Friday, November 30, 2007

Leadership in Film

A number of courses and seminars use film, movies and television to express leadership concepts. The co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, Raymond E. Foster, is collecting practitioner, student and academic input on leadership in film. Have you used film, movies or television to teach leadership? Have you viewed something in a leadership course? Or, have you viewed something that expressed a leadership lesson that you would like to share? Share your thoughts on Leadership in Film.

http://www.pokerleadership.com/leadership-in-film/

Face of Defense: Soldier Sacrifices Family Time to Serve

By Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Army Staff Sgt. Rosie Threatt could have been lost in the group of her large family. She's the fifth of six children, and her siblings have distinguished themselves by working in the medical,
criminal justice and teaching fields. Threatt went in another direction: a career in the Army, where she has touched the lives of about 3,000 soldiers in some way over the past 14 months.

"I joined in hopes of being able to take care of myself and my daughter," said Threatt, a Port Gibson, Miss., native who joined the
Army in 1999.

When she first deployed to Iraq near the end of 2003, a few years after deploying to Kosovo for six months, she and her family were concerned about it. There would be more deployments to follow.

"My family was scared, and I was scared," Threatt said. "When I deployed a second time, I thought that I hadn't had enough time with my family. When this, the third one, came along, my mom (Angelia Gibson) said: 'That's it.'"

While it was hard on Threatt being away from her daughters, Aubri, 9, and Amari, 4, and her husband, Staff Sgt. Cleo Threatt, she said the deployments are a part of an Army career.

"It was difficult, but I had to think about my future," Threatt said. "I decided that I had come this far, and I plan to take my career all the way up to retirement."

On this, her fourth deployment, including three in Iraq and one in Kosovo, Threatt serves as the senior human resources noncommissioned officer for 1st Air Cavalry "Warrior" Brigade. All promotion packets, award recommendations and other personnel actions go through her staff.

"She brings a genuine desire to take care of soldiers and their administrative needs," said Maj. Kevin McPherson, the brigade's personnel officer, who hails from Aztec, N.M. "She is extremely customer-service oriented."

While her job is to support all of the soldiers in the brigade with administrative support, she finds time to take care of her own soldiers, too.

"I think what I'm most proud of for this deployment is that every single one of my soldiers got a chance to achieve some of their goals," she said. "Each got promoted to at least two grades higher than when they deployed."

She is also proud of her soldiers' accomplishments, she said. "They have done so much as a section," she said. "We have processed 3,200 awards and 600 promotions for the brigade. They have worked 12 hours a day six days a week, and half days on Sunday. Most of them are first-time deployers, and they have really stepped up."

Threatt also is working toward her personal goals of getting an
associate's degree in general studies and putting in a packet for the Warrant Officer Candidate School to become a human resources technician. She said she ultimately hopes to work in the medical field as a radiologist.

But for now, she is focused on the mission at hand -- assisting in the redeployment process for the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade as it returns to Fort Hood, Texas.

Although her position normally is held by someone at least two pay grades higher, Threatt has adapted well to the position, McPherson said.

"She had never worked in a (brigade personnel office) before; she had always worked at a personnel service battalion," he said. "She came into this shop with the small focus of those services provided at the (personnel services battalion) level, and was put in a position as the (NCO in charge) of a brigade shop. She is a brand new staff sergeant filling a master sergeant position, and she is doing an amazing job."

While she is focused on the redeployment, thoughts of family reunions are in the back of her mind, she said. "I am excited about going home," Threatt said. "I just want to spend a lot of time with my family -- with my kids, my mom and my sisters. We are all really close, and it's been a long time away."

(
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert is assigned to 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Public Affairs.)

Group Helps Disabled Vets Find Jobs

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Disabled veterans looking for employment opportunities have one more resource working for them. Hire Heroes USA, a program of the Georgia-based Health
Careers Foundation, is working to link disabled veterans to employment opportunities nationwide. "Our mission is to be the bridge to a fulfilling career for our returning heroes with disabilities," said Bayne E. Tippins, director of the Hire Heroes USA program. "(We) want to ensure they have the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms they fought so hard to preserve."

The program offers career placement services to wounded veterans, regardless of their disability or its severity, Tippins said. To make these placements happen, Hire Heroes USA matches career interests and transferable skills to the needs of hiring companies who partner with the program.

"Now in our fifth month of operation, Hire Heroes USA is assisting more than 2,000 disabled veterans who are searching for career opportunities," Tippins said. "The program has received support through jobs (that need filling) and financial donations from more than 40 companies."

Hire Heroes USA is a new supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Tippins said he hopes to spread the program's message far and wide through the America Supports You network to reach those who could benefit from Hire Heroes USA.

"America Supports You will be a vital tool to ensure the continued success of Hire Heroes USA," Tippins said, adding that improvements in
body armor and advances in medical technology are dramatically improving survival rates on the battlefield.

"Now more than ever before, our nation's disabled veterans will need support as they seek to establish productive lives, take care of their families and establish new careers," he said. "Programs such as Hire Heroes USA ... are instrumental in helping our wounded soldiers succeed I today's competitive job market."

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Hockey Telecast to Feature U.S. Servicemembers in Kosovo

By Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Versus, the U.S. cable television home of the National Hockey League, has partnered with some troops deployed to Kosovo to give an early Christmas present to the peacekeepers and their families at home. At 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 11 , everyone watching the Pittsburgh Penguins battle the Philadelphia Flyers on Versus will get to see some pictures of the American soldiers, airmen and sailors who are serving at Camps Film City and Bondsteel, Kosovo.

At the same time their pictures are being shown on television in the United States, the troops will be gathered at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center at Camp Film City to watch the game on the American Forces Network. Due to the time difference, the game starts in Kosovo at 1 a.m. Dec. 12, but the late start won't discourage people from showing up. According to
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jay Valloric, one of the event coordinators, it's easy to stay up because he knows his kids will be watching for him at home in Ohio.

"Most of us will be here through Christmas and New Years," Valloric said. "I would rather be at home, but since that's just not possible, I think it's great that my kids will get to see me and know that I'm doing OK."

The idea for the game came about in an unusual way. A small group of troops gathered for the Oct. 24 game between the Penguins and Rangers. A story was written about the game and sent to Versus. Eventually, Michael Baker, coordinating producer of the National Hockey League for the cable network, received an e-mail with the story. Baker contacted the author of the story to thank the troops for watching the game.

"Mike was happy to hear that we watched the games,"
Army Sgt. Kai Tonti said. "He said if we wanted, he would try to show the photos that he received from the initial story during a future game we would be watching. Of course we were excited about it, so we said, 'Yes.' We were telling the other people here about it, and the idea just grew that it would be nice to do a live feed like they do sometimes during the Super Bowl."

