Monday, October 01, 2007

Sheriff Deputy Books

Editor's Note: Two of the authors of former servicemembers.

October 1, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 750 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three Sheriff Deputies from Los Angeles County.

Charles A. Sennewald, CMC, CPP, CSC is an independent security management consultant. He has been the Director of Security for Broadway Department Store, Chief of Security for the Claremont Colleges and a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Charles Sennewald is the founder and first president of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC), a graduate of the California State University at Los Angeles and the U.S. Army's Military Police School. Charles Sennewald is the author of six books: Effective Security Management; The Process of Investigation; Security Consulting; Shoplifters vs. Retailers: The Rights of Both; Shoplifting: Managing the Problem; and, The Last Volkswagen.

According to the book description of The Process of Investigation, it “is a book written to address the needs of the private investigator in the security field. Continuing in the tradition of its previous editions, this book covers essential topics which are often overlooked in works that concentrate on the public aspects of investigation. Investigative skills such as surveillance techniques, interviewing and interrogation, evidence, and confessions and written statements are all discussed, and supplemented with updated case studies and examples from the authors own experiences.”

James D. Whaley began his law enforcement career in 1967 as a deputy sheriff when he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1975, a little over a year after his graduation from law school, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1980, he was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. James Whaley retired from the FBI in 1999. He continues to be active in law enforcement as a special consultant to the California Department of Corrections, Deadly Force Review Board and as an attorney in private practice. He is the co-author The Field Guide to Law Enforcement.

According to the description of The Field Guide to
Law Enforcement, “it provides clear, concise, and up-to-date statements of the rules of law applicable to situations commonly encountered by police officers in the field. Rules are stated from the point of view of an officer on duty. Officers who familiarize themselves with the layout and contents of the Field Guide should have no difficulty understanding the rules and applying them to "street" situations. The Field Guide has been designed for easy reference.”

In 1970,
Richard Valdemar began his law enforcement career as a military policeman in the United States Army; which included a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired at the rank of sergeant in 2004. During the last 20 years on the job, “he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Richard Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.” He is the author of Siege at Waco.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 762 police officers (representing 347 police departments) and their 1643
law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Free Web Site Keeps Military Families Connected

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 -
Military families have a new tool to help them share everyday happenings with deployed loved ones thanks to a national troop-support group. CinCHouse.com started planning its Family Hub program after the success of its similar free Spouse Club Hub program, which family readiness groups use as a communication tool.

"We had a lot or families requesting to make Family Hubs, but (the Spouse Club Hubs) just weren't designed for that at the time, so we had to turn away a lot of families," said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's interim chief executive officer and vice president of operations and development.

Operation Homefront is CinCHouse.com's parent organization. Both are supporters of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

A little more than a week ago, CinCHouse.com was able to answer
military families' calls for a family version of the Spouse Club Hubs. To date, 243 families have taken advantage of the new tool, which provides a quick method of keeping all family members informed.

The new Family Hubs, among other things, make it easier for families to exchange pictures, Palmer said. "They can't always send pictures because of the firewalls," she said. "(Now) they can upload those photos to the (Family Hub) Web site, and the servicemember can view them from a link."

Overall, Family Hub Web sites make it easier for families to share information, journals and important milestones with a deployed servicemember, Palmer said.

Thanks to the generosity of defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the Family Hub program is free to any
military family, Meredith Leyva, founder of CinCHouse.com and Operation Homefront, said.

"Lockheed Martin and its employees are united in gratitude to our servicemembers and their families," said Jim Knotts, the company's director of corporate and community affairs. "We understand the challenges our troops and their families face. Many of our employees are former
military. Many are reservists who have been activated for service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others ... serve in harm's way alongside our military customers.

"We know how much it means for servicemembers to stay connected with their families," he said in a CinCHouse.com news release.

The sites are password protected and operationally secure, and the program is set up with those who are less-than-computer-savvy in mind, Leyva said.

"The spouses saw (with the Spouse Club Hubs) how it takes 10 minutes for even the worst technophobes to set up a beautiful site, and the operational security makes families feel better about protecting sensitive information from the public," she said.

