Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Departing JFCOM Commander Reflects on Military Transformation

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 16, 2007 -
Military transformation is a perpetual work in progress, the chief of U.S. Joint Forces Command said today in his last briefing with reporters before he retires next month. During a conference call from JFCOM headquarters in Norfolk, Va., Air Force Gen. Lance L. Smith was asked if military leaders will one day announce the completion of military transformation, to which the general responded earnestly, "I hope we can never say that."

"If you were to go back and look at the last six, seven years both in the U.S. and in NATO, I think it's fair to say that transformation is evident and has been hugely successful," he said. "But there's a lot longer road ahead of us and a lot more to do."

Since 2005, Smith has led JFCOM's efforts to ensure that 1.16 million active-duty, National Guard and reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians operate with each other seamlessly and interdependently. The general, who is dual-hatted as NATO's supreme allied commander for transformation, also has overseen the evolution of the international coalition's
military structure, capabilities and doctrine.

Ahead of his Nov. 9 retirement, the general today reflected on his work to transform
military capabilities over the past two years and described improvements he anticipates will occur over the next decade.

The general's No. 1 priority during his tenure was to balance JFCOM's focus on current operations while continuing to plan a future force among the four service branches that's equipped to handle the challenges of an unpredictable security environment.

"We can't (support current operations) at the exclusion of really looking towards the future," he said. "So we try to divide our responsibilities and make sure that we are giving equal time to taking looks at what the future force structure ought to look like, what we think the future security environment is going to look like, and what we think we need to do to work with the services to build the right forces to operate in the future."

Smith said the other part of his mission has been to increase cooperation -- or "synergies" -- between JFCOM and NATO's allied command transformation.

"It's a two-way street," he said. "Allied command transformation, and NATO in general, helps inform what we're trying to do, and (JFCOM) spends a considerable amount of money in areas that are of interest to NATO."

In operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and in efforts in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, JFCOM and NATO have ramped up efforts to share lessons learned and innovations in
technology and training, he added.

Speaking about NATO, the general said the coalition of 26 countries has evolved greatly since 1999 when NATO forces entered the Balkan province of Kosovo to stabilize the region by tamping down violence between Serbian and Kosovar paramilitary groups.

"When they started operating in the Balkans, it was the first time they had operated out of their geographic boundaries," he said. "To imagine that (NATO) is now in Afghanistan ... operating on the ground and sustaining that force a long way from the borders of NATO, (marks) a huge transformational capability, and it's getting better all the time."

To better prepare for future threats, JFCOM and NATO must look at all forms of warfare, Smith said, instead of a myopic outlook focused solely on countering insurgencies and irregular war.

"The danger now, of course, is that we get so focused on counterinsurgency and irregular kind of warfare that we are not prepared for a different kind of war," he said. "Whether that's conventional war or whether it's what I think is the likely future: a hybrid of large conventional war and irregular warfare."

Smith said JFCOM is working with civilians on how to marry
military muscle with civilian expertise in a burgeoning use of government elements that he referred to as "effects-based." Some 3,300 civilians will comprise a deployable rapid-response team and reserve component made up of State Department and other agency members skilled in non-military fields such as law enforcement, diplomacy or agriculture.

During the upcoming fifth JFCOM-sponsored multinational exercise, such disparate "players," which also include the International Committee of the Red Cross, European Union, and United Nations, will train together, Smith said. For JFCOM, the goal of such exercises ostensibly is to prepare U.S. forces for increased interagency cooperation military officials expect in the future.

"It's really about bringing the
military together with the diplomatic, economic, and the nongovernmental and international organizations all in an experiment to see how best to operate together," Smith said.

Senior Official: Diplomacy Best Approach to Turkey-Iraq Tensions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 16, 2007 - Turkey is a strong NATO ally and partner in the
war on terror, and the best way to handle its conflicts with neighboring Iraq over Kurdish rebels is diplomatically, a senior Joint Staff official told Pentagon reporters today. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is conducting "prudent planning" to evaluate how it would modify its operations in the event Turkey moves forward militarily and cuts off U.S. supply routes, said Army Lt. Gen Carter F. Ham, the Joint Staff's director of operations.

Ham's comments came a day after the Turkish government asked its parliament for authority to conduct
military raids across the border into northern Iraq. The vote is expected tomorrow.

If approved, the one-year authorization would permit Turkey's
military to move into the Kurdish region of Iraq to go after members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party who have been launching attacks into Turkey. Known as the PKK, the group wants an autonomous Kurdish region in eastern Turkey.

"This is obviously a very sensitive matter right now and largely a diplomatic effort," Ham said. He noted that Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi is in Turkey today to discuss possible diplomatic solutions.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in a statement released yesterday that Iraq shares Turkey's commitment to stopping the PKK attacks and will strive to work with Turkey to resolve the crisis. Maliki emphasized, however, that his government "will never accept a
military solution to the differences between Turkey and Iraq."

Ham noted today that Iraq is a sovereign nation "and obviously would take their sovereignty and defense of their territory quite seriously."

