Friday, May 25, 2007

Program Takes 'LEEP' for America

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – U.S. servicemembers are working overseas to build capable police forces, and a member organization of the Defense Department's America Supports You program is helping that cause. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"The
Law Enforcement Equipment Program facilitates the transfer of used law enforcement equipment to any American armed forces unit to be used to equip or train a friendly foreign police force," said Steve Newton a former police chief, who founded LEEP.

"We do not carry an inventory of equipment," he explained. "We simply act as a go-between for the American
law enforcement community and the military."

The program also will assist in the transfer of needed equipment directly to the foreign police units if they're supervised by the United States, Newton, who also is a Marine and Navy veteran, added.

The
Law Enforcement Equipment Program began to help an under-equipped Iraqi police force, he said. The program has since expanded to include Afghanistan and other areas where U.S. forces are training, or supervising the training, of foreign law officers.
"I believe that it is our responsibility to assist our armed forces in any and all ways possible," he said on the program's Web site.

The needs expressed by the servicemembers on behalf of the foreign law officers include everything from reflective belts and vests to body armor, batons and handcuffs. Some areas also are asking for riot control sets, gloves and even traffic cones.

America Supports You often serves as a way for a group to network and find another group that can fulfill a request it can't. This has been the case for The
Law Enforcement Equipment Program, Newton said. His program has received several referrals from other America Supports You members.

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Why We Serve: Soldier's Volunteer Spirit Carries into Army Life

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – When Matt Olson was growing up in Grantsburg, Wis., he never thought that by the time he was in his mid-20s he would have traveled to France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria. He never fathomed that he would one day be affecting the growth of a fledgling democracy on the other side of the world. And he certainly never would have guessed that his new-found job skills would ensure that thousands of U.S. troops would safely cross hundreds of miles in dangerous deserts.

But that's what has happened since Olson enlisted in the
Army eight years ago.

"I didn't know what I was going to do when I grew up," Olson said. "I wasn't a mechanic before I came into the
Army, but I got my hands on things and got dirty. I loved it; I always feel like I'd accomplished something."

Now a staff sergeant, Olson has two deployments to Iraq under his belt. His most recent one was to Qayyarah, where he managed the maintenance of his unit's vehicles and was in charge of soldiers manning a combat logistics patrol readiness center.

He and his troops supported more than 2,200 vehicle convoys and found more than 300 faults that prevented vehicles from breaking down while traveling a 400-mile stretch of sandy road from Kuwait to Iraq. Each convoy could have as many as 30 trucks and could stretch for two miles.

"It felt really good to know that those trucks weren't going to break down while on the road; it was really dangerous to be stopped out there," Olson said, quickly giving credit for the unit's success to his soldiers. "They did a lot of hard work to make our mission a success."

As part of the Defense Department's quarterly "Why We Serve" public outreach program, Olson and eight other servicemembers are visiting communities throughout the United States to share about their experiences in the
military.

"This assignment is going be fun," he said. "I just wish that my soldiers were going to beside me; there's more to the story than is heard on the news."

Olson said he has maintained the senses of teamwork and volunteerism he developed while growing up and has applied them into his Army experiences.

Growing up on a farm, Olson was active in organizations such as his 4-H Club. Through the club, he volunteered at nursing homes and with other local organizations.

"My parents did a great job of raising me and my sister and brother," he said. "They expected the best out of us, and that carried over to my professional career."

Calling it one of his most fulfilling experiences, Olson volunteered with 15 fellow soldiers to clean up a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

"Everyone really appreciated what we did," he said. "It was cool to see the heritage of
military service and to interact with the veterans."

The staff sergeant continued his goodwill efforts by helping to coordinate and conduct convoys to deliver school supplies to Iraqi children while he was deployed to the country.

"I feel that's why we're there - to help," he said. "If I know I did something personally to help somebody out, then I feel like I've accomplished something significant."

