Criminal Justice Education

June 13, 2008, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On June 18, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation with Dr. Gregory D. Herbert, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) about educational opportunities for both criminal justice and military personnel.

Program Date: June 18, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Criminal Justice Education
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/06/19/The-Watering-Hole

About the Guest
Dr. Gregory D. Herbert, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) was born in Kalamazoo, MI, in 1956. He graduated from Lakewood High School, St. Petersburg FL, in 1974, and then attended St. Petersburg Junior College where he received his AA degree. He received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Florida State University where he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force on August 10, 1979. Dr. Herbert served on active duty for twenty two years initially as a B-52 Navigator/Radar Navigator then as a staff officer at various headquarters such as Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, and Air University.

At Air University Dr. Gregory D. Herbert was Chief, Nonresident Curriculum Branch, Air Command and Staff College; as such, he was in charge of the curriculum for over 6,000 nonresident students. While on active duty he earned an MBA from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a doctorate in Higher Education from The George Washington University. Upon his retirement from the Air Force in 2002 Dr. Herbert joined TUI University as a faculty member in the College of Business Administration. Since joining TUI he has taught and developed numerous courses for the college and has assumed administrative duties as the Associate Dean for the Colleges of Business Administration and Information Systems.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Mullen Assesses Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Stewart

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured the new Warrior Transition Unit here yesterday and met with wounded troops to hear how the Army is ensuring they get the best care and support possible. Mullen, here for a full day of sessions with junior soldiers, noncommissioned officers, junior and mid-grade officers and family members, stopped by the Warrior Transition Unit campus that stood up a year ago to hear firsthand how it's working.

As Mullen met privately with the soldiers, Army Lt. Col. Tyra White, who commands the Warrior Transition Battalion, explained the concept that has made medical hold units a thing of the past. The 586 wounded and recuperating soldiers assigned to the unit are called "warriors in transition," with one single mission: healing.

The Fort Stewart unit is one of 35 the Army stood up in the wake of problems discovered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. The units provide command and control to ensure transitioning soldiers get proper medical care and additional services they need as they complete medical evaluations and prepare for a return to active duty or civilian life, White said.

A "triad" of care, including a primary-care manager, nurse case manager and squad leader, provides personal attention at every turn and coordinates closely to ensure no detail falls through the cracks, she said.

Army Col. Jack Collins, commander of Winn Army Community Hospital, said the team approach underscores the Army's emphasis on helping warriors in transition succeed. "It's our No. 1 priority, and this is all about creating a healing environment," he said.

"This is one-stop shopping," White said of the Warrior Transition Unit complex, now located in refurbished National Guard buildings but to be replaced with a new, permanent facility next year.

"What we have here is wonderful," White said. We have occupational therapy, nurse case managers, doctors who come here, a town hall once a month. It's all right here."

Mullen told reporters he's happy with broad strides the Army has taken to ensure its wounded troops get the care and services they need.

"These are individuals and families who have paid an incredible price to defend our country. We have asked them to go into harm's way. They have done what their country has asked, and I think every effort needs to be made to make sure that they are well taken care of," he said. "The entire nation owes these troops a debt that can never be repaid fully."

An integrated effort by the Defense Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the country as a whole needs to look out for these troops to "make sure they are OK for the rest of their lives," he said.

While ensuring the top-notch medical care they receive is sustained over time, this integrated support network must ensure transitioning troops recognize that "their American dream is still achievable," he said.

Guard Floods States With Assistance as Waters Rise

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Governors in four of six Midwestern states affected by heavy rains and subsequent flooding called out more than 2,000 National Guard members this week as flood waters forced residents from their homes, left thousands without power and damaged infrastructure. The severe weather began in the region June 4 and continued for several days, with flood waters continuing to rise today. It included heavy rains, tornados, hail, severe lighting and, in one instance, nearly 11 inches of rain near the Indianapolis area within a matter of hours.

Many officials were comparing the floods to the Midwest's historic "Great Flood of 1993," which caused an estimated $15 billion in damage.

