Monday, July 27, 2009

Cosmic Reminder

Funny how the past never gets left to far behind. It reminds me there are forces at work a single individual will never comprehend. There seems to be a bond between people, objects, time and space. Is it the intensity of a situation or just plain coincidence that draws things together? Could it be a reminder that some things, events or people should not be forgotten? What we learned in that past experience should be brought forward and made public, not just documented, archived and left for a chance discovery in millenniums gone by.
It took me 35 years to write my book on the Vietnam War. Not because I was ashamed, frighten or mentally unstable. The time was just not right for me.
When I returned home after my second tour, I was constantly asked the same two questions, “Did I kill anyone?” and, “Did any of your friends get killed?” For the curious, the answer is, “Yes”. Back in the late 60’s, those questions were ignored. Why should I give someone a cheap thrill when friends of mine paid the tab?
This weekend, I was a guest speaker at a helicopter airshow. I had finished a video a few weeks ago showing a helicopter assault set to rock and roll music.
I wanted the audience to feel the excitement and sounds the two seem to have in common. The end of the clip is a solemn, almost religious finish that brought some of the audience to tears as it slowly shows the number of American casualties helicopter crews suffered in that 10 year war. War is not sane, glorious or forgiving. Hero’s are not made, they are lost.
I had a table set up outside on the airfield by the Vietnam Huey helicopter display so I could discuss my book and answer questions I was not able to due to my 30 minute window as a speaker. I was talking to the owner of the beutifully restorded ship and he asked me what group I had flown with in the war. I told him our call sign was “Little Bear”. He then informed me this helicopter was an x Little Bear aircraft! The markings had been changed to represent the unit he flown with in Vietnam. With only 25 helicopters in my unit and the fact I had been on over 250 missions, the chances were pretty good I had taken this ship into combat.
A cosmic reminder for me to keep speaking about the war so the men who perished in these machines should not be forgotten.

NOTE: A little over 7000 Huey helicopters participated in the Vietnam
War. Over 3000 were lost.

Gates Discusses Iran, Other Issues With Israeli Leaders

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates discussed the Iranian nuclear problem and other defense issues with Israeli leaders here today. Gates met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak during a quick trip to Israel.

During a news conference with Barak at the historic King David Hotel, Gates received firsthand the Israeli feeling on Iran's nuclear weapons program. "This is a central issue in our minds here," Barak said. "We do welcome a coordinated international effort to try to block this nuclear military problem."

The Israelis told Gates that the continuation of the Iranian effort could destabilize the whole Middle East. "Israel retains its position that no option should be taken off the table," the defense minister said. "Of course, at this stage, priority still should be given to diplomacy and international cooperation."

Gates agreed that a nuclear-armed Iran "would be profoundly destabilizing to the entire region and a threat certainly to Israel, the United States and other countries in the region." He said Israel and the United States are in full agreement on the consequences of Iran becoming a nuclear power.

"We also agreed that we must take every opportunity to persuade the Iranians to reconsider what is actually in their own security interests," Gates said.

President Barack Obama has said the United States will discuss the situation with Iran, but that the offer is not open-ended. "The president is fully aware that the Iranians may simply try to run out the clock," Gates said. "I think the president is hoping for some kind of response by this fall," at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly session.

The international community is imposing sanctions against Iran for its continued intransigence. Another path being pursued is to try to convince the Iranians that the country's security is diminished by continuing to develop its nuclear capability.

"This is partly because it would be destabilizing, partly because it might set off an arms race in the Middle East," Gates explained. U.S. efforts include developing bilateral and multilateral relationships with friends and allies in the region, he noted. This already has resulted in cooperation in the region on maritime surveillance and air defense, he added.

On his first visit to Israel in more than two years, Gates reiterated Obama's pledge that the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. "We also discussed the regional challenges we both face from terrorism to the threat posed by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons," Gates said during the news conference.

The United States provides Israel with financial and technical aid to combat threats posed by rockets and missiles. "We will continue to ensure that Israel has the most advanced weapons for its national defense," Gates said. For example, he said, he and Israeli officials discussed progress with the Joint Strike Fighter. Israel is a partner in the stealth aircraft's development.

"Of course, achieving long-term security for Israel is ultimately dependent on a sustainable, comprehensive Middle East peace," Gates said. "The goal is vitally important for regional security."

The United States will help to move the process forward by addressing Israeli requirements to make a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution possible, Gates said.

Barak said Israel appreciates the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel and the monetary and technical assistance to keep Israel's qualitative military edge.

Following the meetings, Gates departed for Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah and military leaders.

MILITARY CONTACTS July 28, 2009

NAVY
Turner-Penick, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $103,725,091 firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of four Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQs) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of four BEQ. The BEQ's will house a total of 1384 Marines in the standard 2+0 configuration and will include a multipurpose community area and laundry facilities. The contract also contains five options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $110,536,246. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by June 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 10 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-09-C-1233).