"I'm just a mechanic turning wrenches," he said, "but I helped get the Iraqi people out to vote in their elections, ... and that means something to me."

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Bush Praises Coast Guard Graduates for Service in Challenging Times

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks brought new challenges and responsibilities to the
U.S. Coast Guard, President Bush told the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2007 at its graduation ceremony today in New London, Conn. Bush told the 228 graduating cadets the United States has always depended on the Coast Guard, and needs it now more than ever because terrorists have made no secret of their desire to launch another attack.

"It's tempting to believe that the calm here at home after September the 11th means that the danger to our country has passed," he said. "The danger has not passed. Here in America, we're living in the eye of a storm. All around us, dangerous winds are swirling, and these winds could reach our shores at any moment."

Bush praised
Coast Guard members who "know how to navigate the storm."

The country is "counting on you to help America weather the challenges that lie ahead," he told the new graduates. The president noted the
Coast Guard's long history of service to the country. "Since its inception, the Coast Guard has conducted search and rescue missions, enforced our maritime laws, protected our marine environment, come to the aid of stranded boaters, and helped staunch the flow of illegal drugs and illegal migrants to our shores," he said. "And in this new century, the Coast Guard continues to carry out these vital missions."

He cited the
Coast Guard's extraordinary support in times of disaster, including Hurricane Katrina, when the Coast Guard rescued more than 33,000 people.

The Coast Guard launched a similar and also unprecedented response after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, he said. Its members organized a massive flotilla of military and civilian watercraft and conducted the largest waterborne evacuation, from Manhattan, in the country's history. It also assisted in operations at Ground Zero and coordinated an around-the-clock defense of New York Harbor and other vital ports, the president noted.

"On September the 11th, the home front you protected became a battlefront in a new and unprecedented war," Bush told the graduates. "That day, our nation changed forever, and so did the mission of the
United States Coast Guard. This service assumed new and essential responsibilities: to defend our nation against terrorist infiltration and to help stop new attacks before they kill our people."

He noted that as part of Operation Noble Eagle, the
Coast Guard is protecting more than 360 ports and more than 95,000 miles of coastline. Overseas, the Coast Guard is conducting maritime intercept operations in the Persian Gulf and patrolling the waters off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"The men and women of the
Coast Guard are serving with courage, and the American people are grateful to live behind your shield of freedom," he said.

Bush thanked the cadets about to begin their Coast Guard careers for becoming a part of that shield.

"You will take your oath as
Coast Guard officers in a time of war, knowing all the risks your service entails," he said. "I thank each of you for your bold decision to wear the uniform."

The president offered a few words of advice to the new graduates.

"Trust in the power of freedom to overcome tyranny and terror (and) show leadership in freedom's defense and character in all you do," he said. He urged them to "be ready for anything" and to draw on the lessons they've learned at the
Coast Guard Academy as they encounter new challenges.

"The Coasties who came before you never thought they would be organizing a flotilla in New York Harbor, or patrolling distant coasts in the Persian Gulf. Like them, you will serve in ways you cannot imagine today," he said. "But if you bring the skills and creativity you learned at this academy to every task, our nation's security will be in good hands."

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Toby Keith Wows Overseas U.S. Troops

American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – Country music star Toby Keith again demonstrated red, white and blue patriotism mixed with down-home rhythm during his recent tour to entertain U.S. servicemembers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is Keith's fifth United Service Organizations-sponsored overseas trip to visit troops, and as always, the multi-platinum recording artist didn't disappoint his camouflaged-clad fans.

Keith's latest overseas tour includes a troop visit to Germany and precedes his upcoming "Big Dog Daddy" stateside tour named after his new compact disc slated for release in June.

In Iraq, Keith, 46, visited with servicemembers stationed in the Baghdad area and also performed a concert at Camp Victory on May 22. Before that, Keith spent May 19 and 20 with troops stationed in Afghanistan.