National Guard members in Indiana, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Iowa were continuing their support to civil authorities with manpower and equipment today. Helping them were additional Guard members from neighboring states.

In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels called out more than 1,300 Guard members to assist in evacuations, search and rescue, security, road blocks, sandbagging, and other emergency assistance missions. President Bush declared much of central Indiana a major disaster area.

National Guard Bureau officials reported that a variety of Guard equipment was being used to assist emergency responders in Indiana and its affected communities, including 35 5-ton trucks, 37 Humvees, five UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 26 potable water trailers, 17 light-medium tactile vehicles, and five buses. Still other special equipment and personnel include members of the West Virginia National Guard's 53rd Civil Support Team, as well as an RC-26B Metroliner reconnaissance aircraft.

"We are here for the citizens of Indiana," said Army Capt. Andy Weaver in an Indiana National Guard news report. Weaver and other Guard members helped evacuate at least 256 patients from a flooded hospital June 8 in Columbus. "Even though some of our soldiers have been affected by the flooding, they are here helping out the community. This is where they feel they should be," he added.

Indiana Guard members also were delivering Red Cross supplies, equipment and personnel to the town of Worthington. They delivered 7,200 gallons of water to the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and provided self-contained shower units to the town of Hope in Bartholomew County.

In Iowa, Guard officials reported many lakes, rivers and streams were at near-record levels, flooding communities and forcing many Iowans out of their towns and homes. Gov. Chet Culver mobilized at least 640 Guard soldiers and airmen for state active duty to assist in the state's disaster response. The governor declared 40 counties as disaster areas.

The Guard members are partnering with federal, state, county and local officials in at least 11 counties and are providing generator support and emergency drinking water. Other Guard members are involved in sandbagging and transportation, as well as securing bridges.

A band of storms that moved across West Virginia on June 5 caused severe flooding that forced Gov. Joe Manchin to declare a state of emergency for at least 15 counties.

At least 97 West Virginia Guard members responded to affected areas with military dump trucks, Humvees, water supplies, backhoes and other equipment to assist residents and local responders as river levels climbed. The Guard members were removing debris with their equipment in at least five counties.

The Wisconsin National Guard mobilized at least 80 soldiers and airmen. The soldiers were providing potable water and sandbags to flooded counties. Officials reported that soldiers of 2nd Brigade were tasked to deliver 20,000 sandbags to Dodge County and the village of Mukwonago. Guard soldiers from 147th Aviation were assisting in aerial damage-assessment missions for military and state leaders. The other states flew similar aerial assessment missions for their leaders.

Army Spc. Cassandra Groce from the Kentucky National Guard reported today that an RC-26B from 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., arrived in Wisconsin yesterday to fly over dozens of affected areas in the state to provide live video. A similar Guard aircraft from West Virginia flew missions over flooded areas of Indiana.

The capability allows engineers on the ground to plan reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and was employed after Hurricane Katrina. It was tested during last year's Guard response to the California wildfires and is now being used for the first time in the flooded states, Groce reported.

Army Master Sgt. Paul Gorman from the Wisconsin Guard reported yesterday that 924th Engineer Detachment dispatched engineer elements to team up with civilian engineers at key damage sites in three heavily affected counties. A Wisconsin Guard UH-60 Black Hawk from 147th Aviation Battalion also provided aerial assessment, Gorman reported.

In addition, 54th Civil Support Team brought communication, liaison and combat-lifesaver capabilities to support the ground-based engineer element in western Vernon County.

(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves with the National Guard Bureau.)

Memorial Tree-Planting Honors Fallen 3rd Infantry Division Troops

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Three additional trees were planted here today along Warriors Walk, bringing to 411 the number of Eastern redbud trees in the memorial honoring fallen 3rd Infantry Division soldiers who died in Iraq. Family members and fellow 3rd Infantry Division soldiers gathered for the somber ceremony as Army Command Sgt. Maj. McArthur Dixon, the rear detachment command sergeant major, called out the fallen soldiers' names. Army Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, remembered the soldiers as heroes who sacrificed for the country.

