtual exercises. "It allows us to ... rehearse for missions with real incidents that literally replicate what they are going to see on the ground," Chu said.
JKO complements and provides links to service-operated portals, including Army Knowledge Online, Navy Knowledge Online, Air Force Portal and MarineNet. These portals will continue to provide service-specific training.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A new system unveiled today is designed to better prepare servicemembers to operate with other services, government agencies, foreign militaries and non-governmental organizations while reducing the time they spend away from home or their units for military classes. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, joined Air Force Gen. Lance L. Smith, commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, at the general's headquarters in Suffolk, Va., to officially cut the ribbon on the new Joint Knowledge Online, or JKO, enterprise portal system.
The system will go live worldwide April 30 to deliver coursework and learning tools for people involved in integrated, joint operations, Smith told reporters during a teleconference following the ceremony.
Chu called JKO a major step in the Defense Department's training transformation effort to improve how it prepares its people for their missions around the world. It recognizes that operations now and in the future will be not just joint, but also integrated, meaning they include elements of other U.S. government agencies, foreign militaries and non-governmental organizations, he said.
"For our forces to be effective in that world, they have to prepare with a joint perspective from the start," he said.
JKO's distance-learning classes will give users a chance to learn or brush up on skills they need to operate in a challenging and constantly changing environment, Chu said.
Smith said JKO's unveiling represents a big step toward improving individual training that helps prepare troops to go to war.
"It makes sure that when our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines are out there in the field having to fight a war, that those over them, especially in the joint arena, are prepared to make the kind of decisions that need to be made so they can go do their mission, and know that they are trained to do it," Smith said. "So it fills a very important capability for us."
JKO delivers this critical training with consideration to the heavy demands already being placed on their personal time, he said.
"In today's environment, where the operations tempo is so high, ... this will allow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to be able to train in many areas at their own pace, in their own houses or their own workspace without having to take more time away from their family and their units," he said.
For example, one of the portal's first offerings, the Joint Individual Augmentee Module, will replace a week-long resident course that was offered in Suffolk, Va. Rather than receiving orders to attend the resident school, students will receive orders directing them to a specific Web site and telling them how to access the coursework.
Other offerings will shorten resident course time by giving students the basics online before they show up for the first day of class.
With unit rotations sometimes giving troops only a year of "dwell time" at home between deploying, "every day counts," Smith said. "And I think this will go a long way toward easing their training scheme as they prepare to go to Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever else it is that they are going to do."
A particularly unique feature of the new portal is that it's open not just to servicemembers, but also to others who will work alongside them in integrated operations.
Smith said giving these groups the opportunity to train for missions they'll conduct together, such as running a provincinal reconstruction team, will put them a step ahead when they hit the ground. "We can make sure we show up to the PRTs or some other function we are doing together at least with the basic knowledge that we can share and talk about," he said.
Chu praised the portal's ability to bring together players in different locations and allow them to interact in virtual exercises. "It allows us to ... rehearse for missions with real incidents that literally replicate what they are going to see on the ground," Chu said.
JKO complements and provides links to service-operated portals, including Army Knowledge Online, Navy Knowledge Online, Air Force Portal and MarineNet. These portals will continue to provide service-specific training.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Civilian Leaders Visit Marines in Bahrain
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Marines from the 3rd Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team put on an impressive display here today for visiting members of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. The 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in a whirlwind tour of military installations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility had the opportunity to interact with Marines, check out their equipment and watch a martial arts demonstration from the Marines deployed here.
Following a briefing from Marine Col. William Hardy, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command, on the involvement of Marine coordination elements and the success of Marines within Iraq and Afghanistan, the participants got a chance to see vehicles, body armor, communications equipment and weapons used by the 3rd FAST during their six-month deployment to the region.
The unit serves as a quick-reaction force in the area to provide security for embassies and other anti-terrorism operations. They will be leaving in two days to return home to Camp Allen, Va., after what they are calling "a quiet deployment" where they saw little action.
"Our mission here was extremely important," said Marine Cpl. James Tucker. "I may be a little biased, but I think that Marines are the most professional fighting force in the world."
There is no better force to have on quick-reaction status, he said. "We served an important role for the governments in this area by being on standby 24 hours a day."
Marine Staff Sgt. Charles Burnett echoed the same pride in his Corps when orchestrating a demonstration of the Marine Corps martial arts program with troops in his unit.
Burnett said the training, which became a mandatory part of Marine boot camp in 1999, is based on a show of continual force.
"You have to make quick judgments and ensure that you get control of combat situations as soon as possible," he explained to the audience.
Participants were impressed as the Marines threw their fellow team members to the ground and responded to mock attacks with a number of holds and offensive and defensive moves.
Just like other martial arts, the Marine Corps martial artists build on discipline and character by discussing warrior case studies during their training, Burnett said. "We talk about past Marines who have been honored for their extraordinary efforts and who have set an example for the rest of us to follow."
"It preaches a warrior ethos that inspires a culture," said Marine Capt. Ed Hinman, platoon commander for the 3rd FAST.
The intangibles they give Marines - assertiveness, confidence, pride - are what's really important about the training, he said.
For JCOC participant James Dicks, the interaction with the Marines had a special significance.
Dicks, a former Marine who has gone on to become a successful chief executive officer and best-selling author of finance, real estate and investing books, credits his success in life to the values he acquired while serving his country.
"When I was a Marine I thought I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof," the Florida native said. "When I got out, I applied those same principles to my business. If I did something that didn't work, I came back again with a different strategy."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Marines from the 3rd Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team put on an impressive display here today for visiting members of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. The 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in a whirlwind tour of military installations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility had the opportunity to interact with Marines, check out their equipment and watch a martial arts demonstration from the Marines deployed here.
