Saturday, March 31, 2007

Giambastiani Lauds Slovenia for Deployment Participation

By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 31, 2007 – Slovenia's deployments to multiple countries for NATO, the United Nations and the European Union drew praise here yesterday from the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani met with Defense Minister Karl Erjavec, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Albin Gutman and Gutman's deputy, Maj. Gen. Alojz Steiner, at the Defense Ministry of this nation at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans.

"Slovenia has contributed substantially to a variety of operations across NATO," the admiral said at a news conference. "Clearly, the most significant that is occurring right now is Kosovo, with a very large presence of a battalion of Slovenian troops there. We're very thankful for that, both from the United States and throughout the alliance."

The battalion is the first large unit deployment from Slovenia to Kosovo, he said. In addition to that deployment, the Slovenian defense forces are making contributions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

"All of those are very meaningful and are a strong testament to the desire for Slovenia to be a good partner in this alliance," Giambastiani said. "In fact, I would compliment Slovenia on exceeding the troop deployment goals that NATO has set, and Slovenia continues to punch above its weight, and we're very thankful for that."

"In 2006 for example, Slovenia averaged well over 700 troops deployed," he said. "Now that's not the only measure of what a country does as part of our alliance, but what's significant is that there's other deployments in support of the United Nations and of the European Union, and also independent deployments based upon other commitments Slovenia has made. The fact that Slovenian armed forces have come this far in a short period of time is impressive."

Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey, and abolished its
military draft in 2003. Its all-volunteer military has about 40,000 members.

During the day's meetings, Slovenian officials briefed Giambastiani on plans for their government to increase the percentage of gross domestic product applied toward national security and NATO commitments. The admiral was also briefed on proposed pay increases and plans for increased training and education.

"That is very important to draw the highest quality people you can," the admiral said.

(
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office.)

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Department Reaffirms Commitment to Family, Troop Morale Programs

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – It's imperative - especially during wartime - that the Defense Department continues to provide viable family and troop morale programs for servicemembers and their families, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. "Our
military families are the heart and soul of troops on the battlefield," Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel at a Capitol Hill hearing.

The Defense Department "has made family support a priority and redesigned and boosted family support in a number of ways to recognize the crucial role families play in supporting servicemembers" deployed worldwide in support of the
war against terrorism, Arsht said.

Military families cite communication with their deployed servicemembers as their No. 1 concern, Arsht said. Among other initiatives, defense officials haves established special computerized communications centers that help keep families and servicemembers connected during deployments, she noted.

Military families also want easy and quick access to information that's important to them, Arsht said, and she cited two Web-based Defense Department initiatives designed to meet that need.

Military OneSource is a 24-hour information and referral service at www.militaryonesource.com that provides information about parenting, child care, educational services, financial information and counseling, Arsht said.

Military Homefront is the department's quality-of-life web portal at www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil that provides useful information about stateside or overseas moving, spouse job information, and more. These services also support National Guard and Reserve military families, Arsht added.

Military family support and assistance centers established across the services "remain the backbone of support provided to families in the military," Arsht said.

The military services also provide counseling support to help families cope with separations due to servicemembers' overseas deployments, Arsht said. Trained family counselors can help families with life management issues such as reunion expectations, loneliness, stress, long separations, effects of deployment on children, loss and grief and more, she said.

The department's commissary, military exchange and child-care systems all provide important support to military families, Arsht said. Military families save more than 30 percent annually on groceries by using their local commissary and save 16 to 20 percent at their local exchange stores, she noted.

About 42 percent of junior enlisted servicemembers who use child care said they were moderately to very concerned about the issue during their last deployment, Arsht said.

Accordingly, the department has provided $228 million in funding for military child care since the start of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, she said, while creating about 7,000 more child care spaces at 37 child care centers. The department has earmarked another $82 million, Arsht said, for expanding existing child care facilities.

Another program, Operation
Military Child Care, provides support for the child care needs of geographically dispersed military parents, Arsht said, and is especially helpful for members of the National Guard and Reserve.

The military also provides several no-cost youth activity programs through partnerships with national organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs, and the Armed Services YMCA, Arsht said.

Overseas troops regularly enjoy top-name entertainment provided by the Armed Forces Entertainment, Arsht said. In 2006, AFE conducted 118 tours with 1,433 shows in 25 countries, she said. Entertainers include Gary Sinise, Colin Quinn, World Wrestling Entertainment personalities, the Harlem Globetrotters, and many more groups.