Baker was onboard with the troops' idea, but mission requirements at Camp Film City trumped the valuable resources needed to pull off the transmission. The team putting the event together on the Kosovo side quickly started gathering troops for pictures that could be shown during breaks in the action.

"Our mission here doesn't make the headlines at home the way Iraq and Afghanistan do," Valloric said. "No one here is complaining, because the conditions aren't as bad as a lot of people have it, but we still miss our families, and to get some of our pictures on TV is a real morale booster."

In addition to American troops, other NATO and Partnership for Peace troops will be on hand at the MWR Center to cheer for their favorite team and watch the live broadcast. Camp Film City, which serves as the Kosovo Force Headquarters, is a deployed home to troops of 34 nations.

(
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith serves with the Kosovo Force Public Affairs Office.)

Defense Department, VA Test New Disability Eval System

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have teamed to test a pilot disability evaluation program that officials hope will streamline the confusing and often frustrating process for servicemembers and their families. For the next year, officials will test the new system at
military hospitals in the national capital region, officials announced today. Officials will then decide if or when to expand the system.

In contrast to the current system, the pilot program will be based on only one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating, instead of examinations and ratings from both departments separately. The hope is to transition servicemembers more smoothly to veteran benefits and compensation, officials said.

"The objectives of the pilot are to improve the timeliness, effectiveness, and transparency by integrating DoD and VA processes, eliminating duplication, and improving information provided to servicemembers and their families," according to a Defense Department news release.

The scope of the pilot program includes all nonclinical care and administrative activities, such as case
management and counseling requirements, from the time the servicemember is referred to the board until veterans benefits are provided.

The test program is based on recommendations from reports including the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.

Army Funds Crunch Would Affect Installations Worldwide

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Installation operations and quality of life programs for soldiers and their families would be affected worldwide if the
Army doesn't receive additional funding from Congress soon, a senior officer said here today. "Absolutely, it's an urgent need," Maj. Gen. Edgar E. Stanton III, director of the Army's budget office, said of the necessity for the Army to obtain nearly $55 billion from Congress to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The active Army is now using $26 billion in appropriations that were earmarked for base-support operations to fund its overseas global war on terrorism operations, Stanton said.

Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but the legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.

The
Army is now spending about $7 billion monthly to support worldwide installation operations and overseas war fighting requirements, Stanton said. Without additional funding, the Army will exhaust its base operations and maintenance accounts by mid-February, he said.

In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed that all
Army commanders and agency directors begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism.

Cody's instructions tell Army commanders and civilian
leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.

"We are only in the prudent planning phase," Cody said in a statement released yesterday. The Defense Department has instructed all
military services to review operational costs at installations as well as to prepare for possible furloughs of government civilian employees.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates directed the Army and
Marine Corps to begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.

About 200,000
Army civilians and contractors worldwide could be furloughed or temporarily laid off if the funding isn't provided, according to senior Defense Department officials. Persons affected by potential furloughs would need to be notified by around mid-December, Stanton noted, since 60 days of notice is required.

Soldiers will receive their paychecks even if the additional funding doesn't come through by February, Stanton said. However, installation child care services and other quality of life programs likely would be adversely affected, he said.

Also, available soldiers at Army installations could be called upon to perform security duty and other key tasks previously performed by civilians and contractors, Stanton said.

In view of a potential budget crunch, the call out to
Army commanders to review installation and agency spending is simply part of responsible planning, Stanton explained.

If the Army doesn't receive the needed funding by mid-February, "there will be impacts," Stanton predicted, and he said officials are working to identify the specific effects a budget crunch would have on quality of life and family programs.

Defense Department Outlines Recoupment Policies

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Defense Department policy prohibits services from recouping bonuses and other pay from servicemembers who do not complete their
military contracts due to no fault of their own. "Repayment will not be sought if the member's inability to fulfill the eligibility requirements is due to circumstances determined reasonably beyond the member's control," the policy guidance put in place this year reads.

Pentagon officials re-stated their policy this week after a wounded soldier in
Pennsylvania received a bill from the Army. Jordan Fox was an Army private first class wounded in an improvised explosive device explosion in Iraq. He was medically discharged and later received a letter demanding repayment of $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus. A second letter from the Army stated interest would be charged if a payment wasn't made within 30 days.

Army officials later said Fox will not be required to pay back any enlistment money he received.

According to the policy, circumstances could include a servicemember's death, injury, illness or other impairment which is not the result of the servicemember's
misconduct.

It could also apply if the servicemember is forced to reclassify into a new
military specialty or if the servicemember is separated due to hardship.

The policy also allows for the service secretary to make case-by-case determinations on repayment.

Policy guidance published earlier this year also prohibits any debt collection from combat-related bonuses or incentives paid to a servicemember after medical evacuation form a combat zone. For example, if a soldier receives additional monthly combat pay and those payments are not stopped in a timely manner after his evacuation, the combat pay he receives after leaving the combat zone cannot be recouped by the services.

"Therefore, ... the secretaries of the
military departments, in coordination with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, will expeditiously remit or cancel all theater debt incurred by members of the U.S. armed forces who were medically evacuated from a combat zone due to battle injury or illness, nor non-battle injury or illness, except when misconduct on the part of the member contributed to the indebtedness," the guidance reads.

Pentagon Honors Business Leaders for Efforts in Iraq

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Twenty-one American business
leaders were honored in a ceremony today for their efforts to revitalize Iraq's economy. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England honored the group -- mostly private defense industry executives and some former military members -- in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes for their role in adding stability to the war-torn nation.

"This is about security and economic development, and you can't have one without the other," England said. He praised the group for its role in reopening factories and making economic assessments in Iraq.

The honorees are the first volunteers to return from the Defense Department's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations in Iraq. The task force was created in June 2006 under the direction of Paul Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation. Thirty-five participants remain in Iraq.

"These business executives were under fire on a daily basis," Brinkley said. "Their contribution is really remarkable."

Honorees, though, said any hesitation they had about working in a war zone was overshadowed by their desire to improve conditions in Iraq.

"People are dying over there," William Duncan, a factory lead at
Computer Sciences Corp. in St. Louis, said. "If we put people back to work, they won't plant (roadside bombs) for $200. These people, mostly, are just like us: they want to earn a living and feed their families."

Duncan signed on to the task force after receiving a call from Brinkley, with whom he worked at JDS Uniphase Corp. Duncan's role was to pull people from various sectors of American manufacturing to go into Iraq's closed, state-owned factories to determine what each needed to reopen.

"For every person I took over there, 80 people volunteered to go," Duncan said. "People don't realize how much the American people want to help out."

While the Iraqis initially distrusted the American workers, they soon came to realize that the American business people were helpful, Duncan said. "One man cried and kissed me on both cheeks when we got his factory reopened," he said.