Following a briefing from Marine Col. William Hardy, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command, on the involvement of Marine coordination elements and the success of Marines within Iraq and Afghanistan, the participants got a chance to see vehicles, body armor, communications equipment and weapons used by the 3rd FAST during their six-month deployment to the region.
The unit serves as a quick-reaction force in the area to provide security for embassies and other anti-terrorism operations. They will be leaving in two days to return home to Camp Allen, Va., after what they are calling "a quiet deployment" where they saw little action.
"Our mission here was extremely important," said Marine Cpl. James Tucker. "I may be a little biased, but I think that Marines are the most professional fighting force in the world."
There is no better force to have on quick-reaction status, he said. "We served an important role for the governments in this area by being on standby 24 hours a day."
Marine Staff Sgt. Charles Burnett echoed the same pride in his Corps when orchestrating a demonstration of the Marine Corps martial arts program with troops in his unit.
Burnett said the training, which became a mandatory part of Marine boot camp in 1999, is based on a show of continual force.
"You have to make quick judgments and ensure that you get control of combat situations as soon as possible," he explained to the audience.
Participants were impressed as the Marines threw their fellow team members to the ground and responded to mock attacks with a number of holds and offensive and defensive moves.
Just like other martial arts, the Marine Corps martial artists build on discipline and character by discussing warrior case studies during their training, Burnett said. "We talk about past Marines who have been honored for their extraordinary efforts and who have set an example for the rest of us to follow."
"It preaches a warrior ethos that inspires a culture," said Marine Capt. Ed Hinman, platoon commander for the 3rd FAST.
The intangibles they give Marines - assertiveness, confidence, pride - are what's really important about the training, he said.
For JCOC participant James Dicks, the interaction with the Marines had a special significance.
Dicks, a former Marine who has gone on to become a successful chief executive officer and best-selling author of finance, real estate and investing books, credits his success in life to the values he acquired while serving his country.
"When I was a Marine I thought I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof," the Florida native said. "When I got out, I applied those same principles to my business. If I did something that didn't work, I came back again with a different strategy."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Bush Vows to Veto War-Funding Bills with Iraq Withdrawal Provisos
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – President Bush today repeated his pledge that he'll veto any congressional war-funding bills that stipulate a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. Earlier this week, the U.S. House, followed by the Senate, passed war-funding bills that call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin later this year.
"I haven't vetoed the first (House) bill yet, but I'm going to," Bush said to reporters with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his side during a news conference at the presidential compound at Camp David, Md. "And, the reason why I'm going to is because the members of Congress have made military decisions on behalf of the military."
Bush steadfastly maintains that military decisions fall under his purview as commander in chief of the armed forces, while also emphasizing that any withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq before the new Iraqi government can firmly establish itself would hurt military morale and put America in jeopardy.
"And, if the Congress wants to test my will as to whether or not I'll accept a timetable for withdrawal, I won't accept one," Bush said. "I just don't think it's in the interest of our troops."
In mid-February, additional American and Iraqi security forces began to deploy into Baghdad and western Iraq to tamp down insurgent-staged violence enough to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government to get onto its feet. The deployment of U.S. forces into Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq as part of the surge is expected to be completed by June, according to U.S. military officials.
The recent congressional legislation calls for "withdrawing (U.S. forces) before we've even finished reinforcing our troops in Baghdad," Bush said. "They're sending, in my judgment, a bad message to the Iraqis and to our enemy, and, most importantly, to our military folks."
Bush said it was unfortunate that the Iraq issue "has evolved the way it has" on Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, the president emphasized that he's sticking to his guns, and will veto any war-funding legislation calling for an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"And, my veto will be sustained," the president told reporters.
Bush first noted at the news conference that he and the first lady had enjoyed dinner last evening with Prime Minister Abe and his wife, Akie.
After private discussions with the senior Japanese minister, Bush told reporters that the alliance between the United States and Japan "has never been stronger." Japan is the second-largest donor to the people of Iraq and it's the third-largest donor to the Afghan people, Bush pointed out.
"And, I thank you Shinzo, and I thank the people of Japan for helping these young democracies survive in a troubled world," Bush said. "I firmly believe that we're helping lay a foundation for peace for generations to come."
Abe said Japan "understands and supports U.S. efforts for the stabilization and reconstruction in Iraq, and Japan will carry on its own efforts to this same end."
The U.S.-Japan relationship "is rooted in common values, especially our commitment to freedom and democracy," Bush said, noting that he and Abe discussed possibilities for future partnership between their countries.
The two senior statesmen also "spent a lot of time talking about North Korea and our mutual desire for North Korea to meet its obligations," Bush said, referring to North Korea's pledge to jettison its nuclear weapons program.
Diplomacy is the best and wisest way to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that it's in his country's best interests to get rid of the nuclear weapons program, Bush said.
"It's his choice to make ultimately, not our choice, as to whether he honors the agreement he agreed to," Bush said of Kim Jong Il's role in negotiations over his country's nuclear weapons program.
The United States and its allies hope that Kim makes "the right choice for his country," Bush said. But, North Korea cannot continue to stall, the president pointed out.
"We've got a strategy to make sure that the pressure we have initially applied is even greater. That's our plan," Bush said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – President Bush today repeated his pledge that he'll veto any congressional war-funding bills that stipulate a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. Earlier this week, the U.S. House, followed by the Senate, passed war-funding bills that call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin later this year.
"I haven't vetoed the first (House) bill yet, but I'm going to," Bush said to reporters with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his side during a news conference at the presidential compound at Camp David, Md. "And, the reason why I'm going to is because the members of Congress have made military decisions on behalf of the military."
Bush steadfastly maintains that military decisions fall under his purview as commander in chief of the armed forces, while also emphasizing that any withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq before the new Iraqi government can firmly establish itself would hurt military morale and put America in jeopardy.
