Friday, June 08, 2007

Army Path Takes Amputee Soldier to Forefront of Amputee Care

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 –
Army Maj. David Rozelle walked with difficultly up the steep dirt path that cuts through the grass and away from a concrete sidewalk running along the north side of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. He apologized for his awkwardness.

"I'm trying on a new foot today," he said. "I like it. But any time you get a new foot, you've got to get used to it."

As an armored cavalry troop commander, Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in 2003.

Since then, he has been cutting new paths for amputees in the
Army. Rozelle is an expert skier, a tri-athlete, and one of the first Iraq war amputees to be deemed fit to return to active duty. Only a little more than a year after losing his foot, Rozelle stepped back in front of an armored cavalry formation as commander and led his troops back to the same battlefield that claimed his foot, almost cost him his Army career, and nearly took his life.

And, as fate would have it, Rozelle later returned to the very medical center that gave him back his foot, his Army career and, for the most part, his life as he enjoyed it before his injury.

Now, the two-time Iraq-war veteran is walking another path that takes him to the forefront of amputee care.

This path leads up and around a chain-linked fence to the front of a construction site -- his construction site.

As deputy to the program manager for amputee care at Walter Reed, Rozelle is in charge of construction of the new Amputee Care Center. When finished, its only equal will be the likes of the Center for the Intrepid -- a $50 million, 65,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation center recently opened on Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

This building will be smaller, about 30,000 square feet, but will boast many of the same amenities as the Center for the Intrepid. These include upper- and lower-body-specific training rooms, prosthetic adjustments, an indoor running track, a climbing and rappelling wall, and other exercise facilities aimed at getting patients to the "highest level of recovery and rehabilitation," Rozelle said.

More than just amputees will benefit from the facility, he said. Those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and others with severe injuries will undergo rehabilitation there.

Two sides of the building will be built with glass walls, allowing sunlight to penetrate throughout the upper indoor track area and down into the lower-level exercise rooms.

"It gives them hope as they are working out. They can look up and out and see the sunlight and think, 'You know, I'm on my way to being back outside,'" Rozelle said. "If they're up on the track running, they will see people on the road running right next to them. That will give them hope to take that running outside."

When finished, the center will offer "the world's best equipment and the world's best therapists and the world's best therapy," he said.

"These guys and girls are going back to active duty, and on to world-class athlete sports programs, and off to college. We get them back to where they deserve to be, and that's at the highest level of physical training and ability," Rozelle said.

Rozelle was handpicked for the job because of his passion and commitment to amputee care, he said. "Who better to help guide the engineers and the builders on this project than an amputee who would use this facility?" Rozelle said.

"I think some people initially thought that I was here just to be to be kind of a feel-good guy on staff and walk around and shake hands, but I've been working really hard since I got here to get this building up and get the program straight inside the building. I like to think that I've been integral in a lot of different things, but obviously my blood and sweat goes into this project here," he said.

Rozelle's job is to build the center, help develop policy and programs for the center, and to act as a mentor for injured soldiers.

He reported to work at the center in August 2005, but the Base Realignment and Closure process delayed the project's start. After a handful of reviews by
Army lawyers and Congress, eight months later the project was under way.

"Once we got started, we've been rolling. And we've not slowed down a bit," Rozelle said.

In the past six months, builders have gone from clearing the ground to "vertical" construction -- the placement of water pipes, air ducts, water, etc. Rozelle said he hopes to open the doors for business by October.

"Any day that this facility is not open is a day that we don't have the best care for our veterans," he said. "It's going to be a world class facility." Rozelle said that the
Army has come a long way in breaking the previous models on how it treats and rehabilitates amputees. Care plans used to focus on getting the patient to the level of using crutches or a wheelchair and then turning them over to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the remaining rehabilitation. Patient feedback at the center has shown troops prefer to rehabilitate with the same doctors and therapy teams that begin their care.

Also before, there was very little discussion about the servicemember's option of returning to duty after an amputation. Rozelle said officials first tried to push him into that model.

"The VA came to my room and gave me my separation paperwork. I kept saying, 'What's this separation thing? Just because I am an amputee? You guys are telling me about all of these prosthetic legs and stuff. I can continue to serve,'" Rozelle said. "So, I was one of the first to break the mold."

