Editor's Note: One of the writers if former military.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three police officers: Candace Sams; Craig Johnson and Timothy Carney.
Candace Sams had an eleven year law enforcement career. She was a police officer for the Texas A & M University and the San Diego Police Department. She has a BS in Agriculture from Texas A & M University. Candace Sams is the senior woman on the U.S. Kung Fu Team, awarded the Medal of Putien from China and the Statue of Tao for martial arts, holder of several International Martial Arts Titles, and is an Award Winning author of Fantasy fiction. She is the author of six books: Stone Heart; Gryphon's Quest; The Craftsman; The Gazing Globe; Goblin Moon; and, is a contributing author to the anthology Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction.
Candace Sams book Gypon’s Quest was awarded the Road to Romance Readers’ Choice Award for best paranormal book. According to the book description of Gypon’s Quest, “The Sorceress of the Ancients sends a Druid Warrior on a mission. He must retrieve three rune stones that were stolen from an ancient, Irish burial site. Can he recover them before the world learns of their powers? Can he keep a mythic Order of creatures safe? Will revealing his secrets, to the woman he loves, cost them both their lives?”
Craig Johnson is a former New York Police Department police officer who worked both the 23rd and Central Park Precincts. He has received both critical and popular praise for his novels The Cold Dish and Death Without Company with starred reviews in Kirkus and Booklist. The Cold Dish and Death Without Company have been made Booksense 76 selections by the Independent Booksellers Association, and Killer Picks by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. On its day of release in Penguin paperback, The Cold Dish began a six-week run on the Barnes & Noble top-fifty best-sellers list.
Death Without Company was selected by Booklist as one of the top-ten mysteries of 2006 and has been nominated for the Wyoming Historical Society as it's fiction book of the year. His first short story, Old Indian Trick, won a Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Award and appeared in Cowboys & Indians Magazine.
Craig Johnson’s third in the Walt Longmire series, Kindness Goes Unpunished, was released March of 2007. According to Booklist, in Kindness Goes Unpunished, “Absaroka County, Wyoming, Sheriff Walt Longmire goes on a rare road trip in this third entry in a consistently entertaining series. The trip has two purposes: visit Walt's daughter, Cady, a lawyer in Philadelphia, and support his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, who is the guest of honor at the opening of an exhibit of Native American photographs. Plans change quickly when Cady, the victim of a vicious attack, hovers near death.”
Timothy Carney was raised in an orphanage in the Midwest. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served thirteen months in Vietnam. Upon discharge, he joined the Orange County sheriff's Department. He worked in various capacities for the Orange County sheriff’s Department as an investigator, including narcotics and homicide. After serving as a homicide investigator and a sergeant, he was promoted to lieutenant. Timothy Carney is a graduate of Regis University, Denver, Colorado.
Timothy Carney co-authored Final Affair, a truce crime book. According to the book description, “When Janet Overton died from "unexplained causes," no one in her Orange County community suspected foul play. But a year later, Sheriff's Investigator Tim Carney sensed something amiss in this so-called "nothing case"-and uncovered the shocking truth about Dr. Richard Overton's past.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 535 police officers (representing 219 police departments) and their 1142 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Group Teaches Kids to Salute the Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Elementary school students in Missouri are building their character through activities designed to salute the troops. A non-profit group called "Salute the Troops" aims to support servicemembers and veterans through character education and school and community events, Carrie Fain, the group's executive director, said.
"We believe in the importance of our kids looking up to real role models of character," she said, referring to servicemembers. "They are the true examples of honor, respect, responsibility, self-discipline and integrity -- (qualities) that we are hoping to instill in future generations."
With the cooperation of school counselors and teachers, the group creates and implements monthly activities that support the troops and incorporate positive character traits.
For example, students collect items for care packages, invite servicemembers to speak, and host veterans breakfasts, among other activities. The program also has children write letters to the troops.
"Hopefully others will see that it doesn't take much to support our troops -- a pen, some paper and a stamp," Fain said. "The simple words of a third grader or the scribbles of a kindergartner mean so much to a guy sitting in a sand-filled trailer.
"He may not write back, but that's not our expectation," she said. "Our expectation is that he does his job and come home."
Salute the Troops is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
As a member of America Supports You, the group has had the opportunity to share its philosophy. "America Supports You has allowed Salute the Troops the opportunity to get our ideas out there and show others that supporting our troops is an every day action, not just a one-time project for Christmas," Fain said.
America Supports You also has provided the group a resource to help answer the many questions it receives from those with requests for assistance. "We do our best to help point these people in the direction that will get our troops the support they need, (and) always to other America Supports You groups," she said.
Fain said Salute the Troops is unique because of its target audience: elementary school students. "We want our kids to recognize those who made the choice to serve our country, and serve with honor and integrity," Fain said. "This is a real-life hero that they can look up to, believe in, (and) maybe someone they want to be some day."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Elementary school students in Missouri are building their character through activities designed to salute the troops. A non-profit group called "Salute the Troops" aims to support servicemembers and veterans through character education and school and community events, Carrie Fain, the group's executive director, said.
"We believe in the importance of our kids looking up to real role models of character," she said, referring to servicemembers. "They are the true examples of honor, respect, responsibility, self-discipline and integrity -- (qualities) that we are hoping to instill in future generations."
With the cooperation of school counselors and teachers, the group creates and implements monthly activities that support the troops and incorporate positive character traits.
For example, students collect items for care packages, invite servicemembers to speak, and host veterans breakfasts, among other activities. The program also has children write letters to the troops.
"Hopefully others will see that it doesn't take much to support our troops -- a pen, some paper and a stamp," Fain said. "The simple words of a third grader or the scribbles of a kindergartner mean so much to a guy sitting in a sand-filled trailer.
"He may not write back, but that's not our expectation," she said. "Our expectation is that he does his job and come home."
Salute the Troops is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
As a member of America Supports You, the group has had the opportunity to share its philosophy. "America Supports You has allowed Salute the Troops the opportunity to get our ideas out there and show others that supporting our troops is an every day action, not just a one-time project for Christmas," Fain said.
America Supports You also has provided the group a resource to help answer the many questions it receives from those with requests for assistance. "We do our best to help point these people in the direction that will get our troops the support they need, (and) always to other America Supports You groups," she said.
Fain said Salute the Troops is unique because of its target audience: elementary school students. "We want our kids to recognize those who made the choice to serve our country, and serve with honor and integrity," Fain said. "This is a real-life hero that they can look up to, believe in, (and) maybe someone they want to be some day."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Department Recognizes 'Best of Best' in Communication Media
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Servicemembers whose words and pictures best communicated the Defense Department's activities to its internal audience and the public last year were recognized today at the institution that trains the nation's military journalists, broadcasters, photographers, graphic artists and videographers. Dorrance J. Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, served as host for the 2007 Department of Defense Communicators of Excellence Award Ceremony at the Defense Information School here.
In welcoming the award recipients and an audience of military and industry communicators, Smith noted the "highly competitive" nature of award programs in the various communication disciplines that culminated in today's ceremony.
"These individuals, chosen by industry professionals, are truly the best of the best in their fields," he said. "Through their lens or with their pens, their work helped communicate to the world the true sacrifice and commitment of the men and women of the U.S. military."
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a 1970 Defense Information School graduate, was the ceremony's keynote speaker. He contrasted the communication challenges of today's all-volunteer military with those of the days when many servicemembers had been drafted.
"These days, when we don't have a draft, you don't quite get that same potpourri of humanity, shall we say, that we used to get in the services back in the old days," he said. "We don't have quite as much of the cultural cross-current -- people moving back and forth between the military and civilian life -- that we used to have."
This makes the work of communicators inside and outside the military more important, he said, "because we do more than just cover the news or send out press releases. We try to help bridge those gaps between people and help people understand each other that much more."
Page recalled his days at DINFOS, as the Defense Information School is known, and said he marvels at the technological advances that have taken place since he wrote his stories at a manual typewriter and developed his photographs in a darkroom. Though the Vietnam War became known as "the Living Room War" because television brought it to American homes every night, Page said, the news footage was days old by the time it reached the U.S. audience.
"People forget about that," he said. "We take so much for granted these days, so much we didn't have then," and he ticked off a series of technologies that are commonplace today not only in news rooms, but also in everyday life.
"Thanks to the Internet, everybody can be their own publisher, their own broadcaster," Page said. "Sometimes when I'm Web surfing, I think that everybody already has."
But with technology putting the world at so many fingertips, he said, it's important to recognize excellence.
"All this new technology is nothing... without somebody to provide the content: the words, the pictures, the voice, the story," he said.
The World Wide Web now features "blogs" numbering in the tens of millions, Page noted. "But how many of them are good?" he asked. "How many of them are worth turning to each day? How many of them are reliable? That's where excellence comes in."