"And, if the Congress wants to test my will as to whether or not I'll accept a timetable for withdrawal, I won't accept one," Bush said. "I just don't think it's in the interest of our troops."
In mid-February, additional American and Iraqi security forces began to deploy into Baghdad and western Iraq to tamp down insurgent-staged violence enough to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government to get onto its feet. The deployment of U.S. forces into Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq as part of the surge is expected to be completed by June, according to U.S. military officials.
The recent congressional legislation calls for "withdrawing (U.S. forces) before we've even finished reinforcing our troops in Baghdad," Bush said. "They're sending, in my judgment, a bad message to the Iraqis and to our enemy, and, most importantly, to our military folks."
Bush said it was unfortunate that the Iraq issue "has evolved the way it has" on Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, the president emphasized that he's sticking to his guns, and will veto any war-funding legislation calling for an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"And, my veto will be sustained," the president told reporters.
Bush first noted at the news conference that he and the first lady had enjoyed dinner last evening with Prime Minister Abe and his wife, Akie.
After private discussions with the senior Japanese minister, Bush told reporters that the alliance between the United States and Japan "has never been stronger." Japan is the second-largest donor to the people of Iraq and it's the third-largest donor to the Afghan people, Bush pointed out.
"And, I thank you Shinzo, and I thank the people of Japan for helping these young democracies survive in a troubled world," Bush said. "I firmly believe that we're helping lay a foundation for peace for generations to come."
Abe said Japan "understands and supports U.S. efforts for the stabilization and reconstruction in Iraq, and Japan will carry on its own efforts to this same end."
The U.S.-Japan relationship "is rooted in common values, especially our commitment to freedom and democracy," Bush said, noting that he and Abe discussed possibilities for future partnership between their countries.
The two senior statesmen also "spent a lot of time talking about North Korea and our mutual desire for North Korea to meet its obligations," Bush said, referring to North Korea's pledge to jettison its nuclear weapons program.
Diplomacy is the best and wisest way to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that it's in his country's best interests to get rid of the nuclear weapons program, Bush said.
"It's his choice to make ultimately, not our choice, as to whether he honors the agreement he agreed to," Bush said of Kim Jong Il's role in negotiations over his country's nuclear weapons program.
The United States and its allies hope that Kim makes "the right choice for his country," Bush said. But, North Korea cannot continue to stall, the president pointed out.
"We've got a strategy to make sure that the pressure we have initially applied is even greater. That's our plan," Bush said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Students Donate $20,000 to Help Build Pentagon Memorial
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – About 120 fourth- and fifth-grade students and their chaperones representing J.W. Alvey Elementary School in Haymarket, Va., presented a check for $20,000 to the Pentagon Memorial Fund today during a ceremony at the Pentagon. The donation is a result of the school's third annual service project, a walk-a-thon focusing on service, Candace Rotruck, the school's principal, said. The past two years, beneficiaries of the fundraiser were tsunami victims in Southeast Asia and victims of Hurricane Katrina.
"We wanted to continue (the fundraisers), so this year we have dedicated our fundraiser to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, and our focus has been on service," Rotruck said, adding that the notion includes service to the school, service to the community and service to the country.
That focus led to the motto for this year's fundraiser: "Remember yesterday, Build tomorrow."
"So to help remember yesterday and build tomorrow, and as part of our service to our community and our country, we are here to present you with a check for $20,000," she said as she handed the donation to Jim Laychak, president and chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund's board of directors.
Laychack lost his younger brother in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon, and he said he became involved with the project because he wants to make sure the world remembers and honors those who lost their lives here.
"Thank you so very much," Laychak said. "This is a tremendous effort. It's days like today that I know that we're going to (meet the fundraising goal), because school kids throughout the country ... are contributing to this, and this is just a great message for other schools."
He went on to praise the students as shining examples of how positive things can spring forth from something as tragic as the Sept. 11 attacks.
"It makes you realize how much goodness there is out there," Laychak said. "These kids are a part of history. They'll always be able to go there and talk about what they did to help make this (memorial) a reality."
Chris Dalton, a teacher who served as co-chair of the fundraiser's planning committee, said the students really took the helm after deciding to recognize the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 with the walk-a-thon.
"It was the kids' idea, and the kids provided a lot of service," he said, adding that they made posters and collected all the pledges. "We were there to kind of group them together and make sure that they were on the right track."
Gabi Debardi, a fifth-grader, said the school met its goal of service to school, community and country.
"We have achieved our goal," Debardi said. "I think this is very important, because later in life we'll remember this and we'll help build the Pentagon Memorial."
Debardi was part of the 120-member J.W. Alvey Singing Sunrays student choir that performed three patriotic songs during the ceremony. She said she personally walked 15 laps around the school, which she emphatically described as a big building.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – About 120 fourth- and fifth-grade students and their chaperones representing J.W. Alvey Elementary School in Haymarket, Va., presented a check for $20,000 to the Pentagon Memorial Fund today during a ceremony at the Pentagon. The donation is a result of the school's third annual service project, a walk-a-thon focusing on service, Candace Rotruck, the school's principal, said. The past two years, beneficiaries of the fundraiser were tsunami victims in Southeast Asia and victims of Hurricane Katrina.
"We wanted to continue (the fundraisers), so this year we have dedicated our fundraiser to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, and our focus has been on service," Rotruck said, adding that the notion includes service to the school, service to the community and service to the country.
That focus led to the motto for this year's fundraiser: "Remember yesterday, Build tomorrow."
"So to help remember yesterday and build tomorrow, and as part of our service to our community and our country, we are here to present you with a check for $20,000," she said as she handed the donation to Jim Laychak, president and chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund's board of directors.
