Friday, December 21, 2007

Mail Handlers in Overdrive to Get Christmas Packages to Soldiers

By Spc. Ben Hutto, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - While most soldiers are tucked in their beds for the night, a mail handler with 461st Human Resource Battalion, out of Decatur, Ga., is waiting for the mail to arrive. "We started getting a spike in mail at the end of October," explained
Army Spc. Tony Rogers, from Tunnel Hill, Ga. "We went from getting four or five (shipping containers) of mail a week to over 10 a week. I try to be there when the trucks arrive to make sure everything goes smoothly. We don't want any mix-ups that would cause a soldier not to get mail."

The trucks normally arrive from Baghdad between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Four hours later, Rogers arrives to work at 6 a.m. to sort the mail.

"I don't mind," he said. "These packages are a big morale boost for the soldiers. I know how important it is for soldiers to be able to stay in touch with their families back home. It is worth it to see a soldier get a package and get excited. The holidays are tough, and anything I can do to cheer these guys up is important."

Army Pfc. Cassie Durkin, from Whitewater, Wis., a human resource specialist for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is a brigade staff mail handler. "It has really been busy here lately," she said. "We used to get mail once or twice a week, but it has been coming in every day lately. People are trying to get their loved ones packages and cards for the holidays, but it's a lot."

Durkin arrives at 6 a.m. with the other mail handlers to sort through each shipping container and separate letters and packages by unit. "We work for three hours straight normally," she said. "There is a lot of detail that goes into it, because we have to read every address and make sure that each package gets put in with the right section."

Durkin explained that her first three hours of the day are just the beginning. "Official mail call starts at 9:30 and lasts until 2 p.m., but we haven't been getting out until 6 or 7 p.m. most days," she said. "We stay as late as we need to. We make sure that everyone has a chance to get their mail. A lot of people have missions that keep them from coming during official hours so we stay and help them out."

It is a demanding job, but Durkin said she enjoys it. "It can be very tiring, but I'm happy to help people out," she said. "I personally try to help out people by hand delivering what I can, especially people that I know have a lot on their plate and can't get down here. Someone else's happiness really makes the job worth it. I really enjoy seeing people get something special from home. It's tough when you see soldiers getting antsy because a package they are expecting hasn't arrived yet. I try and get everyone their packages so they don't have to go through that."

As Christmas gets closer, Durkin said, mail is a critical part of mission effectiveness. "It is the most important thing for the soldiers' morale right now," she said. "Presents, Christmas cards, homemade cookies and pictures are all pieces of home that soldiers out here need. If I can help with that, it's a good thing."

(
Army Spc. Ben Hutto is assigned to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.)

America Supports You: Soldier's Legacy Benefits Wounded Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - An Illinois-based group is working to honor one soldier by supporting many other servicemembers. "The Captain Scott Corwin Foundation is dedicated to helping our men and women in uniform, concentrating on those wounded," said Greg Corwin, one of the foundation's executive members, and Scott's father.

The foundation was established to honor Scott Corwin, an active-duty soldier killed, not by foreign
terrorists, but while walking home in Savannah, Ga., after a night out with friends.

"We try to tailor our organization after what we think Scott would want, and we do a lot in the field of sports events, as Scott was a huge sports fan," Greg Corwin said.

Corwin said the foundation, which has arranged for wounded servicemembers to attend sporting events, doesn't limit itself to this type of support but finds such events are a great distraction for recovering vets.

"We also grant an annual scholarship in Scott's name at his high school in Dairen, Ill.," he said.

The scholarship is part of a
leadership program that will build upon the values of athletes in areas of scholarship and citizenship while encouraging them to give back to the community at large, Corwin said.

The U.S.
Military Academy graduate was serving as the construction officer assigned to 92nd Engineer Battalion (Heavy) at Fort Stewart, Ga., on May 29, when he was shot and killed. The case is still unsolved.

The foundation recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with
military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"We believe being (affiliated) with America Supports You puts us among some of the finest
military-support groups in the nation," Corwin said.

Corwin and the foundation also worked with U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of
Pennsylvania to get the Captain Scott Corwin Armed Forces Protection Act, House Resolution 3884, introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill, which was recently introduced, would make it a federal and capital offense to murder any member of the military, Corwin said.

Current law applies such penalties to those who kill a
police officer, even if that police officer is unidentifiable as a police officer, according to the foundation's Web site. For military homicide victims, prosecutors currently must prove the defendant knew the victim was a servicemember.

Gates: Coalitions Critical in Afghanistan, Other Security Missions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - After visiting some 50 countries during his first year running the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he's yet to find one that doesn't want to work with the United States. He also spoke of the importance of coalitions in advancing security around the world.

"My view is that the notion that the United States ... is terribly unpopular and nobody wants to work with us is just dead wrong," Gates said during an interview yesterday with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.

"I have yet to come to visit a single country, including Russia and China, where there isn't an interest in cooperating with us and working together on areas of mutual interest," he said. "So I think this notion that we are in ill odor around the world is certainly not consistent with any of the conversation that I have had anywhere."

