Editor's Note: Two of the authors are former servicemembers.
May 23, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Continuing its leadership in the area of criminal justice books, Police-Writers.com added one federal law enforcement official and two local police officers to the list of law enforcement personnel that have authored books.
From 1972 to 1997, Raymond Batvinis was a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his federal law enforcement career he also served in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Division Training Unit. Raymond Batvinis is the author of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence.
According to the book description of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence, “As the world prepared for war in the 1930s, the United States discovered that it faced the real threat of foreign spies stealing military and industrial secrets—and that it had no established means to combat them. With an insider’s knowledge and a storyteller’s skill, Batvinis provides a page-turning history narrative that greatly revises our views of the FBI—and also resonates powerfully with our own post-9/11 world.”
Mark Bannon is a retired lieutenant from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (Florida). After three years of military service as a military police officer, Mark Bannon joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in 1981. During his law enforcement career, he worked in a number of key assignments within the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office such as patrol officer, sex crimes investigator, homicide detective, patrol supervisor, and homicide supervisor. He also was the Commander of such diverse units such as, Road Patrol, Community Involvement Team, Community Policing, and Fugitive Apprehension. As a retired law enforcement officer, Mark Bannon maintains a lifetime membership in the Florida and Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Associations in order to continue his important relationships with law enforcement officers and the South Florida law enforcement community.
Mark Bannon holds a BA in Social Psychology, an MPA, is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute and a law degree from the Miami School of Law. After retiring from policing, he worked as a criminal prosecutor in South Florida. Today, Mark E. Bannon conducts a private law practice. Mark E. Bannon is the author of A Quick Reference Guide To Contemporary CRIMINAL PROCEDURE For Law Enforcement Officers: One Hundred Notable United States Supreme Court Decisions, and Their Effect on Modern Policing in America.
According to the book description, “The goal of this book is to provide a “quick reference guide” for law enforcement officers in their quest to furnish professional police services to their communities. Designed to be a handy source for the study of criminal procedures, this guide has assembled numerous court cases that will assist officers in dealing with the issues they may often encounter.
Roberto Santos is currently detective sergeant of the persons crime section and team leader of the crisis negotiation unit at the Port St. Lucie Police Department (Florida. He has held positions in patrol, SWAT, criminal investigations, and narcotics. Prior to his law enforcement career, Sergeant Santos was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. In addition, he has instructed at the police academy and is an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. He has extensive experience in police problem solving and problem analysis and has conducted numerous trainings sessions and seminars around the country. Sergeant Roberto Santos has a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s degree in business from Barry University. Robert Santos is the co-author of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites.
According to the book description of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites, “This guide begins by describing the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites and reviewing the factors that increase its risks. It then identifies a series of questions that can help analyze your local burglary problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites as identified through research and police practice.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1013 police officers (representing 425 police departments) and their 2154 criminal justice books in 33 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.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Gaming, Simulation Training in Near Future for Military
By Navy Seaman William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2008 - The Defense Department is looking for ways to integrate a structured learning environment and gaming to train military members, a senior official said. "Structured learning environments are doing very well, but games offer such a tremendous motivational component to users," Robert A. Wisher, director of the department's advanced distributed learning initiative, said in a May 21 conference call with online journalists and bloggers.
"ADL is about delivering high-quality training and education any time, anywhere to the force, DoD components [and] servicemembers," Wisher said.
Officials are evaluating the value of different training technologies so the services can take advantage of them, Wisher added.
"Our big question on the benefit of games is, 'How do the knowledge and skills learned from those computer games transfer to real–life tasks in operational or training context?" Wisher said. "You're obviously learning. How would that parlay into some benefit for DoD?"
ADL intends to develop a standard way for games to communicate performance data into a structured learning environment, he noted.
"So if you've been playing a game, maybe it has to do with some tactical decision making, and the game could notice you were strong on this, perhaps weak on that. That could be fed back to the structured learning environment," Wisher explained. "Then you can get additional training on those areas you are weak in."
Wisher said collaborating with the gaming industry is part of the initiative. Some military units already have begun integrating commercial games into their training, he noted.
"They're mainly immersive environments, team-based, first–person-shooter-type games, some related to cultural awareness, convoy training, where [multiple players] are involved," he said. "Any military operations require a lot of thought processes, and the fact that you exercise that as a small group might parallel those that you do on an actual operation."
Ordinarily, he said, these games are used prior to deployment as an exercise.
"'Ambush,' for example, is a convoy trainer where they would have actual terrain outlined in Iraq, and as they drive their convoys through, things to look out for in villages, cultural features of the terrain, etc.," he said. "So it's a mission rehearsal exercise for them."
So far, feedback from servicemembers who have used these simulation training games has been very positive, Wisher said.
"We have people coming back from Iraq, now having to sit through the ambush training device and saying, 'Boy, I wish I had this before I went over there,'" he said.
One hurdle is the cost of developing the games, he acknowledged.
"At some point, we're going to want to look at some dollar values, maybe some efficiency measures, maybe some effectiveness measures," he said. "The games are being made with these types of metrics."