In addition to recognizing excellence in various specific categories within the communication disciplines, the ceremony recognized the military's top individual communicators of the year:
-- Military Graphic Artist of the Year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Rick Dunaway, Air University Television, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
-- Military Photographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, Air University Television.
-- Military Videographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett, 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Bae, S.C.
-- Military Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Richard Gonzales, Detachment 9, Air Force News Agency, Bitburg Annex, Germany.
-- Military Print Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Brian A. Stives, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Servicemembers whose words and pictures best communicated the Defense Department's activities to its internal audience and the public last year were recognized today at the institution that trains the nation's military journalists, broadcasters, photographers, graphic artists and videographers. Dorrance J. Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, served as host for the 2007 Department of Defense Communicators of Excellence Award Ceremony at the Defense Information School here.
In welcoming the award recipients and an audience of military and industry communicators, Smith noted the "highly competitive" nature of award programs in the various communication disciplines that culminated in today's ceremony.
"These individuals, chosen by industry professionals, are truly the best of the best in their fields," he said. "Through their lens or with their pens, their work helped communicate to the world the true sacrifice and commitment of the men and women of the U.S. military."
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a 1970 Defense Information School graduate, was the ceremony's keynote speaker. He contrasted the communication challenges of today's all-volunteer military with those of the days when many servicemembers had been drafted.
"These days, when we don't have a draft, you don't quite get that same potpourri of humanity, shall we say, that we used to get in the services back in the old days," he said. "We don't have quite as much of the cultural cross-current -- people moving back and forth between the military and civilian life -- that we used to have."
This makes the work of communicators inside and outside the military more important, he said, "because we do more than just cover the news or send out press releases. We try to help bridge those gaps between people and help people understand each other that much more."
Page recalled his days at DINFOS, as the Defense Information School is known, and said he marvels at the technological advances that have taken place since he wrote his stories at a manual typewriter and developed his photographs in a darkroom. Though the Vietnam War became known as "the Living Room War" because television brought it to American homes every night, Page said, the news footage was days old by the time it reached the U.S. audience.
"People forget about that," he said. "We take so much for granted these days, so much we didn't have then," and he ticked off a series of technologies that are commonplace today not only in news rooms, but also in everyday life.
"Thanks to the Internet, everybody can be their own publisher, their own broadcaster," Page said. "Sometimes when I'm Web surfing, I think that everybody already has."
But with technology putting the world at so many fingertips, he said, it's important to recognize excellence.
"All this new technology is nothing... without somebody to provide the content: the words, the pictures, the voice, the story," he said.
The World Wide Web now features "blogs" numbering in the tens of millions, Page noted. "But how many of them are good?" he asked. "How many of them are worth turning to each day? How many of them are reliable? That's where excellence comes in."
In addition to recognizing excellence in various specific categories within the communication disciplines, the ceremony recognized the military's top individual communicators of the year:
-- Military Graphic Artist of the Year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Rick Dunaway, Air University Television, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
-- Military Photographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, Air University Television.
-- Military Videographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett, 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Bae, S.C.
-- Military Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Richard Gonzales, Detachment 9, Air Force News Agency, Bitburg Annex, Germany.
-- Military Print Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Brian A. Stives, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Gala Raises Funds to Keep Troops Connected
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Troops serving at remote sites overseas can look forward to better connection with their loved ones at home, thanks to the success of a fundraising gala here last night by the SemperComm Foundation. The event, which included a dinner, concert by country music star Chely Wright and silent and live auctions, raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit group that supplies morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services.
The foundation's focus is on small, remote U.S. military bases overseas that lack the morale, welfare and recreational support larger, front-line bases enjoy, noted Executive Director Lara Coffee.
SemperComm adopts military cases in far-flung and highly sensitive regions of the world, thousands of miles from the comforts of home. Often troops serving in these outposts have no way to connect with their families.
Currently the group serves six bases, but Coffee said its goal is to ensure that all of the nearly 700 remote sites get access to communications services so they can stay connected with those they leave behind when they deploy.
Providing those services is an expensive endeavor. Serving SemperComm's newest adopted post, in Afghanistan, will require about $150,000 to install a satellite dish and connection services, and $30,000 a month to keep the service running, Coffee said.
Last night's gala helped the group work toward its goal. About 800 attendees contributed to the effort through ticket sales and silent and live auctions and private donations.
Linda LaRoche, co-chair of the event, thanked attendees for supporting the troops safeguarding their freedoms. She praised their selfless service, dedication, teamwork and humor, even when operating in the face of adversity. "They are beacons to us all," she said.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Mayo, a guest at the event, remembers how valuable services like those provided by SemperComm are to deployed troops. "It's such a morale boost to be able to communicate regularly with our families," she said. "It makes our deployments over there, especially now with extended deployments, so much easier for us."
Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, another guest, also recognized the importance of being able to check in with family members during a deployment. "It's a lifeline back to home. It keeps you sane," he said.
"Being able to talk to your family on the phone is such a plus," Olson continued. "It definitely makes a difference and makes you remember what you're there for."
Wright, who travels to many of the remote sites SemperComm serves, entertaining troops with the Stars for Stripes organization, said she's seen firsthand how vital a link back home is to deployed troops.
She recalled talking with a career soldier who years ago relied on "snail mail" to keep in touch with his wife when he was deployed. Letters frequently took two to three weeks to reach home, sometimes arriving out of sequence, so the soldier and his wife learned to number the envelopes, Wright said.
"Now, it's so much easier when they can simply log on and check in at home," she said. "It takes a lot of the worry away. ... It's one of those little extra incentives that help them grab the day."
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter praised SemperComm's work and the services it's providing to deployed forces who might otherwise have to go without them.
"Communication is critical. It's one of the things that has a huge impact on morale," he said. "I can see the difference everywhere I travel, when I see (deployed troops displaying) e-mails and photos downloaded from computers. It's clear how important that is to them."
Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, remembers the days when deployed troops didn't have access to the kind of services SemperComm provides.
"This kind of connectivity just wasn't available when I was making deployments," he said. "The communication our servicemembers have today makes a world of difference. They're able to keep abreast of what's going on back at home and to get e-mails and images from their families. It's a way for them to see some of what they would otherwise miss while they're away from home."
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups are doing nationwide to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Troops serving at remote sites overseas can look forward to better connection with their loved ones at home, thanks to the success of a fundraising gala here last night by the SemperComm Foundation. The event, which included a dinner, concert by country music star Chely Wright and silent and live auctions, raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit group that supplies morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services.
The foundation's focus is on small, remote U.S. military bases overseas that lack the morale, welfare and recreational support larger, front-line bases enjoy, noted Executive Director Lara Coffee.
SemperComm adopts military cases in far-flung and highly sensitive regions of the world, thousands of miles from the comforts of home. Often troops serving in these outposts have no way to connect with their families.
Currently the group serves six bases, but Coffee said its goal is to ensure that all of the nearly 700 remote sites get access to communications services so they can stay connected with those they leave behind when they deploy.
Providing those services is an expensive endeavor. Serving SemperComm's newest adopted post, in Afghanistan, will require about $150,000 to install a satellite dish and connection services, and $30,000 a month to keep the service running, Coffee said.
Last night's gala helped the group work toward its goal. About 800 attendees contributed to the effort through ticket sales and silent and live auctions and private donations.
Linda LaRoche, co-chair of the event, thanked attendees for supporting the troops safeguarding their freedoms. She praised their selfless service, dedication, teamwork and humor, even when operating in the face of adversity. "They are beacons to us all," she said.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Mayo, a guest at the event, remembers how valuable services like those provided by SemperComm are to deployed troops. "It's such a morale boost to be able to communicate regularly with our families," she said. "It makes our deployments over there, especially now with extended deployments, so much easier for us."
Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, another guest, also recognized the importance of being able to check in with family members during a deployment. "It's a lifeline back to home. It keeps you sane," he said.
"Being able to talk to your family on the phone is such a plus," Olson continued. "It definitely makes a difference and makes you remember what you're there for."
Wright, who travels to many of the remote sites SemperComm serves, entertaining troops with the Stars for Stripes organization, said she's seen firsthand how vital a link back home is to deployed troops.
She recalled talking with a career soldier who years ago relied on "snail mail" to keep in touch with his wife when he was deployed. Letters frequently took two to three weeks to reach home, sometimes arriving out of sequence, so the soldier and his wife learned to number the envelopes, Wright said.
"Now, it's so much easier when they can simply log on and check in at home," she said. "It takes a lot of the worry away. ... It's one of those little extra incentives that help them grab the day."
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter praised SemperComm's work and the services it's providing to deployed forces who might otherwise have to go without them.