Additionally, the Spirit of America tour puts on shows for stateside military audiences, Arsht said. From 2002 to 2006, the Robert and Nina Rosenthal Foundation worked with the country music industry to provide 76 celebrity shows at no cost to military members and their families, she noted.

Defense officials will continue to do their best to support servicemembers and their families as the
war against global terrorism continues and the Defense Department restructures itself, Arsht pledged.

"The needs of individual servicemembers and their families must still be met," Arsht said. "The department will continue to explore the most effective means of underwriting support to families and developing innovative new support systems."

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Delaware Group Dedicated to Deployed Troops

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – Running a nonprofit organization can be strain on an individual's time, space and resources. One home-front group's
leader says she relies on a specific form of aid through the tough times: divine intervention. Frankie Mayo, founder of Operation AC, said the fund-raising strategy for her troop-support group is prayer.

"When God puts something on your heart to do, you just have to do it," she said. "I pray at night before I go to bed about the issues that have come up, and the next morning God shows me what I'm supposed to do."

Although Mayo's organization has encountered occasional difficulties, it still has managed to send nearly $3 million worth of supplies to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

Operation AC is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program helping home-front groups connect to members of the U.S. military and their families at home and abroad.

The Delaware-based group began when Mayo's son and daughter-in-law were deployed to Iraq. The summer heat was so oppressive that bars of soap melted and cans of shaving cream burst. In an effort to do something positive and help boost the morale of deployed troops, Mayo started purchasing air conditioners to help make their lives a little more bearable.

Although her "kids" returned from their deployments three years ago, Mayo said that her efforts are far from over.

"I feel that whatever my husband and I can do to support the war, it's our responsibility," she said. "These troops are our brothers, sisters and children. They deserve our utmost respect and support."

The family-run group continues to send over occasional batches of air conditioners, but its scope has broadened to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the men and women in uniform who are deployed.

Operation AC's Web site,
www.operationac.com, allows users to exchange e-mails and adopt individual servicemembers by purchasing items on their wish lists for "virtual care boxes."

Through bulk mail, the organization helps troops get personal items such as hygiene supplies, music, games and movies, as well as replenishments of Defense Department-approved boots, helmet chin straps and other equipment.

"I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all of you," one soldier wrote to the group's Web site. "Sometimes getting things from home is the only thing keeping us going."

Mayo's team also has worked on several special projects like "Boots from Bikers," in which a local Harley Davidson store has donated more than 4,200 pairs of combat boots to troops.

Through its Web site, Operation AC also allows individuals to purchase boots for troops at a discounted rate. To date, more than $450,000 worth of footwear has been sent to the troops.

"We buy them for $4 more than we sell them for; God makes up the rest," said Mayo. She said she believes that even though the manufacturer has increased prices, that shouldn't be passed along to the organization's supporters.

In addition to meeting the physical needs of soldiers, the group tries to meet their emotional needs as well.

Thousands of get well cards have been sent to wounded troops in combat support hospitals in Iraq through Operation AC. Mayo's daughter, Olivia, started the effort two years ago when she was 11 years old. By sending cards of support directly to nurses at the hospitals, Olivia is able to get cards in the hands of servicemembers before they are evacuated from the country.

"What you have given blesses these precious men and women," wrote a chaplain who is stationed at one of the hospitals on the Web site. "Your gifts enhance the holistic healthcare we provide for all those who proudly perform their sacred duty."

The kindness of the organization hasn't stopped at the gates of the forward operating bases and camps scattered throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation AC is reaching out to others in need by sending clothing and shoes to Afghan orphanages. Each month, hundreds of boxes "hitch a ride" with the support items going to troops and are then distributed to needy Afghan children.

Vietnam veteran Mike Cormier has been involved with the organization since its inception. He packs every box that makes its way into the hands of soldiers.

"I remember when I was in 'Nam,' we didn't receive the kind of stuff Frankie's doing for troops," he said. "I know from personal experience that it boosts morale to have support from back home. And I won't quit what I'm doing until the last one comes home."

Mayo is straightforward when asked why she continues to carry on this mission.

"I'm not here to have a job for myself; when the war is over, we will go away," she said. "But the whole point is that one person can make a difference, and I have a responsibility to do my part."

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Chlorine Gas, Child-Borne Bombs Show Enemy's Barbarity

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – Al Qaeda's use of chlorine gas against civilians and use of children as suicide bombers highlights the
terror organization's barbarity, a Joint Staff spokesman said here today. Al Qaeda extremists in Iraq are using chlorine canisters and chlorine-carrying trucks to attack civilian targets, said Army Maj. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, Joint Staff deputy director for operations.