Gates called cooperation and coalition building critical to America's defense and world security.

A lifelong student of history, the secretary said he heeds the advice of Gen. Fox Connor, a mentor to two prominent
military commanders: Gens. George C. Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower. "He had several axioms about a democracy fighting a war," Gates said. "One of those was, 'Never fight alone.'

"We have to be able to act unilaterally if we must," the secretary said. "But it is always better to have allies in a conflict, as well as in peacekeeping endeavors."

Gates pointed to the coalition in Afghanistan, with some 70 nations and organizations playing a part in helping the Afghans build a new democracy and improve their quality of life. "It not only provides a broad array of international support for what you are trying to do," he said, "but they actually bring concrete skills and capabilities to help."

As defense secretary, Gates has worked tirelessly to press the world community, particularly NATO, to increase its support for Afghanistan.

The international contribution varies greatly, he said. "The British are there in substantial force. The Australians are there in force. The Canadians are there in force," he said, noting that Canadian troops have suffered heavy losses proportional to the size of their
military and their representation in Afghanistan.

In addition, the Germans have "a very large presence" in northern Afghanistan, and the Dutch recently announced plans to extend their troop commitment for the Afghanistan mission another two years, Gates said.

"On the other hand, there are other allies that have the capacity that are not participating, or they are there and have so many restrictions on the use of their forces that it significantly reduces their contributions," he said.

Gates emphasized the need for countries to reduce these caveats and increase their commitments during the NATO informal ministerial conference in Noordwijk, Netherlands, in October. Just last week, he delivered the same message to defense leaders from countries that provide troops to NATO's Regional Command South in Afghanistan at a meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.

But the secretary's campaign for stronger coalition efforts expands beyond Afghanistan's and Iraq's borders.

Visiting Bahrain earlier this month, he pressed countries throughout the Persian Gulf to expand multilateral cooperation so they can better protect the region against threats from Iran and other destabilizing forces.

Gates told about 200 senior military
leaders from 23 countries at the Manama Dialogue that broader security relationships with closer multilateral ties and cooperation are "an absolute necessity" in light of threats the region faces. Such a framework could help pave the way for a regional air and missile defense system that would provide a regional defense umbrella and deter a missile attack, he said.

"They have never done this together," Gates said during yesterday's interview. "We've done it bilaterally, but it would be much more efficient and much more effective if a group of countries was working together on it.

"So a fair amount of my travel has been, 'How do we enlist more countries in working with us on this?'" he said.

NORAD Set to Track Santa; Commander Thanks Troops, Families

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Members of North American Aerospace Defense Command are gearing up to track Santa Claus' travels on Christmas Eve, providing detailed information about his whereabouts on the command's Web site and through a toll-free telephone line.
Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, delivered a tongue-in-cheek assessment of the Santa-tracking mission.

He reported a "consistent phenomenon" the command has tracked for decades. "Sometime around the 24th of December, this individual begins to take flight, and he makes a very rapid trip around the globe," he said.

When Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor, first took notice of this flight in the 1950s, "there was a great concern, because we didn't know if this was a threat to our country and to free nations around the world," Renuart said. "What we found is, this gentleman brings good everywhere he goes."

NORAD's system to track this person has evolved over the years, refined through the use of radar systems, satellite sensors and communications and interactive information
technology, he said. "So we can precisely, at any time along his flight, identify his location, ensure he has the proper protection and ... he can complete his mission on time."

The NORAD elves are looking forward to tracking Santa again this year, Renuart said. From 2 a.m. Mountain Time Dec. 24 through 2 a.m. Mountain Time Christmas Day, they'll track his progress, posting details on the command's Web site at
www.noradsanta.org.

"At any time in this process, they can find out where Santa is and when he should be into their area," Renuart said.

In addition, children can call the NORAD hotline at 877-HI-NORAD toll-free to check up on Santa. Translators we be on hand to report on his travels in six different languages, Renuart said. They'll also remind children that Santa can't come to their houses if they're awake, he said.

"It's an amazing planning process Santa goes through to arrive in each part of the world after the children have gone to sleep to ensure that he can review whether they have been good or bad, naughty or nice, and reward them appropriately," Renuart said. "So it's a mission we take very seriously, and we are looking forward to it."

The Santa-tracking mission dates back to 1955, after an ad in a local newspaper printed an incorrect number for Santa Claus that sent callers to Continental Air Defense Command's operations center. Its commander, Col. Harry Shoup, started the tradition of tracking Santa, a mission NORAD assumed in 1958.

Last year, the command's Santa-tracking Web site received more than 941 million page views from 210 countries and territories, NORAD officials reported. In addition, 756 volunteers answered more than 65,000 calls to the toll-free phone line.

While enjoying the levity of the mission, Renuart turned serious to extend thoughts and prayers to young men and women deployed in harm's way around the world and to their families who will spend the holidays without their loved ones.