General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $33,841,223 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-07-D-0024) to exercise an option for Information Technology/Information Management Department Support Services. This modification provides for a wide range of services and products, including information engineering; business process improvement relative to automation; analytical and technical support for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); consultation; hardware and software evaluation and selection; systems analysis; systems and applications sustainment, including configuration and maintenance of web sites and servers; integration of systems and applications; database administration; production support; information assurance; network support; firewall support; and imaging services. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE
SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., was awarded a $49,900,900 contract of technical and software enhancements to baseline systems to determine the benefits of the learning and reasoning technologies to military applications. At this time, $2,179,059 has been awarded to each contractor. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, N.Y. is the contracting activity. (FA8750-09-D-0183)

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
BAE Systems Tactical Vehicle Systems LP, Sealy, Texas is being awarded a maximum $34,097,605 firm fixed price, sole source contract for axle assembly parts in support of MRAP. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is March 24, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Warren (DSCC-ZG), Warren, Mich. (SPRDL1-09-C-0121).

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
Apriva ISS, LLC, of Scottsdale AZ, was awarded a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract on July 24, 2009 in the amount of $17,014,208.00. The contract provides for the operations and maintenance of the existing Secure Mobile Environment Portable Electronic Device (SME-PED) Multi-Carrier Entry Point (MCEP 1), and the build-out, operations and maintenance of an additional MCEP, referred to as MCEP 2. The period of performance is for a one year base period and four one-year option periods. MCEP 1 performance will be at the AT&T Data Center located in Mesa AZ, and MCEP 2 performance will be at the DISA Defense Enterprise Computing Center (DECC) located in St Louis, MO. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO), Scott AFB, IL, is the contracting activity (Contract Number HC1013-09-C-2002).

U.S., China Can Cooperate on Security Issues, Obama Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - The United States and the People's Republic of China can cooperate on a number of security issues of mutual interest, such as preventing the spread of nuclear arms and combating global extremism, President Barack Obama said here today. The relationship between the United States and China "will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world," Obama said during opening remarks of the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue conference held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Then-President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao initiated the twice-yearly U.S.-China dialogue meetings in 2006 as a framework for the two nations to discuss issues of mutual economic interest. Obama has increased the State Department's role in the conference, which alternates locations each year between China and the United States.

"Today, we have a comprehensive relationship that reflects the deepening ties among our people," Obama said of the current state of U.S.-Chinese relations.

Obama also cited his conviction that the countries share mutual security interests following the fall of the Berlin Wall two decades ago that marked the end of the Cold War. For example, he said, the United States and China can cooperate to advance the two nations' mutual desire to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

"Make no mistake, the more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely it is that they will be used," he said. "Neither America nor China has an interest in a terrorist acquiring a bomb, or a nuclear arms race breaking out in East Asia."

It is of vital importance to global peace and security, Obama said, to dissuade countries like North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The United States and China "must continue our collaboration to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," Obama said, "and [to] make it clear to North Korea that the path to security and respect can be traveled if they meet their obligations.

"And, that is why we must be united in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," he added, "and urging the Islamic republic to live up to its international obligations."

It is the responsibility of all of the world's nations, Obama said, to cooperate to safeguard all vulnerable nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists.

"In the 21st century, a strong and global regime is the only basis for security from the world's deadliest weapons," Obama said.

The American and Chinese governments, the president said, also can increase their military-to-military cooperation to reduce the chance of potential misunderstandings and to combat global extremists.

"Through increased ties between our militaries, we can diminish causes for dispute, while providing a framework for cooperation," Obama said. "Through continued intelligence sharing, we can disrupt terrorist plots and dismantle terrorist networks."

No one nation can all by itself confront the challenges of the 21st century, he said, noting: "It is this fundamental truth that compels us to cooperate."

Obama said he doesn't entertain the belief that the United States and China will agree on every issue, nor choose to view the world in the same way.

"But that only makes dialogue more important," Obama said, "so that we can know each other better, and communicate our concerns with candor."

The president acknowledged that some people in the United States and China believe that the two nations are fated to pursue an adversarial course.

"I take a different view," he said of such a potentially negative U.S.-Chinese relationship. "I believe in a future where China is a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations; a future when our nations are partners out of necessity, but also of opportunity."

Small Business Leadership Strategies for Growth

July 27, 2009 (San Dimas, CA) American Heroes Press announced that the co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) will be a guest on the internet-based radio program Grassroots Business Network, LLC, discussing
Small Business Leadership Strategies for Growth.

