Saturday, February 23, 2008

U.S., Australia Reinforce Defense Relationships

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today reinforced the longstanding relationship between
Australia and the United States and pledged continued cooperation between the countries' defense departments. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met here with their counterparts of the Australian government, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, for the 19th annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. This is the first visit by a senior-level U.S. official to this country to meet with the newly elected Australian government.

"Our meetings today prove once again that our friendships endure across generations and across different administrations in both of our governments," Gates said in a news conference in
Australia's Parliament House. "The bonds of unity that grew from our common heritage and have been strengthened on battlefields around the world are every bit as strong as they have ever been."

The talks were global in nature, with both sides reiterating their commitments to working together to confront contemporary
security challenges, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism, officials said.

Gates heralded Australia's efforts to provide stability in the region and commended the country on providing global
leadership.

"The governments continue to work on ways to advance our shared interests on a number of fronts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting
terrorism across the globe, countering (weapons of mass destruction) proliferation, coordinating humanitarian relief and strengthening our ties in other areas," Gates said.

"Above all, we agree on both the challenges we must face together and the solutions we must forge together. As has been for many years, the United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than
Australia," the secretary said.

The two sides discussed plans for the mid-year withdrawal of
Australia's 500 combat troops from southern Iraq, a move that is seen as a shift by the newly elected Australian government to a more support-oriented stance in Iraq. Australia now has about 1,500 troops in Iraq -- a mix of combat, training, aviation and support forces. Those slated to leave will be pulled from the south, in areas where Iraqi security forces can take over operations. The newly elected government campaigned on a pledge to remove the combat troops and is fulfilling its commitment, Smith said.

Both sides called on the international community and, in particular NATO members, to sustain and enhance contributions to Afghanistan. There are no plans to remove any of Australia's nearly 1,000 troops from Afghanistan, Smith said.
Australia is not a member of NATO.

When questioned by Australian reporters about the need for additional troops from their country to deploy to Afghanistan, Gates cited the additional 3,200 U.S.
Marines that will go to the country for a seven-month deployment beginning in spring.

"I've been pretty outspoken over the past few weeks about the need for other allies to also dig deep and to meet the needs that have been articulated by the (International Security Assistance Force) commander in Afghanistan," Gates said. "One thing I want to be clear on: Individual countries have met the individual commitments that they have made to Afghanistan. The commitment that has not been fulfilled is the commitment made by the leaders of the alliance to provide the ISAF commander with what he needs to be successful. So it is this broader requirement that the leaders of NATO have agreed to that has not been met and where I have been hopeful that other members of the alliance can find the wherewithal and political will to provide additional forces."

Gates said some allies have made additional troop commitments and that he hopes others will "step up."

Smith called the alliance between Australia and the United States the "bedrock" of his country's defense, security and strategic arrangements. "It's fundamental; it's long term; it's enduring; and it is, of course, indispensable," Smith said.

The foreign minister also reinforced the need for a U.S. presence in the region. "Just as Australia's engagement in Asia and the Asian Pacific (region) is important, so is the engagement of the United States in our region," Smith said.

In the talks, the two sides agreed to continue to build capacity in Southeast Asia in key areas such as counter
terrorism and maritime security. Specifically, both sides agreed to assist regional countries to improve port security and to constrain the movement of terrorist finances, according to a joint communique released after the talks.

The sides also discussed Iran's nuclear activities and its defiance of United Nations Security Council resolution requiring the country to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. While "deeply concerned," both countries supported a diplomatic solution to the issue, according to the communique.

In other defense-related issues, both sides pledged to reach agreements on combining humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities as well as working more closely together in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. They also discussed overcoming barriers to sharing defense-related technologies that would improve interoperability of forces.

Also attending the talks were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and U.S. Pacific Command chief
Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating. The United States will host the next such talks sometime in 2009.

This is Gates' second stop on a nine-day trip that includes Indonesia, India and Turkey.