Andrew Erdmann, a consultant with McKinsey & Co. in St. Louis, said he and other task force participants had the perfect backgrounds of public- and private-sector and military experience to improve the economic situation in Iraq. McKinsey required that its employees have military or war zone experience to participate on the task force. Erdmann worked for the State Department in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

"I have friends in Iraq, so this was a personal commitment for me," Erdmann said. "Everyone on the team was motivated by wanting to contribute to this 'greatest problem.'"

David Adams, a consultant with McKinsey in Chicago, agreed. "I was very excited to be part of the solution of the biggest problem on the planet."

The task force has caused a "tremendous turnaround" for Iraqis, some 60 percent of whom were unemployed when the task force was created, Brinkley said. The unemployment rate now is below 50 percent, he said.

England reiterated comments Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made last week in saying that "war is not strictly about the kinetics of warfare."

"You've been the nonmilitary instruments of power to make a difference in Iraq," he told the honorees. "You'll always be able to say, 'I did, personally, make a difference in Iraq."

England also declared that "the surge is working" and said Iraq is "coming back to a stable, rational state."

Holiday Support for Troops Easy as 1-2-3

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - As the holidays draw near and shopping lists get shorter, some may find they're still looking for the perfect way to thank "Any Servicemember" this year. The most popular ways to support the troops are through cards and letters, care packages and
military family support. Hundreds of troop-support groups shared their holiday troop-support plans earlier this year.

Letters and cards are a simple, inexpensive way to show a servicemember they've got support back home, especially during such a family-oriented time of the year.

Marine Moms Online, www.marinemomsonline.net, based in Illinois, works to collect "letters, letters, letters," said Julie Callahan, a group representative. "(Marine Moms Online) members work with churches and schools collecting letters that are given to the recruits on Christmas morning," she said. "Encouraging letters from veterans, celebrities, sports teams, and politicians are collected and assembled into scrapbooks that are available to all recruits in the support battalions throughout the year."

The
Military Support Group of Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, Ind., www.cpmsglife.org, has a goal of sending 4,000 cards to men and women serving overseas. Those will accompany 18-inch decorated Christmas trees. "(We) have sent approximately 10,000 Christmas Cards," said Robert Leive, a representative of the group. Last year, the group sent 4,000 cards.

Many groups work hard to collect holiday greetings for the troops, and though it was common practice during past conflicts, sending a letter addressed to "Any Servicemember" is not a good idea. The Defense Department, citing security concerns, enforces a policy specifying mail not addressed to a specific individual will not be accepted. It's better to look to a troop-support organization that has established contacts to receive letters to the troops.

A box of goodies at the holidays is a sure way to brighten a deployed servicemember's day, and dozens of troop-support organizations are working to make sure no servicemember has a gloomy holiday.

"This will be our fifth year of sending holiday treats to our troops, as well as our weekly support care packages," said Meredith Kelly, chair of
Illinois-based Operation Stars and Stripes, www.operationstars.com. "In November, we start sending new pre-lit 3- and 4-foot Christmas trees with all the trimmings to our units that we are supporting."

Those trees come complete with a DVD copy of the original "It's a Wonderful Life," she said. "We try to reach as many as we can to let them know they are not forgotten," Kelly added.

California's Operation Gratitude, www.opgratitude.com, has mastered the art of sending care packages, packing more than 34,000 boxes of goodies in the first four days of its 2007 Holiday Drive, which kicked off Veterans Day weekend. Group officials anticipate packing the 300,000th care package for a deployed servicemember on Dec. 15. That milestone package is expected to arrive on or around Christmas Eve and will contain a special gift for the recipient. "We will be sending 50,000 to 60,000 care packages to deployed troops," said Carolyn Blashek, the group's founder. "We welcome donations of items, letters, funds to pay for postage, and volunteers to help assemble the packages at our facility in Van Nuys, Calif."

Sometimes the best way to support the troops at any time of the year is to support their families back home. During the holidays, this can be especially powerful.

CRVA Charities, Inc.'s annual Toys for the Troops' Kids drive, www.toysforthetroopskids.org, began in 2003 with a goal of providing two toys for every child of a deployed
military parent from the Sacramento, Calif. area. A booming success, the program has expanded, said William F. Stein, the group's president. "We will collect 50,000 toys for the kids of deployed troops (to be) distributed in four western states and Hawaii in December," he said.

The Homefront Cares, Inc., www.thehomefrontcares.org, which offers year-round support, will provide between 500 and 1,000 meals to families at Fort Carson, Colo.

Other organizations, like Our
Military Kids, www.ourmilitarykids.org, operate year round, but having strong support during the holidays makes it easier for them to fulfill their missions. Our Military Kids provides grants to children of deployed and severely injured National Guardsman and reservists for enrichment activities and tutoring that nurture and sustain the children during the deployment.

Links to all of these groups and more than 300 others are available on the America Supports You Web site, www.AmericaSupportYou.com. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Bush Visits Pentagon, Weighs In on Defense Budget Shortfall

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - It's of paramount importance to the nation for Congress to provide money to the Pentagon for funding operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Bush told reporters at the Pentagon today. "The missions of this department are essential to saving Americans' lives," Bush told reporters after meeting with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other senior defense
leaders to discuss the long-term needs of the military and of the need to continue modernization efforts.

The department's missions "are too important to be disrupted or delayed or put at risk," Bush emphasized. He then expressed his frustration that the military has "waited for months" for congressional funding to support overseas operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but such legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of a shortfall of funds to support overseas military operations, Gates has directed that the
Army and Marine Corps begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.
"Pentagon officials have warned Congress that the continued delay in funding our troops will soon begin to have a damaging impact on the operations of this department," Bush said.

The shortfall cannot be alleviated by shifting more money around Pentagon accounts, Bush explained, noting that Congress limits the amount of money that can be transferred.

"No more money can be moved" within DoD, Bush said.

Gates has asked the services, the
Army and Marines in particular, to review their spending with an eye to cut installation operational costs. Soldiers and Marines constitute the bulk of U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed all
Army commanders and agency directors to begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism, according to an Army news release issued yesterday.

In addition, about 200,000 government civilians and contractors could be furloughed in coming months if the required funds aren't provided, senior defense officials have said.

Cody's instructions tell Army commanders and civilian
leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.

"These are contingency steps that a prudent manager must take," Bush said.

Gates and other senior defense officials "have made a reasoned case to Congress for the funds they need to keep the military running," the president said.

The American people "do not want the government to create needless uncertainty for those defending our country" or uncertainty for servicemembers' families, Bush said.

People also expect the government not to disrupt the U.S.
military's efforts in Iraq, which have helped to bring about reduced violence in that country.