"Communication is critical. It's one of the things that has a huge impact on morale," he said. "I can see the difference everywhere I travel, when I see (deployed troops displaying) e-mails and photos downloaded from computers. It's clear how important that is to them."
Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, remembers the days when deployed troops didn't have access to the kind of services SemperComm provides.
"This kind of connectivity just wasn't available when I was making deployments," he said. "The communication our servicemembers have today makes a world of difference. They're able to keep abreast of what's going on back at home and to get e-mails and images from their families. It's a way for them to see some of what they would otherwise miss while they're away from home."
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups are doing nationwide to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Bush Proclaims May 11 Military Spouse Day
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Day and laid plans to observe the day honoring servicemembers and their spouses personally at the White House. "America's military spouses inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country," Bush said in his proclamation.
The president called families an "integral part of the success of our armed forces" and recognized their sacrifices, particularly during their loved ones' deployments.
"Spouses may endure long periods of separation and frequent relocations, and they often set aside their own personal and professional ambitions for the benefit of their family and the nation," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted, they keep the home fires burning when their loved ones are away. "Despite tremendous personal challenges, military spouses maintain everyday life for their families here at home, while sending love, prayers, encouraging words, and care packages to their loved ones stationed around the globe," he said.
Bush urged people to visit the America Supports You Web site to find ways to support troops, their spouses and their families. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and their families.
Today, Bush is commemorating Military Spouses Day by hosting servicemembers and their spouses at a White House event. He will thank the group for their service and sacrifice and present the President's Volunteer Service Award to a military spouse from each service, White House officials said.
The White House event is among a wide range of activities planned at U.S. military posts worldwide in observance of Military Spouse Day. Posts plan to honor their spouses with receptions, workshops, "pampering parties" and other activities. Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense.
But Defense Department leaders say recognizing Military Spouse Day is particularly important when thousands of spouses are sacrificing alongside their loved ones serving in the war on terror. "Military Spouse Day is one day in the year when we stop to recognize the countless contributions of our military spouses," said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Through her many meetings with military spouses, Arsht said she's come to appreciate their resilience and determination. "They look for ways to contribute," she said. "They are much like their servicemember-husband or -wife; they are American patriots who also serve and sacrifice."
Arsht said the stability of the military family and our military communities is attributable, in large part, to military spouses' self-sacrifice and dedication. "As they strive each day to keep the homefront strong, these capable and committed spouses are a vital part of winning the global war on terrorism," she said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Day and laid plans to observe the day honoring servicemembers and their spouses personally at the White House. "America's military spouses inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country," Bush said in his proclamation.
The president called families an "integral part of the success of our armed forces" and recognized their sacrifices, particularly during their loved ones' deployments.
"Spouses may endure long periods of separation and frequent relocations, and they often set aside their own personal and professional ambitions for the benefit of their family and the nation," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted, they keep the home fires burning when their loved ones are away. "Despite tremendous personal challenges, military spouses maintain everyday life for their families here at home, while sending love, prayers, encouraging words, and care packages to their loved ones stationed around the globe," he said.
Bush urged people to visit the America Supports You Web site to find ways to support troops, their spouses and their families. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and their families.
Today, Bush is commemorating Military Spouses Day by hosting servicemembers and their spouses at a White House event. He will thank the group for their service and sacrifice and present the President's Volunteer Service Award to a military spouse from each service, White House officials said.
The White House event is among a wide range of activities planned at U.S. military posts worldwide in observance of Military Spouse Day. Posts plan to honor their spouses with receptions, workshops, "pampering parties" and other activities. Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense.
But Defense Department leaders say recognizing Military Spouse Day is particularly important when thousands of spouses are sacrificing alongside their loved ones serving in the war on terror. "Military Spouse Day is one day in the year when we stop to recognize the countless contributions of our military spouses," said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Through her many meetings with military spouses, Arsht said she's come to appreciate their resilience and determination. "They look for ways to contribute," she said. "They are much like their servicemember-husband or -wife; they are American patriots who also serve and sacrifice."
Arsht said the stability of the military family and our military communities is attributable, in large part, to military spouses' self-sacrifice and dedication. "As they strive each day to keep the homefront strong, these capable and committed spouses are a vital part of winning the global war on terrorism," she said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Casey Says Army Must Be Prepared for 'Persistent Conflict'
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The U.S. military is involved in a "persistent conflict," and the Army must be prepared to handle the commitment, the Army chief of staff said today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke to reporters in the Pentagon today in his first interview since he took the position a month ago, after commanding coalition forces in Iraq for almost three years.
"The enemy that has attacked us and we are fighting in places around the world isn't going to fold up and go home," he said. "They are going to continue to press us."
Casey said he was very deliberate before taking office. He tasked a group to study the state of the Army today and another to study the likely state of the world in 2020. He then had the two groups come together and propose a course for America's largest armed service.
He said soldiers are "generally comfortable with the transformational direction that we are on." In general, officials admit there is some "tweaking" to do, but modularization is the correct path for the Army, he said.
Families are most stretched by repeated deployments, he said, and he acknowledged that the service's new 15-month deployment policy has placed another element of stress on military families. "We've been to a lot of units that were affected by the 15-month announcement, and while they understand the rationale, the families are stretched by this," he said.
He wants the Army "to ratchet up our game" in providing support to the families.
It is no secret that the Army, as an institution, "is affected by the cumulative effects of five years at war," he said.
The general said the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are an example of these accumulated stresses. "There are a lot of other stress points out there that I am asking people to help me identify," he said.
"We must improve what we're doing for soldiers and families," he said. "Spouses said, 'We don't need a lot of new programs -- what we need is for you to fund the ones you have, and standardize the ones you have across installations.'" This includes health care, facilities, living conditions and access to facilities.
Casey said he is impressed by the level of commitment on the part of soldiers and families. They understand what the country is doing around the world and "they believe in what they are doing," he said.
The new chief of staff said he wants to accelerate the pace of a recently approved increase in the Army's size and improve readiness, noting that two years usually pass between a decision being made to having units on the ground, fully equipped. "We cannot address this instantaneously, but we need to address it faster," he said.
The service must complete transformation of reserve components from a Cold War mobilization force to an operational enhancement for the active components.
The Army needs to concentrate on leader development and growing the next generation of commissioned and noncommissioned officers, Casey said, and to fit that training into the deployment cycle. "We need to fully adapt our institutional programs -- like the NCO professional military education -- to an Army that is expeditionary and at war," he said.
Finally, the service needs to improve strategic communications externally and internally. "It's been unanimous," he said. "I can't find anyone ... who thinks we do a good job of communicating at all."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The U.S. military is involved in a "persistent conflict," and the Army must be prepared to handle the commitment, the Army chief of staff said today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke to reporters in the Pentagon today in his first interview since he took the position a month ago, after commanding coalition forces in Iraq for almost three years.
"The enemy that has attacked us and we are fighting in places around the world isn't going to fold up and go home," he said. "They are going to continue to press us."
Casey said he was very deliberate before taking office. He tasked a group to study the state of the Army today and another to study the likely state of the world in 2020. He then had the two groups come together and propose a course for America's largest armed service.
He said soldiers are "generally comfortable with the transformational direction that we are on." In general, officials admit there is some "tweaking" to do, but modularization is the correct path for the Army, he said.
Families are most stretched by repeated deployments, he said, and he acknowledged that the service's new 15-month deployment policy has placed another element of stress on military families. "We've been to a lot of units that were affected by the 15-month announcement, and while they understand the rationale, the families are stretched by this," he said.
He wants the Army "to ratchet up our game" in providing support to the families.
It is no secret that the Army, as an institution, "is affected by the cumulative effects of five years at war," he said.
The general said the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are an example of these accumulated stresses. "There are a lot of other stress points out there that I am asking people to help me identify," he said.
"We must improve what we're doing for soldiers and families," he said. "Spouses said, 'We don't need a lot of new programs -- what we need is for you to fund the ones you have, and standardize the ones you have across installations.'" This includes health care, facilities, living conditions and access to facilities.
Casey said he is impressed by the level of commitment on the part of soldiers and families. They understand what the country is doing around the world and "they believe in what they are doing," he said.
The new chief of staff said he wants to accelerate the pace of a recently approved increase in the Army's size and improve readiness, noting that two years usually pass between a decision being made to having units on the ground, fully equipped. "We cannot address this instantaneously, but we need to address it faster," he said.
The service must complete transformation of reserve components from a Cold War mobilization force to an operational enhancement for the active components.
The Army needs to concentrate on leader development and growing the next generation of commissioned and noncommissioned officers, Casey said, and to fit that training into the deployment cycle. "We need to fully adapt our institutional programs -- like the NCO professional military education -- to an Army that is expeditionary and at war," he said.