Sponsoring this article was
study tips.

Army Reserve Chief Seeks Private Industry Partners

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 22, 2008 - The general in charge of the
Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.

The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a
criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.

"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the
Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"

Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.

"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."

Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests
military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.

"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the
Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.

The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty
Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.

Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior
military officers, Stultz recalled.

"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the
military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.

At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a
military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."

The general said he would like the two forces --
military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.

"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.

"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."

Information on
community policing assisted in the sponsorship of this entry.

CONTRACTS MILITARY 2-22-08

ARMY

Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Co. Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $14,078,796 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Aug. 26, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W31P4Q-04-C-0020.

APS Contracting, Inc.,
Peterson, N.J., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, an $11,923,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a combined maintenance faculty. Work will be performed in Fort Dix, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jul., 31 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Nov. 1, 2007, and 11 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-0008.

Robertson Aviation L.L.C., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $9,838,492 as part of a $317,463,698 firm-fixed-price contract for crashworthy fuel systems, internal auxiliary fuel tank systems and related spares. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Nov. 19, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W58RGZ-08-D-0085.

Marathon Technologies, Elk Grove Village, Ill., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,675,000 as part of a $21,683,644 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Dec. 16, 2003, and four bids were received. The U.S.
Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-04-D-0133.

Best Tools & Manufacturing Co.,
Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $8,224,400 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Kansas City, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Sep. 30, 2004, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-05-C-0071.

Cape Cod Professional Services, Manassas, Va., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,128,000 as part of a $13,812,535 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 29, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on April 24, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S.
Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-06-D-0166.

NAVY

Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $312,584,222 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-08-C-2118) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., (68.3 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y., (31.7 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington
Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co. Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $17,799,209 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5422) to procure Mk 57 MOD 12/13 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Ordnance Alteration (ORDALT) Kits, MK 73 Solid State Transmitter (SSTx) ORDALT Kits, MK 29 Guided Missile Launcher System (GMLS) Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) ORDALT Kits and related spares for U.S.
Navy Aircraft Carrier (CVN), Amphibious Assault (LHA/LHD), and consortium ship installations. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (23 percent); Andover, Mass., (22 percent); Waterloo, Canada (14 percent); Windber, Pa., (13 percent); Long Island, N.Y., (15 percent); Dallas, Texas,(13 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn., is being awarded $8,991,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4008) for construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility at
Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

McDonnell Douglas Corp. A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co. of
Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an undefinitzed contract modification for $77,000,000. This action is an undefinitized contract action for CCP 0575, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Additional Guardian Laser Tracker Assemblies (GLTA) Installs; 37 kits and 37 installs, spares, and proposal prep to be procured. At this time $34,650,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00196).

Information on
property crimes can be obtain on that website.

Apolitical Military Fundamental to Democracy, Chairman Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 23, 2008 - The idea that the
military is an apolitical organization is fundamental to democracy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told students at the Australian Defense College here yesterday. During a question and answer session, one of the students asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff how he "manages the expectations of politicians."

The chairman quickly told the students that it is not a process of managing expectations, but of education.

The basics of national
security transcend party, he said. In December, Australia changed administrations. But the support for the military remained strong, he said, and the transition was seamless.

"I credit the military
leadership with a significant part of that," he said.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's job is to provide his "best military advice" to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and
Homeland Security Council.

Best
military advice is not contingent on party, he said, and he, of course, will carry out the lawful orders of the president no matter what party he or she is from.

"Clearly one of my goals is to educate ... anybody who is in a position of responsibility politically and provide my best advice to every one of them about from the
military's perspective and what we should be doing, where we should be investing, where we should be operating," he said.

"Early engagement" with politicians is important, the chairman said. He does not want to first speak with a political
leader when there is a crisis. "Sometimes that happens, just because there are a lot of crises," he said.

Speaking constantly with political
leaders builds trust and confidence, Mullen said.

