Sunday, December 23, 2007

Over 1700 Cop Books

EDITOR'S NOTE: One of the authors is a former servicemember.

December 23, 2007, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 800 state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of three police officers and their book, the website has grown to include more than 1700 books written by state and local law enforcement officials.

Vonn Auld Kopp is the pseudonym for a police officer whose 32 year law enforcement career included spending the last 23 years in the Houston Police Department homicide division. Vonn Auld Kopp is the author of Homicidal Humor.

According to the book description of Homicidal Humor, “Welcome to the world of urban police legend and lore. If I had firsthand knowledge of the events described herein, I would be hauled before both federal and state investigative grand juries. What I have actually done here is record stories told to me by cops from all over this country. For three decades I have collected confessions, bizarre stories, statements and lies that were told to me.”

At the age of 19,
Jim Stewart joined the United States Army. He served in Vietnam from October of 1966 to October of 1968. He then worked as a civilian in Vietnam for the next two years. He served with the 552nd, 300th, 560th, 527th , and"C"CO of the 716th MP BN. In 1992, Jim Stewart joined the Brawley Police Department. He retired in 2002 at the rank of corporal. He is the author of The Angel from Vietnam.

According to the book description of “The Angel from Vietnam, “In 1970, after four years in Vietnam,
Jim Stewart left behind his daughter, Phuong. It is estimated that fifty thousand Amerasians were left behind when America pulled out of the country for good in 1973. Jim carried this with him for years after the war. Join him on his journey through personal tragedy as a young boy in Maryland, his often humorous adventures in the Army, and the serious events that took place during his years in Vietnam and afterwards.”

In December 1985,
Jon M. Shane Joined the Newark Police Department (New Jersey) and was assigned to the South Police District. During his 20 year law enforcement career, he worked a variety of assignments and worked his way through the ranks of detective, sergeant and lieutenant, eventually reaching the rank of Captain. His last active duty assignment was in the Command Operations Center which provides command rank supervision to the Department during non-business hours. Captain Jon Shane (ret.) has a BA and Masters in criminal justice; and, is currently working on his Doctorate in Criminal Justice. Captain Jon Shane (ret.) is the author of What Every Chief Executive Should Know.

According to the book description of What Every Chief Executive Should Know, “How many officers do we need? Are we efficiently using the ones we have? Is there a relationship between the number of officers we have and our crime rate? What s the status of our patrol car fleet? Are citizens satisfied with our work? What s the cost of our special programs and what are the actual benefits? Big questions that demand solid answers! This book will help you provide them! Easy to understand and designed to help top administrators use actual current information and calculations to make the kinds of informed decisions that make agencies run smoothly, efficiently and economically.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 811
police officers (representing 366 police departments) and their 1722 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.

Chairman's USO Tour Wraps Up

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 23, 2007 - If they made movie starring Robin Williams about this year's Chairman's USO Holiday Tour it could be titled: "Good Morning, Arifjan, CampVirginia, Taqqadum, Ramadi, Tikrit, Balad, Kabul, Kandahar, Manas, Aviano, Rota." The title would be longer but for a dust storm that forced cancellation of a show in Baghdad and snow that forced cancellation another at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wanted to reach as many servicemembers as possible in the trip, which started Dec. 16 and ended yesterday. "This is a tough time to be away from home; we know that," Mullen said. "The USO performers donate their talent and time to make sure our young men and women get a taste of America during the holidays."

Williams could play himself in the movie as he made his fourth trip "downrange" to entertain troops. The Oscar-winning actor/comedian had a different show in every location, always tailored to the place. In Robin's world, the soccer stadium in Balad, Iraq, became the home of the first NASCAR track in Iraq where MRAPs would rule.

Rocker/hip-hop artist/country singer/virtually-all-music-genre entertainer Kid Rock always brought the house down, starting with the first three bars of "Sweet Home, Alabama" and ending with a blues take on what Kid Rock would do if he were the president. It was the
Detroit-based performer's third trip to Iraq, but his first to Afghanistan. Young men and women sang along with Rock in his own songs like "Cowboy" and others like Hank Williams Jr.'s "A Country Boy Can Survive."

