Friday, March 30, 2007

Wounded Warriors' Wives Get Help

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

March 29, 2007 – Understanding the critical role spouses play in the recovery of wounded warriors, Operation Homefront has created the Wounded Warrior Wives Project to help them navigate the challenges they may face. "While the
military sees to their physical health, the key to the short- and long-term stability and full restoration of our wounded warriors lies in the support of their spouses," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said. "It is the spouses, not the wounded warriors, who are most responsible for key family issues such as financial viability and seeking assistance."

The Wounded Warrior Wives Project is an opportunity for spouses to get together and really discuss issues surrounding their servicemembers' recovery, Leyva said. And though the title specifically mentions wives, "we are certainly open to everyone," she said.

The Wounded Warrior Wives Project began at Operation Homefront's annual chapter presidents' meeting, Leyva said. The group recognized that each new phase of recovery and rehabilitation brings new challenges not only for the patient, but the caregivers, Leyva said.

"It' a comprehensive program," Leyva said. "We catch them in the hospital at the acute phase (and) they can continue with physical support groups at the rehabilitation centers."

The Wounded Warrior Wives Project strives to help provide caregivers with an emotional and practical support system to navigate those challenges. Through the program, Operation Homefront will provide support groups at each major military medical facility, Leyva said.

It will continue this support network beyond the family's involvement in the medical system with Web-based magazine content and discussion forums that will directly address pertinent issues. This content will launch April 2, she said.

The Web content will become a new section on CinCHouse.com, Operation Homefront's online community. Dr. Julia Storey, a retired
Air Force psychologist, and Tonia Sargent, a Marine wife whose husband suffered severe head injuries, will lead this endeavor, Leyva said.

Local support groups are primarily peer-to-peer with the goal of presenting information on all the programs available for military families, Leyva said.

"However, we will not be allowing command officials and program officials into the inner workings of the support group meetings, as a matter of privacy, unless the support group members specifically request that," Leyva said. "People need to be able to talk openly and without fear of reprisal, and I think command officials understand this."

Operation Homefront is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights the support the nation's servicemembers are receiving from the American public and the corporate sector.

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Budget Will Recapitalize, Modernize U.S. Forces

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 29, 2007 – The proposed defense budget will modernize and recapitalize the armed forces, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee today. Gates said the proposed budget and the emergency supplemental request will exceed $700 billion. The
military needs this money to sustain the force, modernize weapons systems, train forces and build defense capabilities.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace told the representatives that the heavy demand on U.S. forces is unlikely to dissipate in the near future. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically asked the representatives to look hard at the
military's increased need for mid-level officers and NCOs.

Pace said embedded training teams in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere help those nations provide for their own security.

"The training that we do with other armed forces rests on the shoulders of our mid-grade soldiers and mid-grade officers," Pace said. "We are peeling off some of those officers and enlisted from operational units. An increase in mid-grades would help us enormously with what lies ahead."

Gates said the budget and concurrent increase of soldiers and Marines will sustain the military by reducing stress on the force and improving quality of life for U.S. troops and their families. The budget also funds ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the campaign against violent jihadist networks around the globe, he said.

Gates told the representatives to put the budget request in historical context. The request translates to about 4 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. He said it is a significantly smaller percentage of GDP than when the United States was involved in the Vietnam War or the Korean War.

Gates said this amount of money may give people "sticker shock," but it must be viewed in the light of different threats.

"In addition to fighting the
war on terror, we face the dangers posed by Iran's and North Korea's nuclear ambitions and the threat they pose to not only their neighbors, but globally, due to their records of proliferation," he said.

He said the United States must be ready to counter the uncertain paths of China and Russia - both pursuing sophisticated
military modernization programs. And, he said, there is a range of other challenges, flashpoints and threats in the world.

"In this strategic environment, the resources we devote to defense at this critical time should be at a level to meet those challenges," Gates said. "The costs of defending the nation are high. The only thing costlier would be to fail to commit the resources necessary to defend our interests around the world, and to fail to prepare for the inevitable threats of the future."