Laychack lost his younger brother in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon, and he said he became involved with the project because he wants to make sure the world remembers and honors those who lost their lives here.
"Thank you so very much," Laychak said. "This is a tremendous effort. It's days like today that I know that we're going to (meet the fundraising goal), because school kids throughout the country ... are contributing to this, and this is just a great message for other schools."
He went on to praise the students as shining examples of how positive things can spring forth from something as tragic as the Sept. 11 attacks.
"It makes you realize how much goodness there is out there," Laychak said. "These kids are a part of history. They'll always be able to go there and talk about what they did to help make this (memorial) a reality."
Chris Dalton, a teacher who served as co-chair of the fundraiser's planning committee, said the students really took the helm after deciding to recognize the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11 with the walk-a-thon.
"It was the kids' idea, and the kids provided a lot of service," he said, adding that they made posters and collected all the pledges. "We were there to kind of group them together and make sure that they were on the right track."
Gabi Debardi, a fifth-grader, said the school met its goal of service to school, community and country.
"We have achieved our goal," Debardi said. "I think this is very important, because later in life we'll remember this and we'll help build the Pentagon Memorial."
Debardi was part of the 120-member J.W. Alvey Singing Sunrays student choir that performed three patriotic songs during the ceremony. She said she personally walked 15 laps around the school, which she emphatically described as a big building.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Soldiers Earn Respect of Visiting Business Leaders
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A group of civic and business leaders had the opportunity to learn more about the capability of the U.S. Army during a visit yesterday and today to troops stationed in Kuwait. Forty-five participants of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference made a stop during their tour of the U.S. Central Command region to learn about the training and missions of today's soldiers.
The group had the opportunity to go through the last-stop training soldiers get before continuing forward for deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, such as Humvee rollover training, medical emergency simulators and video game-like training for weapons qualification.
Although the drill provides realistic training that saves lives, the civilian participants seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Volunteers who were flipped 180 degrees in the mock hull of a Humvee cheered and laughed as they were spun around and had to successfully exit the vehicle.
"If I came across someone who was smiling and laughing after rolling their car, I'd know it was an alcohol-related incident," JCOC participant Sterling Owen, who is the chief of police in Knoxville, Tenn., laughingly said.
"Seriously, this is outstanding training," he said. "Any training received is good, because it teaches you not to panic in emergency situations."
During the second day of their visit, participants rode with soldiers of the 89th Transportation Company during a tactical convoy exercise over an 11-mile route littered with improvised explosive devices, car bombs and other real-life scenarios that the soldiers face when in convoys in Iraq. These soldiers, who are stationed in Kuwait, routinely make the trek from Kuwait to Iraq to deliver supplies to troops forward stationed.
Members took turns riding in the gunner's turret atop Humvees, where they were told to scan the horizon for possible threats that could break up the convoy and lead to casualties. After going through the exercise, they said they were reassured that soldiers receive such training before going into the combat zone.
"To me it was scary," said John Hagestad, who is the managing director and owner of Sares-Regis Group out of Irvine, Calif. "You see all these littered cars along the way. I'd probably go nuts if I were a soldier thinking that everything out on the road was a bomb."
Soldiers took time to show the guests the different types of improvised explosive devices used by insurgents, ranging from bombs hidden in piles of trash to ones camouflaged to look like street curbs. They were also shown the differences in bombs triggered by ground wires, ones set off my radio controls and others that require pressure to detonate.
"Before coming here I had never even heard the term 'IED,'" said Bob Husband, president and chief executive officer of Heritage Golf Group. "This experience has been really enlightening. The soldiers are doing an amazing job. I'm looking forward to spreading the word to my family and employees."
The group also had the unique opportunity of firing live rounds on numerous Army weaponry, including the M-4 carbine assault rifle, M-2 50 caliber machine gun, M-249 squad automatic weapon, M-240 machine gun and the M-107 sniper rifle.
"This was the most fun I've had all week," said Keith Krach, who earned the moniker "Boom Boom" from his fellow participants following his successes on the firing line at the Udari Range, which is the size of the Great Salt Lake.
"I am so impressed with the discipline and leadership of the troops we saw this week," Krach said. "They could easily go out and be (chief executive officers) in civilian organizations."
Overall, members are coming away from the experience with a newfound respect for the men and women in uniform.
"I had no idea how hard this job was and miserable it is in terms of heat and fear," said Amy Coen, the president of D.C.-based Population Action International. "Both the physical and psychological stresses could be overwhelming. I'm utterly impressed with our military."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – A group of civic and business leaders had the opportunity to learn more about the capability of the U.S. Army during a visit yesterday and today to troops stationed in Kuwait. Forty-five participants of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference made a stop during their tour of the U.S. Central Command region to learn about the training and missions of today's soldiers.
The group had the opportunity to go through the last-stop training soldiers get before continuing forward for deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, such as Humvee rollover training, medical emergency simulators and video game-like training for weapons qualification.
Although the drill provides realistic training that saves lives, the civilian participants seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Volunteers who were flipped 180 degrees in the mock hull of a Humvee cheered and laughed as they were spun around and had to successfully exit the vehicle.
"If I came across someone who was smiling and laughing after rolling their car, I'd know it was an alcohol-related incident," JCOC participant Sterling Owen, who is the chief of police in Knoxville, Tenn., laughingly said.
"Seriously, this is outstanding training," he said. "Any training received is good, because it teaches you not to panic in emergency situations."
During the second day of their visit, participants rode with soldiers of the 89th Transportation Company during a tactical convoy exercise over an 11-mile route littered with improvised explosive devices, car bombs and other real-life scenarios that the soldiers face when in convoys in Iraq. These soldiers, who are stationed in Kuwait, routinely make the trek from Kuwait to Iraq to deliver supplies to troops forward stationed.
