Thursday, June 07, 2007

New, Improved Military Equipment Showcased at Capitol Hill Exhibit

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 – America's servicemembers are the best-equipped in the world, and people could see and touch an array of all-new or improved
military equipment on exhibit on Capitol Hill here today. Attendees examined a revamped Land Warrior ground-soldier system, inspected improved body armor, tasted the latest field rations and viewed a new aerial cargo delivery system along with more equipment on display at the one-day exhibit held inside the Rayburn House Office Building. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the U.S. Army's Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Natick, Mass., and Program Executive Office Soldier based at Fort Belvoir, Va.

The
Army's Land Warrior individual combat system was a popular exhibit. Land Warrior is a prototype system that harnesses computer technology and earth-orbiting satellites to boost an infantryman's survivability on the battlefield, while providing senior leaders with real-time information about the situation on the ground, said Army Sgt. Philip Morici, an infantryman who demonstrates the Land Warrior system.

In development since the early 1990s, the current version of Land Warrior is "a great system, but it's obviously not the end-result of what we want," Morici said as he hefted a specially-equipped M-4 carbine that is integrated with the Land Warrior system.

Land Warrior is now being tested by an Army unit in Iraq, the sergeant noted.

"We're slowly getting the info back and we're making the changes we need to," Morici said.

Recent improvements to Land Warrior resulted in an 8-pound weight loss compared to the previous edition, Morici said. Future versions of Land Warrior will likely be smaller, lighter, and be wireless and voice-activated, he predicted.

The improved armored
tactical vest now being fielded provides servicemembers with the best protection available, said Francis Hayden, a soldier survivability expert with Program Executive Office Soldier at Fort Belvoir.

The improved vest now weighs 29 pounds for a size medium, a 4-pound weight reduction, Hayden said. It features a new, tailored fit, he noted, that in tandem with expanded sizes for longer torsos, provides increased area of protection coverage.

The vest also has a weight re-distributing internal waistband that makes it more comfortable to wear. The vest still incorporates ceramic-plate inserts that will stop a variety of small-arms projectiles, Hayden noted.

"It provides full, 360-degrees protection on the torso," Hayden said of the new vest, noting it includes detachable protection for the upper arms and groin. The new vest also features a pull-release device for quick removal in case of emergencies, he noted.

"The Interceptor body armor is the best body armor, right now, that we have out on the street for our soldiers," Hayden emphasized.

And, thanks to the new Unitized Group Ration Express, also called "Kitchen in a Carton," U.S. servicemembers deployed to austere locales will soon be able to enjoy hot meals even though there's no dining facility in sight, said Gerald Darsch, director for DoD Combat Feeding at the Natick facility.

The Kitchen in a Carton system is self-heating and features menu items such as turkey dinner with gravy, Darsch said.

"It requires no cook, no fuel, no equipment and no power," he explained, noting each self-contained system is designed to be air-dropped, weighs 40 pounds and feeds 18 servicemembers.

Kitchen in a Carton, Darsch said, is one of two newly developed military field rations. The other new field food is called the "First-Strike Ration," he said, and it's designed for troops on the move.

The all-in-one ration is designed to replace multi-component meals-ready-to-eat, Darsch said, noting they contain about 3,000 calories, enough to feed a warfighter for one day.

"Everything contained in that First-Strike Ration is designed to be consumed on the move," Darsch explained. "Even the beverages come in an ergonomically designed pouch, where you don't have to fumble with the canteen or the canteen cup." Officials hope to field this new ration soon, he said.

And, through the new Joint Precision Airdrop System, the
U.S. military has developed a novel method to aerially deliver rations, fuel, ammunition and other vital supplies to troops in the field.

After exiting a cargo plane flying as high as 25,000 feet above the ground, the computer-controlled JPADS parachute system "self-maneuvers using Global Positioning System coordinates to a drop zone as small as 100 meters," Ed Doucette, Natick's director of air delivery and warfighter protection, explained. Computer-controlled twisting or warping of the system's wing-shaped parachute causes the airborne payload to turn left or right, he noted.

A 2,000-pound payload version of the JPADS system has been used in Afghanistan, Doucette said, noting another system with a 10,000-pound capacity also has been developed.

"There are further plans to deploy more of those (2,000-pound systems) over the next six months, and then rapidly field the 10,000-pound systems, as well," Doucette noted.

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Navy to Commission New Guided Missile Destroyer KIDD

The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Kidd, Saturday, June 9, 2007, during an 8 p.m. CDT ceremony in Galveston, Texas.