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2008 - The Defense Department is looking for ways to integrate a structured learning environment and gaming to train military members, a senior official said. "Structured learning environments are doing very well, but games offer such a tremendous motivational component to users," Robert A. Wisher, director of the department's advanced distributed learning initiative, said in a May 21 conference call with online journalists and bloggers.
"ADL is about delivering high-quality training and education any time, anywhere to the force, DoD components [and] servicemembers," Wisher said.
Officials are evaluating the value of different training technologies so the services can take advantage of them, Wisher added.
"Our big question on the benefit of games is, 'How do the knowledge and skills learned from those computer games transfer to real–life tasks in operational or training context?" Wisher said. "You're obviously learning. How would that parlay into some benefit for DoD?"
ADL intends to develop a standard way for games to communicate performance data into a structured learning environment, he noted.
"So if you've been playing a game, maybe it has to do with some tactical decision making, and the game could notice you were strong on this, perhaps weak on that. That could be fed back to the structured learning environment," Wisher explained. "Then you can get additional training on those areas you are weak in."
Wisher said collaborating with the gaming industry is part of the initiative. Some military units already have begun integrating commercial games into their training, he noted.
"They're mainly immersive environments, team-based, first–person-shooter-type games, some related to cultural awareness, convoy training, where [multiple players] are involved," he said. "Any military operations require a lot of thought processes, and the fact that you exercise that as a small group might parallel those that you do on an actual operation."
Ordinarily, he said, these games are used prior to deployment as an exercise.
"'Ambush,' for example, is a convoy trainer where they would have actual terrain outlined in Iraq, and as they drive their convoys through, things to look out for in villages, cultural features of the terrain, etc.," he said. "So it's a mission rehearsal exercise for them."
So far, feedback from servicemembers who have used these simulation training games has been very positive, Wisher said.
"We have people coming back from Iraq, now having to sit through the ambush training device and saying, 'Boy, I wish I had this before I went over there,'" he said.
One hurdle is the cost of developing the games, he acknowledged.
"At some point, we're going to want to look at some dollar values, maybe some efficiency measures, maybe some effectiveness measures," he said. "The games are being made with these types of metrics."
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.)
Comrades, Loved Ones Provide Reminders of Memorial Day's Meaning
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2008 - To many Americans, Memorial Day means a day off from work with picnics, pool openings and barbecues. But for those who have lost a comrade or loved one in combat, the day takes on a whole new significance. Here are some of their stories.
Army 1st Lt. Brent Pounders
Army 1st Lt. Brent Pounders remembers his childhood, reading textbooks about patriots who have sacrificed their lives through the country's history and thinking of Memorial Day as the end of the school year.
"You think about it, but [its meaning] really doesn't hit home or register as much until you lose some of your dear friends and realize that their families are affected by this and what it actually signifies," he said.
For Pounders, that significance hit home Jan. 20, 2007.
Twelve soldiers died that day when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down east of Baghdad. Among them were three members of Pounders' unit, the Arkansas Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment, 77th Aviation Brigade, as well as a Texas National Guard soldier who worked closely with them on a day-to-day basis.
Pounds remembers Maj. Michael Taylor, the company commander, for his great sense of humor as he looked out for the best for his unit and held every soldier to the highest standard. First Sgt. John Brown, the company standardization instructor, was "one of those guys who always had a smile on his face, was always in a good mood and always willing to do anything he could to help." Sgt. Maj. William Warren had a funny habit of adding "and everything" to just about everything he said, prompting the unit to yell out the catch-line in unison just as Warren finished taping a video to send home from Iraq.
Capt. Sean Lyerly wasn't assigned to the unit, but quickly bonded with the Arkansas Guardsmen he worked with in the theater at Company C, 1st Brigade, 131st Aviation Regiment. "He was a really good guy who got along with everybody in the company," Pounds recalls. "Everybody liked him, and he did a good job for us."
Pounders said the first Memorial Day spent back at home, away from the heavy operational demands of the combat zone, will give him a lot more time to reflect on what he and his unit have lost.
"In the past, I've had some people I knew who had been killed in Iraq, but this time there's a more personal aspect to it," he said. "This time it is people I knew and was good friends with and have known for years giving their lives for their country."
The unit still is recovering from their deaths, but Pounders said it is the families who have lost the most. "They are the ones who have to live on without their fathers or their husbands or their sons," he said.
Pounders said it's fitting that the American people recognize the sacrifices they and their fellow servicemembers have made. "These people all gave so much," he said. "The least we can do is set one day aside out of the year and stop our busy schedules and just show some remembrance for them and what they gave and what their families gave. I think that's the very least we can do as a nation."
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rafael Barney
As they were deploying to Iraq from March Air Force Base, Calif., Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rafael Barney formed a fast friendship with Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jimmy Arroyave.
Barney, a religious program specialist, and Arroyave, a member of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's 1st Force Service Support Group, shared common roots in Colombia. They spent the entire trip to Kuwait swapping stories and experiences, quickly bonding and promising to stay in touch.