Date: July 28, 2009
Time: 6:00 PM Pacific
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/GBN/2009/07/29/Small-Business-Leadership-Strategies-for-Growth

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Grassroots Business Network, LLC organizes and promotes networking events and training seminars in the areas of networking, sales, marketing, business development, and holistic wellness. According to Tyrone Turner of Grassroots Business Networks, LLC, “Our main base of operations is New York City (Manhattan), Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA. What makes our networking events so special is that we have our events in professional environments - we do not hold them in bars or restaurants as we don't feel those locations are necessarily conducive to effective networking. Another thing is that we provide all attendees with a comprehensive contact sheet/follow-up list. This list has the following information: name, mailing address; e-mail, website, phone number; best time to call; hobbies and interests; and products/services that they are looking to buy in the next 90 days. The training seminars feature up and coming “grassroots” experts. Cutting to the chase, the individuals who speak at our events are the stars of tomorrow, so take advantage of meeting and learning from them now.”

ABOUT RAYMOND E. FOSTER
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. He has completed his doctoral studies in business research. Raymond is a graduate of the West Point Leadership program and has attended law enforcement, technology and leadership programs such as the National Institute for Justice, Technology Institute, Washington, DC.

Raymond has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and is currently a faculty advisor and chair of the
Criminal Justice Program at the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, 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.

His first book,
Police Technology is used in over 100 colleges and universities nationwide. He latest book, Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style has been adopted by several universities for course work in leadership; by several civil service organizations and required reading for promotion; and, has been well received in the wider market.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Using poker as analogy for
leadership, Captain Andrew Harvey, CPD (ret.), Ed.D. and Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA found the right mix of practical experience and academic credentials to write a definitive book for leaders. Working together, Harvey and Foster have written Leadership: Texas Hold em Style. Most often leaders find they are given a set of resources people, equipment, funds, experience and a mission. As Foster noted, "You're dealt a certain hand. How you play that hand as a leader determines your success."

More than a book: A fun and entertaining journey through
leadership that includes an interactive website to supplement knowledge gained from the book.
Proven and Tested: Not an academic approach to
leadership, but rather a road-tested guide that has been developed through 50-years of author experience.
High Impact: Through the use of perspective, reflection, and knowledge, provides information that turns
leadership potential into leadership practice.
Ease of Application: Theory is reinforced with real-life experience, which results in accessible and practical tools leaders can put to use immediately.
High Road Approach: Personal character and ethical beliefs are woven into each leadership approach, so leaders do the right thing for the right reasons.
Uses Game of Poker: Rather than a dry approach that is all fact and no flavor, the game of poker is used as a lens through which to view
leadership concepts.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret)
909.599.7530
raymond@hitechcj.com
www.police-writers.com

SECRECY NEWS

From the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Volume 2009, Issue No. 64 July 27, 2009

Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/

ISCAP DIRECTS NSA TO RELEASE COMINT HISTORY

In 2005, the National Security Agency released a partially declassified 1952 history of communications intelligence prior to Pearl Harbor with several passages censored. But this month, the NSA released the complete text of the document after the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) determined that there was no justification for continued classification of the withheld portions.

During World War II, "Collaboration with the BRITISH COMINT organization got off to a bad start so far as the Navy was concerned...," according to one newly declassified paragraph from the official history. "For several months U.S. Navy COMINT personnel thought they had been double-crossed by the British and were reluctant to go ahead with collaboration in direction finding and other matters which were greatly to England's advantage throughout 1941." Subsequent cooperation, however, proved "harmonious."
Now it can be told.

The NSA document was released in response to a mandatory declassification review request, followed by an appeal to ISCAP, submitted by researcher Michael Ravnitzky. See "A Brief History of Communications Intelligence in the United States" by Captain Lawrence Safford, USN, 21-27 March 1952:

http://www.fas.org/irp/nsa/safford-2009.pdf

The new disclosure illustrates once again the efficacy of the ISCAP in overcoming the reflexive secrecy of executive branch agencies, including those that are represented on the ISCAP itself. More often than not, the ISCAP has released information that one of its own member agencies said must remain classified.

Fundamentally, the ISCAP's experience over the past decade or so demonstrates the importance of extending declassification authority beyond the original classifying agency. Left to their own devices, agencies will adhere to past classification practices indefinitely. But when such practices are critically examined by others, including others within the executive branch, they often wither before the scrutiny.

If there is a solution to "the problem of overclassification," as requested by President Obama in a May 27, 2009 memorandum, it is bound to involve this kind of independent, external review of agency classification and declassification practices.


CRS ON INNOVATION INDUCEMENTS, POSTAL CLOSURES

A new report from the Congressional Research Service examines the government's use of "grand challenges" or monetary prizes to provide incentives for technological advancement. In quite a few cases, such incentives have inspired or accelerated new technology breakthroughs -- in lightweight power supplies and autonomous unmanned vehicles, for example.
In other cases, the proffered prizes have gone unclaimed because the challenge was not met, as in a recent competition to generate breathable oxygen from simulated lunar soil. In any case, it seems likely that the new CRS report is the best thing ever written on the subject. See "Federally Funded Innovation Inducement Prizes," June 29, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40677.pdf