In all, 63 amputees have returned to active duty across the services, he said.

Rozelle admitted he had to make some accommodations to serve as a commander in Iraq, but wouldn't say that his service was "difficult."

"It depends on how you define difficulty. I just had to plan things a little better. I had to have a back-up foot in my backpack. I had to always carry back-up parts," Rozelle said. "You have mechanical failures that you wouldn't normally worry about with your body."

Rozelle is now trying a new prosthesis. A recent surgery made more prosthetic feet available to him.

The liner he is testing is one of only three being used on a socket with a unique foot. It is an original running leg model with an attached high activity foot. It is designed to be more dynamic, allowing for more mobility and activity without having to change the foot.

"It's pretty amazing. I can actually bend my knee all the way back," he said.

Now, Rozelle has to change feet to match his activity. He swims with no prosthetic, changes to a high-energy foot for cycling and a different foot for running.

Having finished his command-time requirement, Rozelle is now waiting for a seat at the Intermediate Level Education course, formerly the Command and General Staff Officer Course, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, while working on his building project. He hopes to finish the building before having to report to class.

If Rozelle doesn't get a class date before finishing his project here, he is very matter-of-fact about the next path he expects to take next.

"As soon as this is done, I'll go back to the Cav, ... back to Iraq ... and keep fighting," he said.

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Defense Undersecretary to Step Down

American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – The Defense Department's top acquisition official announced yesterday that he is stepping down. Kenneth J. Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition,
technology and logistics is leaving the department to spend more time with his family, officials said in a release.

The resignation becomes effective July 20 or upon the confirmation of his successor, whichever comes first, Defense Department officials said.

President Bush nominated Krieg for the Defense Department's top acquisition,
technology and logistics position, and the Senate confirmed him to this position in June 2005.

In this role, Krieg has been responsible for advising the secretary and deputy secretary of defense on all matters relating to the department's acquisition system, research and development, advanced
technology, and developmental testing and evaluation.

He also has overseen production; logistics; installation management;
military construction; procurement; environmental security; and nuclear, chemical and biological matters. Krieg also has advised on policy relating to the logistics process used to deliver technology and other equipment to warfighters.

In a statement, Krieg thanked Bush for "giving me the opportunity to serve the best customers I will ever have -- the men and women who volunteer to serve our nation in uniform."

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CENTCOM Official: Actions Must Match Words in Africa, Middle East

By Tim Kilbride
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – Behind the spotlight on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command is working to bring about "a secure, stable, partnered region" in the Middle East and Horn of Africa, a senior officer in the command said yesterday. In a call with online journalists and
military "bloggers," Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, deputy director of operations for U.S. Central Command, identified five focus areas for the region laid out by CENTCOM commander Navy Adm. William Fallon.

They include:

-- "Set the conditions for stability in Iraq" by engaging states throughout the region, while managing U.S. interagency relationships to support the needs of Multinational Force Iraq;

-- "Expand governance and security in Afghanistan" through similar regional and U.S. engagements as with Iraq;

-- "Degrade violent extremist networks and operations" with a priority on defeating al Qaeda;

-- "Strengthen the relationship and influence the states within our region," while also working with organizations that contribute to regional stability and the free flow of international commerce; and

-- "Posture a force within Central Command that can build and sustain joint and combined warfighting capability and readiness."

As a combatant command, CENTCOM's focus is regionwide, Holmes said.

"A lot of times I think folks forget that," he said. "That region provides some ungoverned space where bad actors, extreme actors want to grow and do what they can to destabilize the region and ultimately destabilize the international community."

Because of the size of the area of responsibility and the complexity of the issues facing it, Holmes said, partnerships with states in the region become essential to promoting governance and defeating terrorism in a sustainable fashion.

To that end, he explained, CENTCOM has adopted an outreach regimen to engage "the military and the leaders in the more moderate states" with the aim of increasing the prospects for long-term stability.

Emphasizing the commonality of the threats and challenges facing the region is necessary to ensure success there, Holmes said. Groups like the Gulf Cooperation Council become needed participants in the effort, he said.

"The key is very vocal support and advocacy that we're committed as a partner in the region," Holmes explained. "It's not to put a stamp, 'Made in the USA.'"