It wasn't until two months later, when he was in Fallujah, Iraq, with the Marine Corps' 7th Engineer Support Battalion in April 2004, that Barney would again hear his new friend's name. Arroyave, he learned, had been killed when his Humvee rolled over during a mission northeast of Ramadi.
"I couldn't believe it when I heard his name," Barney said. "I froze. He was my friend."
Barney took the news to heart. After he returned from Iraq, he contacted Arroyave's widow, Rachael, and went to meet her, her two daughters, and the newborn son his fallen Marine friend wound never lay eyes on.
This week, Barney, now assigned to the chief of naval chaplains office in Washington, visited the Marine Corps Museum near Quantico, Va., where a memorial brick honors Arroyave. "It was touching," he said. "I wanted to go see it."
Now that a loss has touched him in a very personal way, Barney said, Memorial Day has taken on a new level of importance. "It's not just a weekend off any more," he said. "You reflect on your experiences, and it becomes personal."
Barney called Memorial Day a time for Americans to recognize the contributions their military has made, often at great cost. "This military has been through a lot of pain and a lot of losses," he said.
"[Americans] need to be reminded of the sacrifices their fellow citizens are taking," Barney continued. "And they need to understand the value of military service to this country, and the reason we are here."
Wesley and Peggy Bushnell
Parents of Army Sgt. William Bushnell
Just over a year after losing their 24-year-old son in Iraq, Wesley and Peggy Bushnell plan a weekend of activity honoring his memory.
Army Sgt. William Bushnell, a soldier with 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, died in combat April 21, 2007, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle during operations in Baghdad. He was among 31 "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team soldiers killed during the unit's 15-month deployment to Iraq.
The Bushnells joined their son's comrades when, after they returned to El Paso, Texas, the city hosted a Texas-size hometown heroes' parade in February. Wesley walked the parade route alongside one of 31 riderless horses with empty boots reversed in the stirrups that commemorated his son and the other fallen soldiers.
This weekend, the Bushnells will again pay public tribute to the son they grieve for every day in private. They and fellow church members in Jasper, Ark., will board a bus bound for Indian Village, La., where their son is buried in a family grave.
They plan a weekend of worship, music and fellowship remembering their son and what he stood for.
Memorial Day has always had special meaning to the Bushnells, a patriotic family that always took time to pause and "remember the people who gave their all," Wesley said.
"It's an important day, because it honors the people who fought for what they believe in and gave us the opportunity to be sitting here watching color TV," he said.
But since their son's death, Memorial Day has become deeply personal, he said. He and his wife reflect all the time on what they've lost -- Wesley, during long days on the road driving a truck for Wal-Mart, a dog tag with his son's photo around his neck, and Becky, as she painstakingly toils over the memorial quilts she sews.
If there's any consolation in their loss, Wesley said, it's that their son died for a noble cause. "He went with dignity and honor. That's what makes it tolerable to me," he said. "I can accept war, and I know that bad things happen in war. It hurts, but I can accept it."
Carolyn and Keith Maupin
Parents of Army Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin
For the past four Memorial Days, Carolyn and Keith Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, didn't know if their Army Reserve son was dead or alive.
Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin was among two soldiers and seven contract employees reported missing after insurgents attacked their fuel convoy west of Baghdad on April 9, 2004. Maupin was later reported as the only missing soldier.
A videotape that aired two weeks later on Al Jazeera TV showed him being held captive by masked gunmen, raising hopes he was still alive. Al Jazeera reported two months later that Maupin had been killed, but the U.S. Army ruled the video of the execution too poor to conclusively identify Maupin.
The Maupin family waited for four years, never giving up hope that Matt was still alive. Only when the Army announced March 20, 2008, that it had found and identified his remains using DNA did the Maupins finally know his fate.
The city of Cincinnati heralded its fallen son, hosting a memorial ceremony in late April at Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds. Pallbearers from Maupin's unit carried his flag-draped casket, placing it on the pitchers' mound before the 25,000 mourners. Later that day, Maupin was buried in Cincinnati's Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
U.S. Army Reserve Command honored Maupin during a May 22 memorial service at its headquarters at Fort McPherson, Ga. Carolyn called the service "quite touching," knowing that more than 200 soldiers were honoring her son. "We know they are not going to forget, don't we?" she said.
The Maupins will spend this Memorial Day weekend as they have the last three, riding on the back of a motorcycle down Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue as part of "Rolling Thunder." The annual ride, now in its 21st year, helps raise awareness about prisoners of war, troops missing in action and veterans' benefits. It also offers veterans the chance to reconnect with their brothers-in-arms.
Carolyn said she's always honored Memorial Day as a time to remember the fallen. She remembers years past, watching Memorial Day parades on television. "What was different then was that Matt was with us, and now he is not," she said. "So the emotions are different. We miss him."
As they remember their fallen son and honor another son serving in the military, Marine Sgt. Micah Maupin, the Maupins said it's important for all Americans to recognize the significance of Memorial Day.