"They do not want disputes in Washington to undermine our troops in Iraq, just as they're seeing clear signs of success," Bush said.

He added that U.S. political
leaders "have a responsibility to send the right message to the rest of the world."

"Let us tell our enemies that America will do what it takes to defeat them," Bush said. "Let us tell Afghans and Iraqis that we will stand with them as they take the fight to our common enemies.

"Let us tell our men and women in uniform that we will give them what they need to succeed in their missions, without strings and without delay," Bush said.

Bush urged Congress to provide funding needed by the troops before members depart for the holiday recess. He also praised
military members for their hard work, courage, sacrifice and dedication to peace.

England Emphasizes Importance of Internal Checks

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England donned a Santa hat today to remind Defense Department managers to take the red-suited fellow's lead by checking their lists twice to enforce internal controls within the department. Internal controls are critical as DoD manages a budget of more than $500 billion, not including war costs, England told attendees at the Manager's Internal Control Program and Check-It Campaign Conference at Fort McNair here.

The way the department enforces its internal controls has a direct impact on the men and women in uniform defending the United States and its friends and allies, England said. "We are the people behind the lines, and we make it possible for our men and women who serve on the front lines ... to do their jobs. They count on us every single day. They count on us doing this job, and they count on us doing it right.

"And we know that we do it right when we check it every day," he said.

England pointed to DoD's "Check-It" program, which he kicked off in July 2006, as a key to that goal. The campaign aims to remind everyone throughout DoD of the importance of their jobs to the overall mission and of double-checking themselves to make sure they're doing them right and not cutting corners.

"If you check things, then what should happen will happen," England said in introducing the program. "It's what we want to do every day in the jobs we do."

That has big implications for the
military, where "getting it right" is the only real option, he said.

Tina Jonas, DoD's comptroller, said the Check It program is paying off through greater return on investments, hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and governmentwide recognition of the department's accomplishments. "You are the ones who are making it happen," she told the managers.

She noted an 84 percent reduction in self-identified internal control weaknesses since 2001 – from 116 to 19 today. "That's progress," she said.

Jonas also pointed to other measures of this forward momentum. She noted that in 2001, only two DoD entities had achieved a clean audit opinion on their financial statements. By 2006, that number had increased to six. The department's goal is to bring two-thirds of its entities to this standard by fiscal 2009, she said.

England thanked defense managers for the hard work that's brought about this progress and challenged them to get the remaining 19 internal control weaknesses cleared up before he leaves office in 417 days. "I ask for your energy and support," he said. "What you do is vitally important to the Department of Defense."

Army Reservists Support Conference, Gain Experience

By Capt. Steven Alvarez, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 29, 2007 - As the Humvee tumbled side over side, the soldiers inside shouted: "Rollover!" They braced themselves as sand and debris once on the floorboards now fell on them, sprinkling them with dust. After quickly assessing the situation, the soldiers quickly managed to get themselves out of the upside-down vehicle and pulled a wounded comrade out with them.

The unique thing about this rollover is that it didn't happen in Iraq or Afghanistan but inside the Orlando Convention Center, where members of the armed forces, government, defense industry and academia have gathered for the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference. The conference promotes cooperation between organizations to improve training and education programs and identify common training issues in the development of multiservice programs.

Soldiers from 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), an
Army Reserve command, partnered with the Army's Program Executive Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation to support the conference since both organizations have their headquarters in Orlando.

PEO STRI provides interoperable training and testing solutions and program management as well as life-cycle support for the
Army's advanced training systems. The 143rd ESC commands and controls units, provides logistical planning and support operations and provides combat service support forces capable of supporting full-spectrum logistics.

The partnership enabled soldiers to receive training and provided the defense industry with real soldiers to demonstrate and test emerging
technology.

"We want to take advantage of doing some training as well as supporting," Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Segreaves, of the 143rd, said. "Repetition in demonstrating this stuff has its benefits. Being upside down and extracting yourself from a vehicle -- there are hardly any opportunities to get this type of training; (the conference) provides this opportunity," he said. "Rollover training is a hot item. We know soldiers are getting killed this way," Segreaves said.

The 16 soldiers supporting the conference are from the 143rd and from
Florida. All are part-time warrior citizens from the 196th Transportation Company, the 1159th, 194th and the 76th Terminal Supervision Teams. Many of the soldiers supporting the conference have served as transporters in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"This is really good training," Sgt. Laura Jordan said. Ordinarily she drives a palletized loading system truck with the 196th, but she insisted the Humvee training is still beneficial. "It gives you the idea of what it is really like."

About 100 feet from the rollover
simulator, three soldiers were patrolling an Iraqi street. The scenario was simulated on a large color screen as the soldiers moved throughout the warren of streets carrying M-4 rifles at the ready.

Suddenly gunfire erupted, and the team leader shouted, "Sniper!" The soldiers assumed firing positions and opened fire, aiming and shooting their rifles at the screen. As the rifles cracked, rounds bounced off the building where the sniper was perched atop a roof.

"Reloading!" another soldier shouted as he knelt to reload his weapon. The other two kept a steady flow of rounds on the target to protect the soldier as he reloaded. Before he was done, the insurgent was killed.

On an adjacent roof in the simulation, a civilian peeked out at the firefight; one of the soldiers watched him carefully, but did nothing more. Below on the busy streets, villagers scrambled about on the street.

The simulator is an extension of the Army's marksmanship training program, but it introduces the added elements of non-combatants, an urban environment and other soldiers involved in the mission.

"This does help with unit cohesion," Staff Sgt. Scott Zeman, of the 76th TST, said after he and two other soldiers encountered a sniper ambush in the
simulator. He also noted that the rifle's recoil was realistic, and his teammates added that not only did the scenario simulator training help prepare them for duty on the frontlines, but it also taught them to communicate with each other during hostile actions.

On the other side of the show hall, Spc. Richard Abreu stood near a driving simulator, waiting at another shot to drive the Stryker simulator. The
simulator consists of a vehicle cab, instructor operator system, a visual system, freedom motion system all linked by computer systems.

The instructor selected visual and mechanical scenarios and monitored and scored each driver trainee. The instructor can introduce malfunctions and emergencies in both
tactical and nontactical environments. "It feels real -- the movement, especially when off-roading; the bouncing seems so real," Abreu said.

Abreu served as a scout in Operation Iraqi Freedom with 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and said he believes simulators would help those entering vehicular professions. "It would be real good for people just coming into the
military," Abreu said. "Giving them something like this to train in would be real good so they're more comfortable," he added.

Army Master Sgt. Daniel Lopez agreed that
simulator training for new soldiers would be beneficial. He said he has been involved in rollover accidents and knows the value of simulators firsthand. With simulators, vehicles do not get damaged and, above all, soldiers do not get injured. "It's high-speed," Lopez said.

