Friday, October 02, 2020

Operation Grace Delivery: Volunteers Deliver Food to Quarantined

 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Air Force Airman 1st Class Daniel Sanchez

People have to eat, and right now there are many obstacles that can prevent people from getting a balanced meal — like long shifts, the reconstruction of the local dining facility and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For airmen and their families, the 86th Airlift Wing Chapel at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, tried to alleviate these challenges with Operation Grace Delivery, working hard to offer free meals for airmen, their families and those in quarantine as well.

An airman wearing a face mask grabs a handful of broccoli.

"Our main goal is to provide spiritual support for our airmen," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gail Mones, 86th AW Chapel Plans and Programs noncommissioned officer in charge. "At the same time, we are here to provide whatever it is that our airmen need. Right now I think one way to reach people is to serve food."

There have been similar programs in the past, like Operation Connect, which involved onbase restaurants providing catered food; but this time, it is the volunteers who have arrived in overwhelming numbers to assist those in need.

Volunteers assemble meals for delivery to those in need.

Once volunteers arrived at the Southside Chapel, they were briefed on food preparation, sanitation and safety. After the briefing, they began setting up their work area, assembling their cooking tools and preparing the food.

The Southside Chapel was full of volunteers cooking, laughing and getting to know each other as meals like lasagna, rice and shrimp and enchiladas were prepared during the last six weeks. Even in the casual environment, a lot of work was getting done.

"Today we will be delivering about 70 meals. During the program, we delivered about 380 meals," Mones said.

Volunteers loading prepared meals into the back of a vehicle.

Once the meals were prepared and packaged, the volunteers delivered them directly to those who requested them. This is pivotal to those who are in quarantine and can’t leave their homes.

With the reopening of Club 7 soon, the 86th AW Chapel team is halting the program to reevaluate how the program can best serve the community moving forward.

"The chapel would like to thank all the people who gave their time to help set up, cook and deliver the meals," Mones said.

(Air Force Airman 1st Class Daniel Sanchez is assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing)

Self Aid Buddy Care Classes Continue During COVID-19

 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Air Force Courtesy , 375th Air Mobility Wing

"Is it safe for you to move them? Are they breathing? How do you stop the bleeding?" asks Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Radford, the Self Aid Buddy Care instructor during the most recent class on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

At his cue, several airmen who, working through COVID-19 restrictions, jumped into action to implement the skills they learned just moments before.

Airmen wearing face masks practice inserting a nasopharyngeal tube in a dummy.

Because military members can be deployed to hostile environments or respond to humanitarian missions, they need to be equipped with the skills to perform basic medical care in the field because it may save a life or limb.

They may also use those skills in their everyday lives, and that's why Radford said it's part of the reason he wanted to teach SABC. Earlier in his career, he knew of two other airmen who witnessed a horrible motorcycle accident and used their training to save the lives of the three people involved.

Now, as a 375th Air Mobility Wing safety superintendent, he said he takes pride in teaching these life-saving techniques.

"The purpose of SABC is to teach our members how they can either perform first aid on themselves or their buddy to preserve eyesight, limbs or life," Radford said.

Students learn airway management, bleeding control, how to handle chest wounds and eye injuries, patient transport and documentation of patient care.

Airmen wearing face masks receive emergency medical training.

"Most of the time when we are put in those types of situations, it is like a light switch," he said. "So, you think you may have forgotten it, but it's locked away and becomes available when needed because you trained for that."

Although COVID-19 operating procedures have impacted the way the course is conducted, airmen are still able to practice using the life-saving materials, such as tourniquets, emergency bandages and nasopharyngeal tubes, on themselves and on an airway management trainer mannequin.

Airman 1st Class Kendra Zollicoffer, with the 375th Comptroller Squadron, said she was glad to understand the basics of SABC so she could respond appropriately if she needed to use the training while deployed.

Radford added, "The small part that we do hands-on is still important because, COVID [pandemic] or not, we are still deploying, and we still have to be ready to fill those spots."

U.S., Morocco Chart Defense Cooperation Through 2030

 

Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Morocco and the United States renewed the alliance between the two nations as a foundation stone for peace in Africa.

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita signed the defense cooperation road map in Rabat, Morocco. The road map charts cooperation between the two nations through 2030.

Morocco is one of America's oldest friends, recognizing the United States as it was still battling for independence in 1777. 

The country remains a critical partner on a range of security issues. "Now more than ever, our two nations are working closely to tackle the challenges of an increasingly complex security environment ranging from counterterrorism and other transnational threats to regional instability and broader strategic challenges," Esper said. "We do this together to promote the security, the stability and the prosperity of our shared goals and our peoples."