On March 23, Barbero said, Iraqi
police foiled an attack in Ramadi that could have caused catastrophic casualties. The police intercepted a truck carrying 5,000 gallons of chlorine and two tons of explosives.

On March 28, two chlorine-laden trucks exploded outside the Fallujah military operations center. The attack injured 14 U.S. troops and 57 Iraqis.

"I strongly believe that this use of chlorine should not be dismissed simply as a new tactic or an emerging trend," Barbero said. "Chlorine is a poison gas being used on the Iraqi people. Before these attacks, the last time poison gas was used on the Iraqi people was by Saddam Hussein."

Al Qaeda in Iraq and related Sunni extremists are using this weapon against the Sunni population of Anbar province. "We have Sunni extremists attacking innocent Sunnis with a poison gas," Barbero said.

Coalition officials see the escalation as a response to the Iraqi people's growing sentiment against the terror organization. Al Qaeda is trying to intimidate the people of the province, Barbero said.

Its actions show that al Qaeda in Iraq is not an "honorable resistance" aimed at "driving out the infidels," the general said.

The terrorists continue to use children to launch attacks. On March 28, Iraqi police went after a suspicious vehicle in Haditha. "As they drove past a 12-to14-year-old boy riding a bicycle, a bomb in the boy's backpack detonated, killing him instantly," Barbero said.

"These acts - the use of poison gas and the use of children as weapons - are unacceptable in any civilized society and demonstrate the truly dishonorable nature of this enemy," he said.

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.S.-Japan Defense Officials Increase Military Cooperation

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – The United States and Japan are increasing their
military cooperation and coordination to face evolving threats, the commander of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force here said. "The security relationship between the United States and Japan is tied to international knowledge and understanding of the alliance," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce A. Wright.

The bedrock of U.S. strategy in Asia remains the Japanese-U.S. Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Defense. Signed in 1960, the treaty relationship between the two nations has changed, but the document still remains relevant.

"Only 15 years after the end of a horrific war between our nations, Japan and the United States made a decision to move forward," Wright said. "The words in the treaty come from America's ideal - all are created equal, a commitment to freedom and democracy for all.

"What's neat for me is that the results speak for themselves," he continued. "The results are exemplary. It is now a pact between the two greatest economic powers in the world. We are mutually supportive economically and certainly in our
military-to-military relationships."

Wright said coordination and cooperation between the two militaries has increased exponentially. In 1960, the United States essentially was responsible for the defense of Japan. The enemy at the time was the Soviet Union. China was a lurking menace, and the Korean War was just seven years in the past.

Today, the North Korean threat has drawn the two countries closer together, Wright said. North Korea has proliferated missile
technology, and the country's nuclear test last year gave impetus to the relationship between the United States and Japan for ballistic missile defense.

"There is a lot of debate within Japan over the issue of collective self-defense," the general said. Japanese and American forces are working together to establish the missile defense posture. "That requires a level of close coordination that hasn't been needed in the past," he said.

A new joint operations and coordination center at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was very effective during the North Korea missile tests, Wright said. A new bilateral and joint operations coordination center is going in at Yokota and will be operational in 2010. U.S. and Japanese personnel will use their own equipment, but coordination will be close.

The flight time of a missile from North Korea to Japan is short, Wright said. The coordination needed to defend against that threat is extensive and should carry over to other aspects of U.S.-Japanese cooperation.

"If you can handle the ballistic missile defense problem, it's going to percolate in a joint bilateral way in how we coordinate," Wright said. "It's just an improvement in defense capabilities. There is no expansion of U.S. or Japanese forces involved. In a resource-constrained environment, it is using information systems
technology, it's building on a shift in our traditional ways of doing business."

The two militaries working together equal more than the sum of their parts, Wright said. What is more, the pact allows for allies to play important roles.

"This is an alliance that has its arms open," Wright said. "This military alliance should and does reach out to include military-to-military-to-military-plus interaction with multiple countries in the region, including South Korea and China.

"From the foundation of an exemplary alliance, now is the time to reach out," he continued. "Certainly, Australia is an important part of this alliance. That's just another example of the relevance of the alliance in a dynamic security alliance."

The Japanese have moved more decisively into security operations. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force sent engineers to Iraq. The Air Self-Defense Force is flying missions out of Kuwait. The Maritime Self-Defense Force maintains tankers in the Indian Ocean, providing long-term capabilities for navies operating there.