An attack by Turkey would put the United States in a difficult position. The United States and NATO are committed to each member country's mutual defense, although Ham said he was unsure if the United States has a treaty obligation to help Turkey stop the PKK incursions.

Ham called Turkey "a highly valued NATO ally" and noted that the U.S. and Turkish militaries share "a longstanding and very close and professional relationship."

However, the United States also is committed to Iraq's sovereignty and its right to protect itself. While emphasizing that Iraq is a sovereign nation with primary responsibility for providing its own security, he said the United States would "want to assist them as best we can."

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has designated the PKK a terrorist organization.

Further complicating the issue is the fact that Turkey serves as a transit route for support for
U.S. military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In the event that Turkey launched an attack into Iraq, that access could be curtailed or cut.

Ham said the Defense Department is "looking at a broad range of options" it could pursue if that happened. "We are now addressing how we would modify our operations should the government of Turkey choose to change the access that we currently enjoy either by ground or air," he said. "And that is prudent
military planning that you would expect us to do."

While expressing confidence the United States could continue supporting its military operations in Southwest Asia, albeit more expensively and more logistically challenging, Ham said he's hopeful it won't be necessary. "We would prefer to maintain the access that we have," he said.

Should diplomacy between Iraq and Turkey fail, the United States "will have to assess the situation," he said.

But for now, he expressed hope in a diplomatic breakthrough. "This is primarily and necessarily an opportunity to find a diplomatic solution," he said. "We think that is obviously the best way to approach this, diplomatically, rather than militarily."

Gates Salutes U.S. Servicemembers at Awards Dinner

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 16, 2007 - Six
U.S. military members recognized by a local patriotic organization for their overseas service in the war on terror also received Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' personal thanks here yesterday evening. "You are the best, and we all owe you. And, in all sincerity, we're all humbled by you," Gates told the Grateful Nation Award recipients at the start of his remarks at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs' annual award dinner.

"It's surreal," Grateful Nation Award honoree
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Jason T. Fetty said of his meeting with Gates. He said the experience was "an incredible honor."

Fetty received the Silver Star for actions in Afghanistan in February, when he stopped a suicide bomber from killing hundreds of innocent people at a hospital opening in Khost. The staff sergeant forcibly maneuvered the would-be killer away from the crowd when the bomb went off.

Fetty, who's recovering from his wounds from the blast, said he was pleased to learn later that the grateful Afghans had staged a huge anti-Taliban demonstration after the incident.

Other 2007 Grateful Nation Award recipients are:

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Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jose Romero,

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Navy Lt. Seth A. Stone,

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Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse K. Gitchel,

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Air Force Staff Sgt. Elizabeth C. Spradley, and

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Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan A. Wallace.

It was "terrific" to visit with the servicemembers, Gates said as he thanked each one prior to the start of the dinner. "It's such an honor to be with them and meet them," he said.

Spradley, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, helped clear more than 5,000 miles of Iraqi roads from improvised explosive devices during her recent tour of duty in Kirkuk. She participated in 170 high-risk missions and neutralized 35 improvised explosive devices and two car bombs.

"We would disarm and mitigate any hazards along the roadways in Iraq," Spradley recalled, noting she was too focused on her missions to be distracted by the danger.

She said meeting the defense secretary and receiving the JINSA award "truly are an honor."

Stone, a
Navy SEAL special warfare operations specialist, earned two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star with a "V" device for valor for service in Ramadi, Iraq, in September 2006, where he led his team in fighting off a group of insurgents that threatened to destroy another SEAL unit.

Coast Guardsman Gitchel was in temporary command of a 110-foot-long cutter when he and his crew stared down a group of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-crewed ships in the North Arabian Gulf in August 2007. The Iranians were threatening Iraqi oil rigs.

Romero served with distinction in combat with a tank battalion that participated in the drive to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the spring of 2003. Afterward, he became a renowned Marine drill instructor noted for his
leadership and team-building skills used in molding the lives of young Marines.

Wallace is an air combat controller who earned the Silver Star medal for more than 24 hours of continuous work calling in airstrikes against insurgents during combat in Najaf, Iraq, during his October 2006 to April 2007 service in Iraq. About 250 insurgents were killed in the battle.

"It was a surprise, and it is an honor, as well," Wallace said of receiving the Grateful Nation Award. Meeting Gates was an awesome experience, he added.

Gates received the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs Henry M. Jackson award for his contributions to national security as a former career Central Intelligence Agency officer who worked his way up to director. Later, Gates was a key national security advisor, and he now serves as defense secretary. Previous Jackson Award recipients include Vice President Richard B. Cheney and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright assisted David P. Steinmann, chairman of JINSA's board of advisors, during the Grateful Nation Award ceremony. Cartwright saluted the awardees as well as all U.S. servicemen and women engaged in the war against terrorism.

"These young people will just flat knock your socks off," the four-star general said. "They are our greatest generation and our greatest treasure, and we should never forget that."

"I think nothing gives JINSA greater institutional gratification than tonight," Steinmann said before the servicemembers' award ceremony. "We need our Grateful Nation Award winners. They represent the best that our country can produce.

"We need to be reminded that our country produces men and women like this," Steinmann said.