Another new CRS report considers the mundane but significant fact that the US Postal Service may soon close thousands of post office branches and stations due to declining demand and volume. This exhaustive report, once again, is almost certainly the best, most informative treatment of its chosen subject. See "Post Office and Retail Postal Facility Closures:
Overview and Issues for Congress," July 23, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40719.pdf

Despite the efforts of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Sen. John McCain and a few others, there appears to be little near-term prospect that Congress will permit direct public access to CRS reports like these. Fortunately, routine unauthorized disclosures of the reports continue to meet the need fairly well. See also, lately:

"Issues Regarding a National Land Parcel Database," July 22, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40717.pdf

"Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2010," July 15, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40710.pdf

"The U.S. Newspaper Industry in Transition," July 8, 2009

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40700.pdf

"Agricultural Conservation Issues in the 111th Congress," July 7, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40692.pdf


OTHER NEWS AND RESOURCES

The corrosive tendency of government agencies to classify historical information that is already in the public domain is made vividly clear in a collection of erroneously redacted documents compiled by William Burr of the National Security Archive. See "More Dubious Secrets: Systematic Overclassification of Defense Information Poses Challenge for President Obama's Secrecy Review," July 17, 2009:

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb281/index.htm

A 2008 intelligence community policy memorandum on "Connection of United States and Commonwealth Secure Telephone Systems," which was almost entirely redacted and withheld from disclosure, is posted here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/icpm/2008-500-2.pdf

Some 700 classified images of Arctic sea ice have been declassified and released, the Department of Interior announced in a July 15 news release.
"It reportedly is the largest release of [imagery] information derived from classified material since the declassification of CORONA satellite images during the Clinton Administration," the DOI said. The release followed a National Research Council report that said the release of such classified imagery was needed to support climate change research.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2009/07/doi071509.html

Persistent concerns over the government's use of the state secrets privilege to curtail civil litigation were aired at a June 9, 2009 hearing before Rep. Jerrold Nadler's House Judiciary Subcommittee. The record of that hearing, with abundant supporting materials submitted for the record, has just been published. See "State Secret Protection Act of 2009":

http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2009/statesec.html

Army Leverages Social Media to Promote Recruiting

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - When young people began flocking to MySpace about two years ago, the Army recognized social networks as a whole new way to reach its primary recruiting population. So Army recruiters and accessions staffers, too, are establishing an Army presence in the growing array of social networking forums, Suzanne Nagel, Army Accessions Command's media and Web chief for Army advertising, told American Forces Press Service.

They're using them to connect with 18- to 24-year-olds who regularly use social networking sites, to direct them to the primary Army recruiting Web site, and to help answer their questions about Army service in a nonthreatening, no-pressure environment.

"In essence, our philosophy is that we want to fish where the fish are," Nagel said. "For us, the fish are the prospects -- the person who might be interested in joining the Army."

From its first corporate sponsorship page on MySpace -- which now boasts more than 90,000 "friends" -- to a comprehensive plan being developed for fiscal 2010, the Army is expanding its social media presence to better reach these prospects.

Many potential recruits might never go to the www.goarmy.com recruiting Web site on their own, Nagel conceded. They're more likely to do so, she said, if steered to the site through a MySpace, Facebook or other social networking contact.

"The people we want to reach are spending an awful lot of time in social networking sites," she said. "So you have to be in those environments to be able to talk to the people you want to talk to."

The goal, she said, is to help people understand the Army experience. "The more people know about the Army, and the more they know about the reality of the Army, the better they will be equipped to make that decision to join," she said.

Nagel calls the men and women in uniform whose unfiltered voices tell the ups and downs of their Army experiences the key to the Army's social media efforts.

"There is no better way to tell the Army story than to get it directly from the mouths of soldiers -- the people who have experienced it every single day," she said. "With all of our social networking ventures, we are looking to leverage our soldiers and to make them the spokespeople."

Real-life soldiers representing every rank and a variety of military specialties and backgrounds provide an unfiltered perspective on daily life in the military through blog entries, photos and videos posted on the ArmyStrongStories.com Web site.

"As people go on our site and ask questions about joining, and should they do it, we want our soldiers to be on those sites, giving them the answers from their own perspectives," Nagel said.

The Army monitors the discussion to ensure material posted doesn't violate security considerations or include political commentary and isn't offensive. But otherwise, the discussion is straightforward and uncensored, with soldiers calling things as they see them.

"We definitely don't want them giving canned answers that we have prepared for them," Nagel said. "The people who are on the discussion board and our social networking site can cut through the propaganda really, really quickly. They know what's real and what's canned. So it's important that the conversation be real."

Recruiters are generating similar conversations as they set up Facebook pages and develop networks of friends to talk about Army opportunities.

Another Army discussion board launched late last year links former and current ROTC cadets. "The whole goal is to keep people interested in ROTC and to allow people who have been there to talk to people going there, to share those experiences," Nagel said. "We're seeing some interesting results, and looking to possibly expand it."

The Army is making plans to expand its full range of social media networking, getting more soldiers to contribute videos for the Army's YouTube site, and sharing comments on its Facebook page.