The Oklahoma-born entertainer personally greeted Iraq-deployed servicemembers and signed autographs. He also participated in a May 22 re-enlistment ceremony at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, one of 99 such palaces that once belonged to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

At Forward Operating Base Fenty at Jalalabad in northeastern Afghanistan on May 20, Keith saluted the troops for their dedication to duty.

"The reason that nobody back home on the news talks about what's going on in Afghanistan is because there's not much bad to say about it," Keith said. "The (coalition forces have) done a wonderful job, so that's the message I'm taking back (to the states)."

Keith said he wanted to key on visiting servicemembers stationed at smaller, out-of-the-way places during this year's Afghanistan tour.

"Instead of just going to the big ones, we wanted to go into some places that have never had any entertainment," he said at FOB Fenty.

After the show, the country music star hailed the troops for their service to the nation.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," Keith told servicemembers at FOB Fenty. "I know when you're over here for 18, 20 (or even 24 months) there are a lot of people being missed."

On May 19, hundreds of servicemembers waited for hours to see Keith perform at Forward Operating Base Salerno, near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan.

"I've wanted to see this guy since I was 13," said
Army Pfc. Tristan P. Winter, a forward observer in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. "He's my favorite country music singer, and I'm so excited to finally be able to see him."

Keith soon returned Winter's compliment, as the singer came on stage and was greeted by servicemembers' thunderous applause.

"This is to all of you, when you're rolling out at night watching each other's back," the performer told the military audience.

"I've got a lot of admiration for these guys and girls out on these bases who are getting out in the mud," Keith, whose father was a
U.S. Army veteran, added.

The USO is among the more than 250 businesses and organizations nationwide that participate in the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which recognizes citizens' support for
military men and women and communicates that support to members of the U.S. armed forces here and abroad.

(Compiled from articles and photos provided by
Army Staff Sgt. Curt Cashour, Multinational Corps Iraq Public Affairs; Army Pfc. Micah E. Clare, Task Force Fury PAO, Afghanistan; and Army Pfc. Daniel E. Rangel, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Afghanistan.)

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Vets Make Sure Marine Can 'Semper Fly'

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – When employees at the Wings and Rotors Museum in Murrieta, Calif., noticed the 1965 Cessna Skyhawk sitting on the tarmac, it had seen better days. "After many inquiries, we found that this aircraft belonged to career
Marine (Master) Gunnery Sergeant Mike Tyndale, who had been in the combat zone in Iraq," David Barron, a U.S. Army Air Cavalry veteran and volunteer at the museum, said. "The cabin leaked and the sun had damaged the aircraft as it sat. The birds had made a home of it."

Barron and other veterans associated with the Wings and Rotors Museum created a project to bring the plane back to life -- an endeavor estimated at $7,000. The museum started a project, "Operation Semper Fly," to handle the restoration of the Cessna.

The operation's name plays off the
Marine Corps motto, "Semper Fidelis," which means "Always Faithful" and often is shortened to "Semper Fi."

The work needed was extensive. Museum staff and volunteers worked on the airframe and propeller, installed new brakes and replaced the plane's tires. It also has a fresh battery as well as engine maintenance and inspections.

"We have moved into the cabin restoration and finally will finish it all off with new exterior paint with the
Marine Corps colors as an accent," Barron said. "This is being done at no cost to him as a token of our support for all of our veterans. As veterans ourselves, we could no just turn our back on him."

Materials needed to bring the Cessna back to its former glory have been donated by local suppliers in amounts greater than the estimated repair costs, he said. In fact, a flight instructor has donated his time to fly with Tyndale to get the Marine current on his flight requirements and help get him through his biennial flight review.

"I am proud to say that the aviation community has embraced our efforts to bring this aircraft back to life," Barron said. "The aircraft will be returned to ... Tyndale on June 9 at the French Valley Airport's 'Air Faire.'"

The Air Faire event is an annual open house at the airport featuring static military and civilian displays and a community safety fair.