"This is a difficult time in our country's history as we continue to struggle against this rash of violent extremism around the world," he said. "We've got great members of our
military who have given selflessly of themselves. But importantly, their families have given selflessly as well, and our thoughts and prayers go out to them."

"We wish them all the best in this holiday season," he said. "We want them to be safe, and we want them to return home safely just as soon as this mission allows."

Meanwhile, Renuart assured that NORAD and NORTHCOM will continue carrying out their mission to ensure troops their families are protected and that, if disaster strikes in their communities, it's ready to respond.

"We take this job very seriously, and we are committed to make sure that when they arrive home safely, they come back to a safe home, as well," he said.

England Meets, Thanks 'Why We Serve' Participants

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today thanked a group of servicemembers who have completed nationwide speaking tours as part of the "Why We Serve" public-outreach program. Since the draft ended in 1973, the average American has had diminishing experience with members of the
military, England told the servicemembers in his Pentagon office.

With U.S. troops deployed worldwide in support of the
war on terrorism, it is especially vital that Why We Serve participants "go out and make that contact" with the American people, he said.

"This is the best
military we've ever had. The all-volunteer force is terrific," said England, as he thanked the servicemembers and provided each with his personal coin.

"At the end of the day, we rely on the support of the American people," observed England, who also wished the servicemembers a happy holiday season.

"Thanks for representing America and representing your services. You did a great job for us," he said.

Why We Serve participant
Marine 1st Lt. Tabitha B. White, an Iraq veteran, said she enjoyed meeting England and telling her story to the public.

"Meeting the deputy defense secretary is a wonderful experience," White said. "The American public wants to hear our stories, and they are so supportive."

White, who returned from a tour in Iraq in August, said audiences often asked her if she had any interaction with Iraqi citizens. "I did get to meet an Iraqi civilian while I was over there. She was volunteering at the hospital. She was just grateful to have that opportunity to volunteer and help her country," White recalled.

White also remembered when formerly violent areas became pacified during her eight-month tour of duty in northeastern Iraq. "It was really violent and hostile. And, now, they are opening hospitals and schools, and all of their sheikhs are meeting together to try to figure out a better way to run their country," White recalled.

Another Iraq veteran and Why We Serve participant, recently promoted Marine Sgt. Sean M. Henry, said he was pleased to meet England and is proud of his participation in the program.

"It's outstanding, what this program is doing, getting out and interacting with the American people. That's priceless," Henry emphasized.

Other members of the fifth group of Why We Serve participants include:
Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Bruce Binda, Army Maj. Cedric L. Burden, Marine Staff Sgt. John Costa, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mark A. DeCorte, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier, Army Sgt. Jose J. Munoz, and Air Force Maj. Marcia A. Potter. Munoz wasn't able to meet England today because of his pending deployment to Afghanistan.

Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in 2006. The program is conducted in quarterly segments and participants perform 90-day duty tours talking to schools, veterans organizations and business groups across the United States.

The sixth Why We Serve group of servicemembers assembles in January, and it will be the largest group since the program began, said
Marine Maj. Chris Devine, the Why We Serve program director. The new group, Devine said, will consist of 12 servicemembers representing the military service branches.

"All of the Why We Serve participants have done a great job," Devine said.

Why We Serve continues to improve, Devine said. The program, he noted, is "one more way for us to provide information to the American people about what it is these young men and women are doing in the
global war on terrorism."

President Thanks Servicemembers for Sacrifices

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - In his annual holiday message, President Bush thanked servicemembers and their families for their sacrifices. "Our nation is thankful for the many sacrifices you and your families make every day. During the holidays and throughout the coming year, we ask the Almighty to bestow His protection and care on you and your loved ones. We pray for your safety and for liberty, justice, and peace on Earth," Bush's message, released today, reads.

He also said the nation owes servicemembers and their families a debt of gratitude for their service.

"In this season of giving, we remember our duty to others, and we see that sense of duty fulfilled in the men and women who wear our nation's uniform. Our country owes you a debt of gratitude for your courage and resolve to serve the cause of peace," Bush said. "Americans are proud of your dedicated service, and I am proud to be the commander in chief of the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world."

The president spent part of yesterday visiting troops at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center here. He visited injured soldiers in their wards, passing along his well wishes and presenting some with Purple Heart Medals. He said this month has the lowest number of patients admitted since 2002.

"Every time I come to a facility like this, I count my blessings, and one of the great blessings is to be the president of a country that produces such brave men and women," Bush said during his visit.

On Dec. 19, the president also visited servicemembers at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.

Airmen, Sailors Complete Interservice Air Combat Training

By Master Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing "Wolf Pack" returned here yesterday after completing an 11-day air combat training exercise with sailors flying F-18 Hornets at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan. Forty airmen from 8th Operations Group, 8th Maintenance Group and 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron, along with five F-16s, deployed to the naval installation Dec. 9 to 20.