The goal is to continually reinforce America's long-standing, steadfast commitment to Morocco and, by extension, to Africa, the secretary said.

Morocco is a major non-NATO ally, and the country's strategic location makes it a gateway to Africa. "Morocco is a country we have been friends with for many, many years, and I am confident that we will remain friends and strategic partners for generations to come," Esper said.

The discussion with a range of Moroccan leaders touched on many issues, including regional problems, economic issues and more, Esper said. All of the progress made in other areas is enabled by security. "We cannot accomplish this unless we also continue to advance peace and stability and security across the continent," he said. "We must do so by strengthening our defense partnerships with African governments."

The road map will allow the United States and Morocco to improve defense cooperation, partnerships and interoperability. One specific was the importance of Exercise African Lion, which draws participants from across the continent. "It is a key training and exercise event for many, many years, not just between the United States and Morocco," Esper said.

Women in the Military Academies: 40 Years Later


 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the first women admitted into the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 1975, then-President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-106 for women to be admitted to the all-male military colleges. The freshman class began in the summer of 1976 and graduated in spring 1980.

Four women pose for a photo.

Three of those graduates remember the atmosphere well – something that has improved since they were surrounded by male upperclassmen's views, many of whom did not favor the idea of women in their previously all-male school. In Washington for a quarterly meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women In the Services on which all three women serve, they spoke with DOD News about their ground-breaking experiences at the academies 40 years ago.

Also known as DACOWITS, the organization is one of the oldest Defense Department federal advisory committees. The committee comprises civilian women and men appointed by the secretary of defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being and treatment of servicewomen in the armed forces.

Here are their stories:

Air Force Academy Janet C. Wolfenbarger

Bird Bath

An airmen uses a hose to spray water onto an aircraft.

 Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Pontes washes an A-10C Thunderbolt II at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Sept. 29, 2020.

Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson's Bilateral Engagement With Senegalese Minister of Armed Forces, Minister Sidiki Kaba

 Oct. 2, 2020


Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson spoke with the Senegalese Minister of Armed Forces, Minister Sidiki Kaba, today by telephone. The two leaders expressed appreciation for each other’s security efforts and supported advancing the U.S.-Senegal defense relationship built on shared democratic values and mutual security interests.
 
Dr. Anderson emphasized the United States’ commitment to the partnership and to continued collaboration on shared priorities of countering violent extremism, advancing maritime security, and defending international norms.

A Soldier Goes to West Point

 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

The Army communications specialist had no idea what she was getting into when her battalion commander asked her if she wanted to go to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1976, now-retired Army Maj. Pat Locke had never heard of West Point, she said. But when she learned she could get a college degree, the Detroit-born woman packed her belongings in a duffel bag and drove to the school the following day.

A woman in military uniform holds up a notebook.

She laughs now, remembering when she told herself, '''How bad could it be?'''

Little did she know she would become a member of a college that separated people into ''males,'' and ''non-males.'' Her class started with 119 women, and 62 graduated.

Locke also became the first Black woman to become a Military Academy graduate by order of merit in her 1980 class. Today, graduates are listed alphabetically, rather than by merit, she explained.

I cherish the times I can tell people about the academy and what they're going to get from it. I think all the services are better because we have women in them.''
Retired Army Maj. Pat Locke

''It wasn't much different from being in the Army, but at Fort Polk, Louisiana, I was around a lot of people who looked like me. When I got to the academy, there were very few people who looked like me. That was the first rude awakening I had when I got there,'' Locke said.

She said that being from Detroit, she spoke differently and had to fight a language barrier. ''Very few people could understand what I was saying, so that was a problem for me,'' she said. ''That was the biggest thing I had to overcome.''

And being at what had been an all-white-male school, she had to make an adjustment check. ''I had to check my attitude because I said that no matter what, I'm not leaving,'' she said.

A group of 5 soldiers holding books walk together.

Locke said she was inspired to go to West Point by the battalion commander who first approached her about West Point, and that she probably would not have pursued a college degree otherwise.

In her second year at the academy, she got help from a tactical officer who was a native New Yorker, to whom she could relate, she said. ''That's when I got a little more confidence in myself and I'd learned to speak a little bit better,'' she recalled.

Locke joked about probably forgetting any math she'd learned in high school, and she said her math professors pushed her. ''I felt like I learned five years of math in one year,'' she said. ''I passed, and a lot of people were getting kicked out left and right.'' Today, she tutors math for high school students who aspire to go to the Military Academy and are preparing for their SAT and ACT exams.