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Commentary: Take Time to Thank Unsung Heroes During Women's History Month

By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2007 – The topic of women came up in my office the other day. We were trying to figure out the best way to highlight Women's History Month in the post newspaper, and we decided to ask a few outstanding women, "If you could be any other woman, who would you be and why?" We received some thought-provoking responses. Acting
Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock said she would choose Abigail Adams, because she was "an original thinker" who advised against the discrimination of women. Army Col. Patricia Hastings, director, Department of Combat Medic Training, said she would pick Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician to graduate with a degree in the United States.

Although they emulate others, Pollock and Hastings are inspirations in their own right. Pollock is the first woman to hold the position of Army surgeon general, and Hastings runs the department that trains the
Army medics who have boosted the survival rate out in the field to more than 90 percent.

Pollock and Hastings are just two of the countless notable women who have helped shape American history. As soldiers, they continue a tradition started when women first began to serve in the Army in 1775. They join the ranks of women like Army Brig. Gen. Coral Pietsch, the first woman general officer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, and Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve three-star rank.

And, more recently, Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester helped her squad repel nearly 30 insurgents during an ambush of her convoy in Iraq. Hester became the first woman since World War I to earn the Silver Star Medal for exceptional valor.

History books and Web pages are filled with stories of these well-known and celebrated women. Their achievements and valor help shape our society and the young women who turn to them for inspiration.

With such high-profile achievements, however, it's too easy to overlook the countless other women whose walls may be less packed with accolades and achievements, but are a source of inspiration nonetheless. You may have seen one today at the desk next to you, in the hall or talked to one on the phone. They are women who do their job with excellence every day, not because they are paid a movie star's salary, but because of their inner drive and work ethic.

Women like my friend
Air Force Master Sgt. Melissa Phillips, who is facing her second tour to Iraq in two years. She is handling the looming deployment with a grace and courage that I don't believe I'd have in the same circumstance.

Women who stand by their servicemembers, wounds and all, as they undergo a long, painful rehabilitation process. And any woman - whether a wife, mother, sister or grandmother -- who receives word that her loved one was killed while defending our nation's freedom and still manages to carry on.

I saw one of these heroes on a news report. Renee Ziegel had only dated Marine Cpl. Ty Ziegel for about three months before he was deployed to Iraq. He was severely injured when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives. Ziegel was burned on his face and arms, and his left hand and three fingers on his right hand were amputated. But Renee didn't see the wounds; she only saw him. She stood by him for more than two years of surgery and rehabilitation, and they were married last October.

"If you love somebody, you're going to do what you have to do, no matter what," said Renee in a First Coast News article

Their stories, ones of fortitude and courage, are an inspiration to me. As a journalist, I've been to the Fisher Houses, medical and rehabilitation centers and have witnessed that courage firsthand. And I always ask myself if I would have the same courage faced with the same circumstances. I hope I don't have to find out, but if I do, I know there are women out there that I could turn to for my inspiration.

Take time during Women's History Month, and every other month, to thank an unsung hero. Thank a woman who inspires you, whether she is your mother, sister, friend or co-worker. Perhaps someone also will stop and thank you.

(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office, where she is editor of the Fort Sam Houston News Leader.)

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First Lady, Military Leaders Praise USO for Troop Support

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2007 – First lady Laura Bush joined
military leaders and other luminaries here last night in praising the United Service Organizations for its support for the military as she accepted the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Service Award. The first lady joined Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson and the top brass from the military services at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 25th annual awards dinner. The star-studded gala, which featured Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson, longtime USO star Connie Stevens, country music stars Michael Peterson and Trace Adkins, and American tenor Daniel Rodriguez, raised $500,000 for USO-Metro programs, officials announced.

"Americans have a responsibility to support our troops, and certainly, no one does it better than the USO," Bush told some 650 attendees at the dinner in Arlington, Va.'s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

"For 66 years, the USO has lifted the spirits of our troops," she said, recalling the organization's long history of bringing entertainers from Bob Hope and Rita Hayworth to Marilyn Monroe and Ann-Margret to combat zones.

Pace joined the first lady in praising the USO for its long history of supporting U.S. troops around the world. He and Nicholson shared memories of what the USO offered them personally during their
military careers, particularly when they served in Vietnam.