"Air combat training between the services exposes both
Navy and Air Force pilots to different air-to-air tactics and aircraft capabilities," said Air Force Maj. Michael Boger, 8th Operations Support Squadron director of operations and the training exercise commander. "This type of training is critically important to maintain not only Wolf Pack pilots and maintainers, but Navy fighter pilots' combat skills by engaging in realistic air-to-air combat training against different types of high-performance fighter aircraft."

During the exercise, pilots received training on different basic fighter maneuvers as the two different airframes went head to head within each training scenario. Training was stepped up during differential air combat
tactics when four F-16 pilots flew against up to six F-18 pilots. In another scenario, a combined flight of two Navy and two Air Force jets flew against another combined flight of two Navy and two Air Force jets.

Boger said these scenarios, along with flying from Japan, helped trained Wolf Pack aviators to varied aerial situations allowing them to learn adaptation and flexibility. He added that many of the maneuvers used during training at Kunsan against Wolf Pack F-16's were validated against the Hornets with slightly different cues for accomplishing certain maneuvers.

Pilots flying the missions were not the only airmen who received valuable training during the exercise.

Maintenance airmen also received good training during launch, recovery and any maintenance issues that arose during the exercise,
Air Force Capt. Katie Jett, 35th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, said.

She said deploying to a
Navy base compared to an Air Force base means there is different equipment to service and troubleshoot. Those differences didn't affect maintenance, but will be beneficial for future training exercises, she said.

"Since we've experienced what a naval base has to offer, we'll be able to better coordinate prior to arrival what we can count on the
Navy to provide and also what exactly to bring for future training exercises to Japan," she said. "This has been a beneficial training exercise for both operators and the maintainers that would be great to have as a reoccurring event for the 35th as a unit."

Another unit that benefited from the training was Carrier Air Wing 5, based at Atsugi. The unit, with its six squadrons and five different airframes, easily was able to integrate and train with the 35th Fighter Squadron pilots through the joint air-to-air training.

"Joint air-to-air combat training is extremely important in today's military as joint operations become more and more essential,"
Navy Lt. Cdr. Jason Lane, assistant operations officer for Carrier Air Wing 5, said. "In a dynamic air-to-air training environment, face-to-face planning, briefing and debriefing are crucial to the training."

(Air Force Master Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan is assigned to 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs.)

Battle of the Bulge Memories, Emotions Live On


By Ray Johnson
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Standing next to the killing field where he once found himself face-down in the snow surrounded by the dead and dying, Ted Paluch said his return wasn't as emotional as it once was, especially having visited three other times. His resiliency and composure quickly crumbled, though, when asked to honor 84 U.S. soldiers murdered near Malmedy, Belgium, in
World War II.

As the 85-year-old from
Philadelphia gingerly stepped on the frozen turf -- the ground as hard as it was 63 years ago when he served with 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion -- Paluch's eyes brimmed with tears. Clutching a wreath and almost whispering to himself, he said: "One of my guys was found here, in this exact spot. I wish he was standing next to me now instead."

Similar sentiments were heard 50 miles away in Bastogne, a Belgian city forever linked with the massive
World War II campaign officially tagged Battle of Ardennes, but better known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Invited to the dedication of the Baugnex 44 Historical Center, a museum that recounts American prisoners of war being executed in 1944 by a German SS Panzer unit, Paluch was one of several hundred veterans and current soldiers who commemorated Battle of the Bulge ceremonies Dec. 15-17.

The 30th Bastogne Historic Walk, which paid tribute to 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, kicked off three days of remembrance. Roughly 3,000 participants, including 900 U.S. servicemembers, marched along the outskirts of Bastogne and through the villages of Hemroulle, Champs and Longchamps, where the "Five-Oh-Deuce" fought and bled.

Following a narrow road reduced to muck in places, marchers went past grasslands and thick forests. It is here where great tank battles took place in the open, while hand-to-hand combat spilled from one foxhole to another.

Carl Dalke, 82, who served with the 101st Airborne Division's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, recalls the first 24 hours of the fight as being the toughest, with his unit surrounded and trapped in arctic-like conditions. He labeled it "gut wrenching," especially when his best friend died -- one of 19,000 Americans killed, along with another almost 60,000 injured.

"But at no time did we ever think that we would lose, ... even though we were outnumbered seven to one," said Dalke, outfitted in 1940s-era
military clothing and sporting several rows of medals, including a Bronze Star.

At a small memorial hugging the road, Dalke, like Paluch, laid a wreath to personally recognize those who didn't survive the costly monthlong struggle.

Along the walk, marchers passed by several such memorials and realistic scenes of uniformed reenactors digging foxholes, stealing through the woods, manning crossroads and driving authentic vehicles of that era. Adding to the setting were 22 parachutists jumping from a C-47 Dakota transporter.

Later in the day, a formal wreath-laying ceremony was held in Bastogne's McAuliffe Square, named after Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, who famously replied "Nuts!" when asked to surrender by the Germans. Prior to the ceremony, the U.S.
Army Garrison Benelux Honor Guard led a parade formed by dignitaries, beret-wearing veterans, Belgian troops, and soldiers from USAG Benelux and USAG Brussels. Also included in the mix were school-age children carrying flags of every U.S. state.