At Balad -- four days into the tour -- Kid Rock teamed up with Robin "Bluesman" Williams on harp for a hilarious, high-energy -- and unprintable -- finale. It became a staple of the rest of the shows on the trip.

Actor/comedian Lewis Black was making his first USO tour. He is an American original in both his comedic observations and in his delivery. Black expressed his appreciation of the men and women in uniform in a way that they appreciated.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong talked about how the trip has given him a new perspective and about what being a hero really means. He said that many people call athletes heroes because they win an event or catch a pass. "That's not heroic. Athletes do that for money or for fame or for a magazine cover," he said in Manas.

He said some people called him a hero during his battle against cancer. "That wasn't heroic, because I just wanted to stay alive," he said.

American servicemembers are real heroes, Armstrong said, because they fight for freedom and liberty, often in appalling conditions. "I know this Christmas I will hug my kids a bit tighter after this experience," he said.

Miss USA Rachel Smith thanked the troops for their sacrifices and probably received about 30 marriage proposals after every show. Smith and all members of the troupe were always gracious and willing to pose for a picture or to autograph a hat or a poster or even a water bottle.

In Kandahar, Irish tenor Ronan Tynan joined the party. Tynan opened the shows with "Go, Lassie, Go." He followed with a pitch-perfect rendition of "God Bless, America" that brought tears to the eyes of many servicemembers far from home.

The trip covered all sorts of ranges. The shows themselves went from rated R in the combat zones to PG at the shows with families in Aviano Air Base, Italy, and here. The weather went from sandstorms in Iraq to snow at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan. Temperatures went from sweating in the sun at a location in Southwest Asia to the teens in Kyrgyzstan and springlike in Italy.

One aspect didn't change, and that was the appreciation the servicemembers had for the performers and vice versa. "You couldn't see a show this good in the states," said
Army Sgt. Vareena Jenkins, an aviation specialist in Balad. "You certainly couldn't get a picture with the stars like this."

"Don't thank me," Lester Black told a young
Navy petty officer after a show in Kuwait. "I'm supposed to be thanking you."

"There is no ... place I'd rather be than right ... here, with the best ... men and women on the face of the Earth," Kid Rock said after a show in Iraq.

Mullen spoke to the American Forces Network affiliate at Aviano yesterday. "We've been traveling all over the Middle East in this past week," he said. "What we try to do in these shows is bring a little bit of home around the world.

"It's a difficult time of year to be away from home with the holidays. The goal is to put smiles on their faces and memories and lighten their load. And that certainly happened. These entertainers are really a remarkable group, and I have seen those smiles go from halfway around the world to home, and the spirits have been lifted."

Mullen thanked the United Service Organizations for all the group's work in putting together the show. The organization, founded in 1941 to serve a generation going to war around the world, is serving a new generation with the same mission. "It's not just the holiday show, they make a concerted effort around the world to support the men and women in uniform and their families," the admiral said.

"I'd certainly like to wish all our servicemembers and all our families around the world Merry Christmas and Happy New Year the best of holidays. These are fun times and they are memorable times for all of us, and we wish each and every one of you nothing but the best."

Bush Thanks Servicemembers, Military Families for Sacrifices

By Melinda L. Larson
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 23, 2007 - President Bush used his weekly radio address yesterday to thank America's servicemembers who will spend Christmas far away from their homes and loved ones. "America is blessed to have men and women willing to step forward to defend our freedoms and keep us safe from our enemies. We are thankful for their courage and their dedication to duty," Bush said.

Families of the nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen serve their country too, Bush said.

"America is also blessed to have
military families willing to sacrifice for our country. And this Christmas, many will sit down to dinner thinking of their loved ones half a world away," the president said.

Bush also praised the families of wounded warriors who help their loved ones recover from injuries suffered in combat. "Through their encouragement and devotion, they help heal the body and spirit, and they remind our wounded warriors that our nation stands behind them," he said.

For the
military families who have lost loved ones in battle, Bush commended them for turning their grief into acts of compassion and love.

"One such inspiring example is the family of
Army Spec. Michael Rodriguez, of Knoxville, Tenn. During his deployment in Iraq, Michael often wrote home to his family about the children he met on patrol. In April, Michael was killed by a suicide bomber," Bush said.