Family Hubs allow
military families to register for a Web site and select a domain name at CinCHouse.com. They can begin building their Web sites by choosing from pre-designed graphics, adding photos and text, and creating photo and video galleries after receiving e-mail verification of eligibility and successful registration.

New Chairman Thanks Troops, Families for Service, Sacrifice

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 - The
military's new top officer thanked troops and their families for their service and sacrifice, and he told them their efforts are "vital" to national security interests. "Whether you serve in Baghdad or Bagram, Kabul or Kuwait -- whether you find yourself at sea in the Pacific, flying support missions over Europe, on the ground in Africa, or working every day at stateside bases -- you are making a difference and so is every person in your family," Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen wrote in an open letter to servicemembers released today.

"Your service matters. And I do not take it for granted," he added.

Mullen, who served as the chief of naval operations before becoming chairman, acknowledged that fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq is placing great demands on the
U.S. military, but he said achieving success on those fronts is vital to U.S. national security interests.

"I know the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a toll on you and your families," Mullen wrote. "They are taking a toll on our equipment, our systems, and our ability to train as well. I worry, quite frankly, that they are taking a toll on our readiness for other threats in other places."

However, the admiral emphasized that the Afghan and Iraq conflicts "most certainly are important and constitute vital endeavors to the interests of the United States.

"To the degree the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan contribute to or detract from a stable, secure Middle East, they bear a direct effect on the security of the United States. That is why my number-one priority will be developing a comprehensive strategy to defend our national interests in the region," Mullen wrote.

Today, Mullen succeeds
Marine Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The admiral wrote that he is honored to become the military's top officer, and he thanked U.S. servicemembers deployed worldwide in the fight against terrorism.

The world remains a dangerous place since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America, Mullen wrote, noting that hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemembers have been deployed to fight overseas-based
terrorists, many more than once.

Yet, military members ably answered the call to duty and stood up to those dangers as they fought overseas
terrorists, Mullen wrote.

"You have lost friends to them. You may even have lost some of yourself to them. The dangers of this new and uncertain era have hit you and the people you love squarely in the gut. I will not lose sight of that," Mullen vowed.

Yet, servicemembers should not lose sight of the need to continue serving as the war against
terrorism continues, Mullen wrote.

"The enemies we face, from radical jihadists to regional powers with nuclear ambitions, directly and irrefutably threaten our vital national interests. They threaten our very way of life," the admiral pointed out.

America's
military members are a strong shield against those who wish to do harm to the United States and its people, Mullen wrote.

"You are the sentinels of freedom," Mullen told servicemembers. "You signed up, took an oath, made a promise to defend something larger than yourselves. And then you went out and did it. I am grateful and honored, to be able to serve alongside you."

Mullen said his main duty as JCS chairman is to advise President Bush, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the National Security Council on issues of
military readiness and capabilities.

Mullen also pledged to servicemembers that he'll serve as an advocate for what matters to them and their families. "I will not forget the impact my decisions have on you," he said.

America's military servicemembers "comprise a great generation of patriots," Mullen observed, many who are combat veterans with hard-won and valuable battlefield experience. "I will tap that experience. I want to make sure we learn from it," Mullen wrote.

He said the next item on his to-do list as JCS chairman is resetting, reconstituting and revitalizing America's armed forces, especially the
Army and Marine Corps, which have performed the bulk of the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I believe our ground forces are the center of gravity for the all-volunteer force and that we need to make sure that force is correctly shaped and sized, trained, and equipped to defend the nation," the admiral stated.

Mullen also plans to balance strategic risk in view of America's global security commitments, warfighting capabilities, resources and partnerships needed to conduct operations during peace and war.

"The demands of current operations, however great, should not dominate our training exercises, education curricula, and readiness programs," Mullen wrote. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will one day end. We must be ready for who and what comes after."

And, everyone's help will be needed in the years ahead, Mullen pointed out.

