Saturday, June 23, 2007

Army Reserve Now Part of Operational Force, General Says

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – The
Army Reserve has transformed into an operational force, but needs to make more changes to better meet current and future needs, the top Army Reserve commander told reporters at the Foreign Press Center here yesterday. Gone are the days when reservists committed one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer to soldiering duties, said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the U.S. Army Reserve. To respond to increased demands on manpower, he said, the Army Reserve has mobilized nearly 83 percent of its soldiers. About 170,000 soldiers have deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.

"With the advent of the
war on terror, with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, we have now become part of the operational force. ... We have maintained an ongoing commitment to this war," Stultz said.

Reserve units are expected to mobilize once every four to five years, the general said. In some cases, units will deploy and support U.S. operations for one year in theater before returning to non-
military life.

"And you'll train for another four years until you're expected to get called up again," he said. "And that's the goal of where we're going. To do that, we've got to transform a lot of our units from the legacy structure we had into the new structure that we need."

Stultz said reservists' status as "warrior-citizens" creates an important connection between the deployed warfighters and their American communities back home, which fosters public support for military members.

"Our friends are in the community; our roots are in the community," he said. "And so when we call those citizen soldiers or warrior citizens up, that community spirit comes with them; that community interest comes with them."

In their civilian lives, reservists are city planners, fire chiefs,
law enforcement officers, police chiefs, waterworks directors, power plant operators, or possess other vital civilian skills that often are lacking in the active military components, Stultz said.

While visiting a hospital unit at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, the general said, he witnessed a reservist's civilian skills in action when the soldier fixed the hospital's malfunctioning magnetic resonance imaging machine.

"And I said, 'What do you do for a living, Sergeant?' And he said, 'I'm an engineer for Toshiba Medical. I do this for a living,'" Stultz recalled. "That's the kind of skill sets that you bring."

Stultz said a common misconception is that
Army Reserve members are deployed only in Iraq and Afghanistan. In reality, he said, reservists are performing important tasks in 20 to 25 countries around the world, from school-building projects in Panama, to vaccinating goats -- - the country's main food source -- in Djibouti.

"We've got a lot of Reserve soldiers around the world doing great things, capitalizing on their civilian skills as well as their military skill," he said.

Unexpected deployments can take a toll on reservists' civilian employers, Stultz said, so military officials are working to give notice to employers when reservist personnel will be called up.

"We're working very hard with the employers of America to talk about providing predictability so that they can predict when that soldier's going to have to leave and be in the Army, and when he'll be back, and they can make plans around that," he said.

To further relieve employers, Stultz said, the Army Reserve is also considering sharing the cost of reservists' benefits when the soldiers mobilize.

Despite the reserve force experiencing high operational tempo and strain, recruitment and retention rates are encouraging, the general said.

"Our re-enlistment rates, our retention, is the highest it's been in years," he said. "So the soldiers that we're getting into our ranks now feel good about what they're doing, and they want to stay."

Music Hall to Host Troop Salute

American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – In celebration of Independence Day, "America's Legendary Music Hall" will offer a patriotic salute to servicemembers and their families. On July 3, nearly 500 servicemembers and their families will fill the Birchmere Music Hall here for an appreciation dinner and an "America Supports You" concert featuring Jenny Boyle, according to a Birchmere news release.

America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"The Birchmere and Jenny Boyle are stalwart supporters of the troops, and as a way of saying thanks, the venue wais hosting the patriotic event," the release said.

Boyle, a local recording artist, is a frequent performer on the Armed Forces Entertainment tours, which send regional and local up-and-coming artists around the world to entertain servicemembers. She recently performed an America Supports You concert for Pentagon employees, who enjoyed the artist's mix of jazz, blues and Latin music.

Since 1966, the Birchmere has served as a springboard for many well-known musicians' careers. "On any given night, a star may be born," the release said.

Indeed, Boyle will be in good company when she takes the stage. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett, Dave Matthews and Vince Gill are just a few of the artists considered "good friends of the Birchmere."

The doors open at 6 p.m. for an invitation-only dinner, and the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. While the event is not open to the public, media are invited to attend, and should contact Carrie Sloan at 202-414-0776 or Michael Jaworek at 703-549-7500, ext. 14.

(From a Birchmere Musica Hall news release.)