"I would put it in terms of trying to create an understanding of the reality of the
military and security environment that we are operating in, the capabilities that we bring, the relationships that we have and what is the best way to apply them to the challenges that we have," he said.

Information on
family violence assisted in the publication on this article.

Mullen Urges Military to View World Through Other Peoples' Eyes

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 23, 2008 - In a time of change,
military personnel have to have the capacity to see the world through other peoples' eyes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the students at the Australian Defense College that it was a previous trip to Australia that hammered that point home to him.

Mullen said he was having consultations with the Australian Defense Forces, and the operations chief put up a map with Australia at the center.

"I hadn't seen a slide without the United States at the center," Mullen told the students. "It kind of threw me off. Up in the right hand corner of this slide was little, little star and that was the United States.

"What that slide reminds me of is when you are in Australia and you live here, you see the world from Australia. All of us do that around the world," he said.

Every country of the world has maps with that country in the center. "As we are engaged around the world, we ought to be mindful of seeing it through other peoples' eyes," he said.

The admiral said he needs help to see the world as an Australian sees it. He needs to understand the
security challenges facing Australia in the region for sure, but he also needs to understand the trade connections, the cultural connections.

The changes that occur politically are also an example, Mullen said. Australia has a new administration. The United States will have a new administration in less than a year. All of these things need to be examined and understood.

Geography, obviously, influences how a country defines a threat and what priority the nation places on countering it, Mullen said.

Seeing the world through another country's eyes can be even more basic, he said, and U.S.
military personnel have to ask themselves questions from that nation's standpoint. What are the threats? How does a country confront the threats and how does the military fit in to that picture? How does a country build a security policy when the pace of change is accelerating and the crystal ball is clouded? How much should a country invest in conventional forces and how much should it emphasize unconventional resources? And what part do allies play?

These are questions that
military personnel from all countries ask as a matter of course, he said. But all servicemembers need to ask the same questions from a different country's perspective.

The article and blog are sponsored by
child abuse readings.

Mullen Addresses Rapid Change, Other Issues at Australian War College

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 23, 2008 - Fighting the war on
terrorism while the world continues to change at a rapid pace poses a challenge to the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students attending the Australian Defense College here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to the students before attending the Australia-United States Ministerial meetings. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Navy Adm. Timothy Keating are also attending the talks.

"What's going on in the world right now is indicative of the incredible pace of change, and I would argue that the pace is just going to pick up," Mullen said to the more than 300 students from all services and many nations. "Five years ago, there would have been very few people who would have predicted the challenges we are dealing with right now."

He said no one can be very precise about what the shape of the world will be in another five to 10 years.

As he looks around the world, he is struck by the pace of troop deployments, the challenges of managing that pace, the different types of operations the troops are involved in, "and trying also to get our heads up high enough to take a look at what's out there in the long term," he said.

"Front and center in all that is the issue of terror, tied to weapons of mass destruction," he said.

He said he worries most about
terrorists getting those weapons. "I know for a fact that there are those who are seeking to bring those two together," he said.

Security is a necessary condition for stability. Security provides the conditions for economies to thrive, for people to grow and standards of living to improve, he said.

"There are parts of the world where it is increasingly a challenge," he said.
The students also had a lively question and answer session with the chairman.

Among the issues discussed were "caveats," restrictions that countries sometimes place on how troops are used. Some NATO nations have passed caveats for their troops deploying to Afghanistan.

"There are clearly challenges in terms being of meeting the overall troop requirements (in Afghanistan) whether it is combat troops or trainers," Mullen said. "The caveats that are placed on country's
military capabilities can be very debilitating in terms of being able to execute a mission."

Caveats can impact flexibility – the commander can't move forces from one area to another – or how troops are used – troops are trainers and not combat forces. "We've worked hard to try to convince countries to release as many of those caveats as they can, and also provide more capabilities," he said.