"The speed of war, the pace of change, is too great for any of us to manage it alone," the admiral wrote. "I need your help, your ideas, and your input. Whenever I travel to the field and to the fleet, I expect you to tell me what's on your mind. Tell me what you think. I need your constant feedback. I can't succeed -- we can't succeed -- without it."

America's
military members vowed to defend the United States when they entered the armed forces, observed Mullen, who then offered an additional, personal pledge to servicemembers.

"I will listen to you. I will learn from you. And, I will endeavor to lead always with your best interest at heart," Mullen wrote. "The way I see it, that is my job now."

Mullen Becomes Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 -
Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen took the helm today as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowing to work to give servicemembers "clear direction, outstanding equipment and focused policies" to accomplish current missions and prepare for future ones. Mullen paused following his swearing-in ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., to honor members of the armed forces, particularly those "in harm's way spreading the promise of a brighter future."

"You are our greatest asset. Your bravery and your commitment are our nation's greatest gifts," Mullen said, addressing the 2.4 million active, Guard and reserve members of the armed forces. "You are true heroes who, understanding that your missions are demanding, dangerous and often deadly, still raise your right hand with a promise and an oath to continue building on the legacy of service endearing you to the people of this nation."

This support will be critical, Mullen said, as he, his vice chairman,
Marine Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright, and the service chiefs and combatant commanders work together to develop and execute a strategy that supports U.S. national interests in the Middle East.

Mullen promised to reset, reconstitute and revitalize the
military, especially the ground forces, to confront this challenge, while balancing risks around the globe to prepare for the future. "Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will one day end," he said. "We must be ready for who and what comes after. That's the promise we've made."

President Bush praised Mullen as the man to carry out that promise by carrying the torch passed by the retiring
Marine Gen. Peter Pace.

Bush cited Mullen's broad talents and experience: serving on a destroyer during intense operations in
Vietnam, commanding three ships, serving as commander of all U.S. naval forces in Europe then Joint Forces Command before becoming chief of naval operations.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanked Mullen for his "willingness yet again to answer your country's call."

As Mullen answers the call, Bush noted, he brings personal experience of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks and an understanding of "what's at stake in the war on terror."

"He was on duty at the Pentagon when Flight 77 made its doomed plunge. He felt the plane slam into the building. He saw the carnage and devastation, and like all who worked there that terrible day, he still carries the pain and the loss," the president said. "Admiral Mullen was there when war reached America's shores, and he brings the talent, vision and judgment needed to help us fight and win that war."

Mullen recognizes the strength of the joint
military in waging that war and believes "every member of our armed forces is, as he put it, 'part of one team and one fight,'" Bush said.

He called Mullen "a man of decency and honor" who "will bring judgment and candor to decisions that may mean the difference between life and death for young Americans who are serving our nation."

As Mullen begins his service as chairman, Bush said, he's fortunate to have the example set by Pace, "one of the most respected and accomplished military leaders I have ever known."

Pace praised his successor, noting that he and Mullen were midshipmen together at the U.S. Naval Academy and that Mullen introduced Pace to his future wife, Lynne.

"Mike Mullen is as fine an officer as this nation has ever produced," Pace said. "He has a keen intellect; he has the grit and the ability to speak his mind and to speak in a way that is clearly understood."

While acknowledging that he regrets relinquishing his post, Pace told Mullen he's "so proud that you are the one who will take on the responsibilities as 17th chairman."

Mullen thanked Pace for his leadership as chairman and said he is honored to follow him in carrying out the legacy of military service. "You led in a tough time, perhaps the toughest, and it's been a great honor serving with you," Mullen said. "I'm ready to take the watch, but I do not take it alone. With me is the supporting cast of over 2 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who also promised to serve."

Lynne Pace Reflects on 40 Years' Service to Family, Country

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 - Nearly 40 years ago, Lynne Pace dedicated her life to her family. Little did she know at the time that her family ultimately would include the nation's 2.4 million servicemembers. Little did she know that the young
Marine officer she married would go on to become the first Marine to serve as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military's top ranking officer.

Today, Lynne and her husband,
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, are retiring from military service. Their commitment to their extended family won't end with today's ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., however. They say their love for and dedication to the men and women who make up the armed forces will last a lifetime.