The chairman told the audience he remembered what it meant to him, while deployed during the Christmas of 1972, to have Bob Hope and Connie Stevens visit him and his fellow
Marines during a USO tour. "It was incredible, a little bit of home," he said.

Addressing Stevens, Pace added with a laugh, "You made a young captain's heart beat pretty hard."

That support for the troops continues today, with the USO providing troops around the world a cup of coffee and someone to talk to when they feel far from home, Pace said. "In so many ways, the USO has taken great care of all of us in uniform, and we are grateful for that," he said.

Bush said the USO's support is more important than ever as an all-volunteer military fights the
war on terror. She noted USO-Metro's huge outreach to more than half a million servicemembers and their families, with support ranging from troop-appreciation events to job fairs for military spouses to free phone cards "so that the reassuring voices of loved ones can reach our troops deployed overseas."

Last year alone, USO-Metro volunteers gave 60,000 hours of service. "In every capacity, they've gone above and beyond for our troops," the first lady said.

She described one particular incident in which a Marine returning home from Iraq on emergency leave after learning that his mother had died found himself stranded at the USO lounge in Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "After 42 hours of travel, the Marine arrived at BWI with no tickets or money and too late at night to make travel plans," Bush said.

A quick-thinking USO volunteer wasn't going to let those circumstances stop the Marine from getting home in time for his mother's funeral, Bush said. The volunteer got on the phone and arranged for Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey state troopers to drive the Marine home. "Thanks to these
police officers -- and to a resourceful USO volunteer -- the Marine arrived in time to comfort his family, and pay his respects to his mother," she said.

Bush recognized the USO's extensive work visiting wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., arranging for them to attend sporting events and concerts and bringing celebrity entertainers to cheer them. Even more importantly, she said, the group provides free housing for visiting families to ensure "no soldier has to face the recovery process without their moms and dads, sons and daughters, wives or husbands by their side."

The USO also provides critical emotional support, the first lady said. She noted an exceptional incident in which the USO arranged for Joe Grady, a Marine who lost his arm to a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, and his wife, Ashley, who he married while hospitalized, take a honeymoon to the Mexican Rivera. "Throughout Joe's recovery, Ashley recalls the kindness and the support of USO volunteers and staff was overwhelming," Bush said.

"Our armed forces are filled with courageous young people like Joe Grady. They're supported by loving parents, children and spouses like Ashley," she said. "By supporting organizations like the USO, the American people can show their gratitude to these troops and families, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe."

Pace said a common question he and other military leaders get when they visit deployed troops is if the American people are still behind them. "And I always, with great pride, smile and say, 'Your USO is the prime example of how the American people support you.'

"That support is a real, tangible part of saying, 'Yes, the American people are behind us. They are there to help support our servicemembers and their families. ... They have always been there for us, (and they) make a huge impact on our troops."

"The most important thing we can do as Americans is to make sure they know how much they are appreciated for their service and their sacrifice," Nicholson agreed. "That goes the same for those who reach out and support them, ... and the USO does that because it gives a lot of Americans a chance to say thank you."

Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called last night's gala a way to recognize the USO's service to the military.

"The USO is important because it recognizes all the wonderful armed services personnel and what they contribute to the country," he said. "It's a great organization."

During the gala, USO and military officials honored several servicemembers and longtime USO supporters.

Air Force Master Sgt. David Glinski II, who serves with the White House Communications Agency, received the 2007 C. Haskell Small Award and a $1,000 Savings Bond for volunteerism as a firefighter with the Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Department, in Prince William County, Va.

"It's a humbling experience," Glinski said of last night's recognition. "Volunteering isn't something I do for recognition. It comes from the heart. It's an honor to serve my country and my community."

Pace presented a Bronze Star with "V" device for valor to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Bryant, a special agent for the Office of Special Investigations who helped capture 200 insurgents near Kirkuk, Iraq, and protected coalition forces during a terrorist attack on a convoy traveling near Kirkuk Air Base.

Bryant said it felt "a little overwhelming" to be honored so publicly by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and downplayed his personal role in the actions he was honored for. "I really, truly owe this to my team's actions and our training," he said. "When you're in a situation like that, your training takes over. It's an instinct. And we reacted as a team, just like we are supposed to do."