"That's who gives them what they are able to do every day -- those guys who have died and those guys who have served," Keith said. "To me it means freedom, and what they have sacrificed to give us our freedom each and every day," Carolyn echoed.
Air Force Maj. Frances Robertson
While others attend Memorial Day commemorations in the coming days, Air Force Maj. Frances Robertson plans to stay away, saying they still bring up too many painful memories.
The Air Force flight nurse remembers growing up in San Antonio and enjoying the ceremony and celebration that surrounded Memorial Day. "When you were a kid, it was all about backyard barbecues and seeing the little flags on the funeral grounds at Fort Sam Houston," she said. "The music was always great, and the gunfire was really neat."
But after two combat deployments with the Air Force Reserve's 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, including one to Iraq at the start of the war, Robertson sees military cemeteries and wonders if she treated any of those buried there. She doesn't like hearing gunfire. She feels she's seen too much death to bring herself to attend Memorial Day ceremonies.
"It's not the memorial service I don't like, it's the memories," she said. "When you go to these functions, it brings it all back. You are reminded of it all over again."
Robertson said she holds dear memories of the servicemembers she treated in both Iraq and Kuwait and calls them heroes who willingly put themselves on the line for their fellow Americans.
"Any time a military member goes out, they don't know if they are coming home, and their families don't know if they are coming home," she said. "But they went out anyway, with their mind on the mission."
Robertson calls these troops minorities within American society, "the small group of people who volunteered to go in [to the military] and protect the U.S. for everyone else."
"They're the ones who take on that weight so others can live without worries," she said.
While she avoids ceremonies herself, Robertson said, it's important that all Americans pause on Memorial Day to recognize those who have sacrificed, particularly those who paid the ultimate price.
"I believe it is important to remember, because if you don't remember, you devalue what happened," she said.
"Many people in this country get to live with no worries and with many privileges and never had to battle for them or wage any kind of war for them," she continued. "They need to say thanks and let these people know they appreciate all that they have sacrificed for them."
American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2008 - To many Americans, Memorial Day means a day off from work with picnics, pool openings and barbecues. But for those who have lost a comrade or loved one in combat, the day takes on a whole new significance. Here are some of their stories.
Army 1st Lt. Brent Pounders
Army 1st Lt. Brent Pounders remembers his childhood, reading textbooks about patriots who have sacrificed their lives through the country's history and thinking of Memorial Day as the end of the school year.
"You think about it, but [its meaning] really doesn't hit home or register as much until you lose some of your dear friends and realize that their families are affected by this and what it actually signifies," he said.
For Pounders, that significance hit home Jan. 20, 2007.
Twelve soldiers died that day when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down east of Baghdad. Among them were three members of Pounders' unit, the Arkansas Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment, 77th Aviation Brigade, as well as a Texas National Guard soldier who worked closely with them on a day-to-day basis.
Pounds remembers Maj. Michael Taylor, the company commander, for his great sense of humor as he looked out for the best for his unit and held every soldier to the highest standard. First Sgt. John Brown, the company standardization instructor, was "one of those guys who always had a smile on his face, was always in a good mood and always willing to do anything he could to help." Sgt. Maj. William Warren had a funny habit of adding "and everything" to just about everything he said, prompting the unit to yell out the catch-line in unison just as Warren finished taping a video to send home from Iraq.
Capt. Sean Lyerly wasn't assigned to the unit, but quickly bonded with the Arkansas Guardsmen he worked with in the theater at Company C, 1st Brigade, 131st Aviation Regiment. "He was a really good guy who got along with everybody in the company," Pounds recalls. "Everybody liked him, and he did a good job for us."
Pounders said the first Memorial Day spent back at home, away from the heavy operational demands of the combat zone, will give him a lot more time to reflect on what he and his unit have lost.
"In the past, I've had some people I knew who had been killed in Iraq, but this time there's a more personal aspect to it," he said. "This time it is people I knew and was good friends with and have known for years giving their lives for their country."
The unit still is recovering from their deaths, but Pounders said it is the families who have lost the most. "They are the ones who have to live on without their fathers or their husbands or their sons," he said.
Pounders said it's fitting that the American people recognize the sacrifices they and their fellow servicemembers have made. "These people all gave so much," he said. "The least we can do is set one day aside out of the year and stop our busy schedules and just show some remembrance for them and what they gave and what their families gave. I think that's the very least we can do as a nation."
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rafael Barney
As they were deploying to Iraq from March Air Force Base, Calif., Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rafael Barney formed a fast friendship with Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jimmy Arroyave.
Barney, a religious program specialist, and Arroyave, a member of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's 1st Force Service Support Group, shared common roots in Colombia. They spent the entire trip to Kuwait swapping stories and experiences, quickly bonding and promising to stay in touch.
It wasn't until two months later, when he was in Fallujah, Iraq, with the Marine Corps' 7th Engineer Support Battalion in April 2004, that Barney would again hear his new friend's name. Arroyave, he learned, had been killed when his Humvee rolled over during a mission northeast of Ramadi.
"I couldn't believe it when I heard his name," Barney said. "I froze. He was my friend."