Meanwhile, a social networking plan being developed for fiscal 2010 will build on that headway while looking to what's ahead in the quickly evolving medium. The Armywide plan will help the service tap into the new opportunities these tools provide.

"Social networking is changing on almost a daily basis," Nagel said. "So we're trying to take advantage of the things out there, and to identify emerging sites and take advantage of those as they come along."

As these social networks develop, Nagel doesn't measure their success through the number of friends or followers, or visitor hits alone. "We are looking at it to see what kind of conversations are going on, and the number of people driving back to the [goarmy.com] site," she said.

What's developed so far already vastly exceeds what many Army officials expected, she said, which was little more than an Army fan page. But they quickly noticed another phenomenon as dialogue grew to include more than just potential soldiers, she said.

Applicants who had already signed up, but hadn't yet shipped off to basic training, began using the site to stay connected. "I'm getting ready to ship to basic in three weeks, and am looking for somebody who is going to be at Fort Jackson, [S.C.]," a MySpace friend might ask.

These connections help reinforce the applicant's decision to join the military, Nagel said. "With recruiting, it's not just about getting people to sign up," she said. "It's about keeping the people interested in joining so they don't drop out before actually shipping to basic training."

Meanwhile, as applicants began connecting, their parents began using the site to connect with each other, too. Teachers, coaches and other adults who influence young people's decisions to join the military began joining the conversation.

The Army hopes to generate more of these conversations through its social networking efforts.

"We want to make sure people can understand the Army experience," Nagel said. "Our goal is to change perceptions and convince people who maybe wouldn't otherwise think about the Army in a positive way."

The Streets Ran Red

Editor's Note: The Author is US Navy Veteran.

On October 2, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with US Navy veteran and Paramedic
Morgan Lawrence about his career and book - The Streets Ran Red.

Program Date: October 2, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: The Streets Ran Red
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/10/03/The-Streets-Ran-Red

About the Guest
Morgan Lawrence has worked in the emergency medical services field for over twenty years in a number of states throughout our country. His experience has spanned rural and metropolitan rescue services. He is certified in air, ground, and marine rescue. He is a US Navy veteran. After a work related injury in 1986, he left the field of emergency medicine. Morgan went back to college and received Degree’s in Psychology on the Bachelors and Masters level with a concentration on forensic psychology. He is currently certified in Acute Trauma Stress Management and contributes to several trade magazines. He is currently living and working in south Florida. Morgan Lawrence is the author of The Streets Ran Red.

According to the book description of The Streets Ran Red, “These are the true life stories of the men and woman I have associated with in my twenty year career as a Paramedic. While reading this book, you will get to feel and understand some of the pressures of working the street. The Streets Ran Red is an account of the lives of a pair of deputy sheriff paramedics and the supporting cast of medical experts who helped them save lives. This is a true account of a group of special individuals who make up a very special team. The accounts described in this book actually happened and the victims were real. The names and locations have been changed at the requests of some of the characters.”

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. American Heroes Radio brings you to the watering hold, where it is 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 Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety 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/2009/10/03/The-Streets-Ran-Red

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

Gates Praises U.S., Jordan Strategic Partnership

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - The United States and Jordan enjoy a strategic partnership aimed at promoting peace in the greater Middle East, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates spoke at the American embassy here following a meeting with King Abdullah and defense leaders. Gates arrived here after a short flight from Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Jordanian reporters wanted to know if Gates had received assurances from the Israelis that Israel would not launch air strikes at Iran's nuclear sites.

"They are perfectly willing to allow the process of attempted engagement to go forward," Gates said. "They know ... that this is not an open-ended process, but I had every sense that the Israeli government is prepared to let our strategy play out in terms of trying to use a combination of diplomatic pressures, economic sanctions and other peaceful means to try to get the Iranian government to change its mind in terms of its nuclear ambitions."

If that engagement process with Iran is not successful, the United States is prepared to press for significant additional sanctions that would be nonincremental, the secretary said.

"Our hope remains that Iran will respond to [President Barack Obama's] outstretched hand in a positive way," he said. "But we'll see."

Jordan is promoting security in the region by helping to train both Palestinian Authority and Iraqi security forces. Gates noted the professionalism of the Jordanian military, and that it is investing in providing world-class training for its own forces and others in the region.

U.S. Central Command Commander Army Gen. David Petraeus was recently in Jordan for the opening of the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center.

"That state-of-the-art facility will be the foundation upon which other nations in the region will build their counter-terrorism forces," Gates said.

Jordan is promoting Arab contributions to a comprehensive Middle East peace including the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. "I also commend Jordan for leading the way in assisting Iraq as it seeks renewed engagement with its neighbors," Gates said. Abdullah was the first Arab head of state to visit the new Iraq. Jordan is actively pursuing better economic and diplomatic ties between the countries.