The procession, with a sidewalk-lined crowd tagging along, made its way from downtown to a small park and monument dedicated to Gen. George S. Patton, commander of the 3rd
Army, which relieved besieged 101st Airborne Division forces. Afterward, the parade returned to McAuliffe Square, where U.S. and Belgian officials, military leaders and Battle of the Bulge survivors remembered those who fell.

Army Col. James Drago, commander of USAG Benelux, joined Marcel D'Haese, of the Belgian 5th Fusiliers, which fought alongside the Allies, in presenting a wreath. Drago, a veteran of operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, called the moment "truly amazing."

"The amount of energy that the Bastogne community expends to show their heartfelt appreciation each year reminds us all of the awesome sacrifices our soldiers made in that cold winter of 1944-1945," the colonel said. "Knowing that people from around the world participate in such large numbers annually confirms just how important these sacrifices were."

(Ray Johnson works for the U.S.
Army Installation Management Command, Europe Region, Public Affairs Office.)

No Furloughs for Christmas, Gates Says

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - The $70 billion in emergency funds approved this week by Congress have sidestepped the need for the
Army to send out furlough notices for now, but that money won't last long, the Pentagon's top official said today. "There will be no furlough notices sent out in the holiday season," Gates said. But, "absent timely congressional action in the new year, we will again face the risk of running out of money," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at a news briefing.

"The department welcomes this step, however it is important to note that it represents only a partial solution," he said.

Gates said officials are still analyzing the bill, but overall DoD received less than half of the president's $189.3 billion request.

Above the $55.7 billion needed to continue fighting, the emergency appropriation will provide money for
military pay and benefits, replacing and repairing combat equipment, and funds for Iraqi and Afghan security forces, according to DoD officials.

It will not, however, provide money needed to pay U.S. troops for the full year, and operating funds will run out again in the spring, officials said.

Gates said today that funding the department in "fits and starts" effects planning and puts procurement and training for deploying troops at risk.

"I only hope that next year we can all come together and move quickly to provide the remaining funds to troops," Gates said.

On a more personal note, Gates acknowledged that the last-minute action to approve funding caused stress among the Defense Department work force.

"I realize and regret that in the last few weeks we have created anxiety and uncertainty for (the civilian work force). I hope we don't have to face a replay of this situation again this spring. But they can rest assured this department treasures them and will not take any action affecting them unless it absolutely must," Gates said.

This week is Gates' one-year anniversary as secretary. In the briefing he discussed progress made through the year, and challenges ahead.

"The war is far from over, and we must protect and build on the gains earned with the blood of our
military, our allies and our Iraqi partners," Gates said.

In Iraq, 2008 could see as few as 10 brigade combat teams left in Iraq, Gates said. Plans are for the first five to return home by July. The first leaves the country this month.

If the security situation in Iraqi remains stable, five more could return home by the end of the administration, Gates said.

"My hope has been that the circumstances on the ground will continue to improve in a way that ... will allow a continuation of the drawdowns at roughly the same pace as the first half of the year," Gates said.

"That balance of the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to bear the security burden, the efforts and capacity of the provincial governments to provide services, and finally the ability of the national government -- all of these things are going to have to be weighed by Ambassador (Ryan C.) Crocker and General (David H.) Petraeus ... when they make their recommendations to the president," Gates said, referring to the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the commander of coalition forces in Iraq.

Gates cautioned that any troop movements would be dependent on conditions in Iraq and based on recommendations by senior military commanders there. "It will be completely dependent on the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Gates said the main challenges in Iraq will be sustaining this year's security gains and encouraging legislative and economic progress in the region. While the performance of the Iraqi government ministries is somewhat uneven, Gates said, the Ministry of Finance is doing well, and macroeconomics in Iraq "look pretty good."

Also, he said, much of the funding for provincial reconstruction is coming from the central government.

In Afghanistan, forces have inflicted heavy losses on the Taliban, launched a comprehensive reconstruction effort and strengthened civic institutions and security forces, Gates said.

But, Afghanistan remains threatened by ruthless extremists and destructive narcotics trade, he added. "NATO's efforts to rebuild and secure the country must be sustained and expanded into next year and beyond," Gates said.

Gates said that some of the recent spike in violence in that country is due to operations in new areas. Forces have just recently taken control of the last town remaining under Taliban control.

He said challenges there included sustaining recent successes, hanging on to areas already cleared, creating conditions for further economic development, and adding capacity to the Afghan security forces. The secretary said that NATO was going to examine "more creative ways" for countries that are unable to provide combat troops to help. Some could help with funding or provide experts for reconstruction teams or provide
police training in secured areas.

"We are going to try and be more creative in terms of finding ways for people to do more within the framework of the political realities of the different countries," Gates said.