Finally, the service needs to improve strategic communications externally and internally. "It's been unanimous," he said. "I can't find anyone ... who thinks we do a good job of communicating at all."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Airmen Missing In Action From WWII 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 World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is 1st Lt. Archibald Kelly, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Detroit, Mich. He will be buried on May 12 in Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, Mich. Representatives from the Army met with Kelly's next-of-kin in his hometown to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On July 22, 1944, Kelly was the navigator on a B-24J Liberator on a bombing raid of the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania. Returning to Lecce air base in Italy, the plane was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed in what is now Croatia, approximately 430 miles southwest of Ploesti. Of the ten crewmen on board, eight survived and bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed. The rear gunner died and his body was later recovered. One of the surviving crewmen saw Kelly bail out before the crash, but said he struck a rocky cliff face when the wind caught his parachute. His body was not found at that time.
After researching information contained in U.S. wartime records, specialists from DPMO's Joint Commission Support Directorate (JCSD) in 2005 interviewed residents from Dubrovnik and Mihanici village who had information related to WWII aircraft losses in the area. One resident recalled a crash in which one of the crewmen landed on a pile of rocks on Mt. Snijeznica after his parachute failed to open. He said locals buried the individual. Based on witness descriptions of the burial location, the team searched the mountaintop, but was unable to locate the burial site.
Additional JCSD archival research in Croatia confirmed the earlier information found in U.S. records. In June 2006, the Dubrovnik resident reported to JCSD that he had continued the search and found the grave site of the American serviceman. He sent pictures of both the site and the remains to DPMO. In September 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the burial site, confirming with local villagers that it was the same site photographed by the Dubrovnik resident. The team recovered human remains at the site.
Among other traditional forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Kelly's 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.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
He is 1st Lt. Archibald Kelly, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Detroit, Mich. He will be buried on May 12 in Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, Mich. Representatives from the Army met with Kelly's next-of-kin in his hometown to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On July 22, 1944, Kelly was the navigator on a B-24J Liberator on a bombing raid of the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania. Returning to Lecce air base in Italy, the plane was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed in what is now Croatia, approximately 430 miles southwest of Ploesti. Of the ten crewmen on board, eight survived and bailed out of the aircraft before it crashed. The rear gunner died and his body was later recovered. One of the surviving crewmen saw Kelly bail out before the crash, but said he struck a rocky cliff face when the wind caught his parachute. His body was not found at that time.
After researching information contained in U.S. wartime records, specialists from DPMO's Joint Commission Support Directorate (JCSD) in 2005 interviewed residents from Dubrovnik and Mihanici village who had information related to WWII aircraft losses in the area. One resident recalled a crash in which one of the crewmen landed on a pile of rocks on Mt. Snijeznica after his parachute failed to open. He said locals buried the individual. Based on witness descriptions of the burial location, the team searched the mountaintop, but was unable to locate the burial site.
Additional JCSD archival research in Croatia confirmed the earlier information found in U.S. records. In June 2006, the Dubrovnik resident reported to JCSD that he had continued the search and found the grave site of the American serviceman. He sent pictures of both the site and the remains to DPMO. In September 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the burial site, confirming with local villagers that it was the same site photographed by the Dubrovnik resident. The team recovered human remains at the site.
Among other traditional forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Kelly's 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.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Marine Wife, Defense Officials Reflect on Military Spouse Day
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – After being "married to the military" for almost two decades, Angela Conboy has experienced her share of ups and downs and absences and reunions. When she stops to add it all up, Conboy figures that her husband, Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy, has been deployed seven of the 17 years they've been married. Out of the last two years alone, he's been gone 14 months. He returned home to Camp LeJeune, N.C., in March after his most recent deployment, to Anbar province, Iraq.
Standing at her husband's side last night while he received a SemperComm Award for his morale-boosting activities during that deployment, Conboy took time to reflect on the role she and other military spouses play in supporting the military.
Like most military spouses, Conboy downplays any insinuation that she's doing anything more than simply standing behind the man she loves.
"They have it a lot harder than we do," she said of her husband and his fellow troops. "He's the one getting dirty and not getting showers. I'm the one who's here living my own normal life."
While her husband is gone, Conboy strives to keep her home life stable for the couple's 15-year-old son. "I know that's important, so I try to keep things as normal as possible for him," she said.
She talks with her husband as frequently as possible, filling him in on what's happening at home and reassuring him that all is well.
She admits to putting on a happy face so he doesn't have to wonder how the family is doing without him.
"You just have to be positive," he said. "I focus on supporting him and trying to be strong and not letting him know that we're worrying about him."
But in truth, Conboy said, she spends his deployments "hoping and praying" her husband and his comrades are safe, never giving up the vigil until they return. Only then, when she knows they're home, can she let that guard down.
"The best feeling in the world is seeing that bus come around the corner (from the airfield) and them coming home," she said.
Conboy may pooh-pooh her and other military spouses' contribution to the military, but military and defense officials say they understand it clearly.
President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Appreciation Day to honor military spouses who "inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country."
The president recognized the sacrifices spouses and family members make every day to support the force.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today praising spouses for the "quiet strength and untold support" they provide.
"Through long deployments, you sustain our morale with your letters, e-mails and the comforting knowledge that your thoughts and prayers are always with us," he said. "While we're away, you maintain a sense of stability for our families, providing a constant foundation despite daily challenges and unspoken worries. When we get tired, you dust us off, and put us back into the fight."
Pace recognized that spouses are slow to accept recognition for what they do. "When we come home and receive recognition, you stand in the background and pretend you had nothing to do with that success," he said.
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter noted that although it's the soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who signs up for military duty, it's often that person's wife or husband who will be the key to how successful that service will be.
"The support of our military spouses is critical to our servicemembers," he said.
Winter said it's fitting that the first Friday in May be set aside to formally recognize the contribution military spouses make.
Even more impressive, he said, is the fact that President Bush is honoring military spouses personally at the White House today.
"That speaks volumes," Winter said.
Troops, too, say they recognize the important role their spouses play, particularly while they're deployed.
"When you know you have their support, you can have the right head on your shoulders and concentrate on your mission," said Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright, a reservist who recently returned from a deployment near Ramadi, Iraq. "It gives you focus."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – After being "married to the military" for almost two decades, Angela Conboy has experienced her share of ups and downs and absences and reunions. When she stops to add it all up, Conboy figures that her husband, Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy, has been deployed seven of the 17 years they've been married. Out of the last two years alone, he's been gone 14 months. He returned home to Camp LeJeune, N.C., in March after his most recent deployment, to Anbar province, Iraq.
Standing at her husband's side last night while he received a SemperComm Award for his morale-boosting activities during that deployment, Conboy took time to reflect on the role she and other military spouses play in supporting the military.
Like most military spouses, Conboy downplays any insinuation that she's doing anything more than simply standing behind the man she loves.
"They have it a lot harder than we do," she said of her husband and his fellow troops. "He's the one getting dirty and not getting showers. I'm the one who's here living my own normal life."
While her husband is gone, Conboy strives to keep her home life stable for the couple's 15-year-old son. "I know that's important, so I try to keep things as normal as possible for him," she said.
She talks with her husband as frequently as possible, filling him in on what's happening at home and reassuring him that all is well.
She admits to putting on a happy face so he doesn't have to wonder how the family is doing without him.
"You just have to be positive," he said. "I focus on supporting him and trying to be strong and not letting him know that we're worrying about him."
But in truth, Conboy said, she spends his deployments "hoping and praying" her husband and his comrades are safe, never giving up the vigil until they return. Only then, when she knows they're home, can she let that guard down.
"The best feeling in the world is seeing that bus come around the corner (from the airfield) and them coming home," she said.
Conboy may pooh-pooh her and other military spouses' contribution to the military, but military and defense officials say they understand it clearly.
President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Appreciation Day to honor military spouses who "inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country."
The president recognized the sacrifices spouses and family members make every day to support the force.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today praising spouses for the "quiet strength and untold support" they provide.
"Through long deployments, you sustain our morale with your letters, e-mails and the comforting knowledge that your thoughts and prayers are always with us," he said. "While we're away, you maintain a sense of stability for our families, providing a constant foundation despite daily challenges and unspoken worries. When we get tired, you dust us off, and put us back into the fight."
Pace recognized that spouses are slow to accept recognition for what they do. "When we come home and receive recognition, you stand in the background and pretend you had nothing to do with that success," he said.
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter noted that although it's the soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who signs up for military duty, it's often that person's wife or husband who will be the key to how successful that service will be.
"The support of our military spouses is critical to our servicemembers," he said.
Winter said it's fitting that the first Friday in May be set aside to formally recognize the contribution military spouses make.