Members took turns riding in the gunner's turret atop Humvees, where they were told to scan the horizon for possible threats that could break up the convoy and lead to casualties. After going through the exercise, they said they were reassured that soldiers receive such training before going into the combat zone.
"To me it was scary," said John Hagestad, who is the managing director and owner of Sares-Regis Group out of Irvine, Calif. "You see all these littered cars along the way. I'd probably go nuts if I were a soldier thinking that everything out on the road was a bomb."
Soldiers took time to show the guests the different types of improvised explosive devices used by insurgents, ranging from bombs hidden in piles of trash to ones camouflaged to look like street curbs. They were also shown the differences in bombs triggered by ground wires, ones set off my radio controls and others that require pressure to detonate.
"Before coming here I had never even heard the term 'IED,'" said Bob Husband, president and chief executive officer of Heritage Golf Group. "This experience has been really enlightening. The soldiers are doing an amazing job. I'm looking forward to spreading the word to my family and employees."
The group also had the unique opportunity of firing live rounds on numerous Army weaponry, including the M-4 carbine assault rifle, M-2 50 caliber machine gun, M-249 squad automatic weapon, M-240 machine gun and the M-107 sniper rifle.
"This was the most fun I've had all week," said Keith Krach, who earned the moniker "Boom Boom" from his fellow participants following his successes on the firing line at the Udari Range, which is the size of the Great Salt Lake.
"I am so impressed with the discipline and leadership of the troops we saw this week," Krach said. "They could easily go out and be (chief executive officers) in civilian organizations."
Overall, members are coming away from the experience with a newfound respect for the men and women in uniform.
"I had no idea how hard this job was and miserable it is in terms of heat and fear," said Amy Coen, the president of D.C.-based Population Action International. "Both the physical and psychological stresses could be overwhelming. I'm utterly impressed with our military."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Group's NBA Clothes a Slam Dunk with Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Sew Much Comfort's adaptive clothing has always helped injured servicemembers, but now, with the help of the NBA, the troops can proudly display support for their favorite National Basketball Asociation teams. Sew Much Comfort is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program, which connects citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Through (a) working relationship with America Supports You, we were made aware of the terrific things that Sew Much Comfort was doing for our troops as well as the needs they have," Josh Wachs, vice president of NBA's community relations, said. "The NBA has donated an assortment of NBA apparel - T-shirts, and sweat tops and bottoms - to Sew Much Comfort for injured troops to enjoy."
Ginger Dosedel, founder of Sew Much Comfort, said she's grateful for the NBA's generosity and the connection America Supports You made between the two groups.
She's even more grateful that she can now honor an injured servicemember's request without having to call teams individually with her requests for clothing.
"(The NBA) has sent us hundreds of T-shirts and sweats and athletic shorts for us to adapt," Dosedel said. "For (servicemembers) to be able to get clothing or something that has their home team on it just brings something from home a little closer, and (it's) something that they're very enthusiastic about.
"It's nice for them to have clothing from their home team that supports them in kind of a special way," she added.
Wachs said the NBA will continue making donations to Sew Much Comfort whenever it can.
The hundreds of pieces of clothing NBA has sent Dosedel go through a process that has occurred since Sew Much Comfort began in December 2004.
Each piece is adapted to accommodate any injury a servicemember might have. For instance, pants might be opened up down the outside of the leg and some form of fasteners attached so they're easier for someone with limited leg mobility to get in an out of.
The group got its start with Dosedel's son, Michael, 13.
A childhood illness has made it necessary for Michael to undergo limb-lengthening procedures which require the use of a fixator. The external device makes wearing normal pants impossible, so early on his mom reworked a pair of sweats so that they covered the apparatus and closed completely, a real bonus in the winter.
At 11, Michael noticed there were a lot of servicemembers facing his same situation and no one was making them clothes. And Sew Much Comfort was born.
The clothing is now adapted by seamstresses across the country, who Dosedel describes as "phenomenally ingenious." "They are incredibly gifted in making things functional and practical, and yet they look like they're off the rack," she said.
The breadth of what injuries can be accommodated has grown right along with the group. In fact, a new type of shirt is being designed by the seamstresses that will fit over a device that holds a tracheotomy tube, she said.
All this is in keeping with the organization's mission of providing free adaptive clothing to provide servicemembers with a greater sense of independence, minimize the visual impact of their injury.
"Nothing makes you feel worse than just sitting around feeling sick and looking like you feel sick, and hospital gowns are not conducive to feeling normal," Dosedel said. "(They also) give servicemembers a very functional thank you from the American people to show their support for the troops."
That thank you has recently expanded into what Dosedel describes as "comfort accessories." The group is now providing bed rail organizers and crutch bags that help a servicemember keep track of, or transport, small items. It also provides hats, mitts and socks for those being transported home for further treatment.
The clothes are still the focus, however, and because of the servicemembers' love of sports, Dosedel said she hopes to continue her group's affiliation with the NBA, and maybe even approach the National Football League with the same idea.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Sew Much Comfort's adaptive clothing has always helped injured servicemembers, but now, with the help of the NBA, the troops can proudly display support for their favorite National Basketball Asociation teams. Sew Much Comfort is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program, which connects citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Through (a) working relationship with America Supports You, we were made aware of the terrific things that Sew Much Comfort was doing for our troops as well as the needs they have," Josh Wachs, vice president of NBA's community relations, said. "The NBA has donated an assortment of NBA apparel - T-shirts, and sweat tops and bottoms - to Sew Much Comfort for injured troops to enjoy."
Ginger Dosedel, founder of Sew Much Comfort, said she's grateful for the NBA's generosity and the connection America Supports You made between the two groups.
She's even more grateful that she can now honor an injured servicemember's request without having to call teams individually with her requests for clothing.