Rather, he said, "I think the encouraging thing we see is dialogue -- with the U.S. being a partner in that dialogue -- for regional actors to bring their powers to bear in the region."

The U.S. message to the Middle East and Horn of Africa states thus becomes, "We're not here to do it for you. We're here to assist and partner," Holmes said.

Military partnerships, in particular, serve as force multipliers, Holmes explained. As states in the region develop capable military forces and gain the tools necessary to better govern their territories, he said, they can begin to take the lead in killing or capturing terrorists and high-value individuals.

At the same time, Holmes said, humanitarian-relief efforts build bonds of trust with local communities and do their own part toward enabling stable governance.

Regarding the Horn of Africa in particular, he said, "I think it's very important that we engage there. And the foot in the door there, honestly, is humanitarian operations. I think we cannot understate the importance of the immediate needs of people when they are without governance."

To assist in that mission, the general explained, 1,300
U.S. military personnel are stationed in the Horn of Africa, working closely with the U.S. embassies there to identify and answer humanitarian challenges.

"Ultimately that is ... a softer instrument of military power, which then over time builds capacity with regard to combating terrorism and other challenges," Holmes said.

"It's a very effective use of the full range of military capacity," he added. "I think as we look at the region, you will see Central Command saying, 'Look, use all of my instruments of power. Don't just look at me for my kinetics.'"

Given the challenge of religious extremism prevalent in the region, Holmes said, supporting centrist
leaders in the target populations is another factor in promoting long-term stability.

When looking for the center of gravity in the fight, he said, "it's not either or Iraq or Afghanistan. Ultimately it is the moderate voice of the people of the region."

Neither war front can swing the regional pendulum in favor of freedom and democracy without a more general effort to forge bonds with every country there, Holmes said. The U.S. is committed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, he clarified, but winning in one country without partnering with the region would be "short-sighted."

Part of that regional message, however, needs to be a commitment to staying in Iraq and Afghanistan until a stable outcome is reached, Holmes said. Our actions there help set the tone for regional relations overall, he observed.

"I'll be very honest with you," he said. "I'm not so naive as to think that there (aren't) many eyes watching from our partners in the Middle East in the CENTCOM region that are saying, 'What will the U.S. do? What will the military do?'"

Communicating our commitment to the target populations is the function of public diplomacy and strategic communications, involving a joint effort between Central Command and the State Department, Holmes said. This communication also includes the use of information operations as a counter to extremist propaganda, he noted.

"This is an enemy that is extreme; it is violent, and it is going to use information to serve its purpose," he explained. "On our hand, we look at how we counter that violent information or that propaganda with truthful information."

The challenge placed before the United States is having our policy and operations match the messages we put to the Middle Eastern and North African audiences, Holmes said, describing a lesson he picked up from the Eugene Burdick, William Lederer novel "The Ugly American."

"We have to look at what we do and what we say, and they have to be in synch with each other," Holmes said. "And for years maybe we haven't done that very well."

Thus U.S. Central Command's current doctrine, he said, is to communicate its priorities and stick by them.

(Tim Kilbride is assigned to New Media, American Forces Information Service.)

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Combat Photographer Braves Bullets to Tell Military's Story

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – An award-winning
Air Force photographer routinely braves bullets and bombs to tell the military's story through the lenses of his Nikon cameras. Combat photographer Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock is the Defense Department's Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. Lock also earned that honor in 2002 and 2005.

The 15-year
Air Force veteran is assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Lock has photographed U.S. servicemembers in action during multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Combat camera photographers document
military operations from around the world, and their photos are routinely viewed by senior Pentagon leaders, Lock said. "We're the eyes and ears of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he explained.

Lock's photos have appeared in major publications, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

His photos also are featured in the book titled, "A Day in the Life of the United States' Armed Forces," along with work by 125 of the world's-best photojournalists.

"A good photo will tell the whole story in a split-second of a frame," Lock said. "It leaves a lasting impression and will be etched into your mind."

Combat photographers "are pretty much given free rein" wherever they're sent, the 36-year-old Lock said. Working in Iraq last summer, Lock took photos of
military operations in Mosul and Ramadi.

"We go and search out stories" to photograph, the Dayton, Ohio, native said, noting that combat photographers are normally paired with military combat videographers and embedded with units as they perform their missions.