Designated hull number DDG 100, the new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Rear Adm. Isaac Campbell Kidd Sr. On Dec. 7, 1941, Kidd was commander of Battleship Division One and the senior officer present afloat during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. From the bridge of his flagship, the USS Arizona, Kidd directed the counterattack against enemy aircraft until the magazine of Arizona exploded by enemy ordnance, eventually sinking the ship. Kidd was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Regina Kidd Wolbarsht and Mary Corrinne Kidd Plumer will serve as sponsors of the ship named for their grandfather.

Two previous
U.S. Navy destroyers have been named in honor of Kidd. The first ship was a Fletcher-class destroyer that was in service from 1943-1974. It is now a floating veterans' memorial and museum in Baton Rouge, La. The second, the lead ship of the Kidd-class destroyers, was also built at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. It served from 1981-1998 and was sold to Taiwan in 2004 and renamed Tzuo-Ying, and given the hull number designation DDG 1803.

The newest USS Kidd is the 50th ship in the Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers. This multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, in support of strategic maritime operations. Kidd will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously.

Cmdr. Richard E. Thomas of Westwood, N.J., is the ship's first commanding officer and will lead her crew of 276 officers and sailors. The 9,200-ton Kidd has an overall length of 511 feet, a waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 33 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

For more information on Arleigh Burke class destroyers, visit
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4.

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Vice Chairman Receives Honorary Doctorate

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

June 5, 2007 – The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff accepted an honorary doctor of engineering degree during a ceremony at the City Center here June 3.
Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani was awarded the degree by Polytechnic University of Brooklyn, the second-oldest private engineering school in the United States.

Jerry M. Hultin, the president of the university, nominated the admiral for the degree. Hultin served as undersecretary of the
Navy from 1997 to 2000.

Along with the admiral, two other people were on hand to receive their honorary doctorates. Padmasree Warrior, executive vice president and chief technology officer for Motorola, and William A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, also received honorary doctor of engineering degrees. The ceremony also was the commencement for 22 doctorate recipients, 452 master's degree recipients and 332 bachelor's degree recipients.

During the citation reading by a Polytechnic staff member, Giambastiani was cited for his visionary leadership on land and sea and for his commitment to the development of new technologies and experimental processes.

Before the admiral addressed the crowd, a member of Polytechnic's teaching staff came forward to say he objected to the admiral receiving the degree because of the war in Iraq. When Giambastiani arrived at the podium to deliver remarks, the admiral addressed the staff member's comments.

"I do what I do, and we as an armed forces do what we do, so that gentleman who just spoke can do what he just did. That's democracy in this country," Giambastiani said, sparking applause from the audience.

During the admiral's speech, he addressed the university's proud history of graduates, who have created technological advances such as the Panama Canal lock system, Teflon and even light beer. He also said it was imperative for the graduates to apply innovation to their life's work.

"I would summarize my advice to you today in a simple phrase: innovate or perish," the admiral said.

He said the first key part to innovation is questioning assumptions.

"Questioning assumptions sounds easier than it is. Assumptions make our life easy. Lots of people have lots of time, energy and money invested in status quo assumptions. Because of the way that assumptions form the way we think and analyze, it may be hard to identify an assumption as an assumption," he said. "But if you approach every problem and every opportunity by looking for and questioning assumptions, you'll be ahead of the 'innovation curve.'"

Giambastiani said a way to spur innovation is to form partnerships.

"I always look for opportunities to partner with individuals and organizations that think differently than I do. As a commanding officer, I would pay close attention to my chaplain, my lawyer and my public affairs officer just because they approach problems and opportunities in a different way, and they made me think deeper and better about issues," he said. "As a senior
military leader, I sought partnerships between my commands and industry, academia, think tanks and thought leaders for exactly the same reason."

The admiral said that besides the intellectual benefits, partnerships also are a great way to share risk and expand opportunities. He added that organizations that wish to achieve innovation need to dedicate time, money and people to the task.

"Big organizations -- and you will go on to lead big organizations -- need to have a group of smart people who wake up every day thinking about how to innovate," he said. "Then you need to empower them to go make innovation happen by investing time, money and energy in their work. Every time I have been able to do this in my
military career, it has repaid the investment many times over."

(
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Staff Public Affairs Office.)

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Positive Attitude, Physical Therapy Turns Things Around for Amputees

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2007 – Working with
Army Pfc. Randy Gollinger is, to say the least, challenging. When asked, his physical therapist, Bunnie Wyckoff, used the words "challenging" and "challenge" at least four times to describe her work with Gollinger.