Other countries should follow Jordan's example and help Iraq fully reintegrate back into the region, Gates said. "This is the only way to forge a stable and prosperous Iraq -- a goal that is in all the interests of the Middle East," he said.

Extremism is still a threat in the region as is Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons. The United States will provide Jordan with $360 million this year in economic-support funds and roughly $300 million in security-assistance funds. These amounts will remain constant for at least the next few years, the secretary said.

Petraeus Visits Sailors, Awards Maersk Rescuers

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - The head of U.S. Central Command visited the guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge while in port here today to thank sailors for their work while deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet, as well as for their role in the rescue of Richard Phillips, the Maersk Alabama cargo ship captain held captive by Somali pirates. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus held an all-hands call with Bainbridge's sailors and presented awards to three sailors for rescuing Phillips after he was held by pirates for five days in April.

"The eyes of the world were upon you that Easter weekend," Petraeus said. "You played important roles and should be proud of what you did. In moments of danger and decision during the rescue of Captain Phillips, you did what you were trained to do. You remembered your skills. You did your duty. You stood your watch. And you brought Captain Phillips home alive."

Petraeus presented Senior Chief Joel Steinbach with the Meritorious Service Medal, and Petty Officers 2nd Class Matthew Olin and Joshua Waters with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for their exemplary service during the rescue.

Steinbach served as the chief negotiator and liaison between the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group/Crisis Negotiation Unit and the pirates holding Phillips.

"I am honored to be recognized with this award and to receive it from General Petraeus," Steinbach said. "However, the credit for the rescue of Captain Phillips belongs to all the sailors who took part in the successful operation."

Olin and Waters led a boat crew in the covert recovery of U.S. Navy SEALs, served as coxswain as their boats approached the pirate lifeboat holding Phillips despite coming under hostile fire on the initial approach, and navigated their boats alongside the lifeboat to direct negotiations for the release and subsequent rescue of Phillips.

"I am proud that I was part of this mission and that I made a difference," Olin said. "I am proud of all the sailors involved who not only risked their lives, but brought honor upon our ship."

Bainbridge Commanding Officer Cmdr. Frank X. Castellano said it was an honor to host Petraeus. He praised his crew for their role in the rescue and counter-piracy operations.

"The success of Captain Phillips' rescue belongs not to a single commander or a team of SEALs," Castellano said. "Those few days belong to everyone involved -- officers and enlisted, not on one ship, but several – who diligently stood their watch. It belongs to the many."

(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves in U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)

Face of Defense: Reservist Spreads Word of Military Good

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - Tech Sgt. Alyson Angeles-Kimbrell has found in the Air Force Reserve a way to make a big difference in her life and that of many others. Angeles-Kimbrell was here earlier this month to attend the 2009 League of United Latin American Citizens convention on a quest to inspire a new generation of local Latino students with personal stories of hope and inspiration.

Angeles-Kimbrell, a native of Lima, Peru, is an information manager on full-time orders with the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Reserve Base, Calif. She credits the Air Force with bringing game-changing value to her life, and says she feels strongly about planting the seeds of success for others.

In seven years, Angeles-Kimbrell mastered English well enough to earn multiple degrees, became a U.S. citizen, joined the Air Force, then return to her native country through an Air Force humanitarian mission to help abused children in an orphanage.

Although her father served in the Peruvian navy, Angeles-Kimbrell said she struggled growing up to undo the cultural restraints that prevented so many women from being encouraged to join the military. To further complicate matters, she tried in earnest to overcome the language and cultural barriers in the United States. Since Angeles-Kimbrell spoke no English when she arrived in San Francisco at age 11, she recalled a fairly rudderless existence by the time she graduated from high school.

"It took me a while to learn English," she said. "When I graduated from high school, I didn't know what career to pursue, and college didn't work for me at first."

Knowing she wanted benefits, education and stability, Angeles-Kimbrell initially considered the Army, before finally enlisting in the Air Force. After eight years of watching her parents complete the U.S. residency process for their family, she finally opted to become a U.S. citizen when she joined the Air Force in April 2002. She spent three years on active duty at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where she earned her Community College of the Air Force associate's degree. After that, Angeles-Kimbrell said she got the "education bug."

"I became a traditional reservist so I could continue pursuing my college education, and I just kept working harder and harder," she said.

She worked so hard, that in just one year she earned her bachelor's degree in political science, before completing her master's degree in health administration last year.

While many would consider using the Montgomery GI Bill to earn multiple degrees to be a significant feat, Angeles-Kimbrell said the Air Force Reserve afforded her an unexpected and even more meaningful experience.

When the Air Force Reserve offered her the opportunity to go back to her native Lima to work in the U. S. Embassy for four months, Angeles-Kimbrell said she jumped at the chance. She didn't realize that trying to relearn her native tongue would pose a significant challenge.

"It was tough working with the other branches because of cultural differences and language barriers," she said. "Even though I spoke Spanish, I didn't use it much in the U.S. and it's easy to forget."