Lock employs two Nikon D2X digital cameras, one fitted with a wide-angle lens, the other with a telephoto, when he photographs combat-zone actions of U.S. servicemembers during "patrols, raids, whatever."

One of Lock's most poignant photos among his award-winning portfolio was taken in Iraq in August 2006. The image depicts a grimacing Iraqi citizen sprawled across a Ramadi street. The Iraqi was caught in the middle of a firefight between U.S. troops and insurgents, he said.

"We really don't know who shot him," Lock recalled. "We did a traffic control stop, and right before we mounted up, one of our soldiers took a bullet to the back and we got into a gunfight. After searching houses, this guy was found lying wounded on his side."

The Iraqi had been hit in the hip, Lock said, noting the injured man received medical treatment by U.S. medics and survived.

The wounded Iraqi's photo was intentionally taken from an angle, Lock noted.

"I just tried to show the viewer something different than what the normal eye would see," the veteran photographer explained.

Lock carries a 9 mm Beretta automatic pistol along with his Nikons, "so that when we're put on a team with the Army, Marines and Special Forces, we become an asset, not a hindrance." Combat troops and their photographers take turns "watching each others' backs," he noted.

Lock said he has been shot at "quite a few times" during his war-zone tours, but has emerged unscathed. He admits that his blood pressure rises during such situations.

During firefights, "adrenalin starts rushing, and your training kicks in," Lock explained. "I tend not to be scared until the night before a mission or just afterward."

Despite the danger, combat photographers have "the best job in the military," Lock emphasized.

"If I want to go flying in a plane one day, I can do that; if I want to go ride in a tank the next day, I can do that," he explained. "We have the freedom to be creative and tell stories about many, many people."

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Vice Chairman Provides Guidance to NDU Graduates
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – The United States and its allies are engaged in a long war that will require continuing international partnerships, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani addressed more than 1,000 people in attendance at the National Defense University Graduation, including the 559 combined U.S. and international graduates from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the National War College and the School for National Security Executive Education.

"This long war engages us with allies and partners around the world, beginning with our continuing mission in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and the Taliban," Giambastiani said. "But it extends far beyond Afghanistan now.

"In Iraq with our coalition partners, we are engaged in a continuing struggle to establish a decent society at peace with itself and with its neighbors in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world."

The admiral said it is critical to build alliances to respond to a wide range of possible contingencies.

"We are working around the world to build partner capacity to eliminate terrorist and criminal safe havens, to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and to extend the rule of law and the blessings of liberty," he said.

The "long war" is also a much different war than what transpired during the latter half of the 20th century, he said.

"It is, in my view, much more challenging than the relative certainties of the Cold War in which I grew up professionally," he said. "In those good old days, so to speak, we faced an identified enemy and a well-understood threat. Today, our enemy wears no uniform and defends no borders, avoids the responsibilities of government, flouts the laws of armed conflict, and employs technological know-how and operational agility informed by a ruthless intent, while at the same time sowing the seeds of doubt in our populace."

The admiral said this type of war presents enormous challenges that a year at National Defense University will help the graduates face with more knowledge and better skills.

"We need you to get back to this hard work before us, invigorated by a year of reflection, armed with new ways of thought and sustained by the camaraderie you have built during your year here."

To accomplish this, there needs to be strong cooperation throughout government and with "application of all our instruments of capability, power and influence," he said.

"Without these, we may win each
tactical engagement but unable to win the peace and prosperity that is our strategic goal."

For the U.S. servicemembers, Giambastiani said most of them had been battle tested already and will leave to serve as combat commanders, which will require them to use the tools they learned at NDU.

"All of you will have to think hard about how your efforts contribute to the campaign; about how to achieve the effects desired; and - indeed - to think fundamentally about what outcomes we can and should achieve in our
military operations around the world," the admiral said. "We have a thinking, adaptive and ruthless enemy. You must outthink him and you must outfight him even as you maintain the values of our nation and uphold the honorable traditions of our United States armed forces."

The admiral also had a distinct message for the allied members of the audience.