Even more impressive, he said, is the fact that President Bush is honoring military spouses personally at the White House today.
"That speaks volumes," Winter said.
Troops, too, say they recognize the important role their spouses play, particularly while they're deployed.
"When you know you have their support, you can have the right head on your shoulders and concentrate on your mission," said Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright, a reservist who recently returned from a deployment near Ramadi, Iraq. "It gives you focus."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Military Displays Equipment, Technology at Public Service Recognition Exhibit
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Army Staff Sgt. Faith Pemberton said yesterday that seeing the U.S. Army's Virtual Experience combat simulator gave her the "heebie-jeebies." "When I saw it for the first time it gave me the chills, because there are very close similarities to some real situations," said Pemberton, who deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, in 2003.
The warfare simulator, housed beneath a 5,000-square-foot inflated dome, was one of about 200 civilian and military exhibits set up on the National Mall here for Public Service Recognition Week, May 7 to 13. Attracting about 30,000 visitors per day, the 27th annual recognition week honors the men and women who serve America as federal, state and local government employees.
"Every day we take for granted what government does for us, whether it's keeping our air safe and clean, to keeping our food safe to providing citizenship services, to defending our borders," said Carl Fillichio, vice president of the Council for Excellence in Government and the event's organizer.
"Now and then, I think it's important to remind the general public, and remind each other what our government does," he said. "What I really like about our military displays is it kind of adds that dimension into young people's public consciousness so that the military could be conceivable be a career for them."
In the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, U.S. military exhibitors and defense contractors displayed security and defense equipment currently used in the field, including a Marine AH-64 Apache helicopter and LAV-25 Light-Armored Vehicle, and innovations that could aid servicemembers in future missions.
A former sailor in the Swedish navy, Nicholas Tchang, of Stockholm, visited the exhibits during his trip from New York to Los Angeles. "My feeling is that these are cool machines, and it's interesting to walk around here and see this military equipment," he said.
"This is a very beautiful design," he added, looking at the Hydra 70 missiles mounted symmetrically on the Apache helicopter's sides.
An interactive display invited visitors to try their hand at disposing of dummy explosives using the 500-series iRobot -- a durable, lightweight remote-controlled vehicle now used in Iraq in Afghanistan by explosive ordnance disposal teams in all service branches.
"With the iRobot, the individual doesn't have to go down there and personally put his hands on (the ordnance)," said Ray Howard, a sales support specialist at iRobot who retired recently after 22 years as an Army EOD team member.
"They can send a disposable robotic platform to go down, and if it gets destroyed then we'll get them another one." Howard said about the $118,000 device. "It's better than losing a human life."
An iRobot rolled across the lawn as 8-year-old Roman Franzia maneuvered it toward a simulated bomb. "I thought it was really fun to keep on trying to pick up the bomb and finally get it," Roman said.
Watching his nephew successfully scoop the mock explosive with the iRobot's metal grippers was Michael Franzia, a member of the California Wine Institute, who traveled here for Washington Wine Week. "Roman's father was in the Army Reserve, and I think he wants to carry on the heritage," Franzia said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Army Staff Sgt. Faith Pemberton said yesterday that seeing the U.S. Army's Virtual Experience combat simulator gave her the "heebie-jeebies." "When I saw it for the first time it gave me the chills, because there are very close similarities to some real situations," said Pemberton, who deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, in 2003.
The warfare simulator, housed beneath a 5,000-square-foot inflated dome, was one of about 200 civilian and military exhibits set up on the National Mall here for Public Service Recognition Week, May 7 to 13. Attracting about 30,000 visitors per day, the 27th annual recognition week honors the men and women who serve America as federal, state and local government employees.
"Every day we take for granted what government does for us, whether it's keeping our air safe and clean, to keeping our food safe to providing citizenship services, to defending our borders," said Carl Fillichio, vice president of the Council for Excellence in Government and the event's organizer.
"Now and then, I think it's important to remind the general public, and remind each other what our government does," he said. "What I really like about our military displays is it kind of adds that dimension into young people's public consciousness so that the military could be conceivable be a career for them."
In the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, U.S. military exhibitors and defense contractors displayed security and defense equipment currently used in the field, including a Marine AH-64 Apache helicopter and LAV-25 Light-Armored Vehicle, and innovations that could aid servicemembers in future missions.
A former sailor in the Swedish navy, Nicholas Tchang, of Stockholm, visited the exhibits during his trip from New York to Los Angeles. "My feeling is that these are cool machines, and it's interesting to walk around here and see this military equipment," he said.
"This is a very beautiful design," he added, looking at the Hydra 70 missiles mounted symmetrically on the Apache helicopter's sides.
An interactive display invited visitors to try their hand at disposing of dummy explosives using the 500-series iRobot -- a durable, lightweight remote-controlled vehicle now used in Iraq in Afghanistan by explosive ordnance disposal teams in all service branches.
"With the iRobot, the individual doesn't have to go down there and personally put his hands on (the ordnance)," said Ray Howard, a sales support specialist at iRobot who retired recently after 22 years as an Army EOD team member.
"They can send a disposable robotic platform to go down, and if it gets destroyed then we'll get them another one." Howard said about the $118,000 device. "It's better than losing a human life."
An iRobot rolled across the lawn as 8-year-old Roman Franzia maneuvered it toward a simulated bomb. "I thought it was really fun to keep on trying to pick up the bomb and finally get it," Roman said.
Watching his nephew successfully scoop the mock explosive with the iRobot's metal grippers was Michael Franzia, a member of the California Wine Institute, who traveled here for Washington Wine Week. "Roman's father was in the Army Reserve, and I think he wants to carry on the heritage," Franzia said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Top Army Officer Addresses Bonuses, Stability Operations
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Army officials will continue to monitor manning and may offer bonuses to mid-level officers and noncommissioned officers if needed, the Army chief of staff said here today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told reporters that the service needs to come up with incentives for mid-range officers and NCOs to ensure the leadership is in place for the force of the future. He also spoke about changes to the Army as a result of experiences in the war on terror.
Casey said active duty and reserve-component personnel are meeting retention objectives. In recruiting, the active force and the Army National Guard are making their goals. The Army Reserve is missing its goal, but is expected to make it for the year.
"We will still monitor the situation," Casey said. While incentives will be partially monetary, other aspects - such as funding graduate school - will be considered.
Casey said the 1990s outlook in the military against "nation building" has changed. He said soldiers accept the move toward stability operations and reconstruction because of what they see in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They recognize it is an integral part of counterinsurgency strategy," Casey said. "It's not just the military (that wins counterinsurgency efforts), but it's political and economic and information."
The next step is whether the Army should organize units solely for stability operations and reconstruction. "I'm not sure yet," Casey said.
He said these really are not part of the core competencies of the Army, which is still configured to fight and win the nation's wars. He said these competencies normally lie in other federal agencies.
"The question really is can we change the culture in the other departments so their folks can participate in areas like Iraq," or whether that's simply too hard and the mission should fall to the military, he said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Army officials will continue to monitor manning and may offer bonuses to mid-level officers and noncommissioned officers if needed, the Army chief of staff said here today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told reporters that the service needs to come up with incentives for mid-range officers and NCOs to ensure the leadership is in place for the force of the future. He also spoke about changes to the Army as a result of experiences in the war on terror.
Casey said active duty and reserve-component personnel are meeting retention objectives. In recruiting, the active force and the Army National Guard are making their goals. The Army Reserve is missing its goal, but is expected to make it for the year.
"We will still monitor the situation," Casey said. While incentives will be partially monetary, other aspects - such as funding graduate school - will be considered.
Casey said the 1990s outlook in the military against "nation building" has changed. He said soldiers accept the move toward stability operations and reconstruction because of what they see in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They recognize it is an integral part of counterinsurgency strategy," Casey said. "It's not just the military (that wins counterinsurgency efforts), but it's political and economic and information."
The next step is whether the Army should organize units solely for stability operations and reconstruction. "I'm not sure yet," Casey said.
He said these really are not part of the core competencies of the Army, which is still configured to fight and win the nation's wars. He said these competencies normally lie in other federal agencies.
"The question really is can we change the culture in the other departments so their folks can participate in areas like Iraq," or whether that's simply too hard and the mission should fall to the military, he said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
President Honors Military Spouses at White House
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush today paid tribute to military spouses across the nation and presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to six military spouses who he said "represent the very best of what volunteering means." "You cannot be a nation with a volunteer Army unless you honor the military families, and that's what we're doing today," Bush told an audience in the White House's East Room that included Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and more than 200 service members and their families.
"As one wife in this audience recently noted," Bush told the group, "military spouses do not raise their right hands and take an oath of enlistment. Yet, their service begins as soon as they say two words, 'I do.'"