Mullen stressed that Afghanistan is the important mission for NATO. "I also believe that if NATO doesn't get this right and fails in Afghanistan, then there are great questions about the future of NATO that all of us should be asking," he said.

Mullen said the alliance must succeed in Afghanistan, "and I believe we can."
Students asked about the importance of
military and diplomatic relationships.

He said he puts relationships in two categories: enduring and emerging. The U.S.-Australia relationship is an example of an enduring relationship. The two countries fought as allies in
World War I, and continue a close relationship in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He used the countries of Africa as an example of emerging relationships. The continent has both tremendous potential and tremendous problems, he said. There is famine, disease, war and
corruption, but also great resources.

"I believe for the developed world that those problems and challenges that Africa has, we can either go to them or they will come to us," he said. "We can engage early and positively to try to solve some of these problems. To the degree we don't engage and ignore them, the problems will just get bigger and become more challenging down the road."

In Asia, he said the relationship with Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of emerging U.S. relationships.

"I would see the strength of those relationships over time being absolutely critical to addressing the challenges we have," he said. "Without those relationships we almost can't (address those problems)."

Countries and militaries will also have relationships with non-governmental entities and transnational organizations such as the United Nations. It's important to work with those organizations before there is a crisis, he said.

"Developing a relationship on the battlefield in the midst of a crisis with someone I've never met before can be very challenging," he said. "We don't know each other and immediately we don't trust each other, and it is that trust that has to be built up over time."

Students also asked about money. "When I look at what we need to invest in in the future, it's far too easy to invest in things," Mullen said. "There are things we fly and things we drive. They are big toys – they are not unimportant, but often we overlook what I call the enablers that make all the platforms work."

Sensors and intelligence capabilities are examples of enablers, Mullen said. Fusing platforms and information to get a needed result is crucial to investment. "The speed of war is picking up," he said. "The enemy adapts quickly. We need to not only match them, but get ahead of them."

A student asked if the U.S.
military will have the same experience when it leaves Iraq that it had when it left Vietnam. "The short answer is no," Mullen said. "But, it's where I grew up, I know exactly what happened back then, and my antenna is up on this issue all the time.

"We've got a mission to accomplish and I've got a ground force that is stressed right now and the balance is very delicate," he continued. "I'm mindful of that."

He said fundamental to the problems the military had post-Vietnam was the American people pulled away from the
military. "That is not going on right now," he said. "But if that happens we're in trouble. It is one of my singular goals as chairman is to not let that happen."

An Iraqi officer attending the college asked the chairman his assessment of conditions in Iraq.

"What I worry about in Iraq is putting your country in a position to turn into a failed state," Mullen said. "Conditions of
security have to be sustained so Iraq can continue to grow. It's tough, it's going to take a long time."

Mullen said the United States and Iraq are working together to establish a long-term security arrangement. "What I worry about more than anything else is any decision that would precipitate a failed state," he said.

The website with information on
sex crimes sponsored this article on this blog.

Gates Pleased by Mission's Success

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S.
Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry. Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.

At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander
Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

"The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done," Morrell said.

At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were "ripe" for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the
Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.

At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S.
Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.

"The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was," Morrell said. "After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth."

Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.

Should any large pieces of the satellite's debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command,
Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.

"(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit," he said. "We don't think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That's why we're shooting at it. But if it does, we're prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility."

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.

"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam
Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."

The admiral made a point that the
Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.

Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.

(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)

Support for publishing this article was provided by
online publications.

Mullen Thanks Troops for Service at 'Critical Time'

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday thanked U.S. forces serving in the Pacific for stepping forward to serve their country at what he called "a very critical time" in the nation's history.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to about 400 servicemembers at an "all-hands" meeting here.

"We're in our sixth year of war right now, and we're at the beginning of what I see as a very long war, very much a sustained effort, and one that will continue to take the significant contributions that you all are making," Mullen said. "You are very special, because you all raised your right hand to serve your country at a very critical time in our history."