"(The NBA) has sent us hundreds of T-shirts and sweats and athletic shorts for us to adapt," Dosedel said. "For (servicemembers) to be able to get clothing or something that has their home team on it just brings something from home a little closer, and (it's) something that they're very enthusiastic about.
"It's nice for them to have clothing from their home team that supports them in kind of a special way," she added.
Wachs said the NBA will continue making donations to Sew Much Comfort whenever it can.
The hundreds of pieces of clothing NBA has sent Dosedel go through a process that has occurred since Sew Much Comfort began in December 2004.
Each piece is adapted to accommodate any injury a servicemember might have. For instance, pants might be opened up down the outside of the leg and some form of fasteners attached so they're easier for someone with limited leg mobility to get in an out of.
The group got its start with Dosedel's son, Michael, 13.
A childhood illness has made it necessary for Michael to undergo limb-lengthening procedures which require the use of a fixator. The external device makes wearing normal pants impossible, so early on his mom reworked a pair of sweats so that they covered the apparatus and closed completely, a real bonus in the winter.
At 11, Michael noticed there were a lot of servicemembers facing his same situation and no one was making them clothes. And Sew Much Comfort was born.
The clothing is now adapted by seamstresses across the country, who Dosedel describes as "phenomenally ingenious." "They are incredibly gifted in making things functional and practical, and yet they look like they're off the rack," she said.
The breadth of what injuries can be accommodated has grown right along with the group. In fact, a new type of shirt is being designed by the seamstresses that will fit over a device that holds a tracheotomy tube, she said.
All this is in keeping with the organization's mission of providing free adaptive clothing to provide servicemembers with a greater sense of independence, minimize the visual impact of their injury.
"Nothing makes you feel worse than just sitting around feeling sick and looking like you feel sick, and hospital gowns are not conducive to feeling normal," Dosedel said. "(They also) give servicemembers a very functional thank you from the American people to show their support for the troops."
That thank you has recently expanded into what Dosedel describes as "comfort accessories." The group is now providing bed rail organizers and crutch bags that help a servicemember keep track of, or transport, small items. It also provides hats, mitts and socks for those being transported home for further treatment.
The clothes are still the focus, however, and because of the servicemembers' love of sports, Dosedel said she hopes to continue her group's affiliation with the NBA, and maybe even approach the National Football League with the same idea.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Commander Lauds Combat Support His Soldiers Provide
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Although he's proud of what his troops do in Kuwait, the commander of the 3rd U.S. Army and U.S. Army Central Command said today that what his troops do to contribute to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that is even more important. As they sat a mere 15 miles away from the Iraqi border, Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb briefed 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Course. The group is visiting the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to learn more about the capabilities of the U.S. military and the role American forces are playing overseas.
"While we can't take you over to Iraq or Afghanistan, it doesn't look different over here," Whitcomb told the group. "This is a tough and unforgiving environment in which to operate."
He said that 80 percent of his troops' efforts are spent supporting the rotation of combat forces in the region. His soldiers also serve as a forward-based service component command to plan and, on order, conduct land operations across the Central Command area of responsibility.
On a daily basis, Whitcomb's troops send more than 3,300 vehicles over 158 miles into Baghdad; they provide 3.3 million gallons of fuel to troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq; and they provide more than 780,000 meals to troops in the country.
Kuwait serves as the last stop for U.S. forces before they head into the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, they are able to spend two weeks preparing weapons and conducting last-minute refresher training.
The training is a final check for commanders, Whitcomb said. His trainers and ranges support the needs of the commanders while offering current and relevant training.
Whitcomb said his units also focus on teaching their peers to apply adaptive thinking to their missions, instead of telling them what to think and giving them static specifics.
"This is a smart, adaptive enemy; it's not the first time," he said, "but it's something we have to stay ahead of."
For example, these concepts are enforced when soldiers learn about the latest ways the enemy is hiding and detonating improvised explosive devices. Using cell-phone triggers or remote arming, the enemy can target U.S. soldiers, but through the training soldiers receive, they can learn the tell tale signs that will allow them to recognize and disarm the potential threat.
"Training in the United States is not different from training in Kuwait," Whitcomb said. He said daily updates are reported from in theater back to Kuwait and bases back home that will allow for the ever-changing strategy of the enemy.
Soldiers going through Kuwait also have the opportunity to get refresher medical training provided by former Special Forces medic Brent Cloud.
For the last year, Cloud has helped provide realistic medical training to soldiers with specialized dummies that are complete with expandable lungs and flowing blood that can simulate a number of injuries that could occur on the battlefield.
For instance, his four-hour classes teach soldiers how to insert nasal pharyngeal into their injured buddy's nose so that he or she can breathe in the event of a blockage. He teaches troops the best way to cut off body armor, how to best remove helmets and even how to do non-traditional, but effective, methods of stopping bleeding.
Although they may be pricey, Cloud said, the $40,000 dummies are worth every penny if training on them can result in saving even one life.
"I'm not going to be on the streets of Baghdad with them," he said. "So I do whatever I can to help them learn how to assess injuries and take of their buddies themselves."
Troops can also train on the Humvee egress assistance trainer to learn how to exit from a vehicle in the event of a rollover.
Increased armor additions have affected the weight of Humvees so that they have become top-heavy and can easily flip even when reaching a modest 25-degree incline.
The trainer helps soldiers learn how to effectively open the Humvee's 700-pound door and exit even if the vehicle is upside-down. Since its inception in mid-2006, more than 24,000 soldiers have been trained, resulting in 40 percent fewer casualties and 60 percent fewer injuries.
"There is no way that was can eliminate the number of rollovers," said Army Maj. Kevin Karr, Army Central Command operations officer. "But we can better train the soldier for the event of a rollover."