During the general's last news briefing at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Pace "cut his teeth on the battlefields of Vietnam, made his way up through the ranks during the Cold War, and these past few years, has led our military in a very different, very complex war against jihadist terrorism."

Through it all, Gates noted, Pace has never once forgotten about the individual men and women who make up the United States armed forces. As Pace himself often points out, this includes the
military families who "serve the country as well as anyone who's ever worn a uniform."

Through it all, Lynne has been at her husband's side, serving as his teammate and as an advocate for
military families working to improve the military community they've chosen to live in.

"We've worked and grown together for 36 years," Lynne told American Forces Press Service. "I'm pretty old-fashioned, and he's an amazing guy. We're partners. We're a team."

In 1967, Lynne fell in love with Pete Pace while he was attending the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. The couple dated for four years before marrying in 1971, two years after Pace returned from
Vietnam.

Lynne said she had learned little about the military growing up in Ellicott City, Md. Her husband's assignment here at the Marine Barracks at 8th and I Street, she said, was her first experience with a
military unit that "was like a big family."

While Pace attended the Infantry Officers Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga., the couple lived off base, where Lynne came to know her civilian neighbors rather than the military community. When Pace attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico, Va., the couple lived on base, where Lynne became involved with the military wives group.

"Back then, the wives ran child care centers, so I got to know other moms," she recalled. "We'd work together to get the things we needed for the families."

Lynne said she's always tried to heed her husband's advice to grow where you are planted.

"I am not an extrovert," she said. "I am not one who will go out seeking people. But if you tell me I can't do something for my child, or if a friend of mine's child is having a hard time, I'll fight whatever it takes for the kids."

As her husband rose through the ranks, Lynne gradually learned about the role of a military spouse. "I had no clue what was expected of me at first," she said.

She said she knew she wanted to help her husband do his job and found that helping the families helped him in his role, as well.

When Pace deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and Lynne stayed behind, she learned to deal with cars breaking down, refrigerators needing repairs and other household problems. During the family's frequent moves to new duty stations, she learned to do things on her own and to ask for help when she needed it.

"The hardest thing is to learn to say, 'I can't do this,' and then ask somebody to help," she said.

"You're not alone," Lynne said she advises military spouses. "There are other military spouses out there to help you."

Overall, she said,
military spouses need to be "adaptable, determined, independent and resourceful."

"Military spouses are thrown into environments where those kinds of things really do mean a lot," she added. "Every move is an adventure. Every challenge is a growth experience."

Lynne said the couple's son, Peter, and daughter, Tiffany Marie, benefited from growing up within the military community.

"In many ways they are more mature because
military children are thrown into different environments every time they move," she explained. "They're more adaptable. They've been to places that a lot of people who grow up in the same town never have the opportunity to go to. In many ways, those are great advantages."

On the other hand, she noted, these benefits can be seen as disadvantages. "The schools change. You're recreating yourself every year or two or three. Many children move during high school, which is a very difficult time to move. Some children will go to three different high schools and that's really hard. You're always leaving your friends, and you're always making new friends. You learn and grow from that, but it's also hard to do."

Still, based on the number of children of
military parents who choose to serve in the military, she said, "It can't be all that bad."

For Lynne, one of the rewards of military life was getting to meet people all over the world. "Living in Japan for two years, seeing a culture that's so different from ours, learning that deep down we're all the same -- we may have cultural differences, but we all love our children. We all love our country.

"It has been a huge growth experience for me," Lynne said. "The education I earned along the way has given me incredible confidence in my ability to go out and deal with presidents and queens and some pretty amazing people. The opportunities we've had to represent our country overseas have been incredible."

Military support for families has changed significantly since Lynne joined the community, she said. Today, family support groups and family readiness officers help families cope during deployments. Family support centers provide videoconference capabilities so families can make videos to send to their military members. Various groups organize pre- and post-deployment briefings for spouses, as well as picnics, movie nights and parties for children.

"The military has learned that if the families are happy, deployments are easier," she said. "If you can help the families take care of the problems that they have, then it makes it easier for the military members as well as the families at home."