"I have consistently maintained that in operations around the world, the United States military will need capable and committed partners," Giambastiani said. "I think this is even more true today. The knowledge you take back with you will be critical to our ability to work together on common problems, with a common framework, in a professional and productive manner. Even more importantly, the relationships of trust and confidence that you have built will pay enormous dividends for all of our nations in the future."

For all the class to succeed, he said, the graduates will require an ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, compelling and straightforward manner.

"The essence of effective communications is a radical simplicity that enlightens, rather than a mass of detail that simply confuses," Giambastiani said. "The audiences you will need to communicate too are wider and more diverse than ever before and include your fellow citizens, national
leaders, media representatives and the troops you have been privileged to lead. And without such an ability to communicate, the lessons you have learned here at the National Defense University and throughout your career can't be applied effectively, if at all."

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

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Pentagon Channel Documentary Checks up on Wounded Warriors

By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – A new Pentagon Channel documentary, "Finding Their Way," revisits wounded warriors further into their recovery to see how they are doing. Medical advances used by critical care specialists on the front lines and in
military hospitals have resulted in more troops surviving war injuries than at any point in history. From the end of World War II until the end of the 20th century, at least one out of every four service-members wounded on the battlefield died.

The Army-wide survival rate now averages 91 percent in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to statistics provided by Fort Sam Houston, Texas. While vastly improved care has resulted in far fewer fatalities, it has also forced many servicemembers to face lives with missing limbs and other significant physical and emotional wounds that in past wars would have seemed insurmountable challenges.

Yet many of these wounded warriors are either returning to military service or living full lives in other professional capacities that inspire awe in fully able-bodied observers. In order to track the progress of some of these wounded warriors, the Pentagon Channel sent a crew to revisit troops viewers first met just home from war. The Pentagon Channel wanted to see how these wounded warriors are "Finding Their Way."

"Two years ago, "Recon" visited military hospitals and talked with servicemembers severely wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom," said
Air Force Master Sgt. Daniela Marchus, host of the documentary series. "They all had heart-rending stories to tell, yet most projected a remarkably positive attitude about their injuries and their futures," she said. "We decided to see how some of them are doing in 2007."

Retired
Army Staff Sgt. Jay Fondgren's life changed forever in Iraq. He remembers the moment vividly. "The platter charge skipped off the road and came up through the bottom part of me and just took both legs off," he said. "There's days when I miss having my legs, but when I look back at what we accomplished and the freedoms we've given the Iraqi people, it was worth it. I don't regret anything."

The trauma of losing both legs and the arduous recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., prepared Fondgren for his current role: a veterans service representative in Waco, Texas. "I'd gone through the process, and I knew the steps," he said. "I knew working here I could help veterans get their claims established."

Pentagon Channel producers not only followed wounded servicemembers during their professional workdays but also were granted access to their personal lives, which have been dramatically altered by severe injuries. Thanks to
technology advances, these veterans have been afforded a surprising degree of normalcy.

Viewers of "Finding Their Way" will see how disabled troops are able to negotiate daily chores that most people take for granted, like driving a vehicle. "It took me a while to get proficient at hand controls," Fondgren said. "It was a level of freedom I hadn't known since I'd gotten hurt ... to be able to go to the store when I wanted, go places without having to ask somebody to pick me up."

This new "Recon" allows a glimpse at the intensely personal and emotional reality of severely wounded servicemembers who have to explain their permanent disabilities to their own young children. "The oldest is starting to realize I'm not like everybody else's daddy," Fondgren said. "I'll put my prosthetics on and he'll say, 'Daddy walk! Daddy walk!' That's what he calls my prosthetic, 'Daddy walk.' When we say 'Where's mommy's foot?' he'll point at her foot. We say 'Where's daddy's foot?' He'll either point at my stump or if my prosthetics are in sight he'll point at them."

"Finding Their Way" also offers a view of the challenges faced by spouses of severely wounded servicemembers like Fondgren's wife, Anne, who permitted Pentagon Channel crews to videotape their home, which has been specially designed to accommodate her husband's wheelchair. "We have doors on our doors now," she said. "At our old home we had to take the doors off the bathroom to our bedroom just so Jay could get in and out."