Pace, Giambastiani and Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, Pace's senior enlisted advisor, offered special honors to several servicemembers at last night's event:

-- Retired Army Col. Jack Hyde, who served in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and stopped Gen. George Patton from going through a roadblock, saving his life;

-- Air Force Sgt. Eric Ezell, who lost an eye in Iraq while serving with the 20th Special Operations Squadron but will remain on active duty after his discharge next week from Walter Reed;

-- Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Patrick Hyde, who was hit by an improvised explosive device while assigned to Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, but ignored his injuries to help save his comrades;

--
Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Ruth, who braved eight- to 10-foot seas and 30 knot winds to save a woman being battered at the base of a rocky cliff during a thunderstorm from drowning;

-- Army Sgt. David John Brown, who served as a USO volunteer while recovering at Walter Reed from injuries received from a roadside bomb near an Iraqi police station; and

-- Marine Cpl. Dylan Gray, who lost both legs to an IED attack during his third tour in Iraq and completed his final surgery at the National Naval Medical Center earlier this week before being transferred to Walter Reed for rehabilitation.

Pace also recognized the troops' families, who accompanied them to the gala. "These are the unsung heroes, whose support is so vital," he said.

As the evening drew to a close, Nicholson presented the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Merit Award to country music legend Trace Adkins for his participation in USO tours and ongoing support for U.S. servicemembers.

Adkins said he felt the award was the second time in his career he received recognition he felt he didn't deserve. The first, he said, was when he awarded entry into the Grand Ole Opry.

He acknowledges that he sometimes gets tired of hearing people say they support the troops simply because it's the popular thing to say, but without any real conviction. "I support the troops, ... I support what they do," he said, rousing the group to a standing ovation. I support their mission."

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Defense Department Emphasizes Employee Safety, Occupational Health

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2007 – Safety is critical to readiness, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness told safety officers attending the Voluntary Protection Program conference here yesterday. "Every asset we keep in peacetime is an asset we can apply against the enemy in war," Joseph Angello said. "Every person we keep healthy and fit is a person in our unit who is serving against the enemy."

DoD spends more than $3 billion in direct costs associated with aviation and ground accidents,
military injuries, and civilian worker compensation, Angello told the audience. "Those are resources we could be using for systems and people to defend our country."

Defense officials are pushing for leaders to better understand the importance of safety and are aiming for a 75 percent accident reduction rate throughout the force, Angello said.

For a second year, DoD is participating in the Voluntary Protection Program, designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to improve safety records and readiness of its civilian and
military personnel.

The program is recognized as an accident reduction "best practice" for the private sector to improve safety in industrial operations and has been adopted by the Defense Safety Oversight Council's Installations Task Force, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment Safety and Occupational Health Tad Davis said.

Private sector VPP participants have seen a 60 percent reduction in injuries, 20 percent reduction in worker's compensation costs, and a 150 percent return on investments, program officials said.

"We saw VPP as one of private industry's best practices," Davis said. "Our needs are similar but unique compared to the private sector."

Army safety officials, with Davis in the lead, created the DoD VPP Center of Excellence to ensure that 40 new installations each year work to implement injury reduction throughout the armed forces.

"If we can apply lessons learned from the first two years, then we'll have insights that will allow us to do it smarter, quicker and more economically at these installations down the road," Davis said.

The focus of the two-day conference is to acknowledge good work that has been done thus far on installations and gain insights from the installations that have already implemented the program, he said. Participants also came together to discuss ways to improve the processes installations are using to prevent injuries and improve mishap prevention.

Panel members and speakers repeatedly expressed the importance of senior military and installation leaders championing safety efforts and filtering that information down to each individual. "People don't really care what you have to say until you show you care about them,"
Navy Capt. Mike McKinnon, commander or Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., said. "The key to success is the leadership at the top."

McKinnon said the key to VPP success is attitude. "It's not just eight hours while you're at work; it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said.

To date, four Navy bases and an Army installation have been recognized by OSHA as attaining "star status" for their safety efforts. DoD has set the goal of participating VPP installations to achieve this status within two years of joining the program.

By incorporating
leadership and employees into worksite analysis, hazard prevention, and safety and health training, officials hope ultimately to save DoD billions of dollars.