Linguistically shifting gears proved relatively mild compared to the challenge of turning money into usable supplies and goods to help hundreds of children at three orphanages in Peru.

With the help of U.S. Southern Command in Miami, a 15-member friendship soccer team came to Peru with cash donations totaling $15,000 to buy items for the orphanages, and Angeles-Kimbrell said she emphatically wanted to help.

"I was in charge of going to the stores, spending the money and trying to make things happen with washers, dryers, medical kits and even a swimming pool to be used for physical therapy for the children. We knew the money would really make a difference because of the exchange rate there," she said.

Despite the fact that the U.S. dollar is worth about three times as much as the Peruvian peso, the challenge at hand was getting local stores to dispense the goods and supplies as they waited to receive checks since regulations prohibit cash donations.

With supplies dispensed and yet another challenge overcome, Angeles-Kimbrell surveyed the donated items in action. Some of the goods went to orphanages that housed severely abused children or those who suffered psychological disorders.

El Hogar Ermelinda Carrera is one of several boarding schools for sexually abused girls, ages 5 to 18. While the school teaches the girls trades and crafts, Angeles-Kimbrell's efforts to obtain and distribute the goods in Peru directly provided the orphanage residents with desperately needed educational and hygienic supplies.

Angeles-Kimbrell said she will never forget or regret her Air Force experience in Peru.

"I was actually glad that I came back to do something for my country after not being there for 14 years," she said. "Being in the Air Force Reserve made me appreciate what I have. Hopefully the children at the orphanages and schools there have the tools they need to at least have the opportunity to do what they want when they get out of that place."

Angeles-Kimbrell said she hopes her experiences can be the impetus to change young people's lives both in her homeland and here in the United States.

"Joining the Air Force was obviously the greatest thing I've ever done," she said. "If I can mentor someone with a similar background as mine, then maybe they can do something in their life too -- just because you're Latin or female doesn't mean that you're not able to achieve your goals."

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle serves in the 459th Air Refueling Wing public affairs office.)

Leadership: Texas Hold 'Em Style

Editor's Note: The presenter is a former servicemember.

5 Cards for Employee Performance: Creating your own Full House
AN ONLINE WORKSHOP
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
12:00 - 1:30 pm (EDT)
$99.00

Like the player at the table, we all draw for the same deck. Your employees come from the same pool as your competitors. Your edge is leadership; leading your people beyond your competitors through increased performance, innovation and loyalty. In this workshop Raymond E. Foster will use his latest book, Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, to give you a Full House.

What will I learn?
Using five chapters from his book, Raymond will give you five practical, sound and doable leadership chips.

• Goal of Leadership (Two of Spades)
• Teamwork (Two of Diamonds)
• Leadership Approaches (King of Spades)
• Morale (King of Hearts)
• Building Loyalty (King of Diamonds)

More Information:
http://www.myprofessionalmojo.com/events-texasholdem.html

That Gates Thing

In a recent post I discussed my general disdain for suburban police. Of course, the Gates arrest has been in the news lately, and I have to admit, that at first I sided with the good professor from Harvard.

But I am forced to admit, that as I have learned more, there is no doubt in my mind that Officer Crowley acted appropriately. I was most impressed with his interview; his dedication, professionalism, and general good sense
were on display.

Professor Gates seems to be compeltely out of line. I don't blame him for being upset that the police showed up, I would be too. That said, you don't give the cops a hard time. A piece of your mind, absolutley, but don't follow them down the sidewalk, screaming. This is America, no one needs to be deferntial to anyone else, but Gates was almost asking for it.

Gates showed Sgt Crowley his driver's liscence and his Harvard ID. But why? Did he think his Harvard ID would intimidate Sgt Crowley. Sgt. Crowly is in the Fraternal Order of Police. Like the SEU or the NEA its a big union with a lot of muscle. Gates is a university professor, a job category with a big union all its own. He knows this. Sgt. Corlwey's job was and is safe.


Gates bio reveals a man who has been in the academy his entire life, some good ideas, some bad. Maybe he's been hastled by the cops before, but I bet he hasn't, at least not much, not being the chosen black professor at an Ivy League school. Even if he has, I hate to break it to him, but that's nothing special. I got pulled over late one night becuase I swerved a little ( he thought I'd been drinking), and once got in a shouting match with PA cop at Newark airport becuase I felt he wasn't allowing me enough time in front of the terminal (big mistake by the way, only my clean record kept me from getting a ticket). And in 1998, when a friend and I set of the alarm trying to get into his parents house, the cops showed up too.

Will's book about the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of 73 Easting, is called A Line Through the Desert. It may be purchased at Amazon.

Soldiers in Colorado slayings tell of Iraq horrors


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Soldiers from an Army unit that had 10 infantrymen accused of murder, attempted murder or manslaughter after returning to civilian life described a breakdown in discipline during their Iraq deployment in which troops murdered civilians, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Some Fort Carson, Colo.-based soldiers have had trouble adjusting to life back in the United States, saying they refused to seek help, or were belittled or punished for seeking help. Others say they were ignored by their commanders, or coped through drug and alcohol abuse before they allegedly committed crimes, The Gazette of Colorado Springs said.