She encouraged
military commanders to take the time to thank military families for the sacrifices they're enduring so their military members can serve. "Without the spouses' support at home, they can't do it. The expression 'If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy' is true. Because the deployments are long and frequent; it's hard.

"I think everybody, military commanders, civilians -- we all need to thank these families. We're thanking our troops. We need to remember our families. If your next door neighbor is serving in the military, think about what can you do to say thanks. Watch the kids; give them a spa day; fix the car -- do something to say thanks,"

As Pace assumed more responsibilities, Lynne said, her role changed as well. "People expect more from you. They expect you to know the answers to everything, but in fact you don't," she said.

"But as his job changes, you have more access to people to get answers to questions you might not have been able to have two jobs ago or two ranks ago," she said. "People will listen to what you have to say because of who he is. If that's what it takes to get somebody to help, then that's OK. I don't believe rank equates to royalty, but I do believe that if his rank can help somebody, that's a good thing. Then I'll use it."

At times, being the chairman's wife can be a help or a hindrance, she said. "What I do (to help troops and families), I try to do really quietly. Who he is can help me do what I do. But because of who he is, a lot of people won't tell me what they need. But because of who he is, I have more access."

A couple of years ago, for example, some hospitalized troops told Lynne they needed computers. "I had a friend that asked me what he could do for the troops, so we were able to get computers," she said.

"There's a young man who wants to go to law school," she said, "so through people we've been fortunate to meet along the way, people who want to help have ensured money is available for him to pay tuition, room and board and books to go to law school after he's finished his medical care."

Over the years, Lynne has learned about organizations that help troops and their families. "If a family needs a place to stay, I know people to ask who can help them out," she said.

She knows who to contact when wounded troops arrive at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., without clothing or when families arrive at the hospital in June but don't leave until January and they didn't bring winter clothes with them.

"There are people out there who are willing to help," she said. "They'll ask me what they can do, and I'll tell them the families need coats or shoes, or the troops need DVD players or movies. These things seem small and unimportant, but they're not to the wounded and their families who are going through this."

Lynne said she believes all Americans have a responsibility to help servicemembers and their families in any way they can. "We're a country at war; we all need to do something," she said.

Lynne regularly visits troops at military medical centers in the Washington, D.C., area, throughout the states, and overseas when she travels with the chairman.

"Sometimes I drive home from the hospital sobbing the whole way home," she admitted. "Other times I'm thinking about the people I've talked to who want to do certain things. I try to stay positive. Every visit is different. But when you leave, you know it's the right thing to do. It doesn't take a lot to go hug somebody and thank them."

She described wounded troops' attitudes as "unbelievable -- their will to get better, to do something productive with their lives, and their desire to go back and finish the job and be with their buddies."

"The first time I went (to visit wounded troops in a hospital), I was just awestruck," she said. "Somebody asked, 'Where do we get these kids?' and the response was 'Hometown USA.' These are the sons and daughters of Americans out there who have taught them to help others so they can have a better life.

"I think that's what keeps me going," Lynne concluded. "They are just so positive. Yes, they have their bad days, but for the most part, they're looking at tomorrow. If I can help them do that, I want to."

Pace Calls for Reasoned Discourse to Advance U.S. Democracy

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 - Reasoned discourse allows American democracy to grow and flourish, but some people seem more intent on spewing personal venom than in finding solutions,
Marine Gen. Peter Pace said here today as he retired from the Marine Corps after more than 40 years of service. Pace spoke at an armed forces hail and farewell ceremony as he turned the chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff over to Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen.

The United States is well-served by divergent views and discussion that grows from those views. But the discussion must be civil and in a way "that allows people to argue on the merits of what they believe and to understand that what they believe is part of the answer," Pace said.

Americans must have the willingness to cooperate to find the right answers for challenging times, he said. "What worries me is that in some instances right now we have individuals who are more interested in making somebody else look bad than they are in finding the right solution," Pace said. "They are more interested in letting their personal venom come forward instead of talking about how do we get from where we are to where we need to be."