Today's ceremony marked Military Spouse Day, as proclaimed by the president yesterday to recognize spouses' sacrifices particularly during deployments. Military guests marking the occasion at the White House included Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Lynne; along with Mary Jo Meyers, wife of former chairman, Retired Air Force General Richard Meyers.
Other military leaders and civilian guests included Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, chief of Naval Operations, and his wife, Deborah; Marine General James Conway, U.S. Marine Corps commandant, and his wife, Annette; and Army General George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, and his wife, Sheila. Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren also attended, as did Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and his wife Suzanne.
In his remarks, the president praised both the troops who volunteer to protect the country in the face of grave danger and emphasized the important roles family members play in service members' lives.
"Through many conflicts, America's war fighters have counted on their spouses for love and support," he told the military families. "Our communities have depended on your energy and your leadership. Our nation has benefited from the sacrifices of our military families."
The president said that during his term in office he and his wife Laura have met with many military families at bases around the world. They've visited the wounded and hugged the loved ones of troops lost in combat.
"In these meetings I have found that what motivates our service members most is their love for their families," Bush said. "Oh, they love our country, but they really love their families. You're in their prayers every morning, their thoughts every day, and their dreams every night."
He noted that the Bush family has also experienced what it's like to have a loved one go off to war.
"Some time ago," he said, "a Naval aviator about to deploy to war wrote a letter to his fiance. ... His words back then were these: 'For a long time I had anxiously looked forward to the day when we would go abroad ... but you have changed all that. I do want to go because it is my part, but now leaving presents itself not as an adventure but as a job.'
"That letter was mailed more than 60 years ago, addressed to my mother from my father," Bush said. "Millions of similar letters have been written since that war. And most of you likely have one that is special to you that you keep close to your heart.
"I know that nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you endure while your spouse is away. And so do a lot of people in Washington understand that," Bush said. "But you also got to know that our entire country stands with you -- we love you and we respect you.
"America has seen and survived many wars over many generations," Bush said. "What has remained constant is the love we have for each other, the nobility of duty, and the strength that our men and women in uniform find in their heroes who serve at home."
In 2003, Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to find ways to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation.
The council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who inspire others to engage in volunteer service through their demonstrated commitment.
Today's recipients were:
-- Cindy Beerky, co-chairwoman of the Patriot Family Readiness Group, which provides information and resources to about 500 military families of soldiers stationed on Fort Lewis, Wash.
-- Michele Langford, president of the Coast Guard East Bay Spouse Association. Langford plans fundraising events for the annual scholarship which benefits dependent children of military members from all services and branches.
-- Shannon Maxwell, co-founder of Hope for the Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing servicemembers' and their families' quality of life after her husband, Tim, a Marine, suffered a severe head injury in Iraq.
-- Linda Port, a Navy wife for nearly 21 years who mentors servicemember spouses through enlisted spouse support groups. During one of her husband's deployments, she served as ombudsman for nearly 1,200 sailors and their spouses.
-- Denise Rampolla, who works for the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming National Guard. Rampolla serves as a volunteer with the National Military Family Association, which strives to increase servicemembers' and their families' quality of life.
-- Michael Winton, the primary care-giver for his daughter while his wife serves in the Air Force, who also coaches sports teams, works with Habitat for Humanity and Fisher Nightingale Houses, visits veteran centers and volunteers to improve reading levels of at-risk children.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush today paid tribute to military spouses across the nation and presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to six military spouses who he said "represent the very best of what volunteering means." "You cannot be a nation with a volunteer Army unless you honor the military families, and that's what we're doing today," Bush told an audience in the White House's East Room that included Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and more than 200 service members and their families.
"As one wife in this audience recently noted," Bush told the group, "military spouses do not raise their right hands and take an oath of enlistment. Yet, their service begins as soon as they say two words, 'I do.'"
Today's ceremony marked Military Spouse Day, as proclaimed by the president yesterday to recognize spouses' sacrifices particularly during deployments. Military guests marking the occasion at the White House included Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Lynne; along with Mary Jo Meyers, wife of former chairman, Retired Air Force General Richard Meyers.
Other military leaders and civilian guests included Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, chief of Naval Operations, and his wife, Deborah; Marine General James Conway, U.S. Marine Corps commandant, and his wife, Annette; and Army General George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, and his wife, Sheila. Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren also attended, as did Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and his wife Suzanne.
In his remarks, the president praised both the troops who volunteer to protect the country in the face of grave danger and emphasized the important roles family members play in service members' lives.
"Through many conflicts, America's war fighters have counted on their spouses for love and support," he told the military families. "Our communities have depended on your energy and your leadership. Our nation has benefited from the sacrifices of our military families."
The president said that during his term in office he and his wife Laura have met with many military families at bases around the world. They've visited the wounded and hugged the loved ones of troops lost in combat.
"In these meetings I have found that what motivates our service members most is their love for their families," Bush said. "Oh, they love our country, but they really love their families. You're in their prayers every morning, their thoughts every day, and their dreams every night."
He noted that the Bush family has also experienced what it's like to have a loved one go off to war.
"Some time ago," he said, "a Naval aviator about to deploy to war wrote a letter to his fiance. ... His words back then were these: 'For a long time I had anxiously looked forward to the day when we would go abroad ... but you have changed all that. I do want to go because it is my part, but now leaving presents itself not as an adventure but as a job.'
"That letter was mailed more than 60 years ago, addressed to my mother from my father," Bush said. "Millions of similar letters have been written since that war. And most of you likely have one that is special to you that you keep close to your heart.
"I know that nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you endure while your spouse is away. And so do a lot of people in Washington understand that," Bush said. "But you also got to know that our entire country stands with you -- we love you and we respect you.
"America has seen and survived many wars over many generations," Bush said. "What has remained constant is the love we have for each other, the nobility of duty, and the strength that our men and women in uniform find in their heroes who serve at home."
In 2003, Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to find ways to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation.
The council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who inspire others to engage in volunteer service through their demonstrated commitment.
Today's recipients were:
-- Cindy Beerky, co-chairwoman of the Patriot Family Readiness Group, which provides information and resources to about 500 military families of soldiers stationed on Fort Lewis, Wash.
-- Michele Langford, president of the Coast Guard East Bay Spouse Association. Langford plans fundraising events for the annual scholarship which benefits dependent children of military members from all services and branches.
-- Shannon Maxwell, co-founder of Hope for the Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing servicemembers' and their families' quality of life after her husband, Tim, a Marine, suffered a severe head injury in Iraq.
-- Linda Port, a Navy wife for nearly 21 years who mentors servicemember spouses through enlisted spouse support groups. During one of her husband's deployments, she served as ombudsman for nearly 1,200 sailors and their spouses.
-- Denise Rampolla, who works for the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming National Guard. Rampolla serves as a volunteer with the National Military Family Association, which strives to increase servicemembers' and their families' quality of life.
-- Michael Winton, the primary care-giver for his daughter while his wife serves in the Air Force, who also coaches sports teams, works with Habitat for Humanity and Fisher Nightingale Houses, visits veteran centers and volunteers to improve reading levels of at-risk children.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
President Honors Military Spouses at White House
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush today paid tribute to military spouses across the nation and presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to six military spouses who he said "represent the very best of what volunteering means." "You cannot be a nation with a volunteer Army unless you honor the military families, and that's what we're doing today," Bush told an audience in the White House's East Room that included Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and more than 200 service members and their families.
"As one wife in this audience recently noted," Bush told the group, "military spouses do not raise their right hands and take an oath of enlistment. Yet, their service begins as soon as they say two words, 'I do.'"
Today's ceremony marked Military Spouse Day, as proclaimed by the president yesterday to recognize spouses' sacrifices particularly during deployments. Military guests marking the occasion at the White House included Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Lynne; along with Mary Jo Meyers, wife of former chairman, Retired Air Force General Richard Meyers.
Other military leaders and civilian guests included Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, chief of Naval Operations, and his wife, Deborah; Marine General James Conway, U.S. Marine Corps commandant, and his wife, Annette; and Army General George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, and his wife, Sheila. Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren also attended, as did Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and his wife Suzanne.
In his remarks, the president praised both the troops who volunteer to protect the country in the face of grave danger and emphasized the important roles family members play in service members' lives.
"Through many conflicts, America's war fighters have counted on their spouses for love and support," he told the military families. "Our communities have depended on your energy and your leadership. Our nation has benefited from the sacrifices of our military families."
The president said that during his term in office he and his wife Laura have met with many military families at bases around the world. They've visited the wounded and hugged the loved ones of troops lost in combat.
"In these meetings I have found that what motivates our service members most is their love for their families," Bush said. "Oh, they love our country, but they really love their families. You're in their prayers every morning, their thoughts every day, and their dreams every night."