Mullen said today's U.S.
military is the best he has ever seen in his almost 40 years of service. He credited families with a large part of the success of the force, and he thanked family members for their service. "Families, through thick and thin in this war, have been incredibly supportive, and they are pushed," he said.

Six years of war have brought tremendous change to the U.S.
military and to the world as a whole, Mullen said, and he told servicemembers here they can expect more change in the years to come.

"Just look at what has happened over the last six years and how we've changed as a force, how our country has changed, regions have changed and the world has changed," he said.

It's an unpredictable world, he said, "and I'd like to be able to tell you in two or three years that this is exactly what we'd be doing, where we'd be doing, or even when we'd be doing, but I can't."

The
military will continue to change, he said, whether it be in tactics, techniques and procedures, training or leadership challenges.

"Things have changed in how we're fighting, and they will continue to change," he said. "The enemy is pretty quick, pretty adaptive (and) very lethal, and we need to be able to match and exceed the enemy's speed in this irregular and asymmetric environment we find ourselves in."

Servicemembers today find themselves doing things they never would have imagined a few short years ago, the chairman noted. They are becoming more culturally aware, are learning new languages and are stepping up to new educational requirements, he said. "We're globally engaged militarily, and we will remain so," he added.

Though a great deal of American focus is on the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Mullen said, the Pacific is an important lynchpin in America's future.

"I have spent a decade of my career out here in the Pacific," he said. "I know how important this region is. It's growing in importance, and that is tied to the resources and economies around the Pacific basin.

"What you do will be vital to our
security and the security of the Pacific region," he continued. "You are at the heart of that, and I don't expect that to slow down."

As the pace of change continues, Mullen said, he is concerned about continued pressure on the armed forces, especially ground forces.

"The 15-month deployment is too long," he said. "We need to get back to 12-month deployments as soon as possible. The cumulative effect of these deployments is something we have to pay attention to."

As the
military moves forward, Mullen said, everyone in uniform must be a leader.

"I don't care if you are an E-1 or someone as senior as I am," he said. "You are responsible for yourselves, your unit and each other. You are connected that way, and the expectation is that we all lead and lead well. We take care of each other and respect each other, and it runs the full spectrum of leading from the front, the rear and leading your peers."

Great
leaders are needed to solve the problems of this difficult time, the admiral said.

"We are being pushed very hard right now," he told the servicemembers. "All of you need to reach your potential, and all of those who work are given an opportunity to succeed as well. Everybody has got a dream and a vision and a future that is very bright, and we have to make sure we get everybody there."

Corrections issues was key in preparing the reproduction of this article.

Bush: U.S. Plans No New Military Bases in Africa

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 21, 2008 - The United States stood up U.S. Africa Command to provide
military assistance to African nations, not as a springboard to opening new military bases there, President Bush said during his visit to Ghana yesterday. Speaking at a media availability in Accra with Ghana's President John Kufuor, Bush emphasized that the United States has no plans to establish new bases on the continent.

"I know there's rumors in Ghana: 'All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here,'" the president said. "That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."

Bush, in Ghana for the fourth stop in his five-nation African trip, sought to put the rumors to rest.

"I want to dispel the notion that, all of a sudden, America is bringing all kinds of
military to Africa. It's just simply not true," he said. "The whole purpose of AFRICOM is to help leaders deal with African problems."

Bush directed the creation of AFRICOM in February 2007. It began initial operations in October with
Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward as its first commander.

The command structure, with both Defense and State department representation, reflects AFRICOM's unique mission. Ward has two deputies:
Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller is deputy for military operations, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates is deputy for civil-military activities.

"This is a unique command structure for America," Bush said. "It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide
military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training."

The AFRICOM headquarters is at Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany. The United States could eventually open an AFRICOM office somewhere in Africa, but hasn't yet made that decision, Bush said. "We haven't made our minds up," he told reporters. "It's a new concept."

Assistance in preparing this entry was provided by
transit readings.