"I'm going to have these guys coming through it (the simulator) all night," he added about his soldiers.

Lopez said the simulators can indoctrinate soldiers into various conditions without traveling to actual locations. Desert, mountain and snowy environments can all be trained from one location when the simulator is programmed accordingly.

For his first try behind the wheel of the Stryker simulator, Lopez asked his instructor to introduce 100 mph winds into his scenario, as well as snow and hills. "I was trying to drive up a hill and didn't give it enough power, and I started to slide back down the hill," Lopez said smiling. "I also overcorrected with the wind."

(Army Capt. Steven Alvarez is the public affairs officer for 143rd Sustainment Command [Expeditionary], in Orlando, Fla.)

Bush to Visit Pentagon to Discuss Long-Range Plans for Military

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 - President Bush is slated to visit the Pentagon tomorrow afternoon to talk with senior
leaders about long-term strategic plans for the military, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today. Bush will meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary Gordon England and other defense and military officials, Geoff Morrell said during a Pentagon briefing. Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, also is expected to participate.

The president's last Pentagon visit, on Aug. 31, focused primarily on the status of the Iraq war and the health of the force in light of more than four years of operations there. "This one is expected to take a longer-term, more strategic look at the
military," Morrell said.

Among topics expected to top tomorrow's agenda will be "the need for sustained investment in our national defense long after the conflicts in which we are currently engaged have ended," he said.

Bush said in a statement released following the Aug. 31 Pentagon meeting that he had accepted Gates' recommendation to increase the overall strength of the
Army and Marines by 92,000 over the next five years. The meeting included discussion about military and civilian coordination, noting that joint civilian and military teams currently are deployed in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines and Iraq.

Tomorrow's meeting comes days after Gates pressed during a speech in Kansas for the United States to strengthen all elements of its national power -- the "soft" power as well as "hard"
military might -- to face challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan and others it will confront in the future. Speaking during a Nov. 26 Landon Lecture speech at Kansas State University, Gates encouraged better funding for the State Department and other non-military U.S. entities so they can serve a broader role working as partners with the military in overseas operations.

Bush's Pentagon visit tomorrow will come on the heels of the Annapolis conference that brought Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders together to discuss ways to advance peace in the Middle East.

Gates hosted Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the Pentagon last night. Barak was in Washington to attend the conference. Morrell told reporters the two defense leaders discussed "a range of issues" of mutual concern, taking advantage of Barak's time in Washington to "sit down face-to-face to discuss those issues."

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Army Directs Cutbacks in Anticipation of Budget Shortfall

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 -
Army installation commanders worldwide have been directed to plan for spending scale-backs due to an anticipated budget crunch sparked by governmental wrangling over funding for the war on terrorism, according to an Army news release issued today. In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed all Army commanders and agency directors to begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism, the release stated.

Cody's instructions tell Army commanders and civilian
leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.

"We are only in the prudent planning phase," Cody said in a statement issued today. The Defense Department has instructed all
military services to review operational costs at installations as well as to prepare for possible furloughs of government civilian employees.

"It is an imperative of the senior Army
leadership that our Army, especially while at war, understands the budget process, the decisions being made and any potential impacts on the total Army family."

Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but such legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.

Having received no war-supplemental money since the fiscal year began on Oct. 1, the
Army has had to use its budgeted operations and maintenance dollars normally employed to organize, train, equip and field forces, as well as to sustain soldiers and their families, to fund war-related operations and activities, according to the Army news release.

During a visit to Killeen, Texas, Nov. 26, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said federal legislators' failure to quickly pass an emergency funding supplemental bill would derail
military gains made against insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army and Marine Corps members constitute the biggest ground presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Without these funds, Army operations and maintenance funds will be exhausted by mid-February, and similar
Marine Corps funds about a month later," Gates told listeners gathered at the municipality's Chamber of Commerce.

"We cannot wait until mid-February to figure out how to deal with consequences of these accounts running dry," Gates said.

Cody has instructed Army installation chiefs and other
leaders to be prepared to minimize operational and maintenance-funded activities that are "not required to protect the life, health and safety of occupants of Army installations, or required to maintain assets vital to the national defense."

The Army expects to exhaust all operational and maintenance funds by Feb. 23, even after considering a request from DoD to transfer more than $4 billion from
Navy and Air Force personnel accounts and the Army's working capital fund, according to today's Army release.

Per current labor agreements and to provide some predictability to the civilian work force, supervisors would have to start notifying Army civilians of any impending February furloughs by mid-December, according to the
Army news release.

During a Nov. 20 Pentagon news conference, DoD spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters that Gates lamented that Congress hadn't quickly passed the emergency supplemental bill containing nearly $200 billion to fund war operations. In consequence, Morrell said, Gates directed the Army and
Marine Corps to begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.

"At that point, the bases will be all but shut down, able to provide only the most basic safety and security measures for those who reside there," Morrell said.

In addition, the Defense Department will begin notifying about 200,000 civilian employees and contractors "we can no longer afford their services and that, absent additional funding, they will be furloughed or temporarily laid off within a matter of weeks," Morrell told reporters.

The Army's planning actions "are absolutely necessary given the uncertain global war on terror funding," Cody stated in today's
Army news release. "We will do everything we can to minimize the turbulence for our soldiers, civilians and their families."

New Log-in Notice to Clarify Computer Use Issues

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Department employees soon will see a new notice on their government
computer screens informing them that their e-mails are subject to monitoring and that use of the computer means they recognize and consent to that monitoring. The revised language will appear throughout the department within the next two weeks, an official from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information told American Forces Press Service.

John Grimes, DoD's chief information officer, signed a policy memo earlier this month mandating the new electronic notice and consent banner on all DoD information systems. Grimes set a Dec. 12 deadline for all Defense Department entities, including the
military services, to use the revised wording.

The banner notifies users that their systems may be monitored for "penetration testing, COMSEC (communications security) monitoring, network defense, quality control, and employee misconduct,
law enforcement and counterintelligence investigations."

It also includes a paragraph clarifying that passwords, access cards, encryption and biometric access controls are used to provide security for the benefit of the government – not to provide personal privacy to employees.

The notice also will appear on government BlackBerry devices and other personal digital assistants and personal electronic devices, although the wording will be shorter than on computers.

The new verbiage is designed to clarify the DoD policy in light of a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces decision. The court ruled that the current banner warning, which has been in place for a decade, does not state clearly enough that employees have no right of privacy when using government
computer systems.

In that case, a servicemember received notice that she was required to undergo a random urinalysis test. She, in turn, e-mailed several other people, discussing her fear that her drug use would be detected and the steps she had taken to avoid detection, officials in Grimes' office explained.