When questioned about the U.S. possibly adding more troops to the country, Gates said there is not a need for a large number of additional troops. Based on commander's reported shortfalls in the country, the need would only be about 7,500 troops, with half of those serving as
police trainers, he said.

"We will be looking at the requirements ourselves, and we will be talking with our allies. But there is clearly ... no requirement for a substantial plus-up of forces in Afghanistan to accomplish (the) mission," Gates said.

About 26,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. More than 40 countries are supporting operations there, 39 of which are part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force. About 41,700 ISAF troops are in Afghanistan.

Combat Veterans Connect With America Through 'Why We Serve' Program

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 21, 2007 - Wrapping up three months of speaking engagements around the country, recently returned combat veterans said Americans long to hear firsthand accounts about duty on the front lines without media filters. "They were so hungry to hear our personal stories," said
Marine 1st Lt. Tabitha White, after sharing experiences about her eight-month deployment to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, with schoolchildren, employers and civic groups through the "Why We Serve" program.

"The only information they had about what's going on came from the news," White said. "They said they never get a chance to hear personal stories."

The Defense Department established the Why We Serve program in July 2006 to give returning veterans the opportunity to fill that void.

The brainchild of retired
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the program sends servicemembers just back from Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa into the community. They crisscross the country sharing their firsthand experiences with community organizations, business associations, academic institutions, veterans groups and other non-profit or non-partisan organizations.

Today, the latest group, made up of three Marines, two soldiers, two sailors and two airmen, wrapped up the fifth three-month iteration since the program's start.

Air Force Maj. Marcia Potter, who visited 12 states describing her work as a nurse practitioner at Balad Air Base, Iraq, said the program helps balance information the public receives about the combat theater from other sources.

Program participants share straightforward details about what they did, what was happening around them, and how it felt to be part of it.

"The Pentagon doesn't tell me what to say," Potter said. "I simply talk about my own experience."

Wherever the participants took their stories, audiences responded. "I heard over and over again how people now have a better idea about the military and what it's doing," Potter said.

Army Maj. Cedric Burden, who spoke at 30 events through the program, said the groups he talked with couldn't get enough. Many people came to the speaking events with written questions, some with three parts. At one event, the emcee had to cut off the questioning when it stretched well beyond the allotted two-hour time block.

Potter said the program gave people with little or no previous exposure to the military a chance to see that it's made up of people not all that different from themselves. "It helped show people that in the
military, we have relatable people -- people like them, but who have dedicated themselves to serving their country," Potter said.

For
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier, a highlight of the program was speaking at Navy veterans' functions to explain the broad missions today's sailors are conducting in the war on terror.

"There's a new generation of sailors on the ground, not on ships," said Guerrier, who returned from Afghanistan, where he served as a maintenance officer for the provincial reconstruction team in Asadabad. "When they heard about that, they were really surprised and so proud of the tradition that they had carried."

Schoolchildren, many who thought only soldiers were fighting the war, were equally surprised, Guerrier said. "It felt really good to tell them that, no, the
Navy is there, too," he said.

Guerrier said he got a kick out of some of the "crazy questions" children would ask him. "They're honest and don't sugarcoat any questions," he said. "They were just eager to learn."

White said she was amazed at the level of support she felt everywhere she traveled. "Most of the public are so supportive of us as
military members," she said. "They may not agree with some of the policies and politics, but they are so supportive of us."
Participating in the program, particularly fresh off a deployment, proved to be a benefit to the speakers, too. Burden said it helped give him closure after his yearlong deployment as an infantry company commander with 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, in Hawijah and Rashad, Iraq.

It also helped him deal with the 10 soldiers he lost. By meeting their families, visiting some of their graves and officiating at the dedication of a post office in one's honor during his Why We Serve assignment, Burden said, he was able to pay tribute to his troops.

"It was therapy for me," agreed White, who entered the program just a month after returning in August from her deployment to Iraq with
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 2. "Before that, I had had no time to fully process everything I'd gone through. This helped me come to terms with my experience and what I personally got out of it."

White said she takes pride in her service and the contribution she made as an airspace cell coordinator. "I was doing my job, protecting my country, protecting my family and protecting the community," she said.

Turkey Gave 'Ample Notification' of PKK Strikes, Pentagon Spokesman Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 19, 2007 - The Turkish government provided "ample notification" of plans to conduct air strikes against Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq over the weekend, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Morrell disputed press reports that the United States had been left in the dark as the Turkish air force attacked Kurdistan Workers' Party – known as "PKK" -- positions Dec. 16, insisting that the notification process worked smoothly.

The Turks communicated their plans through the Ankara Coordination Center, which was set up this summer to promote intelligence-sharing between the two countries, he explained.

The United States shares with the Turks intelligence regarding the PKK, "a group that we -- as they and the Iraqis, I should point out -- regard as
terrorists," Morrell said. "So our stated goal is to share intelligence about PKK holdouts and operations."

Morrell declined to say if the United States provided the intelligence that led to the weekend attacks.