Barney took the news to heart. After he returned from Iraq, he contacted Arroyave's widow, Rachael, and went to meet her, her two daughters, and the newborn son his fallen Marine friend wound never lay eyes on.
This week, Barney, now assigned to the chief of naval chaplains office in Washington, visited the Marine Corps Museum near Quantico, Va., where a memorial brick honors Arroyave. "It was touching," he said. "I wanted to go see it."
Now that a loss has touched him in a very personal way, Barney said, Memorial Day has taken on a new level of importance. "It's not just a weekend off any more," he said. "You reflect on your experiences, and it becomes personal."
Barney called Memorial Day a time for Americans to recognize the contributions their military has made, often at great cost. "This military has been through a lot of pain and a lot of losses," he said.
"[Americans] need to be reminded of the sacrifices their fellow citizens are taking," Barney continued. "And they need to understand the value of military service to this country, and the reason we are here."
Wesley and Peggy Bushnell
Parents of Army Sgt. William Bushnell
Just over a year after losing their 24-year-old son in Iraq, Wesley and Peggy Bushnell plan a weekend of activity honoring his memory.
Army Sgt. William Bushnell, a soldier with 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, died in combat April 21, 2007, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle during operations in Baghdad. He was among 31 "Long Knife" Brigade Combat Team soldiers killed during the unit's 15-month deployment to Iraq.
The Bushnells joined their son's comrades when, after they returned to El Paso, Texas, the city hosted a Texas-size hometown heroes' parade in February. Wesley walked the parade route alongside one of 31 riderless horses with empty boots reversed in the stirrups that commemorated his son and the other fallen soldiers.
This weekend, the Bushnells will again pay public tribute to the son they grieve for every day in private. They and fellow church members in Jasper, Ark., will board a bus bound for Indian Village, La., where their son is buried in a family grave.
They plan a weekend of worship, music and fellowship remembering their son and what he stood for.
Memorial Day has always had special meaning to the Bushnells, a patriotic family that always took time to pause and "remember the people who gave their all," Wesley said.
"It's an important day, because it honors the people who fought for what they believe in and gave us the opportunity to be sitting here watching color TV," he said.
But since their son's death, Memorial Day has become deeply personal, he said. He and his wife reflect all the time on what they've lost -- Wesley, during long days on the road driving a truck for Wal-Mart, a dog tag with his son's photo around his neck, and Becky, as she painstakingly toils over the memorial quilts she sews.
If there's any consolation in their loss, Wesley said, it's that their son died for a noble cause. "He went with dignity and honor. That's what makes it tolerable to me," he said. "I can accept war, and I know that bad things happen in war. It hurts, but I can accept it."
Carolyn and Keith Maupin
Parents of Army Staff Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin
For the past four Memorial Days, Carolyn and Keith Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, didn't know if their Army Reserve son was dead or alive.
Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin was among two soldiers and seven contract employees reported missing after insurgents attacked their fuel convoy west of Baghdad on April 9, 2004. Maupin was later reported as the only missing soldier.
A videotape that aired two weeks later on Al Jazeera TV showed him being held captive by masked gunmen, raising hopes he was still alive. Al Jazeera reported two months later that Maupin had been killed, but the U.S. Army ruled the video of the execution too poor to conclusively identify Maupin.
The Maupin family waited for four years, never giving up hope that Matt was still alive. Only when the Army announced March 20, 2008, that it had found and identified his remains using DNA did the Maupins finally know his fate.
The city of Cincinnati heralded its fallen son, hosting a memorial ceremony in late April at Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds. Pallbearers from Maupin's unit carried his flag-draped casket, placing it on the pitchers' mound before the 25,000 mourners. Later that day, Maupin was buried in Cincinnati's Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
U.S. Army Reserve Command honored Maupin during a May 22 memorial service at its headquarters at Fort McPherson, Ga. Carolyn called the service "quite touching," knowing that more than 200 soldiers were honoring her son. "We know they are not going to forget, don't we?" she said.
The Maupins will spend this Memorial Day weekend as they have the last three, riding on the back of a motorcycle down Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue as part of "Rolling Thunder." The annual ride, now in its 21st year, helps raise awareness about prisoners of war, troops missing in action and veterans' benefits. It also offers veterans the chance to reconnect with their brothers-in-arms.
Carolyn said she's always honored Memorial Day as a time to remember the fallen. She remembers years past, watching Memorial Day parades on television. "What was different then was that Matt was with us, and now he is not," she said. "So the emotions are different. We miss him."
As they remember their fallen son and honor another son serving in the military, Marine Sgt. Micah Maupin, the Maupins said it's important for all Americans to recognize the significance of Memorial Day.
"That's who gives them what they are able to do every day -- those guys who have died and those guys who have served," Keith said. "To me it means freedom, and what they have sacrificed to give us our freedom each and every day," Carolyn echoed.
Air Force Maj. Frances Robertson
While others attend Memorial Day commemorations in the coming days, Air Force Maj. Frances Robertson plans to stay away, saying they still bring up too many painful memories.