"The lynchpin has been the tremendous support from senior leadership," Davis said. "This has to start at the top and permeate down to individual soldiers, civilians and contractors."

"The Department of Defense is a world-class organization," Angello said. "We're going to demonstrate our commitment to this program where the rubber meets the rank."

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U.S. Marines Thank Lebanese Military for Efforts

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2007 – The commander of the 24th
Marine Expeditionary Unit today honored the Lebanese army for its assistance in the largest evacuation of U.S. civilians from a foreign country. In a Pentagon ceremony, U.S. Marine Col. Ron Johnson expressed his appreciation to the Lebanese armed forces for their assistance in evacuating 15,000 Americans from the country in July following an eruption in violence when the militant group Hezbollah kidnapped an Israeli soldier.

"The Lebanese
armed forces and international security forces performed superbly and gave us everything we needed to get our mission accomplished," Johnson said. "I thought it important that our Lebanese friends know just how much we appreciate their cooperation during the evacuation."

Due to the heightened tension following the kidnapping, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon authorized the departure of embassy personnel from the country July 15. Since Beirut International Airport had been bombed,
military assistance was required to transport U.S. citizens to safety by other means.

Johnson, whose unit was conducting a
training exercise in the Jordanian desert at the time, sent a detachment of more than 100 Marines and three helicopters to the island of Cyprus to lay the groundwork for the arrival of the rest of the unit to assist in civilian evacuation efforts.

Within 24 hours, the Marines secured the U.S. Embassy and airlifted the first group of citizens to Cyprus.

The Lebanese military's assistance was imperative, Johnson said. "We didn't have access to a port, but the Lebanese not only secured a beach for us, they assisted by providing security along evacuation routes and debarkation points."

By working with embassy officials and using a combination of aircraft and sea vessels, the 24th MEU and the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group worked to assist 15,000 U.S. citizens to safety within two weeks of the start of evacuation efforts.

"Thanks in no small part to (Lebanese) efforts, the operation concluded without a single loss of life or serious injury," Johnson said.

"I am very proud to hear such praise from a U.S. officer," said Brig. Gen. Abdul Hamid Darwich, Lebanese defense attache to the United States. "It was our duty to get all our American guests out of the country to safety."

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Angles on Corrections

Editor's Note: One of the writers is a former airborne.

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored
books, added three writers who give different perspectives on the corrections system; one is a cop who is an expert in conducting investigations in prisons; one is a cop who went to prison; and, the third wrote a thriller were the offenders skip the prison experience.

William Bell comes from a family whose involvement with law enforcement dates back to the Civil War. His own education and career spans more than thirty years. Greatly influenced by his father, a retired Police Inspector, he began with the Dearborn Police Department (Michigan) where his responsibilities included work in road patrol, SWAT, undercover narcotics, and pattern crime. For nearly twenty years the author has been employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, where he ultimately gained his expertise with the Criminal Investigation Division. He is noted for taking the investigation of prison crime into the streets. He reflects is practical as well as academic excellence in his book, Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional Facilities.

Lines Crossed is the true story of
Alex Richardson, a Lake County Sheriff’s Department (Indiana) a narcotics detective who was ultimately sentenced to federal prison for taking a bribe from a drug dealer. His book, Lines Crossed: the True Story of an Undercover Cop, describes the activities of the County drug task force; and, “he also reveals his gambling habit, and the corruption that takes place while working narcotics.”

Alex Richardson grew up in Gary, Indiana. He left at the age of 18, joining the Army where he was a military policeman. He graduated Airborne School becoming a paratrooper, then finished his enlistment by serving in a special operations unit at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. After his military duties he served as a patrolman on the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department before serving over two years as an undercover detective on the Lake County Drug Task Force.

Mark Osterman, a Detroit Police Department police officer wrote two crime thrillers: Happiness is a Green Light and Justifiable Homicide. According to the book description from Justifiable Homicide, “In this sad aftermath, Jack began his secret war on crime. He joined the Detroit Police Department and rose through the ranks to become a detective. However, Jack's after-hours activities included a different method for reducing crime statistics. This one-man crusade served as judge, jury and executioner.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 429 police officers (representing 189 police departments) and their 908 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.