Tyndale, who has served 26 years in the
Marine Corps, knew his "cherished" aircraft had suffered from his nearly three-year absence. He said he is thrilled that it's nearly ready to soar into the wild blue again, and incredibly grateful to those who made that possible.

"I have a lump in my throat trying to express my gratitude at this undertaking," he said. "There is no greater sense of community support for military members ... than to come home and be told 'thanks" and get the hearty handshakes.

"However the Wings and Rotors Air Museum has done more than that," Tyndale continued. "Thanks to their members, my plane will recover from my long absence and will fly again."

Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the
military community.

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Plans Unveiled for Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center

American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – At a Capitol Hill news conference yesterday, exhibition designer Ralph Appelbaum provided a first glimpse of the exhibits planned for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an underground facility slated for the National Mall near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. "The center will be a place that reveals the human dimension of the war and honors the value of service and the bonds of loyalty and friendship," Appelbaum said. "It will allow a new generation of visitors to better understand the human experience of war and the web of lives affected."

An array of national
leaders attended the news conference hosted by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to express their support for the project. Several of them, including retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey and U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska spoke at the news conference.

"This is the logical next evolution of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial experience, and I am enthusiastic to be part of the campaign to bring it to life," said McCaffrey, who chairs the Advisory Board of veterans, authors, historians and educators who advise the Memorial Fund on the exhibits.

During the presentation, Appelbaum said the goals of the center are to enhance the Memorial experience; honor those who died, put faces with the names of those memorialized on the Vietnam Wall, and encourage young visitors to learn more.

He explained how listening, learning, research and discussion with distinguished Vietnam veterans, authorities in charge of the National Mall and everyday Americans have resulted in a clear concept for the center. And, he showed visuals illustrating main components of the planned exhibits:

-- Faces of Service Members: A wall of photos of fallen servicemembers who had their birthday on that particular day, along with any images, letters or other remembrances left at The Wall for that individual.

-- Display of Values: Words such as Respect, Loyalty, Courage, Duty, Service, Honor and Integrity, combined with excerpts from letters of fallen service members that convey those concepts.

-- Artifacts Collection: A dramatic series of glass cases that contain selections of the more than 100,000 items that have been left at the Memorial, including personal letters home from men and women in uniform.

-- Timeline: A factual chronology of
military events to give an overview of the span of the war and the key actions.

-- History of the Memorial: A visual and written history of The Wall and the way it has uniquely influenced the way Americans memorialize and pay tribute.

-- Resource Center: Interactive stations where visitors, specifically young people, can access additional information.

-- Legacy of Service: A visual connection between those who served in Vietnam and all Americans in uniform, past and present.

"The center will be the home of some of the personal items that have been left at the memorial and that illustrate the loss and grieving-they are eloquent examples of love and friendship," Appelbaum added. "Here, we give each name a face and explore the universal bond among all veterans of war."

The Memorial Center has generated the support of an array of respected public and
military officials, including retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, the honorary chairman of the Campaign to Build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, and Dr. Christos M. Cotsakos, campaign chairman.

"The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center will be a place that touches the heart and teaches the mind, enhancing the Memorial experience for people of all ages and walks of life, taking them on a journey through layers of storytelling and history," said Harry Robinson, a board member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund who also spoke at the news conference.

"The center will be a commemoration and celebration of the values of loyalty, duty and honor - the values that defined not only the brave young men and women who gave their lives in Vietnam, but in all of America's wars," added McCaffrey. "And possibly most importantly, we believe this center will present fantastic learning opportunities for our nation's young people."

The center has been authorized by Congress, and the Memorial Fund is working in partnership with the National Park Service, which ultimately will operate it. While the anticipated timeline for design approval, fundraising and the building schedule for the Memorial Center is approximate right now, groundbreaking is expected in 2010, with the center being completed within 18 months after that.