The Air Force flight nurse remembers growing up in San Antonio and enjoying the ceremony and celebration that surrounded Memorial Day. "When you were a kid, it was all about backyard barbecues and seeing the little flags on the funeral grounds at Fort Sam Houston," she said. "The music was always great, and the gunfire was really neat."
But after two combat deployments with the Air Force Reserve's 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, including one to Iraq at the start of the war, Robertson sees military cemeteries and wonders if she treated any of those buried there. She doesn't like hearing gunfire. She feels she's seen too much death to bring herself to attend Memorial Day ceremonies.
"It's not the memorial service I don't like, it's the memories," she said. "When you go to these functions, it brings it all back. You are reminded of it all over again."
Robertson said she holds dear memories of the servicemembers she treated in both Iraq and Kuwait and calls them heroes who willingly put themselves on the line for their fellow Americans.
"Any time a military member goes out, they don't know if they are coming home, and their families don't know if they are coming home," she said. "But they went out anyway, with their mind on the mission."
Robertson calls these troops minorities within American society, "the small group of people who volunteered to go in [to the military] and protect the U.S. for everyone else."
"They're the ones who take on that weight so others can live without worries," she said.
While she avoids ceremonies herself, Robertson said, it's important that all Americans pause on Memorial Day to recognize those who have sacrificed, particularly those who paid the ultimate price.
"I believe it is important to remember, because if you don't remember, you devalue what happened," she said.
"Many people in this country get to live with no worries and with many privileges and never had to battle for them or wage any kind of war for them," she continued. "They need to say thanks and let these people know they appreciate all that they have sacrificed for them."
America Supports You: Chrysler Donates to MacArthur Memorial
American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2008 - The Chrysler Foundation announced the donation of $100,000 to the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation's 5 Star Campaign in Norfolk, Va., today. In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, Chrysler's gifts promote the foundation's campaign for the modernization and expansion of the MacArthur Memorial.
"In keeping with Chrysler's tradition of support for the U.S. military and the courageous men and women who defend this great country, the company and our foundation are proud to contribute to the MacArthur Memorial," said Bob Nardelli, the automaker's chairman and chief executive officer. "We want to make sure that future generations understand General MacArthur's ideals of 'duty, honor and country,' and appreciate the heroic sacrifices made by so many who have and continue to serve in the United States armed forces."
In addition, Chrysler donated a fully refurbished, operational World War Two Jeep to the foundation.
Established in 1962, the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation commemorates the life and achievements of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, particularly as they relate to his enduring values and their relevance to future generations.
The foundation supports the MacArthur Memorial and its special historical exhibits and events, and offers training courses for officers from each of the armed services. The foundation also annually honors Army officers through its MacArthur Leadership Awards, which are presented at the Pentagon.
"On behalf of all the directors and members of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation, we are delighted to accept these generous gifts from the Chrysler Foundation," Arthur Diamonstein, the MacArthur Foundation's chairman, said. "This partnership reinforces our mutual objectives of preserving and presenting the legacy of the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces."
The Chrysler Foundation's donation to the MacArthur Memorial will expand the memorial's education capabilities. The new facility will triple the changing exhibit space, add a sophisticated multimedia theater, and will provide a "great hall" for visitor orientation.
"The gesture of kindness from one of the world's most prestigious and highly respected companies sends a clear message to corporate America that the 5 Star Campaign to preserve General MacArthur's enduring values of duty, honor and country is worthy of support," said Paul Fraim, Norfolk's mayor.
At the beginning of May, Chrysler implemented a month-long series of activities as part of its tribute to Military Appreciation Month. In conjunction with today's donation to the MacArthur Memorial 5 Star Campaign, employees at the company's Michigan headquarters will hold a Memorial Day remembrance ceremony honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the U.S. armed forces.
As part of the series, Nardelli announced on May 19 that the Chrysler Foundation contributed $250,000 to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. The fund is responsible for building the Pentagon Memorial, scheduled to be dedicated in September, to honor the 184 victims who lost their lives at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, including Flight 77 passengers and crew, and military and civilian Pentagon employees.
Chrysler kicked off Military Appreciation Month on May 5 by honoring those employees who have been called to active military duty with a Blue Star Service Flag ceremony at its Auburn Hills Technology Center. The company was honored during the ceremony with the "2008 Pro Patria" Award by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department organization.
The committee presents the Pro Patria Award to one company annually that demonstrates exceptional support for national defense by adopting personnel policies that allow employees to actively participate in the National Guard and Reserves. It also is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects military members and families with support from the public and corporations.
(From a Chrysler Foundation news release.)
May 23, 2008 - The Chrysler Foundation announced the donation of $100,000 to the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation's 5 Star Campaign in Norfolk, Va., today. In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, Chrysler's gifts promote the foundation's campaign for the modernization and expansion of the MacArthur Memorial.
"In keeping with Chrysler's tradition of support for the U.S. military and the courageous men and women who defend this great country, the company and our foundation are proud to contribute to the MacArthur Memorial," said Bob Nardelli, the automaker's chairman and chief executive officer. "We want to make sure that future generations understand General MacArthur's ideals of 'duty, honor and country,' and appreciate the heroic sacrifices made by so many who have and continue to serve in the United States armed forces."