As Whitcomb closed his briefing to the civilian guests on the installation, he praised his troops and their efforts in training and supporting those directly in the war effort.
"I'm just a soldier," he said. "And it's great to see Americans who want to come and understand what we're doing here. It's important to remember that these soldiers and civilians are just Americans who've stepped up to the plate for their nation."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Although he's proud of what his troops do in Kuwait, the commander of the 3rd U.S. Army and U.S. Army Central Command said today that what his troops do to contribute to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that is even more important. As they sat a mere 15 miles away from the Iraqi border, Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb briefed 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Course. The group is visiting the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to learn more about the capabilities of the U.S. military and the role American forces are playing overseas.
"While we can't take you over to Iraq or Afghanistan, it doesn't look different over here," Whitcomb told the group. "This is a tough and unforgiving environment in which to operate."
He said that 80 percent of his troops' efforts are spent supporting the rotation of combat forces in the region. His soldiers also serve as a forward-based service component command to plan and, on order, conduct land operations across the Central Command area of responsibility.
On a daily basis, Whitcomb's troops send more than 3,300 vehicles over 158 miles into Baghdad; they provide 3.3 million gallons of fuel to troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq; and they provide more than 780,000 meals to troops in the country.
Kuwait serves as the last stop for U.S. forces before they head into the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, they are able to spend two weeks preparing weapons and conducting last-minute refresher training.
The training is a final check for commanders, Whitcomb said. His trainers and ranges support the needs of the commanders while offering current and relevant training.
Whitcomb said his units also focus on teaching their peers to apply adaptive thinking to their missions, instead of telling them what to think and giving them static specifics.
"This is a smart, adaptive enemy; it's not the first time," he said, "but it's something we have to stay ahead of."
For example, these concepts are enforced when soldiers learn about the latest ways the enemy is hiding and detonating improvised explosive devices. Using cell-phone triggers or remote arming, the enemy can target U.S. soldiers, but through the training soldiers receive, they can learn the tell tale signs that will allow them to recognize and disarm the potential threat.
"Training in the United States is not different from training in Kuwait," Whitcomb said. He said daily updates are reported from in theater back to Kuwait and bases back home that will allow for the ever-changing strategy of the enemy.
Soldiers going through Kuwait also have the opportunity to get refresher medical training provided by former Special Forces medic Brent Cloud.
For the last year, Cloud has helped provide realistic medical training to soldiers with specialized dummies that are complete with expandable lungs and flowing blood that can simulate a number of injuries that could occur on the battlefield.
For instance, his four-hour classes teach soldiers how to insert nasal pharyngeal into their injured buddy's nose so that he or she can breathe in the event of a blockage. He teaches troops the best way to cut off body armor, how to best remove helmets and even how to do non-traditional, but effective, methods of stopping bleeding.
Although they may be pricey, Cloud said, the $40,000 dummies are worth every penny if training on them can result in saving even one life.
"I'm not going to be on the streets of Baghdad with them," he said. "So I do whatever I can to help them learn how to assess injuries and take of their buddies themselves."
Troops can also train on the Humvee egress assistance trainer to learn how to exit from a vehicle in the event of a rollover.
Increased armor additions have affected the weight of Humvees so that they have become top-heavy and can easily flip even when reaching a modest 25-degree incline.
The trainer helps soldiers learn how to effectively open the Humvee's 700-pound door and exit even if the vehicle is upside-down. Since its inception in mid-2006, more than 24,000 soldiers have been trained, resulting in 40 percent fewer casualties and 60 percent fewer injuries.
"There is no way that was can eliminate the number of rollovers," said Army Maj. Kevin Karr, Army Central Command operations officer. "But we can better train the soldier for the event of a rollover."
As Whitcomb closed his briefing to the civilian guests on the installation, he praised his troops and their efforts in training and supporting those directly in the war effort.
"I'm just a soldier," he said. "And it's great to see Americans who want to come and understand what we're doing here. It's important to remember that these soldiers and civilians are just Americans who've stepped up to the plate for their nation."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Commander Lauds Combat Support His Soldiers Provide
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Although he's proud of what his troops do in Kuwait, the commander of the 3rd U.S. Army and U.S. Army Central Command said today that what his troops do to contribute to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that is even more important. As they sat a mere 15 miles away from the Iraqi border, Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb briefed 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Course. The group is visiting the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to learn more about the capabilities of the U.S. military and the role American forces are playing overseas.
"While we can't take you over to Iraq or Afghanistan, it doesn't look different over here," Whitcomb told the group. "This is a tough and unforgiving environment in which to operate."
He said that 80 percent of his troops' efforts are spent supporting the rotation of combat forces in the region. His soldiers also serve as a forward-based service component command to plan and, on order, conduct land operations across the Central Command area of responsibility.
On a daily basis, Whitcomb's troops send more than 3,300 vehicles over 158 miles into Baghdad; they provide 3.3 million gallons of fuel to troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq; and they provide more than 780,000 meals to troops in the country.
Kuwait serves as the last stop for U.S. forces before they head into the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, they are able to spend two weeks preparing weapons and conducting last-minute refresher training.
The training is a final check for commanders, Whitcomb said. His trainers and ranges support the needs of the commanders while offering current and relevant training.
Whitcomb said his units also focus on teaching their peers to apply adaptive thinking to their missions, instead of telling them what to think and giving them static specifics.
"This is a smart, adaptive enemy; it's not the first time," he said, "but it's something we have to stay ahead of."
For example, these concepts are enforced when soldiers learn about the latest ways the enemy is hiding and detonating improvised explosive devices. Using cell-phone triggers or remote arming, the enemy can target U.S. soldiers, but through the training soldiers receive, they can learn the tell tale signs that will allow them to recognize and disarm the potential threat.