Retired
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joe Dan Worley was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device ripped through his unit. Worley applied a tourniquet to his severed left leg in order to save his own life. The trauma has failed to stifle the former corpsman's optimism. "Just about everyone who is an amputee or is injured down here has an absolutely awesome attitude and takes it really well," Worley said. "Strangely enough, you'd expect a couple of these guys to be salty or angry about it, but no, everyone's awesome about it."

Worley invited Pentagon Channel cameras into his life to view some of the blessings that have aided his recovery, including a brand new dwelling, built by the "Homes for Our Troops" organization, and college education under way that the former corpsman hopes will put him on the path to becoming a doctor.

"I love the way my life is right now," Worley said. "It's hard. It's not easy. But it's content. I really just don't regret it one bit. I was glad I went over there. I was glad I did my part."

Army Sgt. Kortney Clemmons was getting ready to ship home from Iraq and separate from the military. During his last two weeks of service, the star cornerback was showing replacement troops the lay of the land in Baghdad and dreaming of a pro football career. During the orientation tour, Clemons came upon an overturned Humvee and three wounded servicemembers. As the medic and his trainees began to help, an improvised explosive device detonated, ripping off Clemmon's right leg. "I really couldn't picture anything that bad happening to me," Clemmons said. "I was just really thinking it was a bad dream and I was going to wake up from it."

What Clemmons woke to was the reality of doing what he could with what he had, which thanks to medical technology, was a "c-leg." This highly advanced computerized prosthesis controls balance, strike and other aspects of mobility that has allowed Clemmons to regain his athletic prowess and focus his energy on setting records on the track at this year's elite Parapan American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and next year's Paralympics in Beijing, China.

"Whether I win the gold or not, it's just the journey, just getting there," Clemmons said. "Once I walk away at the end of the day I know I gave it everything I have.

"And it's going to help me when I go out into the workforce, because we're going to be competing for the rest of our lives, whether it's for jobs of whatever," he added. "So actually this helps me put things in perspective and teaches me a lot of patience."

"Finding Their Way" debuts tomorrow at noon Eastern Time on the Pentagon Channel. The documentary will encore on the channel over the next four weeks. It also will be available via podcast and video on demand at
www.pentagonchannel.mil.

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'Gophers' Golf for Injured Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – Inspired by pro golf's support of the troops, about 100 golfers hit the links each weekend for friendly competition that ultimately benefits injured servicemembers. Those who come away victorious from the informal games at Tournament Players Club Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Fla., donate a portion of their winnings to the cause, Dan McAuliffe, the games' organizer, said. Since December, the "Gophers," as the group calls itself, have raised nearly $2,000 in this manner.

"We play together week in and week out. ... We decided, 'Let's go to the golf course, and let's make a difference (for the troops)," McAuliffe, a former New York
law enforcement officer, said. "I've got a great deal of respect for the guys in the uniform."

The money the group is raising will ultimately benefit Homes for Our Troops, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Lickliter's adopted group, Wounded Warrior Project. Other PGA golfers have adopted troop-support groups, including Phil Mickelson who champions both Homes for Our Troops and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

All of these troop-support groups 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 Gophers are expanding their fundraising efforts with a June 14 cocktail party, which will include a raffle of donated goods from community retailers. The tickets, selling at $150 per couple, already have pumped up the total the group will donate to America Supports You groups.

"I think we're between $10,000 and $15,000 ... that we've raised due to the ticket sales of the cocktail party," McAuliffe said. "Instead of doing a silent auction, ... every ticket that is bought, that ticket stub is good as a raffle ticket.

"Everybody's so willing to help," he added.

McAuliffe also emphasizes to those who question him that this is an apolitical venture. "This is not about party affiliation," he said. "This is about guys in uniform, and that's all it's about.

"It's about raising money for them just in case they need a helping hand when they get back, the money is there," he said.

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Illinois Group Plays Santa for Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 – For three years, an Illinois group has made sure troops serving overseas have something to look forward to during the holidays. "Last year we shipped over 10,000 homemade Christmas stockings filled with goodies to our deployed troops," Patti Smith, a founder of "Central Illinois Proud Families of
Marines" and mother of two Marines, said. "Our goal is to do many more (this year), as the need is great due to the recent troop surge."

This year's drive is already under way and will conclude Nov. 1. The group is hoping for donations of comfort, personal and food items to stuff the stockings, but cash is always appreciated, Smith said.