In addition, Chrysler donated a fully refurbished, operational World War Two Jeep to the foundation.
Established in 1962, the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation commemorates the life and achievements of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, particularly as they relate to his enduring values and their relevance to future generations.
The foundation supports the MacArthur Memorial and its special historical exhibits and events, and offers training courses for officers from each of the armed services. The foundation also annually honors Army officers through its MacArthur Leadership Awards, which are presented at the Pentagon.
"On behalf of all the directors and members of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation, we are delighted to accept these generous gifts from the Chrysler Foundation," Arthur Diamonstein, the MacArthur Foundation's chairman, said. "This partnership reinforces our mutual objectives of preserving and presenting the legacy of the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces."
The Chrysler Foundation's donation to the MacArthur Memorial will expand the memorial's education capabilities. The new facility will triple the changing exhibit space, add a sophisticated multimedia theater, and will provide a "great hall" for visitor orientation.
"The gesture of kindness from one of the world's most prestigious and highly respected companies sends a clear message to corporate America that the 5 Star Campaign to preserve General MacArthur's enduring values of duty, honor and country is worthy of support," said Paul Fraim, Norfolk's mayor.
At the beginning of May, Chrysler implemented a month-long series of activities as part of its tribute to Military Appreciation Month. In conjunction with today's donation to the MacArthur Memorial 5 Star Campaign, employees at the company's Michigan headquarters will hold a Memorial Day remembrance ceremony honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the U.S. armed forces.
As part of the series, Nardelli announced on May 19 that the Chrysler Foundation contributed $250,000 to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. The fund is responsible for building the Pentagon Memorial, scheduled to be dedicated in September, to honor the 184 victims who lost their lives at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, including Flight 77 passengers and crew, and military and civilian Pentagon employees.
Chrysler kicked off Military Appreciation Month on May 5 by honoring those employees who have been called to active military duty with a Blue Star Service Flag ceremony at its Auburn Hills Technology Center. The company was honored during the ceremony with the "2008 Pro Patria" Award by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department organization.
The committee presents the Pro Patria Award to one company annually that demonstrates exceptional support for national defense by adopting personnel policies that allow employees to actively participate in the National Guard and Reserves. It also is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects military members and families with support from the public and corporations.
(From a Chrysler Foundation news release.)
Former Air Force Pilot, NFL Star Touts Opportunities for Veterans
By Annette Crawford
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2008 - Chad Hennings has been known by many titles in his life: U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, A-10 pilot, Gulf War veteran, Dallas Cowboy. The three-time Super Bowl champion now can go by one more title: small-business advocate.
"Small business is the lifeblood of America," Hennings said. "The importance of this nation is in the grassroots; it's in the local. It's not the major or federal or corporate, it's the individual that has the small business that feeds the local community, provides jobs, pays the taxes for the community programs.
"To me, that's the essence and the lifeblood of our nation -- it's the small-business person, the entrepreneur, somebody that wants to go out and create something, to build something. That's what our country is built upon."
Growing up in Elberon, Iowa, Hennings learned lessons from his family that have served him throughout his life -- lessons that were reinforced when he attended the Air Force Academy. He now puts those lessons into action as president of Hennings Management Corp., a marketing and consulting company. He also is a principal in TRW, a rock-retaining-wall business.
"First and foremost is the integrity I learned from my parents. At the academy, I learned the importance of strategic planning, the importance of tactics, the importance of communication as an individual and as a member of a team, whether that be an athletic team, cadet squadron, fighter squadron or in an office," he said.
"You have to be able to trust those you're working with and [also to understand] the importance of service before self, of giving back by giving your best -- not necessarily to achieve any personal accolade, but to make the team successful. Those personal things are all byproducts of the team's success," Hennings said.
Sixteen years after climbing out of the cockpit for the last time and nearly 20 years after graduating from the academy, Hennings still continues as a spokesman for the Air Force. He also speaks to corporate gatherings, stressing the importance of commitment and leadership.
"But I also want to be able to give back, and I want to be a part of a successful business, thus my association with service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that I'm an advocate for," Hennings said.
He said he was moved to action after getting the opportunity through the Fort Worth Airpower Society to visit Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio. There, he visited with wounded vets at the Center for the Intrepid as well as the BAMC burn unit.
"[I was able to] talk to these young soldiers who have given their all in their service to their country, and to look them in the eye and have them tell me how they wish they could go back and continue to serve, that they still have a lot in them, that they want to continue to be productive citizens.
"That drive has been instilled in them through the service of wanting to give back, of wanting to be productive -- not wanting a handout," he stressed. "That's what sparked the light in me to be able to be a part of something, to give these individuals a chance, an opportunity."
Hennings said small businesses have the capability of helping warfighters and making an impact on their local communities.