He noted that the Bush family has also experienced what it's like to have a loved one go off to war.
"Some time ago," he said, "a Naval aviator about to deploy to war wrote a letter to his fiance. ... His words back then were these: 'For a long time I had anxiously looked forward to the day when we would go abroad ... but you have changed all that. I do want to go because it is my part, but now leaving presents itself not as an adventure but as a job.'
"That letter was mailed more than 60 years ago, addressed to my mother from my father," Bush said. "Millions of similar letters have been written since that war. And most of you likely have one that is special to you that you keep close to your heart.
"I know that nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you endure while your spouse is away. And so do a lot of people in Washington understand that," Bush said. "But you also got to know that our entire country stands with you -- we love you and we respect you.
"America has seen and survived many wars over many generations," Bush said. "What has remained constant is the love we have for each other, the nobility of duty, and the strength that our men and women in uniform find in their heroes who serve at home."
In 2003, Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to find ways to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation.
The council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who inspire others to engage in volunteer service through their demonstrated commitment.
Today's recipients were:
-- Cindy Beerky, co-chairwoman of the Patriot Family Readiness Group, which provides information and resources to about 500 military families of soldiers stationed on Fort Lewis, Wash.
-- Michele Langford, president of the Coast Guard East Bay Spouse Association. Langford plans fundraising events for the annual scholarship which benefits dependent children of military members from all services and branches.
-- Shannon Maxwell, co-founder of Hope for the Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing servicemembers' and their families' quality of life after her husband, Tim, a Marine, suffered a severe head injury in Iraq.
-- Linda Port, a Navy wife for nearly 21 years who mentors servicemember spouses through enlisted spouse support groups. During one of her husband's deployments, she served as ombudsman for nearly 1,200 sailors and their spouses.
-- Denise Rampolla, who works for the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming National Guard. Rampolla serves as a volunteer with the National Military Family Association, which strives to increase servicemembers' and their families' quality of life.
-- Michael Winton, the primary care-giver for his daughter while his wife serves in the Air Force, who also coaches sports teams, works with Habitat for Humanity and Fisher Nightingale Houses, visits veteran centers and volunteers to improve reading levels of at-risk children.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush today paid tribute to military spouses across the nation and presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to six military spouses who he said "represent the very best of what volunteering means." "You cannot be a nation with a volunteer Army unless you honor the military families, and that's what we're doing today," Bush told an audience in the White House's East Room that included Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and more than 200 service members and their families.
"As one wife in this audience recently noted," Bush told the group, "military spouses do not raise their right hands and take an oath of enlistment. Yet, their service begins as soon as they say two words, 'I do.'"
Today's ceremony marked Military Spouse Day, as proclaimed by the president yesterday to recognize spouses' sacrifices particularly during deployments. Military guests marking the occasion at the White House included Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Lynne; along with Mary Jo Meyers, wife of former chairman, Retired Air Force General Richard Meyers.
Other military leaders and civilian guests included Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, chief of Naval Operations, and his wife, Deborah; Marine General James Conway, U.S. Marine Corps commandant, and his wife, Annette; and Army General George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, and his wife, Sheila. Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren also attended, as did Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and his wife Suzanne.
In his remarks, the president praised both the troops who volunteer to protect the country in the face of grave danger and emphasized the important roles family members play in service members' lives.
"Through many conflicts, America's war fighters have counted on their spouses for love and support," he told the military families. "Our communities have depended on your energy and your leadership. Our nation has benefited from the sacrifices of our military families."
The president said that during his term in office he and his wife Laura have met with many military families at bases around the world. They've visited the wounded and hugged the loved ones of troops lost in combat.
"In these meetings I have found that what motivates our service members most is their love for their families," Bush said. "Oh, they love our country, but they really love their families. You're in their prayers every morning, their thoughts every day, and their dreams every night."
He noted that the Bush family has also experienced what it's like to have a loved one go off to war.
"Some time ago," he said, "a Naval aviator about to deploy to war wrote a letter to his fiance. ... His words back then were these: 'For a long time I had anxiously looked forward to the day when we would go abroad ... but you have changed all that. I do want to go because it is my part, but now leaving presents itself not as an adventure but as a job.'
"That letter was mailed more than 60 years ago, addressed to my mother from my father," Bush said. "Millions of similar letters have been written since that war. And most of you likely have one that is special to you that you keep close to your heart.
"I know that nothing can compensate for the sacrifices you endure while your spouse is away. And so do a lot of people in Washington understand that," Bush said. "But you also got to know that our entire country stands with you -- we love you and we respect you.
"America has seen and survived many wars over many generations," Bush said. "What has remained constant is the love we have for each other, the nobility of duty, and the strength that our men and women in uniform find in their heroes who serve at home."
In 2003, Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to find ways to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation.
The council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who inspire others to engage in volunteer service through their demonstrated commitment.
Today's recipients were:
-- Cindy Beerky, co-chairwoman of the Patriot Family Readiness Group, which provides information and resources to about 500 military families of soldiers stationed on Fort Lewis, Wash.
-- Michele Langford, president of the Coast Guard East Bay Spouse Association. Langford plans fundraising events for the annual scholarship which benefits dependent children of military members from all services and branches.
-- Shannon Maxwell, co-founder of Hope for the Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing servicemembers' and their families' quality of life after her husband, Tim, a Marine, suffered a severe head injury in Iraq.
-- Linda Port, a Navy wife for nearly 21 years who mentors servicemember spouses through enlisted spouse support groups. During one of her husband's deployments, she served as ombudsman for nearly 1,200 sailors and their spouses.
-- Denise Rampolla, who works for the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming National Guard. Rampolla serves as a volunteer with the National Military Family Association, which strives to increase servicemembers' and their families' quality of life.
-- Michael Winton, the primary care-giver for his daughter while his wife serves in the Air Force, who also coaches sports teams, works with Habitat for Humanity and Fisher Nightingale Houses, visits veteran centers and volunteers to improve reading levels of at-risk children.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Cheney Tells Sailors U.S. Committed to Middle East
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The Middle East is a crucial part of the world, and the United States will remain involved in bringing peace to that troubled area, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said aboard the aircraft carrier USS Stennis today. The Stennis and its strike group are operating in the Persian Gulf. Cheney visited the carrier during a trip to the Middle East, which included two days in Iraq.
Cheney delivered President Bush's greetings to the crew and said he has "never been more proud of the United States military than I am today."
The Stennis has been in the thick of the fight against terrorism and has had repeated deployments to the region. "It's not easy duty to serve in this part of the world," Cheney said. "It's a place of tension and many conflicts. Throughout the region, our country has interests to protect and commitments to honor."
The Stennis is operating with the USS Nimitz Strike Group. "With two carrier strike groups in the Gulf, we're sending clear messages to friends and adversaries alike: we'll keep the sea lanes open," the vice president said. "We'll stand with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We'll disrupt attacks on our own forces. We'll continue bringing relief to those who suffer and delivering justice to the enemies of freedom.
"And we'll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region," he added.
The fight against terrorism and fundamentalist extremists is unlike any the United States has been involved in. It is not army versus army or fleets taking on other fleets. "The terrorist enemies are hidden and dispersed," he said. "They view the entire world as a battlefield, and that is why we're dealing with them systematically, from Afghanistan to Iraq."
The enemy will murder innocent, unsuspecting men, women, and children, and serve an ideology that rejects tolerance and demands total obedience, he said. "The terrorists who have declared war on America have made Iraq the central front in that war," he said. "Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants believe they can wear us down, break our will, force us out, and make Iraq a safe haven for terror."
Cheney said al Qaeda leaders see Iraq as the centerpiece of a new caliphate, or Muslim kingdom, that they will dominate and use as a safe haven to export fear and violence. "The terrorists have stated these ambitions clearly, and they intend to pursue them with ferocity," the vice president said. "The United States also has made a decision: As the prime target of a global terror campaign, we will take the fight to the enemy. We will not sit back and wait to be hit again."
Cheney spoke briefly about his meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi and coalition leaders. He said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said he expects more violence as the enemy tries to destroy the hopes of the Iraqi people. But the coalition and Iraqi forces are making progress.
"The job now is to persevere in every area of operations - from Baghdad to Anbar province to the border areas," Cheney said. "And I think General Petraeus's own words put it best: 'We cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle, not our enemies. And together we must prevail.'"
Cheney said the United States has learned the lessons of history. "Nearly six years ago, we saw that dangers can accumulate on the far side of the world, yet still find us in our own country," he said. "We've learned, as well, that terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, ... they are invited by the perception of weakness. You and every member of our military can be certain that America will stay on the offensive in the war on terror."