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Today, through a series of outreach programs, it is dedicated to preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing, educating about the impact of the Vietnam War and is building the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Center, an underground educational facility, near The Wall.

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Defense Officials Promote Language Programs to Recruit Linguists

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2007 – As language and cultural sensitivities factor more and more into
military operations, defense officials are promoting several initiatives to increase the number of servicemembers and employees with critical language skills. One of the most innovative programs is the Army's effort to recruit "heritage language" speakers from countries the U.S. is engaged in, Gail McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans, said in an interview today. These soldiers have backgrounds in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, and already have a thorough knowledge of the languages and cultures in those areas.

"If you have a native language, you have the accent right, but more importantly, you also have the culture right, and you know something about the part of the world where your family's from, where you grew up for part of your life," McGinn said. "And that brings a great advantage to you in working with our forces."

The program, called the 09L interpreter/translator program, started with the Individual Ready Reserve, McGinn explained. Native speakers were recruited into the IRR and trained in translation skills and English, if they needed it, then sent into the force as soldiers. Now the
Army offers the program in the active-duty and reserve components as well, she said.

When the program started in 2003, the
Army set an initial goal of 250 native speakers recruited per year, McGinn said. The Army is now meeting that goal, and in the last fiscal year recruited 130 percent of the goal, she said.

"That's a tribute to the Army and its recruiters, but it's also a tribute to these great Americans who are coming forward to help us," she said.

Right now the program focuses on potential recruits who speak Arabic, which is spoken in Iraq, and Pashto and Dari, the two main languages of Afghanistan. But Defense Department officials hope to expand the program in the future, McGinn said. Many of the soldiers who join under this program are motivated by the possibility of U.S. citizenship, she said, but many also have a deep sense of patriotism and want to serve.

"A lot of them have escaped persecution or have been wounded in combat or fought in civil wars. They've come to the United States with their family, and there's a great sense that they would like to pay something back," she said.

Commanders in the field have given very positive feedback about the soldiers recruited under interpreter/translator program, McGinn said. These soldiers have helped prevent attacks and problems in Iraq and Afghanistan because of their language and cultural knowledge, but also are effective soldiers who fight alongside their counterparts, she said.

"A soldier picks up a weapon and goes into combat with you and is there right by your side and obeys your orders, and you can trust them. And (the soldier) really becomes a part of the team," she said. "And I think that's what we're hearing from commanders, is the value that they bring."

Another initiative the Defense Department is exploring is the Language Corps, which would be a set of Americans with language skills available to assist in times of crisis, McGinn said.

The department is working with other federal agencies on a pilot program that would identify individuals with critical skills and possibly help them sustain their language skills and use them on a regular basis, she said. These people would be available for military operations and humanitarian relief efforts. The program would focus initially more on critical languages, such as Arabic and Chinese.

The Defense Department has hired a contractor to set up the program, and the goal is to bring 1,000 people into the corps, McGinn said. "In that process, as a part of the pilot, we will actually do some exercising of it to see how it would work," she said. "So I'm really excited; we're really in the beginning of the action steps now."

In an effort to establish a more well-rounded officer corps, the Defense Department also is working with universities to implement language programs into ROTC studies, McGinn said. Under the last Quadrennial Defense Review, the department awarded four grants to universities to set up language programs.

"We have been trying to figure out how to get our
military officers more language capable, because we think it's important for interacting with populations and for interacting with our allies, and it's part of the core competency an officer should have," she said.

The Defense Department eventually will award 50 of these contracts to universities over the next five years, McGinn said.

Language initiatives will continue to be important to the Defense Department, so
leaders always are thinking about future programs, McGinn said. With the establishment of Africa Command, African languages will start to be important, she noted. The department is conducting a military-wide survey to identify existing language capabilities that may be needed in the future.

"That's how we're trying to hedge our bets in the future in terms of what other languages might be important to us," she said.

Article sponsored by
criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.