"He's challenging. He was very difficult to motivate in the beginning. He turned around like most of the guys do. He's doing fine now. But he likes to challenge me all the way. I'm up for the challenge. I enjoy it," she said.

"He's a challenge," she said again, and laughed.

"I'm a pain in the butt," Gollinger corrected her, and then he laughed.

To be sure, if laughter is the best medicine, Gollinger, a military policeman injured by an explosive device while patrolling in Baghdad, is well on his way to a speedy recovery. An amputee who lost a leg and an eye, Gollinger is recovering at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center here. He keeps Wyckoff on her toes and in stitches at the same time. The two go back and forth like kin, verbally poking and picking.

Wyckoff has been on staff at the center for more than three years and has personally worked with nearly half of the amputees who've received care there. She meets them bedside when they are first brought to the center and follows them through their care -- from being wheeled into the therapy room to, hopefully, walking out on their own.

"I love it here. I love to see the fact that people improve and they get back to living a life that's meaningful to them," Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff works with seven to 10 patients daily. Some are more independent and work through much of their therapy on their own, she said.

The physical therapy room is large, white and full of commotion. Low, padded tables cut through the center of the room providing areas for patients to lie, sit, exercise or rest. Amputees at various stages of therapy go about their recovery in a deliberate, although sometimes frustrating, fashion. Some work on upper body strength with familiar exercises like push ups; others practice walking; and some get help stretching from family members.

Exercise machines are stationed for walking and biking in the physical therapy room. Peer amputee visitors mingle and encourage, and there is even a therapy dog, Troy, who drops a tennis ball at the base of patients' wheelchairs in hopes that it will get thrown and he will get to chase. Some do, some don't, but eventually Troy finds someone who is willing to give the ball a fling across the room.

During this therapy session, Gollinger literally pulled Wyckoff around the outside of the main hospital building. Using a rubber band connected to a belt at Gollinger's waist, Wyckoff held and resisted as Gollinger stepped around the building in a race against fellow amputee
Army Sgt. Kevin Brown. Gollinger lost.

Using the same resistance, Gollinger followed up his loss with an indoor race against Brown, maneuvering down a row of colored cones, stopping to squat using his prosthetic leg and touching the cone with his other leg. This race he won, although Wyckoff jokingly accused him of cheating. Friendly competition keeps the therapy fun, Gollinger said.

But the exercises have purpose, each targeting specific areas and concentrating on particular elements of recovery.

The exercises in this session help with balance and confidence using the prosthetic leg, Wyckoff said.

"We want them to be able to control the knee prosthetic, while they are squatting down. They need to be able to learn to pick things up off the floor," she said.

Gollinger has served in the Army for one and a half years, and he has spent nearly half of that time at Walter Reed. Therapy wasn't always as fun for him as it is now.

"At first I was very bitter. I didn't really care. Now it's just kind of like my second home," he said.

"Medically I died twice. I'm pretty thankful to be here today at all, let alone just missing an eye and a leg. You can't really complain about that," he said.

A year-round athlete in high school, Gollinger said he joined the Army to "get out and see the world." He also hoped to get money for college and eventually play college sports.

The 20-year-old said he thought his life was over when he found out his leg was amputated. But therapy and a positive attitude turned it around for him. The New York state native said he plans to enroll in college there to become a teacher and hopes to eventually hit the athletic fields again.

"I went through a really hard time trying to adapt and find things that would interest me," he said. "I figured my life was pretty much over with as far as stuff I liked to do, but I've been reassured that, depending on how good I get, I'll be able to play softball."
Gollinger said his therapy improved when his attitude improved. "As soon as I was mentally prepared ... everything else just took off, and I've been going nowhere else but up," he said.

"How bad do you want it? I want it bad now. Before, I didn't want it bad at all. Riding a wheel chair, I figured, would be my first means of transportation," Gollinger said. "The more I see everybody else I know getting up and walking, the more I realize that I don't want to be in a wheelchair the rest of my life."

Gollinger offered simple advice to those who follow in his footsteps at the center.

"Don't wait for things to happen. Make them happen. Keep your head up. Others have been there. And we're going to help," he said.

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Gates 'Puzzled' By Russian Response to U.S. Missile Defense Plans

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "are both puzzled by what the Russians are doing" in response to U.S. plans to build missile defense sites in Eastern Europe. Speaking at a joint news conference with French Defense Minister Herve Morin, Gates said the two leaders had discussed the issue, including "some of the public statements coming out of Russia recently, especially by President (Vladimir) Putin."