Bush added that Rodriguez's family honors his memory by helping to collect school supplies for students at an Iraqi school for girls. "At this time of year, we acknowledge that love and sacrifice can transform our world," he said.

While thousands of
military families are apart this holiday season, Bush expressed his hope for all of America's families to tighten their familial bonds.

"As Christmas approaches, Laura and I extend to all Americans our best wishes, and we hope every family is brought closer together during this season of reflection and rejoicing," the president concluded.

Country Stars, 'America's Sweethearts' Visit Troops in Afghanistan

By Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 23, 2007 -
Military men and women in eastern Kunar province were surprised Dec. 21 by a visit from the Army's top enlisted soldier and several celebrities at the remote Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. Sgt. Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston is hosting the sixth annual Hope and Freedom USO Tour. As part of the tour, Preston arrived in Kabul late Dec. 20 with four Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, country music stars Darryl Worley and Keni Thomas, as well as model and TV personality Leann Tweeden. They travelled in helicopters from Kabul to Camp Blessing, in eastern Kunar province.

With a late morning arrival to the camp, the celebrities joined soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines at the dining facility for lunch and conversation before they performed for the troops.

Most troops said they had heard about the sergeant major of the Army and USO visit between a few minutes and a few hours beforehand. Some drove over from forward operating bases several miles away to Camp Blessing.

Upon finding out about the visit,
Army Pfc. Chris Floeck, a Waller, Texas, native, said, "Why are you playing with me? Stop messing with me." Floeck is assigned as an infantryman to 2nd Airborne Battalion, 503rd Army Infantry Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan from Vicenza, Italy. "I didn't really believe it until we got in the vehicles and left (for Camp Blessing)," Floeck said as Tweeden sat down at his table.

Daytona Beach, Fla. native,
Army Pfc. Ryan D. King said, "They told me (about the visit), and I was doing cartwheels." As Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders walked by he added, "I'm a Texas fan today." King is also an infantryman with 2/503rd.

Preston introduced all the performers as everyone finished their lunches. He said this was the sixth USO tour sponsored by the sergeant major of the
Army, and fourth that he has hosted. "I've been very blessed. I've seen all six shows," he told the troops.

Preston said he makes it a point to get the show out to troops at remote locations like Camp Blessing. "Soldiers up here don't get a lot of visitors," he explained.

The show, he said, took about eight months of planning. Most of the performers with this group have toured with the USO before. "I've been told this is the greatest USO show in history, and nobody's told me it's not."

Thomas, an Army veteran and Bronze Star Medal with Valor recipient, performed first, accompanied by a bandsman on an acoustic guitar. They were followed by Worley, also on acoustic guitar with two of his bandmates. They drew the loudest cheers when the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders danced during one of Worley's songs.

"It's nice seeing the cheerleaders," said Dallas Cowboys fan and Fort Smith, Ark., native
Marine Cpl. Joel D. Chasteen. Chasteen is an embedded training team mentor and ammunition technician deployed to Afghanistan from Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, in Okinawa, Japan.

After the performances, the guests posed with the
military men and women for individual and group pictures and signed autographs. Preston and the USO group left the area later that afternoon to go back to Kabul and hold their second performance of the day at Camp Phoenix.

(
Marine Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr. is assigned to Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan Public Affairs.)

Mail to the Troops - Updated

I came across your recent post mentioning America Supports You, so I thought I’d drop you an e-mail making you aware of some misinformation regarding mail to our troops.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of cards, letters and care packages addressed to “A Recovering American Soldier” (or a variant thereof), are returned to senders. For a variety of reasons—documented on
USPS.com, Snopes.com, in this MSNBC.com article, and on Walter Reed’s Web site—a 2001 Defense Department policy forbids the delivery of generically addressed mail to service members.

Instead, the DOD
encourages people to send mail to one of two homefront groups associated with the America Supports You program:

Soldiers’ Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104

Or, for those in the metropolitan Washington, D.C.-area:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
C/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

Both Soldiers’ Angels and the Red Cross will collect, screen and deliver the well-wishes of those who want to brighten the day of a wounded service member who is recovering away from home this holiday season.