Christmas in July Party Benefits Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – While the country is getting ready to celebrate its 231st birthday with fireworks, picnics and other summer activities, Arizonans Mike and Malinda Brown already are planning for Christmas. On July 7, the Browns will host their annual "Christmas in July" party to benefit Packages from Home and its efforts to send care packages to deployed servicemembers.

"It's one of the only things that we feel that we can do, and it's something that's important to us, because we are wanting them to know that they're not forgotten," Malinda Brown said. "These are simple things that they should not be doing without, especially a clean pair of socks or a fresh pillow case."

Packages from Home 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.

For the past four years, party guests -- the Browns' friends and clients -- have been asked to donate items to Packages from Home, Brown said. While the guests are enjoying an all-American meal of grilled burgers, hot dogs and the trimmings, Packages from Home volunteers are sorting donations of razors, shampoo, deodorant, socks and entertainment items.

"We have eight large banquet tables in our air-conditioned garage, and have this beautiful little grocery store set up for the evening," Brown said. Beginning about 9 p.m., groups of 20 to 25 guests pack boxes under the guidance of Packages from Home volunteers.

"The instructions they give us are, 'Go through the line as if you're packing for a loved one," Brown said, of the volunteers.

The annual party actually began nine years ago when Mike Brown's boss died unexpectedly and the family had requested no flowers be sent. Brown and Associates employees took that to mean no acknowledgement, Brown said. Her husband decided a party to celebrate his boss's life was in order.

During the course of each celebration, a toast is offered in his memory, she said. But simply hosting a large celebration each year didn't sit quite right with Brown.

"Since it was labeled as "Christmas in July" ... I (thought) we should be doing something good, and we took on several different charities," she said. "We needed to be doing something more than just drinking beer."

At one point, the Browns attempted to support a
military unit serving overseas through their party, but never received any confirmation that the servicemembers had received the packages. But supporting the troops felt like the right thing to do, since several Brown and Associates employees have served in the military. So four years ago, the couple teamed up with Packages from Home.

"Last year we did over 220 (boxes)," Brown said. "We're shooting for 250 to 300 boxes this year."

But she has a broader goal this year. "I would like to share (this) with others, and invite them to have their own Christmas in July, and team up with someone like Packages from Home to keep the ball rolling," she said.

If that's not possible, simply making a donation, either cash or goods, to Packages from Home would be a great alternative, Brown said.

U.K. TACTICAL SNIPER COURSE

The International Tactical Officers Training Association (ITOTA) is “an international law enforcement organization designed to offer high-quality professional training and information sharing. The ITOTA recognizes the need to expand and share tactical knowledge by focusing on the wealth of experience that exists in the global tactical community. The ITOTA will be hosting a tactical snipers course at Camp Atterbury which is an Army training post located next to Edinburg, Indiana. This course of instruction is for snipers working in rural and urban environments. The course is open to law enforcement, military, corrections and government contractors.

Course description
Date: September 24-28, 2007
Location: Camp Atterbury, Indiana
Tuition: $495.00 (non ITOTA member)
Member price: $395.00

The lead instructor for this course is a recently retired, British Army, Master Sniper with over 22 years of real world experience. Prior to discharging from the
military he served as the Sergeant Major charged with oversight and training the recon/sniper platoons at the Battalion level.

The Sgt. Major has a vast amount of experience that was gained through out the world in places such as; Ukraine, USA, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Malaysia, Germany, Falklands, Afghanistan, East and South Africa.

Instruction will be given on the following:
Weapon and bullet vs. the environments.
Urban and rural alternative position firing.
Emergency response hides and shooting positions.
Emergency tripod.
Glass and vehicle shooting.
Observation techniques such as: field sketching, color coding and various surveillance techniques.
How to acquire several "guns on to target" with speed and accuracy.
Coordinated shoots from a containment situation; from the firing line or from the control room.
Stealth movement and techniques.
Camouflage techniques.
Shooting from Rural and Urban hides.

Live and non-live fire
training scenarios will be conducted.

For more information on the course or to register CALL: 812.878.SWAT or email us at
www.itota.net.

Additional Information:

Course topics and content:
What is a sniper.
Sniper mind set.
Sniper roles and equipment.
Urban camouflage.
Rural camouflage.
Judging distance.
Urban/rural hides.
Insertion techniques.
Internal/external/terminal ballistics.
Theory of shooting and sighting techniques.
Alternative firing positions rural and urban.
Emergency tripod.
Observation techniques.
Field sketching.
Coordinated shooting.
Color codes and containment positions.
Shot placement.
Long distance shooting techniques.