"The Japanese have a lot of pride in the operation in Iraq," Wright said. "It had a positive affect on the Japanese as a whole. The
military for years has not been very visible. That's changing over time, and I think that it is changing for the good in the context that it reminds people that there is a Japan-U.S. military partnership. It is helpful to both nations at the strategic level."

The United States will continue the realignment of its forces in Japan, Wright said. "(The realignment) will be expensive, but I think the forces are about the right size and it is essential to work on the roles and missions and capabilities of our forces for the future," Wright said.

That assessment, he said, must include improved planning coordination, interoperability, more consistent and persistent joint and bilateral
training and addressing common weapons systems so those systems are compatible.

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Bush: System Failed at Walter Reed While Medical Care Remained Top Notch

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – President Bush assured the medical staff at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center today he recognizes that problems at the facility reflected a failed bureaucracy, not the care they were providing. Bush, on his first visit to Walter Reed since news of its problems was revealed, thanked the staff for the extraordinary care they provide military men and women.

"Every time I come to Walter Reed, I'm also impressed by the caregivers: the docs, the nurses, the people who spend many hours trying to heal those who have been wounded in service to our country," he said. "The soldiers and
Marines stay here only for a few months, but the compassion they receive here stays with them for a lifetime."

Bush said he knows the work these medical professionals do is often behind the scenes, and they don't get a lot of glory for it.

"But you certainly do from the family members who first come here and they see their loved one on a bed, wondering whether or not that person will ever walk again, and then, six months later, the body is returning, and the spirit is strong, the person's up and moving around," he told them. "The family and the soldier (are) impressed by that care."

Americans need to understand that the problems at Walter Reed aren't about medical care, the president said. "The quality of care at this fantastic facility is great, and it needs to remain that way," he said.

He cited independent analysts who have given the facility high marks for its medical care, and reaffirmed that assessment during a recent surprise inspection.

"In other words, this isn't my assessment; nor is it the assessment of people I have talked to, the families, although that's what they believe," the president said. "It is also the assessment of a joint commission which accredits thousands of American hospitals. And this commission has given Walter Reed the highest possible rating, a gold seal of approval."

Bush thanked the staff for keeping the quality of care at Walter Reed top-notch, and vowed to ensure other aspects of the facility come up to the same standard.

"The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures," he said. "The system failed you and it failed our troops, and we're going to fix it."

The country owes its wounded troops the best, and it's evident that Walter Reed's medical staff feels the same way, the president said.

"People here recognize (that) each human being here matters, each person counts, and each person has endless possibilities, even though they may have received terrible wounds on the battlefield," he said.

Serving the people who serve the country is a special calling, the president said.

"It requires a unique person to come here on a daily basis and to heal the hurts of those who have served our country," he said. "And so our nation is grateful and I am proud to be your commander in chief."

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DoD Removes Six Countries From Imminent Danger Pay List

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – Bosnia-Herzegovina is among six countries the Defense Department is removing from the list of countries where servicemembers receive imminent danger pay, DoD officials said today. Angola, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Croatia and Macedonia also will be removed from the list. The changes go into effect Nov. 1.

Servicemembers deployed to Kosovo will continue to receive imminent danger pay. More than 1,500 American servicemembers are serving in Kosovo.

The number of U.S. servicemembers affected by the change is small, officials said.

A total of 232 servicemembers serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina will lose the pay. Forty-three servicemembers are affected in Macedonia, seven in Georgia, five in Angola, one in Sierra Leone and an unknown number in Croatia.

DoD officials conduct worldwide reviews to determine whether to continue imminent danger pay. Servicemembers receive $225 per month for imminent danger pay. The pay recognizes duty in foreign areas where there is the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war,
terrorism or wartime conditions.

Bosnia and Macedonia first went on the imminent danger pay list on June 22, 1992. Sierra Leone went on the list on July 18, 1997, Angola on March 1, 1998, and Georgia on July 22, 2002, officials said.

The financial losses for servicemembers in Macedonia, Georgia, Angola and Sierra Leone are partially made up by an increase in hardship pay for the countries, DoD officials said. Hardship pay for Angola, Georgia and Sierra Leone will increase from $100 to $150 a month. In Macedonia, the pay will be instituted at $100 a month.

Hardship duty pay recognizes servicemembers assigned to areas where the quality of life is substantially below that most members in the United States generally experience. These factors include physical environment, living conditions and personal security, officials said.

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