President Bush and all members of the national security team understand the threat, the vice president said. "We know that we're not dealing with adversaries that will surrender or suddenly come to their senses," he said. "So we'll be flexible. We'll do all we can to adapt to conditions on the ground. We'll make every change necessary to do the job.
"And I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat," he continued. "We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to return home with honor."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The Middle East is a crucial part of the world, and the United States will remain involved in bringing peace to that troubled area, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said aboard the aircraft carrier USS Stennis today. The Stennis and its strike group are operating in the Persian Gulf. Cheney visited the carrier during a trip to the Middle East, which included two days in Iraq.
Cheney delivered President Bush's greetings to the crew and said he has "never been more proud of the United States military than I am today."
The Stennis has been in the thick of the fight against terrorism and has had repeated deployments to the region. "It's not easy duty to serve in this part of the world," Cheney said. "It's a place of tension and many conflicts. Throughout the region, our country has interests to protect and commitments to honor."
The Stennis is operating with the USS Nimitz Strike Group. "With two carrier strike groups in the Gulf, we're sending clear messages to friends and adversaries alike: we'll keep the sea lanes open," the vice president said. "We'll stand with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We'll disrupt attacks on our own forces. We'll continue bringing relief to those who suffer and delivering justice to the enemies of freedom.
"And we'll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region," he added.
The fight against terrorism and fundamentalist extremists is unlike any the United States has been involved in. It is not army versus army or fleets taking on other fleets. "The terrorist enemies are hidden and dispersed," he said. "They view the entire world as a battlefield, and that is why we're dealing with them systematically, from Afghanistan to Iraq."
The enemy will murder innocent, unsuspecting men, women, and children, and serve an ideology that rejects tolerance and demands total obedience, he said. "The terrorists who have declared war on America have made Iraq the central front in that war," he said. "Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants believe they can wear us down, break our will, force us out, and make Iraq a safe haven for terror."
Cheney said al Qaeda leaders see Iraq as the centerpiece of a new caliphate, or Muslim kingdom, that they will dominate and use as a safe haven to export fear and violence. "The terrorists have stated these ambitions clearly, and they intend to pursue them with ferocity," the vice president said. "The United States also has made a decision: As the prime target of a global terror campaign, we will take the fight to the enemy. We will not sit back and wait to be hit again."
Cheney spoke briefly about his meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi and coalition leaders. He said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said he expects more violence as the enemy tries to destroy the hopes of the Iraqi people. But the coalition and Iraqi forces are making progress.
"The job now is to persevere in every area of operations - from Baghdad to Anbar province to the border areas," Cheney said. "And I think General Petraeus's own words put it best: 'We cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle, not our enemies. And together we must prevail.'"
Cheney said the United States has learned the lessons of history. "Nearly six years ago, we saw that dangers can accumulate on the far side of the world, yet still find us in our own country," he said. "We've learned, as well, that terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, ... they are invited by the perception of weakness. You and every member of our military can be certain that America will stay on the offensive in the war on terror."
President Bush and all members of the national security team understand the threat, the vice president said. "We know that we're not dealing with adversaries that will surrender or suddenly come to their senses," he said. "So we'll be flexible. We'll do all we can to adapt to conditions on the ground. We'll make every change necessary to do the job.
"And I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat," he continued. "We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to return home with honor."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Terrorism : State Department 2006 Country Report
The State Department released the Country Reports on Terrorism 2006. The 326 page document is divided into seven chapters: Strategic Assessment; Country Reports; State Sponsors of Terrorism Overview; The Global Challenge of WMD Terrorism; Terrorist Safe Havens; Terrorist Organizations; and, Legislative Requirements and Key Terms.
Over 30 specific terrorist groups and their activities are reviewed in the report; as well as information on the activities of significant countries around the globe. The complete report is available for download here:
http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/Country-Reports-Terrorism-2006.pdf
Here are some interesting excerpts:
Types of Attacks:
As was the case in 2005, in 2006 most attacks were perpetrated by terrorists applying conventional fighting methods that included using bombs and weapons, such as small arms. However, technology continues to empower terrorist and effective methods of attack continue to be developed by them to offset countermeasures. Terrorists continued their practice of coordinated attacks that included secondary attacks on first responders at attack sites, and they uniquely configured weapons and other materials to create improvised explosive devices.
Terrorist safe havens:
Terrorist safe havens are defined in this report as ungoverned, under-governed, or ill-governed areas of a country and non-physical areas where terrorists that constitute a threat to U.S. national security interests are able to organize, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, and operate in relative security because of inadequate governance capacity, political will, or both. Physical safe havens provide security for terrorist leaders, allowing them to plan acts of terrorism around the world. Global communications and financial systems, especially those created by electronic infrastructure such as the internet, global media, and unregulated economic activity, further allow terrorists to carry out activities, particularly the dissemination of propaganda and misinformation, without the need for a physical safe haven. These “virtual” havens are highly mobile, difficult to track, and difficult to control, and are not based in any particular state. This part of the report, however, will not address virtual safe havens, focusing instead on physical safe havens.
The Material Threats:
Some terrorist organizations, such as AQ, have openly stated their desire to acquire and use nuclear weapons. The diffusion of scientific and technical information regarding the assembly of nuclear weapons, some of which is now available on the Internet, has increased the risk that a terrorist organization in possession of sufficient fissile material could develop its own nuclear weapon. The complete production of a nuclear weapon strongly depends on the terrorist group’s access to fissile material and scientific expertise.
State Sponsors of Terrorism:
State sponsors of terrorism provide critical support to non-state terrorist groups. Without state sponsors, terrorist groups would have much more difficulty obtaining the funds, weapons, materials, and secure areas they require to plan and conduct operations. Most worrisome is that some of these countries also have the capability to manufacture weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and other destabilizing technologies that could get into the hands of terrorists. The United States will continue to insist that these countries end the support they give to terrorist groups.
The Terrorist Conveyor Belt:
Radicalization of immigrant populations, youth and alienated minorities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa continued. It became increasingly clear, however, that such radicalization does not occur by accident, or because such populations are innately prone to extremism. Rather, there was increasing evidence of terrorists and extremists manipulating the grievances of alienated youth or immigrant populations and then cynically exploiting those grievances to subvert legitimate authority and create unrest.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Over 30 specific terrorist groups and their activities are reviewed in the report; as well as information on the activities of significant countries around the globe. The complete report is available for download here:
http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/Country-Reports-Terrorism-2006.pdf
Here are some interesting excerpts:
Types of Attacks:
As was the case in 2005, in 2006 most attacks were perpetrated by terrorists applying conventional fighting methods that included using bombs and weapons, such as small arms. However, technology continues to empower terrorist and effective methods of attack continue to be developed by them to offset countermeasures. Terrorists continued their practice of coordinated attacks that included secondary attacks on first responders at attack sites, and they uniquely configured weapons and other materials to create improvised explosive devices.
Terrorist safe havens:
Terrorist safe havens are defined in this report as ungoverned, under-governed, or ill-governed areas of a country and non-physical areas where terrorists that constitute a threat to U.S. national security interests are able to organize, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, and operate in relative security because of inadequate governance capacity, political will, or both. Physical safe havens provide security for terrorist leaders, allowing them to plan acts of terrorism around the world. Global communications and financial systems, especially those created by electronic infrastructure such as the internet, global media, and unregulated economic activity, further allow terrorists to carry out activities, particularly the dissemination of propaganda and misinformation, without the need for a physical safe haven. These “virtual” havens are highly mobile, difficult to track, and difficult to control, and are not based in any particular state. This part of the report, however, will not address virtual safe havens, focusing instead on physical safe havens.
The Material Threats:
Some terrorist organizations, such as AQ, have openly stated their desire to acquire and use nuclear weapons. The diffusion of scientific and technical information regarding the assembly of nuclear weapons, some of which is now available on the Internet, has increased the risk that a terrorist organization in possession of sufficient fissile material could develop its own nuclear weapon. The complete production of a nuclear weapon strongly depends on the terrorist group’s access to fissile material and scientific expertise.
State Sponsors of Terrorism:
State sponsors of terrorism provide critical support to non-state terrorist groups. Without state sponsors, terrorist groups would have much more difficulty obtaining the funds, weapons, materials, and secure areas they require to plan and conduct operations. Most worrisome is that some of these countries also have the capability to manufacture weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and other destabilizing technologies that could get into the hands of terrorists. The United States will continue to insist that these countries end the support they give to terrorist groups.
The Terrorist Conveyor Belt:
Radicalization of immigrant populations, youth and alienated minorities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa continued. It became increasingly clear, however, that such radicalization does not occur by accident, or because such populations are innately prone to extremism. Rather, there was increasing evidence of terrorists and extremists manipulating the grievances of alienated youth or immigrant populations and then cynically exploiting those grievances to subvert legitimate authority and create unrest.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
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