"You take that veteran that has such service, integrity and commitment that they gave to their branch of service and to our country, and that ethic can translate into grassroots effort. People are inspired by these individuals. People can look at that individual and say, 'He's paid his price. He has earned the opportunity and sit back and get his disability paycheck from the government and do nothing, but look -- he's starting his own business.' They're an inspiration to me to want to continue to go out and make a difference," Hennings said.
Americans can help in this effort, not only by supporting active-duty troops but by supporting veterans, Hennings said.
"They're not asking for any kind of special compensation. They're asking to have the opportunity to prove that they can do it. That's how we can support them, by encouraging them, by providing them the opportunities for skills training," he said.
One such opportunity is a program that began at the University of Syracuse's Whitman School of Management in 2007 -- the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. Hennings spoke to the first class last summer. Mike Haynie, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprise at Whitman, said Hennings was the perfect person to address the class.
"Chad Hennings kicked off the whole thing and really got everybody fired up," Haynie said.
This summer the free program will expand to the business schools at Florida State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, and Texas A&M University. More information can be found at http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv/.
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities is an example of innovative thinking in the education arena, and Hennings said it will take forward thinkers at many levels in all walks of life to make an impact on the lives of service-disabled veterans.
"When you ask about ways to help veterans, I don't believe that it's all government, all public sector, all military," he said. "It's a holistic approach."
(Annette Crawford works at the Air Force Small Business Solutions Center.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2008 - Chad Hennings has been known by many titles in his life: U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, A-10 pilot, Gulf War veteran, Dallas Cowboy. The three-time Super Bowl champion now can go by one more title: small-business advocate.
"Small business is the lifeblood of America," Hennings said. "The importance of this nation is in the grassroots; it's in the local. It's not the major or federal or corporate, it's the individual that has the small business that feeds the local community, provides jobs, pays the taxes for the community programs.
"To me, that's the essence and the lifeblood of our nation -- it's the small-business person, the entrepreneur, somebody that wants to go out and create something, to build something. That's what our country is built upon."
Growing up in Elberon, Iowa, Hennings learned lessons from his family that have served him throughout his life -- lessons that were reinforced when he attended the Air Force Academy. He now puts those lessons into action as president of Hennings Management Corp., a marketing and consulting company. He also is a principal in TRW, a rock-retaining-wall business.
"First and foremost is the integrity I learned from my parents. At the academy, I learned the importance of strategic planning, the importance of tactics, the importance of communication as an individual and as a member of a team, whether that be an athletic team, cadet squadron, fighter squadron or in an office," he said.
"You have to be able to trust those you're working with and [also to understand] the importance of service before self, of giving back by giving your best -- not necessarily to achieve any personal accolade, but to make the team successful. Those personal things are all byproducts of the team's success," Hennings said.
Sixteen years after climbing out of the cockpit for the last time and nearly 20 years after graduating from the academy, Hennings still continues as a spokesman for the Air Force. He also speaks to corporate gatherings, stressing the importance of commitment and leadership.
"But I also want to be able to give back, and I want to be a part of a successful business, thus my association with service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that I'm an advocate for," Hennings said.
He said he was moved to action after getting the opportunity through the Fort Worth Airpower Society to visit Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio. There, he visited with wounded vets at the Center for the Intrepid as well as the BAMC burn unit.
"[I was able to] talk to these young soldiers who have given their all in their service to their country, and to look them in the eye and have them tell me how they wish they could go back and continue to serve, that they still have a lot in them, that they want to continue to be productive citizens.
"That drive has been instilled in them through the service of wanting to give back, of wanting to be productive -- not wanting a handout," he stressed. "That's what sparked the light in me to be able to be a part of something, to give these individuals a chance, an opportunity."
Hennings said small businesses have the capability of helping warfighters and making an impact on their local communities.
"You take that veteran that has such service, integrity and commitment that they gave to their branch of service and to our country, and that ethic can translate into grassroots effort. People are inspired by these individuals. People can look at that individual and say, 'He's paid his price. He has earned the opportunity and sit back and get his disability paycheck from the government and do nothing, but look -- he's starting his own business.' They're an inspiration to me to want to continue to go out and make a difference," Hennings said.
Americans can help in this effort, not only by supporting active-duty troops but by supporting veterans, Hennings said.
"They're not asking for any kind of special compensation. They're asking to have the opportunity to prove that they can do it. That's how we can support them, by encouraging them, by providing them the opportunities for skills training," he said.
One such opportunity is a program that began at the University of Syracuse's Whitman School of Management in 2007 -- the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. Hennings spoke to the first class last summer. Mike Haynie, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprise at Whitman, said Hennings was the perfect person to address the class.
"Chad Hennings kicked off the whole thing and really got everybody fired up," Haynie said.
This summer the free program will expand to the business schools at Florida State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, and Texas A&M University. More information can be found at http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv/.
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities is an example of innovative thinking in the education arena, and Hennings said it will take forward thinkers at many levels in all walks of life to make an impact on the lives of service-disabled veterans.
"When you ask about ways to help veterans, I don't believe that it's all government, all public sector, all military," he said. "It's a holistic approach."
(Annette Crawford works at the Air Force Small Business Solutions Center.)
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