Army Pvt. Kyle P. Norris, 22, died May 23 after an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle as it patrolled in Balad. Two of the soldiers died in Iraq of noncombat injuries: 25-year-old Army Pvt. Ronald Harrison died April 22 at Forward Operating Base Falcon, and Army Spc. Mary J. Jaenichen, 20, on May 9 in Iskandariyah.

The simple tree-planting ceremony took place along Cottrell Field, a parade ground that was a site of celebration recently when 3rd Infantry Division soldiers returned from their third deployment to Iraq.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrapped up a visit here yesterday strolling through the grove alongside Lynch. They walked slowly through the grounds, pausing frequently to reflect on the small granite markers at each tree bearing a soldier's name. U.S. and unit flags at the base of each tree blew in the wind, and wind chimes dangling from many of the branches sent soft tinkling sounds through the grounds.

Mementos left at each tree told the personal stories of the soldiers honored. Two miniature motorcycles and a golf ball rested under the tree for Army Staff Sgt. William J. Beardsley, who died in February 2007 when an IED detonated near his vehicle in Diwaniyah.

Two wind chimes, a pinwheel and a flower arrangement graced the tree honoring Army Spc. Adam Harting, a 21-year-old who died in Samarra in July 2005.

A plaque engraved with a photo of Army Sgt. Nathan Bouchard carried a message of inspiration: "Greater love hath no man than that a man lay down his life for his friends. RECON." Bouchard was among four 3rd Infantry Division soldiers killed Aug. 18, 2005, when an IED detonated near their Humvee following a mine-assessing mission in Samarra.

Other tokens rested at the bases of other trees: a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of beer, a religious plaque and a crystal angel among them. Each night, a miniature spotlight casts a glow on each tree.

After walking through Warriors Walk yesterday, Mullen stopped to reflect, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked down the long rows that began with 34 trees planted during the 2003 dedication ceremony.

Garrison Commander Army Col. Todd Buchs said it's fitting that the division's heroes are honored in a way that will allow future generations to read their names and know of the sacrifices they made.

When the trees bloom each April, it's a tribute to the achievements the brigade made – and losses it suffered -- in April 2003 when it led the drive into Baghdad during its first deployment to Iraq, he said.

Army 1st Lt. Oscar Blasingame, whose legal services office sits directly across the street from Warriors Walk, said he visits it frequently and attends the tree-planting ceremonies "to remind myself of why I'm here."

Blasingame is an Army reserve soldier from Florida who volunteered to serve with the 3rd Infantry Division because of his strong family ties to the storied unit. Sitting on his desk is a photo of his grandfather and the victory medal he earned serving with the division in Marne, France, during World War I when it earned the motto, "Rock of the Marne."

Warriors Walk, he said, provides a reminder of the sacrifices 3rd Division soldiers continue to make, he said.

Army Pvt. Jonathan Goad, who joined the division last month, visited Warriors Walk with a friend just back from Iraq during his first days at Fort Stewart. "He lost a couple of friends there, so it was a very emotional day," said Goad, who expects to deploy with his new unit late next year.

As he walked among the trees, Goad said, he felt a sense of brotherhood with the fallen soldiers, knowing that he is taking up the cause they fought and died for. "I felt a sense of pride and a sense of unity with them," he said.

Goad said he recognizes that he, too, will go into harm's way serving with the division. But after feeling the terrorist threat personally at a young age, he said, he feels it's his duty.

A last-minute schedule change saved Goad's mother from being at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., when it was bombed in April 2005. Goad remembers his sixth-grade class music trip into Oklahoma City getting disrupted as rescue workers rushed to the scene to search for survivors.

But the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks were the clincher, convincing Goad to join the military.

"I pretty much felt the call to serve," he said. "I've always felt that we should have a sense of pride and a willingness to make this country a better place and a safer place."

America Supports You: Veterans Get Chance to Push Physical, Mental Limits

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - An offshoot of a nonprofit educational program founded in England during World War Two to prepare young sailors to endure adversity at sea during wartime is helping U.S. war veterans today."'Outward Bound' expeditions specifically designed for veterans and supported by the Sierra Club are an extension of this effort," said Meg Ryan, project manager for the Colorado-based program's Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom expedition division.