Gear/equipment list
Rifle with scope or patrol rifle* 1000 rounds of duty ammo
Spotting Scope
Water re-hydration system
Small daysack/backpack
Water proof clothing
Camouflage clothing urban/rural
Rain gear
Head cover/ hat
Small folding knife
Pens/pencils/paper

*(Must be pre-zeroed to 100 yards.)

Gainey Wraps up Korea Visit, Announces Plans to Retire

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – The Defense Department's top enlisted member said this week he has submitted his retirement paperwork, but that he plans to stay on through July 2008 until his replacement is on the job.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said his week-long trip here will be his last to visit troops here. He finished a visit to camps and bases across the peninsula today.

"It was a personal choice that I felt like I had to make after 33 and a half years," Gainey said. "I think it's time to let someone else in this position."

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, if confirmed by the Senate, will replace
Marine Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 1.

Gainey said his retirement timeline will give the next Joint Chiefs chairman time to select a senior enlisted advisor.

"I think I owe that to Admiral Mullen, who I think is a very fine officer," Gainey said.

Gainey is the first noncommissioned officer to hold the senior enlisted advisor post, which Pace created, and has served in the job since Oct. 1, 2005.

Since then, he has traveled the world talking to troops and hearing their concerns. Gainey said he will continue his whirlwind travel schedule, talking with servicemembers and advocating on their behalf until the day he retires.

"I'm not going to be a ROAD - 'Retired On Active Duty.' I will talk to troops until the day that I walk off the field," Gainey said. "I'm not going to slow up. I owe it to the troops."

Gainey said he will miss working for his current boss. He said it has been a pleasure working for an officer who has such a passion for taking care of servicemembers.

"He has the ability to make troops feel like they are the most important people in the world," Gainey said of Pace.

Gainey plans to retire near Fort Hood, Texas, where he and his wife of 30 years, Cindy, will build a new home. He said he plans to relax and spend time with his children and grandchildren, as serving in positions of increasing responsibility over the last 10 years has limited his time with family.

Gainey said he would like to work in some capacity that will allow him to speak on the behalf of servicemembers and "the benefits they deserve."

This week, Gainey talked with hundreds of servicemembers at town halls and on call-in radio shows and was guest speaker at a Warrior
Leader Course graduation. Using humor mixed with his easy-going "South Carolinian" demeanor, Gainey put the troops at ease so he could hear their concerns about serving in Korea and about life in the military.

"What keeps you up at night?" was the recurring question Gainey posed to troops. "My roommate snoring," was one answer shot back. More serious responses included questions about promotions, uniforms, curfews, medical care, transformation and tour lengths. Gainey recorded the comments and said he will take them back to the appropriate service chiefs and to Pace.

He constantly reminded the servicemembers that he is not in their chain of command, and that he "didn't want to be another ugly picture on the wall" of a headquarters building. Gainey also emphasized that he while he would not resolve their concerns directly, he is a conduit at the Pentagon for getting their concerns to the right person.

Gainey noted the progress made on the Korean peninsula as
leadership there begins its transformation from a Cold War formation and begins restructuring bases and camps to improve servicemembers' quality of life. He visited the troops serving here last year at this time.

"The biggest impression I got from this trip was the progress that was made, especially at Camp Humpreys. It was like I was walking into a totally different environment," Gainey said. "The motivation and the morale of the leadership to take care of the troops was also even greater this year."

Gainey said he would talk with the chairman about ensuring proper funding and resources be funneled to Korea to ensure the transformation is complete by 2012.

"One thing I'm going to talk to the chairman about is the commitment we made. We made a commitment ... that we would expand Camp Humphreys," Gainey said. "(Servicemembers) didn't ask to move. They were told to move. Now we owe it to them to take care of them with funding and any other resources they need."

Once the transformation is complete, Camp Humphreys will be the home of U.S. Forces Korea and Eighth
U.S. Army. It will be the largest installation on the peninsula.

Gainey said he fielded more concerns this year about the Tricare military health system and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Also significant were questions on allowing more command-sponsored families to accompany their
military sponsors to the area.

Gainey also said that the troops seemed more focused and motivated this year.