Investigators used those e-mails as evidence in a prosecution. The servicemember was convicted and sentenced, but an appellate court set aside the findings and sentence, because the banner did not clearly state that there was no right of privacy in e-mails.

The revised banner will ensure all users of government computer systems understand that there is no right of privacy in e-mails, officials said.

Defense Department officials said monitoring is critical in ensuring government systems aren't compromised by viruses or hackers, and to identify threats as early as possible.

"In order to protect DoD information systems, DoD needs to be able to monitor all traffic flowing through and across DoD systems," an official said.

Gates Meets with Fort Hood Soldiers, Family Members

By Heather Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with soldiers and family members here yesterday to present Purple Heart medals and get a first-hand look at issues and concerns he usually sees only on paper. Gates began his morning by joining soldiers for breakfast at the Eagle's Nest, a 4th Infantry Division dining facility. Over scrambled eggs, bacon and grits, Gates discussed
Army issues with the soldiers.

After breakfast, the secretary met with 30
Army spouses representing the 4th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 13th Sustainment Command and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to hear their issues and concerns. The spouses were selected for the meeting based on their active roles in their units' family readiness groups, Col. Diane Battaglia, 3rd Corps public affairs officer, said.

The meeting was Gates' first with spouses, he said. "I look forward to hearing from you," he told the group before his closed-door meeting. "The nation owes each of you a great debt of gratitude."

Spouses were able to ask questions of the defense secretary during the meeting.

On most of their minds was the deployment length and cycle. "The first majority concern was how long the 15-month deployments would last," said Sheree Weller, the wife of Capt. Shane Weller, a pilot with 1st Aviation Combat Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. "He gave us a good time frame."

The spouses at the meeting said they felt the defense secretary adequately addressed and answered their concerns and questions.

"I had four questions," Mariah Murdoch, wife of Maj. Timothy Murdoch, rear-echelon commander of 1st Cavalry Division's Special Troops Battalion. "Every question was answered before I could ask." Gates addressed other concerns she had not even considered, she added.

"He talked about incentives for family members other than spouses," she said. One incentive would be the possibility of soldiers being able to pass Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits on to their children. The secretary emphasized that can't happen overnight, she noted. "He made it abundantly clear there is a lot of bureaucracy involved," she said.

Both women agreed Gates was prepared to answer their questions and concerns.

"Every question posed, he had already considered," Weller said. "I felt he was listening."

Weller again met with Gates, albeit briefly, during the 1st Cavalry Division Purple Heart and volunteer recognition ceremony following the spouses' meeting. She was honored for her volunteer efforts for the First Team.

At the ceremony, Gates presented 12 Purple Hearts to division soldiers and certificates to the volunteers.

Gates wrapped up his two-day trip to the area following the ceremony. He had been a guest of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce at a Nov. 26 dinner reception. In his speech, he addressed the progress being made in the global war on
terrorism and the need for the passage of a supplemental war spending bill.

In a question-and-answer session following his speech, Gates addressed the troop surge and improved security in Iraq.

(Heather Graham is news editor for the Fort Hood Sentinel.)

Bookseller Makes Troop Support Easy for Shoppers

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 28, 2007 - With thoughts turning from tasty Thanksgiving turkey to holiday shopping lists, one national bookseller has made it easy to find the perfect gift for everyone, including the nation's servicemembers. Barnes & Noble, a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, has created an online book store that benefits troop-support organizations with a 5 percent donation from each sale made through the www.bn.com/asy Web site.

America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"After Barnes & Noble made our multi-million dollar book donation earlier this year, we considered how we could continue to support ASY," said Brian Buckley, vice president of online partnership for Barnes&Noble.com. He was referring to a nearly $3.5 million dollar product donation the bookseller made in May to several nonprofit supporters of the America Supports You program.

"We felt that this online bookstore could be advertised in supporting publications and every time someone wanted to buy a book, DVD or CD they would be supporting selected home-front groups," he said.

The groups, all supporters of America Supports You, include: ThanksUSA, Operation Troop Appreciation, Operation AC, Adopt-A-Chaplain, Comfort for America's Uniformed Services, Give2TheTroops, Operation Paperback, and United Through Reading.

The groups offer a wide range of support including providing servicemembers with care packages, offering support to
military family members and the wounded, and helping keep deployed servicemembers connected with their children through reading.

Each group will receive an equal share of the total donations annually, Buckley said.

While the Web site is a great way to take care of holiday shopping, it will be available year round and allows buyers to shop Barnes & Noble's online inventory.

"We have no time limit on this program and hope to support these groups for years to come," Buckley added.

THE LIFE OF A COP


The life of a cop is never easy
The life of a cop is an on going job
as he chose this career because
a love for protecting people far
outweighed his fear.

READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/life_of_a_cop.html

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Airman Missing In Action From The Vietnam War Is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Capt. Stephen A. Rusch, U.S.
Air Force, of Lambertville, N.J. He will be buried on Nov. 30 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On March 7, 1972, Rusch was the weapons systems officer in an F-4E Phantom II aircraft attacking enemy targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The plane was the number two aircraft in a flight of two. When Rusch's aircraft was cleared to begin its second run over enemy targets, the flight leader of the number one aircraft lost sight of Rusch's plane and observed enemy ground fire followed by a large explosion. An immediate search was begun, but all attempts to establish radio contact and later search efforts were unsuccessful.

In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed several Laotian citizens. The team surveyed the crash site identified by one of the citizens and found aircraft wreckage.

In 2001, a U.S. citizen, acting as an intermediary for a Laotian citizen, turned over to U.S. officials a bone fragment and a photocopy of Rusch's
military identification tag. The bone fragment proved not to be from Capt. Rusch.

In 2002-2003, joint teams conducted two excavations of the crash site. The teams recovered human remains and non-biological evidence including U.S. coins and life support equipment.

Among other
forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

One Sailor, 280 Soldiers Re-enlist Together in Iraq

By Renanah Miles
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - Two hundred eighty soldiers and one sailor re-enlisted earlier this month in the Al Faw palace, one of Saddam Hussein's former homes. The palace was seized by 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2003. On the division's 90th birthday Nov. 21, soldiers under its command renewed their commitment to the
Army and the war on terror.

When Sgt. Patricia Daniels, of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Support Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, re-enlisted during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she didn't know the significance of the date at first. "Last time I was in Iraq, ... I re-enlisted on the 21st of November, not realizing it was the 3rd ID birthday," she said.

This year, Daniels' choice to recommit to the
Army on the division's 90th birthday was intentional. Daniels is deployed to Baghdad again, under the command of the Multi-National Division Center. Still, Daniels, a native of Miami, said the decision is bittersweet. While she loves her job, said, the separation from her husband and four children is hard.

"I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork," she said of the
Army. "I don't like to deploy every other year."