Americans have the right to object and to be heard, Pace said. U.S. servicemembers fighting in many corners of the world do so to guarantee their fellow countrymen those rights. "I can hear voices right now of folks out in the street who are exercising their right of free speech in this democracy to say what they want to say," Pace said. "And I take pride in knowing that the men and women on the parade deck in front of us are going to ensure that they continue to have that opportunity."

The dialogue on the
war on terror is not about voting the country out of the war. "We have an enemy who has declared war on us. We are in a war," Pace said. "They want to stop us from living the way we want to live our lives.

"So the dialogue is not about are we in a war, but how and where and when to best fight that war to preserve our freedom and to preserve our way of life."

The United States will prevail in the war on terror, "there's no doubt about that," he said.

Pace recounted impressions he has had in his travels during his last 40 days as chairman, including a visit to the 4th Marine Division reunion. The
Marine Corps activated the division in World War II and deactivated it in 1945. In 60 days of combat in the Pacific, the division fought at Guam, Saipan and Iwo Jima and suffered more than 18,000 casualties.

"They were decommissioned in November 1945, (which) happens to be the month I was born," Pace said. "Through an accident of birth, I was born in the United States of America. Through the incredible valor of the members of that Marine division and so many other
Marine, Army and Air Force and Coast Guard and Navy units across the globe that fought during World War II, through their valor, I was born free."

In talking about going to his last NATO meeting, Pace said he sat in the conference room and looked at the 26 flags and nameplates on the table, many from countries once in the Warsaw Pact -- countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Romania, Hungary, Poland. "And I thought to myself, how wonderful that we have NATO as an alliance, how sad that the newest countries had to crave for their freedom for so long, and how instructive that those who have most recently joined that table of freedom are the most energetic in trying to share that freedom with those around the globe who do not yet have it," he said.

He also spoke of seeing a screening of "The Kite Runner," the movie based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel about Afghanistan. "If we ever forget what it is that we're fighting against, just go see that movie," Pace said. "It will strengthen in you the understanding of the true nature of those who seek to dominate us."

The general recalled he and his wife, Lynne, visiting with families of the fallen. He said he couldn't ease their pain, "but I hope that in commemorating the lives of the fallen and in the way that we spend the rest of our lives, that we will pay respect to their sacrifice in a way that will give meaning to all that they fought for," he said.

Pace recalled a recent visit to Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, on duty in Karmah, Iraq. It was the unit that 2nd Lt. Pace joined at the height of the Tet Offensive in
Vietnam in 1968. Yesterday evening, the general had a reunion with men he had served with in that unit.

"It was a wonderful bookend for me to have seen those Marines in that platoon about two weeks ago and then last night at my house seeing the Marines from my platoon from
Vietnam," Pace said. "Now, if you saw the guys from my platoon in Vietnam right now, you might think that they are middle-aged, sometimes a little bit overweight men.

"When I look at them, I see heroes, men who answered the call as those who serve today answer the call," he added.

Pace said that when he travels he hears the same question from American servicemembers: Do the American people still support us? "In the last 40 days, I've been with organizations like the Marine Corps
Law Enforcement Foundation that takes care of the children of the deceased; the Sentinels of Freedom, who help those who are severely wounded assimilate into productive lives in our community; the USO, that after decades has provided entertainment and has been a home to the troops overseas," he said. "The answer is a resounding yes, the American people, no matter what they believe about the ongoing conflict, believe in their troops."

He also talked about two other destinations he's visited in the past 40 days. The first was Chaminade High School in Mineola, N.Y., where he spoke to 1,700 young men who were "clear-eyed, smart, sharp, looking forward to taking over
leadership positions in our country."

The second was a family wedding. "What struck me ... was that the clear expectation of everybody in the wedding party was one of great hope and optimism for the couple that was getting married, for the possibility of them having children, and the belief that this country would provide to them and their children and their grandchildren the same liberties and freedoms that we have enjoyed," he said. "I could not help think about what an incredible country where weddings and other ceremonies like that reflect on the pure optimism that rightly so pervades our nation."