"The soldiers, sailors, airman and Marines here are some of the most focused individuals you will ever meet, because they know that, just like their motto says, they could be fighting tonight," Gainey said. "When you hear the term 'train as you fight,' they truly train as they would fight."

Gainey said he will miss touring Korea. The next time he returns it will be as a civilian on vacation. He has traveled to Korea nine times during his career.

"Korea is a great place. I hear people call it a hardship tour. I can't figure it out," he said.

Nearing the end of his
military career, Gainey offered simple advice to those starting theirs.

"Be the best you can be. Learn as much as you can from your
leadership. Watch for the good and bad. Mimic the good, record the bad. If you remember the bad, you won't make the same mistakes," Gainey said.

Most importantly though, "Always remember nobody is greater and more important than the troops and their families you are given the privilege to serve," he said.

North Carolina Group Paints Picture of Patriotism

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – A North Carolina group has taken a creative approach to supporting the
military by promoting patriotism through the arts. "We promote love of country, respect for the American flag and projects that support the patriotic art education of children," said Eileen Schwartz, Flags Across the Nation's founder.

Some of the projects include three annual art contests: the Flags of Freedom Patriotic Art Contest, the I Love America Day Photo Contest and the Patriot Day Photo Contest. The art submissions from the contests are used to create quilts that are displayed around the country.

In the past year, quilts appeared at venues including the Virginia Air and Space Center, Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Charlotte Museum of History, Schwartz said.

The quilts also have traveled overseas to the deployed troops, and Veterans Affairs medical centers also have received quilt donations.

"We hope that we can get funding and more quilters in order to make thousands of art and photo quilts to donate to VA medical centers and Fisher Houses," Schwartz said. Fisher Houses provide families with a place to stay while visiting wounded servicemembers being treated at military and VA medical facilities.

"We are looking for quilters from all over the country," Schwarz said.

This year, the winning photos from the I Love America Day Photo Contest will be turned into hardboard art tiles. The public can purchase these four-inch-square tiles as part of Flags Across the Nation's "Photos in a Box" fundraiser. Each box will contain 12 art tiles and will be shipped to deployed troops to help boost their morale.

Flags Across the Nation is an America Supports You member. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The organization has benefited from this membership through exposure and increased credibility, Schwartz said. "We regularly receive e-mails from our deployed troops and families who are seeking support," she said. "They find us on the America Supports You Web site."

Last fall, a servicemember who was deploying to Iraq to take over the dental clinic at Camp Liberty in Baghdad contacted Schwartz. He was requesting patriotic art to display in his clinic.

"We have sent letters, art, posters and most recently our set of patriotic photos from our I Love America Day Photo Contest," Schwartz said. "We also partnered with General Dynamics, and the company made one of our Freedom Flags that is on the way to this unit."

Flags Across the Nation participants have vowed to continue to promote patriotism through the arts and are seeking more volunteers to assist with the organization's expanding list of projects.

Program Seeks to Preserve History With Playing Cards

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – The Defense Department will issue decks of playing cards to deployed troops starting July 31, but not for
Texas Hold 'Em tournaments. The cards are training aids designed to help the servicemembers understand the archaeological significance of their deployed locations. "It has been my experience that deploying personnel appreciate the history and heritage of the countries where they deploy," said Laurie Rush, cultural resource program manager for the Defense Department's Legacy Resource Management Program at Fort Drum, N.Y. "The soldiers here at Fort Drum have been extremely appreciative of our efforts to make training here as realistic as possible and to provide them with information."

Each card has a picture of an archeological site, artifact or a brief statement about actions that should be taken upon discovering an archeological site. They explain what constitutes an archaeological site and what to watch for before carrying out missions near these sites. The cards are also are a great source for understanding the culture in which the soldiers are fighting, Rush said.

The queen of hearts card in the new deck also makes a bold statement about the importance of culture, saying that the ancient sites are important to the local community. "Showing respect wins hearts and minds," the card reminds soldiers.

The idea behind the archaeological deck of cards began when a group of Middle Eastern archaeologists decided to work with the
military archaeological community to educate military men and women about the places they are being deployed.

The cards will identify several rare archaeological sites and artifacts reminding troops that these areas are not only a part of Iraqi and Afghan cultural history, but also their own.

Each card in the new deck tells a story. The two of clubs card depicts the Nabi Yunis mosque in Mosul, Iraq. There is speculation that this mosque holds the ruins of the biblical prophet Jonah.