"We need to raise at least $50,000," she said. "Since we are a (nonprofit) group, all gifts are tax deductible."

The stockings will be stuffed and shipped during the first two weeks of November. This ensures a timely holiday arrival for those serving overseas, she said.

In addition to Operation Santa, Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines conducts other service projects benefiting troops and provides friendship and support to
military family members.

The group's work reaches well beyond the
Marine Corps family.

"We are a 24-7 community here for all branches of our armed forces, family members and veterans," Smith said.

Central Illinois Proud Families of
Marines has found that mission is much more easily accomplished as a member of The Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"We deeply appreciate the national exposure (America Supports You) has given us," Smith said. "(It's a great help) to anyone looking to network with us in central Illinois or nationwide."

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Pace Faces Tough Questions From Young Citizens

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 –
Marine Gen. Peter Pace has faced tough questions from the president, the National Security Council and members of Congress. The toughest questions, however, seem to come from the nation's youngest citizens. During a town hall meeting here yesterday, for example, 8-year-old Katherina Daul asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Why do soldiers have to deploy so long?"

Katherina had thought her dad -- Capt. Kevin Daul, a chaplain assigned to the 45th Special Troop Brigade -- was coming home soon, after being deployed to Iraq for 11 months. She recently learned that instead of being gone 12 months, he's going to be gone 15 months.

Pace came here specifically to meet with family members whose loved ones are among the first to be extended under the
Army's new policy. He was on his way back to the United States from a trip to Singapore and Malaysia.

Katherina came out to the base theater to see the chairman with her mom, Carol, and her 11-year-old brother Jeremiah. After about 45 minutes of questions and answers by the grown ups in the room, Jeremiah raised his hand.

In a gentlemanly fashion, he thanked the chairman for meeting with them and offered a suggestion. Jeremiah said that along with rest and recuperation back home, the
Army should send soldiers from Iraq for R&R at military resorts in Germany and then send the families to join them.

"That's a great idea," Pace said. "It would be a great way to show that we value the families. I'll look into that."

Pace also reassured Jeremiah that he is doing everything he can to make sure that military parents have more time to spend with their children.

After a few more questions by the grownups, Pace turned to a tiny hand in the air. "Are you trying to upstage your brother?" he teased Katherina.

The youngster took the microphone and slowly and clearly asked, "Why do soldiers have to deploy so long?"

Pace's answer seemed to resonate with the audience as a reminder of why they were all there in the first place.

"Soldiers have to deploy so long sometimes, because soldiers love their daughters," the chairman replied, drawing applause.

"And as much as your Daddy would prefer to be here right now hugging you, he wants to make sure that you get to grow up in the same United States that he got to grow up in," Pace said.

"There are bad people out there who want to change that. Your Daddy is going to make sure that they don't," he said.

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Gates, Military Members Reflect on D-Day Heroism

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was among hundreds of people who walked today above the windswept cliffs and paused among fog-shrouded headstones here to honor those who died during the D-Day invasion. The secretary took a private moment in the American Cemetery, reflecting on row after row of crosses and Stars of David that serve as the final resting place for 9,387 of those killed on D-Day and in the bloody days that followed.

He traveled several miles down the road to Point du Hoc to look out over Utah and Omaha beaches and hear the story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion that scaled a 100-foot cliff to face off against German bunkers and gun turrets.

Earlier in the morning during his address at the D-Day commemoration, Gates praised the heroism and sacrifice demonstrated here. "Stories of valor were countless," he told the audience. "As gunfire rained down, men stopped to pull comrades from the water. Alone or outnumbered, they charged heavily fortified positions. ... No amount of firepower could overwhelm their instincts, their bravery, their compassion and their humor."

Among those heroes was Walter Ehlers, who returned here today to pay tribute to his brother, Roland, and other soldiers he served with who died on D-Day. Ehlers earned the Medal of Honor in the action here with the 1st Infantry Division's 18th Infantry Regiment and said it's a miracle that he, too, wasn't among those killed.

"A lot of my friends are here," said Ehlers, now 86. "They are all my brothers. It's important that we give them as much honor as possible." Most importantly, he said, "we need to make sure they didn't die in vain."