This year, as the ceremony fell the day before Thanksgiving, Daniels had home on her mind. She said Thanksgiving trumps Christmas in her family, and she begged her husband and children to carry on the elaborate food preparation and holiday traditions in her stead. Despite the sacrificed holiday, her conviction to serve remains unshaken. "I'm re-enlisting for the needs of the
Army," she said.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Division Iraq, officiated over the ceremony.

"Re-enlisting soldiers is one of my favorite duties, one of the greatest honors I think any of us can perform," the general said.

"And it is a true honor to be with you to re-enlist 281 of you at last count, and that does include a 'Sailor of One,'" Petraeus said in a play on the Army motto.

Spc. Heidi McNeely, also with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, re-enlisted in July. Her husband, food service specialist John McNeely, re-enlisted in a private ceremony last week.

On Nov. 21, John also joined other Multinational Division Center soldiers and affirmed his commitment. Husband and wife, both from New Orleans, joined the
Army for similar reasons. "The biggest motivation was stability," McNeely said. "That's what keeps me and him going."

But being deployed simultaneously is a mixed blessing for the couple. "It's nice, ... comforting," McNeely said. "But kind of scary because we have two kids."

John's parents are taking care of the children while mom and dad are deployed. Their oldest daughter, 8 years old, is aware enough to wonder where her parents are and why they went away. McNeely said she gave her children a simple explanation. "I told them (it's) because there were people who needed help from us," McNeely explained. "I didn't go any further than that. She didn't question it. The only thing she questioned was if something was going to happen to me.

"I told her that God gave her to me," McNeely continued. "I'm not done taking care of her yet."

Both Daniels and McNeely say options for school are a factor in their decision.

Falling a day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the 3rd Infantry Division's birthday, the ceremony came as a poignant reminder of the tradition and duty that lie at the heart of soldiers' choice to serve their country.

"I don't know where this division, this great division, will be when it celebrates one century of service in 2017," Petraeus said. "But I can guarantee you that wherever it is, future 'Dog Face Soldiers' will celebrate the courageous contributions that each of you is making in Iraq today. They will proudly look at each of you the same way you look back at some of your predecessors."

(Renanah Miles is assigned to Multinational Division Center.)

Air Force Neurosurgeon Saves Afghan Child's Life

By BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - An Air Force neurosurgeon assigned to Craig Joint Theater Hospital here saved the life of an 8-month-old Afghan girl earlier this month. The child, from Parwan province, was originally taken by her parents to El Salem Egyptian Field Hospital with symptoms including excessive head growth, eye abnormalities and irritability.

After Egyptian physicians referred her to the U.S. hospital,
Air Force neurosurgeon Lt. Col. (Dr.) Randall McCafferty diagnosed a congenital brain abnormality called an "arachnoid cyst" at the base of the young girl's brain.

"The cyst had caused blockage of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, thus causing hydrocephalus (commonly known as 'water on the brain')," McCafferty said. "Left untreated, the condition could have eventually been fatal."

Thanks to the recent deployment of neurosurgical assets to Afghanistan, McCafferty was able to operate on the child Nov. 12 and again Nov. 20, removing the cyst and leaving the girl in good condition.

"I was happy that I could bring specialized
training to this region that did not previously exist and that with those skills I was able to provide an opportunity at a future life for both the child and her family that likely would not otherwise exist," McCafferty said.

The doctor also said he felt fortunate to have the support of his command, colleagues and the intensive care unit staff at Craig Joint Theater Hospital.

(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)


Keating: NORTHCOM Experience Lends Lessons to Bangladesh Relief

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - After more than two years at the helm of U.S. Northern Command,
Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating oversaw planning for military responses to the most devastating domestic disasters, and mobilized U.S. military support when Hurricane Katrina provided a real-life test of those plans. So when his staff at U.S. Pacific Command watched a fierce tropical cyclone make its way toward Bangladesh earlier this month, Keating, now the top U.S. military officer in the Pacific, kept a careful watch.

Even before the cyclone made landfall Nov. 15, Keating had already started talking with leaders at the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, about a potential response in the event the Bangladeshis needed help.

"We began to look at assets that might be of assistance if the host nation asked for them," he told reporters today via teleconference from his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.

Keating asked U.S. Central Command for permission to borrow one of its ships, USS Kearsarge, and its 1,200
Marines aboard who were operating in the North Arabian Sea in case they were needed to support relief operations. He got the Air Force to begin positioning heavy-life aircraft at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, so they'd be ready to deliver reverse-osmosis water purification units, if needed.

He kept his staffs' eyes glued on the storm, directing them to gather as much information as possible so they could quickly pass it, along with damage assessments, along to the U.S. Embassy.

"We got stuff moving," Keating said. "As the storm was ashore and clearing, we had assets."

When the cyclone passed, leaving vast devastation and more than 3,200 dead and more than 1,000 others missing, Pacific Command was ready to respond. All it needed was the Bangladeshi government to accept U.S. offers of help.

Keating called his lessons learned at U.S. Northern Command "of significant import to us in this situation," giving him the tools to look ahead of the crisis to help prepare a response. "The events of Katrina and humanitarian assistance disaster relief we learned at Northern Command were of significant value for us here."

As he was returning to Hawaii Nov. 24 after a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, Keating stopped in Bangladesh to meet with Bangladeshi and U.S. officials to discuss the need there and offer help.

Keating said he made it clear that the United States has no intention of taking charge. "We are attempting the best we can to make sure the Bangladeshis understand it is their operation," he said. "We are in support. We will do nothing they don't ask for and when they are done with us, we will leave."

The Bangladeshis, desperate to get support into regions in the south where roads had been wiped out, accepted the offer "warmly," Keating said. "I got no sense of stepping on toes," he said.

Today, the U.S.
military is rushing aid to the region, focusing on getting water and medical aid to areas in greatest need, Keating said.

"Water is the overarching requirement," Keating said, noting that the surge resulting from the Nov. 15 tropical cyclone left fresh-water ponds in Bangladesh tainted with salt. While ships in the region manufacture potable water, the Air Force has delivered three reverse-osmosis water purification units, he said. One is in Bangladesh, and two are in Thailand, awaiting direction from the Bangladeshis on where to place them.

The 1,200-member 22nd
Marine Expeditionary Unit operating from USS Kearsarge already has flown several dozen relief sorties to get water and other aid to outlying areas, he said. More than 50,000 pounds of aid have been moved into Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, U.S. medical personnel are on site, lending surgeons, corpsmen, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical staff to the effort. Keating said the Kearsarge stands ready to offer its hospital facilities, but that they haven't yet been needed.

USS Tarawa also is headed to the region, but Keating said its services may not be required to provide relief support.