The Gazette based its report on months of interviews with soldiers and their families, medical and military records, court documents and photographs.

Several soldiers said unit discipline deteriorated while in Iraq.

"Toward the end, we were so mad and tired and frustrated," said Daniel Freeman. "You came too close, we lit you up. You didn't stop, we ran your car over with the Bradley," an armored fighting vehicle.

With each roadside bombing, soldiers would fire in all directions "and just light the whole area up," said Anthony Marquez, a friend of Freeman in the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment. "If anyone was around, that was their fault. We smoked 'em."

Taxi drivers got shot for no reason, and others were dropped off bridges after interrogations, said Marcus Mifflin, who was eventually discharged with post traumatic stress syndrome.

"You didn't get blamed unless someone could be absolutely sure you did something wrong," he said

Soldiers interviewed by The Gazette cited lengthy deployments, being sent back into battle after surviving war injuries that would have been fatal in previous conflicts, and engaging in some of the bloodiest combat in Iraq. The soldiers describing those experiences were part of the 3,500-soldier unit now called the 4th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team.

Since 2005, some brigade soldiers also have been involved in brawls, beatings, rapes, DUIs, drug deals, domestic violence, shootings, stabbings, kidnapping and suicides.

The unit was deployed for a year to Iraq's Sunni Triangle in September 2004. Sixty-four unit soldiers were killed and more than 400 wounded — about double the average for Army brigades in Iraq, according to Fort Carson. In 2007, the unit served a bloody 15-month mission in Baghdad. It's currently deployed to the Khyber Pass region in Afghanistan.

Marquez was the first in his brigade to kill someone after an Iraq tour. In 2006, he used a stun gun to shock a drug dealer in Widefield, Colo., in a dispute over a marijuana sale, then shot and killed him.

Marquez's mother, Teresa Hernandez, warned Marquez's sergeant at Fort Carson her son was showing signs of violent behavior, abusing alcohol and pain pills and carrying a gun. "I told them he was a walking time bomb," she said.

Hernandez said the sergeant later taunted Marquez about her phone call.

"If I was just a guy off the street, I might have hesitated to shoot," Marquez told The Gazette in the Bent County Correctional Facility, where he is serving a 30-year prison term. "But after Iraq, it was just natural."

The Army trains soldiers to be that way, said Kenneth Eastridge, an infantry specialist serving 10 years for accessory to murder.

"The Army pounds it into your head until it is instinct: Kill everybody, kill everybody," he said. "And you do. Then they just think you can just come home and turn it off."

Both soldiers were wounded, sent back into action and saw friends and officers killed in their first deployment. On numerous occasions, explosions shredded the bodies of civilians, others were slain in sectarian violence — and the unit had to bag the bodies.

"Guys with drill bits in their eyes," Eastridge said. "Guys with nails in their heads."

Last week, the Army released a study of soldiers at Fort Carson that found that the trauma of fierce combat and soldier refusals or obstacles to seeking mental health care may have helped drive some to violence at home. It said more study is needed.

While most unit soldiers coped post-deployment, a handful went on to kill back home in Colorado.

Many returning soldiers did seek counseling.

"We're used to seeing people who are depressed and want to hurt themselves. We're trained to deal with that," said Davida Hoffman, director of the privately operated First Choice Counseling Center in Colorado Springs. "But these soldiers were depressed and saying, 'I've got this anger, I want to hurt somebody.' We weren't accustomed to that."

At Fort Carson, Eastridge and other soldiers said they lied during an army screening about their deployment that was designed to detect potential behavioral problems.

Sergeants sometimes refused to let soldiers get PTSD help or taunted them, said Andrew Pogany, a former Fort Carson special forces sergeant who investigates complaints for the advocacy group Veterans for America.

Soldier John Needham described a number of alleged crimes in a December 2007 letter to the Inspector General's Office of Fort Carson. In the letter, obtained by The Gazette, Needham said that a sergeant shot a boy riding a bicycle down the street for no reason.

Another sergeant shot a man in the head while questioning him, lashed the man's body to his Humvee and drove around the neighborhood. Needham also claimed sergeants removed victims' brains.

The Army's criminal investigation division interviewed unit soldiers and said it couldn't substantiate the allegations.

The Army has declared soldiers' mental health a top priority.

"When we see a problem, we try to identify it and really learn what we can do about it. That is what we are trying to do here," said Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, Fort Carson's commander. "There is a culture and a stigma that needs to change."

Fort Carson officers are trained to help troops showing stress signs, and the base has doubled its number of behavioral-health counselors. Soldiers seeing an Army doctor for any reason undergo a mental health evaluation.

___

On the Net:

Colorado Springs Gazette: http://www.gazette.com

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