Ehlers said the cemetery and the new visitor's center will ensure these soldiers aren't forgotten in history. He called it "a very wonderful place to come and commemorate and remember the sacrifices made by these men."

Harley Reynolds, who wore his old Army jacket with its staff sergeant stripes to today's ceremony, said he takes special pride in the American Cemetery. Reynolds' 1st Infantry Division unit was in the first D-Day wave, landing on Omaha Beach and seizing the land where the land above.

"This ground was taken by my company on the first day," Reynolds said proudly. "We are a part of history."

It's a history retired
Army Gen. Frederick Franks Jr., chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, said continues to inspire troops serving today.

Franks praised those who served and were buried here as they "carried the hopes and care of the free world on their young shoulders." These troops fought for freedom through "duty and service to something larger than themselves" and set the example for those who followed in their footsteps.

Franks said a new generation of men and women in uniform draws inspiration from them.

Among them is Cpl. Justin Clark, who is assigned to
Marine Corps Embassy Security Command at the U.S. Embassy in Paris but came to today's ceremony today to provide support. "It's an honor" to be able to recognize the D-Day heroes, he said.

Clark said he's proud to be part of what's been called "the next great generation," another generation of U.S. troops fighting for their country as their World War II contemporaries did.

"We follow their example," he said. "They laid it down. We just carry it on."

Army Pfc. Christian Lozano was among about 60 1st Armored Division soldiers, many slated to return to Iraq this fall, who took a 10-hour bus ride from Baumholder, Germany, to serve as color guards and escorts and for the ceremony. "These guys are hard-core," he said of the D-Day veterans. "They showed us what it's all about."

Army Spc. John Jennings, also with the "Old Ironsides" division, said that despite differences between World War II and Iraq and the way the wars are being fought, striking similarities remain. "The big picture is the same," he said. "We are fighting for our freedom. We are fighting for our future."

Army Brig. Gen. Yves Fontaine, logistics officer for U.S. Army Europe, called today's ceremony a moving tribute to the men who died here, as well as to World War II veterans who survived. They showed the price of freedom and the qualities it takes to preserve it, he said.

"The previous generation opened the way for us," he said. "And this new generation is doing the same thing today."

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Marine Receives Belated Christmas Gift

American Forces Press Service

June 6, 2007 – While stationed at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, over Christmas 2006,
Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan Richards received a special care package with an extraordinary gift to be claimed upon his return to the states. Troop-support group Operation Gratitude sent the care package.

Richards claimed that gift, a new Dodge Caliber, on May 30. Checkers/Rally's restaurants donated the car and presented the Marine with the keys at one of the food chain's St. Louis stores.

"We are honored to recognize one of America's true heroes through our partnership with Operation Gratitude. This new car is one small way Checkers and Rally's can continue to show our appreciation to the troops," Terri Snyder, chief marketing officer for Checkers Drive-in Restaurants, said. "We thank
Marine Lance Corporal Jordan Richards for his service to our country and hope that he and his fiancee enjoy their new car."

Operation Gratitude is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. Checkers/Rally's is a corporate supporter of the program.

Richards' special care package marked a significant milestone for Operation Gratitude since the group's beginning in March 2003, and the group wanted to make it truly exceptional.

"When we reached our 200,000th care package mark, we wanted to do something very special to commemorate the milestone," Carolyn Blashek, Operation Gratitude's founder, said. "We were overwhelmed and thrilled when Checkers/Rally's said they would donate a new car!

"We are so thankful for Checkers/Rally's support and feel privileged to be able to give this brave Marine such a wonderful welcome home gift," she added.

In addition to a post card from Checkers Drive-in Restaurants proclaiming "This Dodge Caliber is yours!" the package included, among other things, a DVD player and celebrity-autographed hats to tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

Operation Gratitude hasn't slowed its mission since sending Richards' package as part of December's holiday care-package drive. In fact, the group kicked off its 4th Annual Patriotic Drive over Memorial Day weekend. Officials also anticipate that this drive, which is expected to produce 50,000 care packages for troops overseas, also will produce a new milestone: care package 250,000.

Blashek added that she is still accepting names of deployed servicemembers for the current drive. For more information on how to get an Operation Gratitude care package to a deployed servicemember or an entire unit this July 4th holiday, contact the group at
opgrat@aol.com.

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