"Training in the United States is not different from training in Kuwait," Whitcomb said. He said daily updates are reported from in theater back to Kuwait and bases back home that will allow for the ever-changing strategy of the enemy.
Soldiers going through Kuwait also have the opportunity to get refresher medical training provided by former Special Forces medic Brent Cloud.
For the last year, Cloud has helped provide realistic medical training to soldiers with specialized dummies that are complete with expandable lungs and flowing blood that can simulate a number of injuries that could occur on the battlefield.
For instance, his four-hour classes teach soldiers how to insert nasal pharyngeal into their injured buddy's nose so that he or she can breathe in the event of a blockage. He teaches troops the best way to cut off body armor, how to best remove helmets and even how to do non-traditional, but effective, methods of stopping bleeding.
Although they may be pricey, Cloud said, the $40,000 dummies are worth every penny if training on them can result in saving even one life.
"I'm not going to be on the streets of Baghdad with them," he said. "So I do whatever I can to help them learn how to assess injuries and take of their buddies themselves."
Troops can also train on the Humvee egress assistance trainer to learn how to exit from a vehicle in the event of a rollover.
Increased armor additions have affected the weight of Humvees so that they have become top-heavy and can easily flip even when reaching a modest 25-degree incline.
The trainer helps soldiers learn how to effectively open the Humvee's 700-pound door and exit even if the vehicle is upside-down. Since its inception in mid-2006, more than 24,000 soldiers have been trained, resulting in 40 percent fewer casualties and 60 percent fewer injuries.
"There is no way that was can eliminate the number of rollovers," said Army Maj. Kevin Karr, Army Central Command operations officer. "But we can better train the soldier for the event of a rollover."
As Whitcomb closed his briefing to the civilian guests on the installation, he praised his troops and their efforts in training and supporting those directly in the war effort.
"I'm just a soldier," he said. "And it's great to see Americans who want to come and understand what we're doing here. It's important to remember that these soldiers and civilians are just Americans who've stepped up to the plate for their nation."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 27, 2007 – Although he's proud of what his troops do in Kuwait, the commander of the 3rd U.S. Army and U.S. Army Central Command said today that what his troops do to contribute to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan that is even more important. As they sat a mere 15 miles away from the Iraqi border, Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb briefed 45 business and civic leaders who are participating in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Course. The group is visiting the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to learn more about the capabilities of the U.S. military and the role American forces are playing overseas.
"While we can't take you over to Iraq or Afghanistan, it doesn't look different over here," Whitcomb told the group. "This is a tough and unforgiving environment in which to operate."
He said that 80 percent of his troops' efforts are spent supporting the rotation of combat forces in the region. His soldiers also serve as a forward-based service component command to plan and, on order, conduct land operations across the Central Command area of responsibility.
On a daily basis, Whitcomb's troops send more than 3,300 vehicles over 158 miles into Baghdad; they provide 3.3 million gallons of fuel to troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq; and they provide more than 780,000 meals to troops in the country.
Kuwait serves as the last stop for U.S. forces before they head into the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, they are able to spend two weeks preparing weapons and conducting last-minute refresher training.
The training is a final check for commanders, Whitcomb said. His trainers and ranges support the needs of the commanders while offering current and relevant training.
Whitcomb said his units also focus on teaching their peers to apply adaptive thinking to their missions, instead of telling them what to think and giving them static specifics.
"This is a smart, adaptive enemy; it's not the first time," he said, "but it's something we have to stay ahead of."
For example, these concepts are enforced when soldiers learn about the latest ways the enemy is hiding and detonating improvised explosive devices. Using cell-phone triggers or remote arming, the enemy can target U.S. soldiers, but through the training soldiers receive, they can learn the tell tale signs that will allow them to recognize and disarm the potential threat.
"Training in the United States is not different from training in Kuwait," Whitcomb said. He said daily updates are reported from in theater back to Kuwait and bases back home that will allow for the ever-changing strategy of the enemy.
Soldiers going through Kuwait also have the opportunity to get refresher medical training provided by former Special Forces medic Brent Cloud.
For the last year, Cloud has helped provide realistic medical training to soldiers with specialized dummies that are complete with expandable lungs and flowing blood that can simulate a number of injuries that could occur on the battlefield.
For instance, his four-hour classes teach soldiers how to insert nasal pharyngeal into their injured buddy's nose so that he or she can breathe in the event of a blockage. He teaches troops the best way to cut off body armor, how to best remove helmets and even how to do non-traditional, but effective, methods of stopping bleeding.
Although they may be pricey, Cloud said, the $40,000 dummies are worth every penny if training on them can result in saving even one life.
"I'm not going to be on the streets of Baghdad with them," he said. "So I do whatever I can to help them learn how to assess injuries and take of their buddies themselves."
Troops can also train on the Humvee egress assistance trainer to learn how to exit from a vehicle in the event of a rollover.
Increased armor additions have affected the weight of Humvees so that they have become top-heavy and can easily flip even when reaching a modest 25-degree incline.
The trainer helps soldiers learn how to effectively open the Humvee's 700-pound door and exit even if the vehicle is upside-down. Since its inception in mid-2006, more than 24,000 soldiers have been trained, resulting in 40 percent fewer casualties and 60 percent fewer injuries.
"There is no way that was can eliminate the number of rollovers," said Army Maj. Kevin Karr, Army Central Command operations officer. "But we can better train the soldier for the event of a rollover."
As Whitcomb closed his briefing to the civilian guests on the installation, he praised his troops and their efforts in training and supporting those directly in the war effort.
"I'm just a soldier," he said. "And it's great to see Americans who want to come and understand what we're doing here. It's important to remember that these soldiers and civilians are just Americans who've stepped up to the plate for their nation."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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