The six of hearts has a photograph of an artifact with a picture carved in stone. The card reads, "The world's oldest complete legal code was found in Iraq on a stone carved with an image of Hammurabi, King of Babylon, ca. 1760 B.C."

Previously, a set of 55 cards was issued to coalition forces in 2003, displaying names, photographs, and titles of the "most wanted" senior officials in Saddam Hussein's regime. The idea was to put photographs of officials into the hands of troops so that during their missions to bring down the regime, they could quickly recognize the officials should they come in contact with them.

Similarly, the archaeological cards act as a guide using photographs and facts. Understanding how to work around archaeological sites is imperative to U.S. troops preventing unnecessary delays during the preparation of missions, Rush said.

The enemy has been known to use these historical sites and artifacts to their advantage, as evidenced by the recent destruction of the Golden Dome Mosque's minarets in Samarra, Iraq.

"The enemy may use cultural properties -- including ruins, cemeteries and religious buildings -- as firing points," a pocket guide that's part of the
training materials warns U.S. military personnel.

Officials are hoping that this new program will inform troops about the importance of protecting the past and respecting the things that are important to the Iraqi and Afghanistan cultures.

Rush said the program not only will include the playing cards, but also will incorporate Web-based
training and simulated event training, as well as the construction of some mock ruins. She said the idea is to "increase training realism."

"U.S. forces have been severely criticized for their part in damaging or failing to protect cultural properties when occupying archaeologically sensitive areas in military theatres of occupation," according to a
Training for In-Theatre Cultural Resource Protection fact sheet. "In military operations where winning hearts and minds is a critical component of success, protection of cultural property becomes vital to the success of the mission."

Guardsmen Respond to New York Floods, Alaska Fires

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2007 – National Guard troops are helping to search for people still missing after flash floods deluged the southern Catskill Mountains, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said in a statement today, and Alaska Guardsmen are fighting spreading wildfires in the nation's largest state.

About 50 National Guard troops are on duty - a number that will increase to about 75 - to provide search-and-rescue, engineering and other flood-related support, officials from the New York State Division of
Military and Naval Affairs reported today. The New York Army National Guard's 53rd Troop Command sent combat engineers from the 204th Engineer Battalion to help remove debris and make emergency road repairs, officials said.

The task force is using six 20-ton dump trucks, three bulldozers, three bucket loaders, two excavator vehicles, two trucks and a rough terrain roller to conduct the mission.

Officials said more equipment will be provided, if needed.

Their efforts are focused on the town of Colchester and Delaware County, which received torrential rains earlier this week. Four people are reported missing.

Meanwhile, Alaska National Guard troops were helping the state Department of Forestry fight about 14 wildfires spreading across the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and crews are using Bambi buckets -- collapsible buckets with a valve on the bottom that releases water -- to help douse the flames, National Guard Bureau officials reported. Each helicopter has a six-person crew, and about 30 Guardsmen are involved in the effort.

The crews are working out of Palmer Airport, and have been asked to remain on station for seven days, officials said.

Thunderstorms, erratic winds, hot temperatures and low humidity are challenging fire-control efforts, and more troops could be needed, they said.

"The Alaska National Guard is always ready and prepared to take care of fellow Alaskans," said
Army Brig. Gen. Deborah McManus, chief of staff for the Alaska National Guard's Joint Forces Headquarters. "We stand poised to help the firefighting efforts in other areas of the state if called upon."

Personal Protective Equipment Surveys for First Responders

The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC) is a leader in Human-Centered Research, Development and Engineering of personal protective equipment and integrated systems, addressing the needs across all DoD services.

Through its National Protection Center (NPC), NSRDEC serves a broader customer base assessing
technology, concepts, and standards with dual-use applications to meet military needs as well as those of Federal, State, Local, and Tribal emergency response practitioners.

Members of the public safety community are invited to participate in the NPC's latest personal protective equipment surveys focusing on protective headgear, chemical/biological protective equipment, and basic duty uniforms. Your input is valuable to on-going research, standards, and
technology transfer efforts; so please answer each question carefully and completely. Each of the three surveys will take approximately 15-20 minutes.

Surveys will close September 14, 2007.

Headgear Survey -
www.helmetsurvey.com
Chemical/Biological Protective Equipment Survey -
www.chembiosurvey.org
Duty Uniform Survey - www.dutyuniformsurvey.org