Putin, who has accused the United States of trying to start an arms race, ordered test-firing of new missiles this week.

For the first time in history, the
leaders of the U.S. State and Defense departments both have doctorates in Russian studies -- and both are baffled by Russia's activities, Gates noted today.

"I think it is important to be flexible in addressing their concerns on a number of different issues," he said. "At the same time, we should not be in the position of allowing them to obstruct further progress in a number of areas.

"But above all," he said, "we would prefer that they partner with us and be allies in pursuing a number of these initiatives."

Morin declined to state France's specific position on the missile issue, but said it's in nobody's interest to "create conditions that recall older times." He emphasized the need for "constructive dialog with our Russian friends."

During a June 3 question-and-answer session at the Asian Security Summit in Singapore, Gates emphasized that the missile defenses in question wouldn't be technically advanced enough to threaten Russia. Rather, he said, they would be designed to counter rogue countries or
terrorist groups.

"In neither case is the ballistic missile defense aimed at weakening the deterrent of either China or Russia," he said.

Gates said the United States will explore "anything we can do to provide transparency on that point and help people understand the capabilities (and) characteristics of the system."

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Gates, French Defense Minister Reaffirm Defense Ties

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2007 – Meeting here today on the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and French Defense Minister Herve Morin agreed to work toward strengthening their two countries' historic ties. Morin told reporters after a 45-minute session with Gates that he considers it "a great honor" that Gates is the first foreign defense
leader to visit since Morin took office two weeks ago.

Gates called today's meeting "a good introductory conversation" that covered a full range of defense issues.

Morin said he and Gates shared many common views during their discussions and agreed that they want to work together and collaborate on a variety of issues.

He reiterated France's support for the NATO International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, and the Darfur, Sudan, peacekeeping effort.

Asked about France's commitment to Afghanistan, Morin said: "Our role is not to remain forever." Rather, he said, the goal is to develop and reinforce Afghanistan's own institutions so it can stand on its own. He called training of Afghanistan's security forces a priority.

Both
leaders said they look forward to visiting Normandy together tomorrow, the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, when thousands of Americans died storming the beaches. Gates is slated to speak at the American Cemetery at Coleville-sur-Mer during ceremonies marking the anniversary.

"At the same time we will memorialize those who gave their lives on D-Day, we will also acknowledge and celebrate the long ties that have bound both the United States and France," Gates said.

Morin told reporters his father reminded him often "how much we owe to all the Allied soldiers, especially the young Americans who came to die on our beaches."

"The American graveyards have a great and deep significance," he said.

Gates' visit follows Nicolas Sarkozy's recent election as France's new president. Sarkozy, who has advocated closer relations with the United States, will meet this week with President Bush and other European, Canadian, Japanese and Russian
leaders during the G8 conference in Germany.

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Actors Honor Real-Life Army Counterparts

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2007 – Reality met Hollywood last month when the cast and crew of the Lifetime Network's new series "
Army Wives" hosted a picnic honoring real Army wives in Charleston, S.C., where the series is filmed. The actors who hosted the May 5 picnic included Catherine Bell, who played Marine Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie on the long-running CBS series, "JAG." She was joined by actress Kim Delaney, who has had recurring roles on several TV series, including "China Beach." Brigid Brannagh, Sally Pressman and Roland Burton also attended with their "Army" spouses, actors Brain McNamara, Terry Serpico, Jeremy Davidson, Drew Fuller and Wendy Davis.

"This wasn't a mandatory, 'You have to show up for this,'" Regina Galvin, editor of CinCHouse.com, said. "The actors were very interested in really hearing the experiences of these women and where they're coming from.

"There was genuine respect, mutual respect, for what the actors were doing and also for what the Army wives were doing in holding down that home front," she said.

The event, which included pampering for the real-life wives from North Carolina and Kansas, provided an opportunity for Lifetime to publicize its new series. More importantly, however, it allowed the network to bring awareness to Operation Homefront, a troop-support group founded by a military spouse, Galvin said.

Lifetime accomplished this through a short film called "Wives on the Homefront." The film, which runs just over 11 minutes, gives voice to the challenges wives face and their feelings about facing those challenges alone. It also allowed for the cast members to reflect on what they learned during their day with the wives.

"Not enough people know what the wives and families of our troops do and how strong they are and how much support they give our troops," Bell said.

Davis agreed. "These are the women who are really what I consider to be unsung heroes," she said. "These are the women who are raising the children; they're holding down the fort at home."