He emphasized ongoing efforts to improve coordination between the two countries, citing top-level discussions between President Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Nov. 5.
Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, followed up on these talks later that month, Morrell said.

But the bottom line, Morrell emphasized, is that "Turkey is a sovereign nation" and has a right to act in self-defense against the PKK. "So they don't have to seek our permission," he said. "We have a cooperative relationship with this old and close ally. ... There is coordination, there is notification, but there is not permission sought. And as far as this building is concerned, the coordination that took place was adequate."

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino refused to condemn a Turkish ground incursion into Iraq following the air strikes.

"We are coordinating with the Turkish and Iraqi authorities in the area," she told White House reporters today. The PKK is a threat to Turkey, to Iraq, and to the United States, she said, "so we continue to share information, share intelligence" regarding the group's activities.

"The Turks have moved forward with our coordination and in communication with the Iraqis in order to eradicate that threat," Perino said.

Face of Defense: Deployed Airman Hits Career Milestone


By Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 20, 2007 - A deployed airman recently joined an elite group of aviators after flying his 200th combat mission and reaching 1,500 combat hours. Master Sgt. Anthony Roy, a 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron instructor flight engineer deployed from Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, Ariz., reached a career milestone that only three other airmen in the squadron have accomplished.

"Reaching 200 combat missions and flying 1,500 combat hours was a milestone in my career that I never imagined that I would reach," Roy said. "When my squadron first started flying over here and deploying on a regular basis, I hit my first 100 combat missions. I thought that was going to be it, but it wasn't."

Six years ago, Roy cross-trained out of the aircraft maintenance career field to be an instructor flight engineer.

"I really enjoy my job," he said. "I like being in the operations end of it. I worked in maintenance for 13 years and watched planes take off, never knowing where they went or what they did. Now I'm on the airplane and actually getting to do the mission. I'm able to learn not just about my job on the airplane, but what other crewmembers do. Being able to be involved, I get the unique opportunity that most enlisted people don't get to do. I get to train officers."

As an instructor flight engineer, Roy's primary job is to pass on his knowledge of the aircraft to the rest of the crewmembers to ensure mission success.

"I've had many memorable moments in my career," he said. "What stands out the most is how the
Air Force's role in the fight against terror has changed the skies over Iraq. When we first started flying over here after the initial Operation Iraqi Freedom push, American servicemembers moved into Iraq, and we were starting the whole rebuild process. We would go up every night, and you would see nothing but explosions, firefights and very few city lights. Now, when we go up and you see fewer explosions, fewer firefights, and the city lights of Baghdad have tripled. So just seeing the difference and how far that country has grown is the most memorable and rewarding experience I've had in my 20-year Air Force career."

Throughout his career, Roy has been deployed 14 times and will most likely retire in October. "Reaching 200 missions to me means that I did my part to be truly successful in the original purpose of why we came over here in the first place," he said.

(
Air Force Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder is assigned to 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)

Defense Secretary Sends Holiday Message

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 20, 2007 - Citing the many gains achieved by the
military over the past year, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanked America's men and women in uniform for their service in a holiday message released today. "The holidays offer a special time to remember our many blessings as Americans – perhaps chief among them are the dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who protect our nation," Gates wrote in his message. "Since assuming this post a year ago, I have been awed and humbled by our men and women in uniform who are carving for themselves a noble place in American history."

Gates noted that the year began with the deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq in a concerted effort to reduce violence. Since then, violence has declined sharply and former enemy strongholds are being transformed into communities of hope and possibility, he noted. "While it is premature to declare victory, we must protect our hard-earned and hard-fought gains and redouble efforts to defend our long-term interests in this region," he wrote.

Significant progress has also been made this year in Afghanistan, where the United States and its allies have inflicted heavy losses on the Taliban, launched a comprehensive, nationwide reconstruction effort, and strengthened civic institutions, Gates said.

In the past year, the Defense Department also began expanding the
Army and Marine Corps to relieve stress on the force, Gates noted. Mobilization policies have been revamped to provide more stability and predictability for National Guard and Reserve troops, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles became the military's highest acquisition priority, and the department has begun to fix the problems with outpatient medical care for wounded troops, he said.

"At home and abroad, I have met with small groups of service men and women – from junior enlisted to field grade officers, from active duty to Guard and Reserve – to hear their questions, concerns, and aspirations unvarnished and uncensored," Gates wrote. "I am grateful for their candor, their questions – and their advice. These exchanges have frequently shaped my thinking and influenced my decisions on everything from day-to-day
military operations to enhancing the quality of life for servicemembers and their families."

The United States is now in its seventh year of war, and troops and their families are sacrificing much, Gates noted. "This holiday season, many of those in uniform are on repeat deployments or have had their tours extended," he wrote. "Many will miss midnight Mass or have already missed Hanukkah's Festival of Lights. Many will not hear the squeals of delight from their children on Christmas morning. Many will sing neither carols nor hymns.