For more than 20 years, the military program, now fully funded by the Sierra Club, includes travel to course destinations and an opportunity for physical and mental challenges in beautiful wilderness locations across the country, Ryan said.

"All costs, including travel to the expedition, are fully supported by the Military Family Outdoor Initiative Project," she said.

War veterans have two choices when participating in an Outward Bound veteran expedition. An open enrollment allows them to sign up for a pre-scheduled course and attend as individuals. Customized expeditions also are available to pre-existing groups and can be tailored to fit specific needs.

"During these transformational wilderness adventures, ... veterans and servicemembers have hands-on opportunities to challenge themselves both physically and mentally while building on strengths and reinforcing the positive aspects of military training," Ryan said. "They work to regain personal independence, build camaraderie, and improve self-confidence to help create a smoother reintegration into civilian life."

Outward Bound is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and overseas.

"Outward Bound needs assistance in getting out the word to veterans service organizations, military installations, ... and all those in contact with military servicemembers about the opportunity available to them free of charge," Ryan said.

Gates to Discuss Afghanistan, Missile Defense at NATO Conference

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and fellow NATO defense ministers will discuss alliance operations in Afghanistan, the alliance missile defense program, and transition plans for Kosovo during a two-day ministerial beginning here today. The ministers will focus on how NATO nations are moving toward implementing decisions the member nations' heads of state reached at the alliance's April summit in Bucharest, Romania, a senior defense official speaking on background told reporters traveling with Gates.

Afghanistan will dominate much of the conference, the official said. Gates will participate in meetings centered on NATO's Regional Command South and another about Afghanistan in general. In both meetings, the defense ministers will discuss the strategic vision for Afghanistan and conditions around the country.

They also will discuss Pakistan and ways to approach the new Pakistani government. "All allies need to engage with Pakistan; it can't be just the United States," the official said. "The secretary will want to show support for the new Pakistani government, recognizing the government is facing some challenges. But we can't solve problems in Afghanistan without Pakistani support and vice versa."

The NATO defense ministers will discuss progress that Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, the new representative of the United Nations secretary general for civilian reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, has made and what NATO can do to help him, the official said. Eide has been in office for two months, and NATO defense ministers see his role as helping Afghan leaders tie together NATO, European Union and U.N. reconstruction efforts.

The ministers also will participate in the alliance's Defense Planning Committee. This is an annual review of the status of NATO force-generating capabilities, the official said.

"For the last year, they've negotiated what nations can provide so that they then can take these back and do all their national planning to meet these goals," the official said. "This is the cornerstone of interoperability. This is what the NATO staff and the military folks will use as their basing document for which allies have which capabilities for which operation. It's a very important process that culminates in this meeting."

The NATO defense ministers and those of 11 allied nations also will discuss efforts in Kosovo. The official said the ministers will discuss the progress of the transition of the U.N. mission in Kosovo to the European Union. This is complicated by five NATO nations not recognizing Kosovo independence, the official said.

Tomorrow, the NATO ministers will discuss missile defense. At the Bucharest Summit, the allies agreed ballistic missiles pose an increasing threat to NATO territories and populations. The U.S. long-range missile defense system -- to be based in the Czech Republic and Poland -- will provide coverage for most of Europe, but this still leaves Turkey and portions of Greece, Bulgaria and Romania at risk from a missile attack from Iran. The NATO heads of state agreed in April that the alliance needs to pursue a complementary short-range system for these areas, and the ministers will examine the various options, the official said.

The ministers also will discuss a capabilities initiative agreed to at Bucharest. From the U.S. standpoint, the major part of this discussion is the alliance ensuring all operational requirements are filled. Part of this discussion will look at progress in improving the alliance's airlift and sealift capabilities, the NATO Rapid Response Force, and the alliance ground surveillance system, the official said.

Gates and Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov will participate in the NATO-Russia Council, followed by a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov for the NATO-Ukraine Commission.