Keating said all support is being offered with an understanding of the diplomatic implications, and the fact that some in Bangladesh might have initially been "a little leery of U.S. operations" there. The United States is ensuring that the Bangladeshis understand "we are in support of them," he said. "And we will do nothing that is not at the behest of Bangladesh."

Keating Aims to Improve Communication with China After Port Call Rejections

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - The top U.S.
military officer in the Pacific said he's concerned that China recently denied U.S. ships' requests for port visits in Hong Kong and plans to take the matter up during a trip he hopes to make to Beijing early next year. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he found it "perplexing and troublesome" that the Chinese refused the Kitty Hawk Battle Group entrance to Hong Kong for a port call during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Hundreds of the sailors' family members had flown from Japan to spend the holiday with their loved ones when the Kitty Hawk carrier and several of its escorts were forced to abandon their port call.

By the time China reversed its decision, the U.S. ships had already turned around. "It was too late by then," Keating said.

The incident came on the heels of what he called an even more troublesome situation: China's refusal to admit two U.S. minesweepers into Hong Kong to seek refuge from a brewing storm.

The Patriot and Guardian were operating in international waters when fierce weather conditions drove them to seek shelter in Hong Kong, Keating said. China refused their request, forcing them to get refueled at sea so they could return to their homeport in Sasebo, Japan.

China's denial of their request violated "an unwritten rule among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in -- you give them safe harbor," Keating said.

"Jimmy Buffet has songs about it, for crying out loud," he said.

Keating called China's actions "very unusual" and expressed hope they'll be the last. "We would certainly hope this is not indicative of future repeat denials," he said.

He called Hong Kong "one of the great liberty ports in the world" that gives sailors and Marines afloat an opportunity to meet with their families during a deployment.

Keating said he plans to bring the issue up if the Chinese agree to a meeting he's requested for January. Other topics will likely be China's weapons program, which Keating said includes weapons that indicate "a little more aggressive strategic goal" than the defensive posture the Chinese advocate.

The bottom line, he said, is that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.

"That's our goal," Keating said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."

Hewlitt Packard Employees to Help Colorado Families

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 -
Military families in Colorado whose major breadwinners are deployed to the Middle East are getting help with seasonal yard tasks from an unexpected source. From raking leaves to hanging Christmas lights, Hewlett Packard Co. employees will pitch and help three military families Nov. 29 through a partnership with the Minnesota-based Project EverGreen Foundation.

"The HP employees are going above and beyond," said Den Gardner, executive director of the foundation, which matches volunteers and lawn or landscaping firms with
military families in need of outdoor help. "In addition to helping the families clean up their yards, they are helping hang up Christmas lights and even helping one military family paint the walls inside their house."

The foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The foundation's "GreenCare for Troops" program was developed in 2006 to provide free lawn and landscape care for families who have a major breadwinner serving in the Middle East. Project EverGreen has signed up more than 1,000 lawn and landscape contractors and volunteers to assist in this effort to help the more than 4,300
military families currently registered with the foundation.

Gardner said the roots of this program go back to the basic mission of his organization. "Quite simply," he explained, "we are working to emphasize the benefits that green spaces provide to our environment, economy and lifestyles. At the same time, we realized that, for many service families, lawn and landscape care can become a burden when there are concerns for the safety of a loved one overseas."

There is no cost or obligation to families who apply to participate in GreenCare for Troops, Gardner said.

"Project EverGreen makes every effort to link families in need with local lawn and landscape firms or community volunteers who have indicated a desire to help," he added.

Gardner said the appreciation expressed by service personnel and their families has been gratifying. "We even had one soldier serving in Iraq ask us to send him a Project EverGreen banner to display -- and we were happy to oblige."

Hewlett Packard employees heard about the need for volunteers in the
Colorado Springs area through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and knew they wanted to pitch in. They contacted Project EverGreen and were matched up with three families in the area, HP officials said.

"We are thrilled to give back," said Tara Agen, Hewlett Packard Imaging and Printing chief of staff. "Lots of our employees volunteer individually, but to do this as a group and really make a difference is very special."

Agen said a lot of the employees involved really wanted to help
military families. "I also personally had a sister and brother-in-law who served overseas," she said. "So the decision was an easy one."

Couple to Spend First Holiday Season Together in Iraq

By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 -
Army Pvt. Imani Tumbling and Pfc. Angelo Tumbling will celebrate their first major holiday as a married couple and their first anniversary here in a combat zone. Imani, of Valdosta, Ga., and Angelo, of Norfolk, Va., are both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Imani, 20, a supply specialist, and Angelo, 23, a fire support specialist, met when he arrived at his new unit in March.

Angelo said he always saw himself as a family man, but, having just ended one relationship before he joined the A
rmy, he said he wanted to "play the field" for a while before settling down.

"I wanted to come in for money for
school, so I wasn't looking for anybody," Imani said.

"I didn't even like him when I met him," she said with a scowl. "I wanted to get out of the Army, go to college and after I got out of college, that's when I saw myself getting married."

Even though Angelo and Imani mapped their lives out one way, it seems fate had another plan. After a whirlwind courtship -- less than four months -- the two were married Aug. 2 and departed Fort Campbell, Ky., for Iraq in late September.

"It seemed like we knew each other more than we did; we got close real fast," Angelo said. "I figured if I'm already with her every day and I'm going to be with her and do whatever I have to do to be with her, then why not be married?"

When they decided to make the big step, Imani said, there was no fanfare -- no candlelight dinner, no romantic music -- nothing like that involved.

"He didn't even ask," she said with a laugh, looking at Angelo from the corners of her eyes. "He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't say, 'Will you marry me?' He said, 'You're going to be my wife.'"

Angelo laughed at Imani's recollection of his proposal and said he knew she would say yes.

Even though she tried to play hard to get, Imani said, she knew that she wanted to marry him.

Both said they never thought they would make the leap to marriage this soon, but regard it as an unexpected blessing. "Everybody says we got married too fast," Angelo said. "But we're going to shock the world."

The two harbor no illusions that their marriage will be free of obstacles, but they seem determined to make it work. They have minor disagreements and expect to experience the same bumps in the road as other couples do during the first months or years of marriage. Their road just happens to be in southern Baghdad.

The newlyweds say they feel fortunate to be together during what has been the breaking point of some marriages; but the deployment has turned out to be a benefit.

While it is difficult at times not having family and friends readily accessible to discuss a problem, Imani said, the distance from potential outside influences is making them stronger as a couple.

"I think it's good because we can't talk to everybody else about our problems, and he can't jump in the car and leave," she explained. "We have to sit here and deal with it versus going and running to tell somebody else."

The Tumblings do not claim to have all the answers for the perfect marriage. They just take things one day at a time and hope that this deployment will continue to strengthen what they already have.

(
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy serves with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)