"Instead, they serve halfway around the world to honor a pledge they made to the country they love," Gates said. "Please keep our troops in your thoughts and may God forever bless them and this wonderful nation we call home."

Program Helps Injured Employees Return to Work

By Kim Sears
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 20, 2007 - A new Defense Department program is helping
civilian employees injured in job-related accidents and illnesses return to work. The Pipeline Program, established by the Defense Safety Oversight Council and managed by the department's Civilian Personnel Management Service, has allowed more than 400 injured employees to return to work at more than 60 installations.

The Pipeline Program addresses two issues that had hindered re-employment efforts: the ability to create additional positions for recovering workers and the funding to pay for them. DoD components now can use the program to create additional positions for recovering workers, even if they exceed the number of employees a component is permitted to hire. Components are granted the position and the salary and benefits to cover that position for up to one year with the obligation they will integrate the employee into their regular work force within that time.

Susan Atwood, Pipeline re-employment program manager for the
Civilian Personnel Management Service, said the arrangement helps mitigate the impact large numbers of recovering workers have on an agency's budget by eliminating associated training costs for new employees.

"Injured employees returned to productive duties help reduce training, overtime and replacement expenses, while also making valuable contributions to the overall DoD mission," Atwood said. "Pipeline gets to the heart of resource allocation and funding by removing these historical barriers, and even more importantly, puts recovering employees back to productive duty as soon as they are medically able."

Harriet Cronin, DoD liaison for injury compensation for the New York and Boston region, said Pipeline has become integral to a recovering employee's emotional and psychological well-being.

"Once an injured employee is brought back to work and is involved in something outside the home, their ailments become less pronounced, and their self-esteem increases," Cronin said. "The Pipeline Program has been a tremendous success in contributing to a recovering employee's productivity and self-worth."

The program also supports the President's Safety, Health, and Return-to-Employment initiative, known as SHARE, by assisting each DoD installation in reducing lost days resulting from injuries. SHARE is a safe workplace initiative that aims to reduce workplace injury and illness rates and encourage timely reporting of injury and illness cases.

"The Pipeline Program has been tremendously successful in helping supervisors, commanders, and program managers remove the budget and manpower restrictions they once had, and which contribute to longer periods of disability for injured workers," said Patt Scanlon, chief of the Injury and Unemployment Compensation Division at the
Civilian Personnel Management Service. "In addition to keeping re-employment costs low for installations, the program helps maintain self-esteem, self-worth and identity. Pipeline strives to enable recovering employees to take charge of their lives and careers and to once again become independent productive citizens."

Since the program's implementation, overall government injury-compensation costs have increased by about 9 percent, while such costs within the Defense Department have increased by less than 1 percent.

Eligibility for Pipeline funding is open to any DoD component and civilian employee with an accepted workers' compensation claim, officials said.

(Kim Sears works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)

Bush, Gates Comment on Partial War Funding Approved by Congress

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 20, 2007 - President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today thanked Congress for approving emergency defense spending yesterday, but both men said more money is needed to prosecute the
war on terror and other defense operations. The $70 billion in funds for the war on terror Congress approved yesterday will forestall Army and Marine Corps civilian furloughs, but still falls short of fully funding defense operations, officials said.

Congress yesterday approved a $555 billion omnibus spending bill with $70 billion in emergency funds earmarked for the
war on terror. The funds were approved without any timetable for troop withdrawal, the point of contention between some in Congress and the White House that led to a last-minute passage before a holiday recess.

"I appreciated that they included a down payment on the funding request for our troops on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq without an artificial timetable for withdrawal," Bush said in a White House news conference. "These brave men and women are risking their lives to protect us, and they deserve the full support of the U.S. government."

"It will give us the money to run the war for several more months, but our total request was for $189 billion for the supplemental," Gates said in an interview. "So this is forcing us to plan short-term and to make decisions short-term, and there may be a worse way to manage a huge operation and do everything short-term, sort of month-to-month, but I can't think of it.

"So, (I am) grateful to the Congress for providing us with this $70 billion, but providing us the money in fits and starts like this makes long-term planning and doing things the most efficient possible way almost impossible," Gates said.

Congress passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations, officials said.

Above the $55.7 billion needed to continue fighting, the emergency appropriation also will provide money for $1.1 billion in
military pay and benefits, $6 billion to replace and repair combat equipment, $4.3 billion to fund counter-improvised-explosive-device efforts, and $2.9 billion for Iraqi and Afghan security forces, according to DoD officials.

It will not, however, provide money needed to pay U.S. troops for the full year, and operating funds will run out again in the spring, officials said. Equipment replacements will be delayed, and money for Iraq and Afghan security forces will run out in spring as well.

The House passed a $50 billion bill in November with funds to continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directed the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate, and the president vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.

Earlier this month, Gates requested to shift $3.7 billion from
Navy and Air Force payrolls and an $800 million excess in the working capital fund to Army and Marine Corps operations. If funding would have been delayed, it could have affected as many as 200,000 civilian employees and contractors, DoD officials reported earlier.