Jane Biter, wife Army Staff Sgt. Robert Biter, currently serving in Afghanistan, is one of those unsung heroes. She is raising her 7-year-old son and 5- and 2-year-old daughters.

"It's hard having to be both Mommy and Daddy," she said. "But it's workable."

The film also included comments from Stefani Pelkey, a former Army captain, whose husband, also an
Army captain, took his life after returning from service in Iraq. "When he came back he was not the same happy-go-lucky person as he was before," Pelkey said. "He was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (and) unfortunately, he was not able to get that help when he needed it."

Pelkey now is a contributor to Operation Homefront's online community, CinCHouse.com, a community of military spouses offering support in all areas of
military life. As a representative of Operation Homefront's Wounded Warrior Wives program, she works to help other military spouses identify signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and where to find help.

The new program helps wives of wounded servicemembers navigate the many challenges they may face.

Operation Homefront and CinCHouse.com are members of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The network of support that the wives offer each other impressed the cast.

"They really look to each other," Fuller said. "It's the best support group I've ever seen."

Missy Reese, an
Army wife, said she can always count on other Army wives when she needs anything, and other wives can count on her. "Whatever I need, or whatever they need, we're always there," she said. "It's like a pot of support."

To further express their support and appreciation for the real-life Army wives and the work of Operation Homefront, the cast members helped the wives pack care packages. The boxes were put together to fill orders Operation Homefront received through its "eCarePackage" program.

Through this program, visitors to the Operation Homefront Web site can choose items to fill a care package for a servicemember for just the cost of the shipping and handling.

"Wives on the Homefront" originally aired June 3 on Lifetime TV, the same day as the premiere of "
Army Wives." In addition, to the TV program, Lifetime TV is offering blogs from four military spouses, three of whom also contribute to CinCHouse.com.

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Terrorists Using Chlorine Car Bombs to Intimidate Iraqis

American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 – Anyone who doubts that al Qaeda would use chemical, nuclear or biological weapons need only look at the
terror group's attacks in Iraq, Defense officials said. Al Qaeda and affiliated groups have used chlorine gas in attacks against civilians, Iraqi forces and coalition forces at least 15 times since October, according to U.S. officials in Baghdad.

"Chlorine is used by
terrorists with the intent to harm or kill large numbers of civilians," an official said. "The attacks show that the terrorists are adaptable, but it reflects more on their maliciousness than their sophistication."

The first documented chlorine attack was Oct. 21, 2006, in Ramadi, a Multinational Force Iraq spokeswoman said. In that attack, terrorists drove a car bomb with 12 120 mm mortar shells and two 100-pound chlorine tanks. The attack wounded three Iraqi
police officers and a civilian.

The first attack that received media attention was at Taji, where
terrorists remotely detonated a 5-ton truck packed with 100 pounds of high explosives and two 1-ton chlorine tanks. The attack killed one civilian and wounded 114 others.

Other chlorine attacks occurred in Fallujah, Balad and Ramadi. The most recent attack was June 3 against Forward Operating Base Warhorse, in Diyala province. Again, a suicide car bomber launched the attack, and officials estimate it included two tanks of chlorine and 1,000 pounds of explosive. The cloud from the attack blew over Warhorse and sickened 65 servicemembers, Multinational Force Iraq officials said. All were examined and returned to duty.

Officials in Baghdad cannot tell from their records if anyone has died from chlorine inhalation. A Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said there are anecdotal reports that while the blasts from the attacks have killed, few have died solely from the gas. "We hear that an old man and some babies may have been killed, but we can't pin that down," the spokesman said.

"We have seen attempts made by insurgent forces - al Qaeda in particular - to use debilitating agents like chlorine in their (improvised explosive devices and car bombs) to cause casualties beyond just concussion and blast," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

Whitman said the attacks have been of limited effectiveness, but that does not lessen concerns. "We continue to look at ways to prevent those materials from making their way to those who plant explosive devices," he said.

This is a difficult proposition because many chemicals, like chlorine, have legitimate civilian uses. Chlorine is used to purify water and in other industrial processes.

Without getting into details that could jeopardize operational security, U.S. servicemembers have gear to protect them from such weapons, a Pentagon official said. So the
terrorists aim the weapon at civilians in an effort to intimidate populations.

"The car bombs themselves are designed to target innocent civilians," Whitman said. "It reflects the brutality of the enemy we are facing and the total disregard of life to use such an indiscriminate nature."

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