Being able to participate in the processes of government – such as news conferences and testimony before Congress -- are privileges, Pace said. "I would be less than honest if I told you I looked forward to either one of those," he said. "They are not fun. But it is a privilege; it has been a privilege to participate as an American citizen, to know that the senior military leadership of the country gets called in front of the Congress of the United States to answer is an important part, a fundamental part of our freedom.

"There is no country in the world that is free that does not have a free press; said differently, you cannot be free unless you have a free press," he continued. "So the fact that sometimes questions are tough is tough because it's right for a democracy."

The general said he is sad to leave, not because he will miss the perks of being chairman, "I simply will miss putting on this uniform, going to work each day and trying to do the right thing for Pfc. Pace, wherever he or she may be serving," he said. "And I will miss being able to walk out and hug them and tell them I love them."

Pace said he owes a debt to Marines who died following his orders. "I made a promise about 38 years ago to that I would serve this country in whatever capacity I could for as long as I could and try to do it in a way that would pay respect to the sacrifice that they made following Second Lieutenant Peter Pace in combat," he said. "I am still in debt, but I leave today knowing that I have tried to fulfill that promise and in doing so have been led on an incredible journey."

Bush, Gates Praise Outgoing Chairman

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2007 - President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today praised retiring
Marine Gen. Peter Pace as a gifted leader and an advisor who used sound judgment and who spoke with candor. Bush and Gates spoke during an armed forces hail and farewell ceremony as Pace transferred the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen.

"There's something about General Pete Pace that makes believers out of nearly everyone," Bush said. "That includes the men who served with him in
Vietnam and whom he led during some of the most vicious urban combat in American military history. It includes the troops he led in Somalia who looked to him for resolve and guidance during difficult times.

"It includes Marines who look with pride on the first of their rank to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Bush continued. "It includes two secretaries of Defense who relied on the general during tough and trying times. And it includes a president who has counted in General Pace's candor and sound judgment during some of the most difficult times in our country's history."

The president said Pace has shown a quiet strength during the difficult times of the
war on terror. "It is a strength that has won the admiration of friends and peers," Bush said. "It is a strength built on the love and support of a strong and devoted wife, Lynne, and their family, Peter, Lynsey and Tiffany. It is a strength that gave General Pace solace in the tough and sometimes bitter world of Washington, D.C. It helped him bring selflessness to a city filled with egos and a dignity to a political process that might have worn down a lesser man."

Gates said that to understand Gen. Peter Pace, one has to understand 2nd Lt. Peter Pace -- a new platoon leader who joined Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, in
Vietnam at the height of the Tet Offensive in 1968. Pace took command during the Battle for Hue City, one of the most concentrated and deadly battles of the Vietnam War.

"The first thing Pete did was call together the squad leaders and say to them, 'My name is Pete Pace, and I have no idea what I'm doing. If you guys will help me out and talk to me, I promise that I will listen,'" Gates said.

"Barney Barnes was one of Pete's squad leaders," the secretary continued. "He recalled, 'Some officers come in and they demand respect. General Pace didn't do that. He earned our respect. He earned it by loving us, caring for us, teaching us, making sure that we were the best Marines that we possibly could be.'"

Marines died following Pace's orders, Gates said. "Many years later, of those men and of that experience, Pete said, 'It was their blood that gave me a debt that I can never fully repay.'"

All of this works to drive Pace, Gates said. "The one thing that sticks with me is that although General Pace is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most powerful military officer in the world, he still cares for everyone in our armed forces as if he were still their platoon leader," the secretary said. "Whenever we at the highest levels are faced with a decision, no matter how big or small, he will always ask aloud the question that has guided him throughout his career: 'How will this impact Private First Class Pace and Mrs. Pace?' In General Pace, the men and women of the armed forces have had a leader who never lost sight of the individual or the troops on the frontlines."

Pace has carried himself with humility, dignity and grace, Gates said. He works the same way as chairman as he did when he joined Golf Company, "and incurred, as he said, a debt he could never fully repay."

"Pete, I believe I speak for everyone in the nation when I say, your debt has been more than repaid," the secretary said.