But in addition to teaching math for college entrance exams, Locke shares her wealth of experience with other young women coming into the academy. She currently volunteers as a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the services, or DACOWITS, as well as recruits for the Military Academy as an admissions field representative.

A head shot of Pat Locke

''Most don't come [into the academy] as a fully-formed leader,'' she tells them. ''You come in with the raw materials of being a great leader, but you've got to shape it, pound it, knead it, bake it and sharpen it. And sometimes that hurts.''

A sense of patience is also required at the academy, she tells them. ''You are there to shape yourself into the best leader of character that you can be,'' she says. 

''Everybody has to learn ‘how to cooperate in order to graduate','' Locke said. ''That's what you learn at the academy, and you take that with you for the rest of your life. I cherish the times I can tell people about the academy and what they're going to get from it. I think all the services are better because we have women in them.''

Read the stories of other women who attended military academies

Teeth Check

 

Gina, a military working dog, opens wide while Army Spc. Caitlin Rippin inspects her teeth at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Sept. 26, 2020.

Fighting Flames

 

Airmen extinguish flames on a training aircraft during an exercise at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Sept. 30, 2020.

Reaper at Rest

 

An MQ-9A Reaper carrying eight Hellfire missiles sits on the ramp at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Sept. 10, 2020.

Eagle Exercise

 

Air Force F-15C Eagle aircraft perform a training exercise over Royal Air Force in Mildenhall, England, Sept. 30, 2020.

Swift Swim

 

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jonathan Cobb swims during training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Sept. 17, 2020.

Distance Check

 

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Baum performs a distance check during a combat search and rescue training exercise in Yona, Guam, Sept. 24, 2020.

Great Power Competition Can Involve Conflict Below Threshold of War

 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY DAVID VERGUN , DOD News

The U.S. Special Operations Command is preparing to meet the challenges of irregular warfare, which the Defense Department could face in the future from nations like Russia and China, the acting assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict said.

Ezra Cohen spoke today at a virtual symposium sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association, "2020 Virtual SO/LIC."

Last year, the department published the Irregular Warfare Annex to the National Defense Strategy

The IW Annex provides clear guidance and objectives for the Joint Force to adapt and apply its IW capabilities to counter near-peer adversaries' malign activities below the level of armed conflict, Cohen said, mentioning that the document has five core themes.

First, DOD cannot afford to discard IW knowledge developed as a result of 19 years of irregular conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We must adapt and institutionalize those skills in ways that challenge our adversaries' strategies and shape the competitive landscape to our advantage," he said.

Over the past 75 years, the United States has been slow to recognize and accept the irregular character of the conflicts it enters, Cohen said. "Our doctrine, acquisition and training for conflict is excessively focused on maintaining deterrence or winning the high-end conventional war fight, when the simple reality is that modern warfare is not nearly that clear-cut."

Inside a cockpit, two pilots view the control panel as they fly over rugged terrain.

When the United States has chosen to embrace IW, it has been prone to overextending itself through indefinite, direct action campaigns, nation building and other endeavors that call IW's value into doubt, he said, meaning that improvements in IW doctrine and capability must stem from those lessons learned.

Second, the department must prioritize IW innovation and increase readiness for IW conflicts, he said.

The U.S. Special Operations Command has historically served as a test bed for innovation, able to evaluate new technologies in the field or in warfare prior to integration across the conventional force. 

Great power competition elevates the requirement to innovate, as near-peer adversaries increasingly adapt their strategies to challenge the department's strengths, he said. "We must be aggressive in evaluating new technologies and techniques on the front lines before conflict forces us to field untested tactics, techniques and procedures."

For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning are important capability areas to hone as requirements continue to evolve, he said. To ensure an AI-ready workforce, U.S. Socom has enrolled a number of personnel in this year's AI program at DOD's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. 

This year, the department streamlined its procurement processes and brought better business practices into the acquisition process, Cohen noted. "This benefits our partnerships with industry."

Third, the department must be more proactive in competition and not solely reactive to crises and hostile provocation.

"Indeed, our adversaries have proven that irregular activities can proactively shape the environment to their advantage, all below the threshold at which we are likely to respond with conventional force," he said.

Three service members prepare to board a helicopter.
A man rides a snowmobile. A helicopter is behind him.

The IW Annex calls for the United States to embrace IW and employ a suite of tools to impose costs on malign activities, deter further aggression, shape the environment to maintain a favorable balance of power, and create dilemmas for adversaries — all well before armed conflict necessitates doing so at scale, Cohen said.

There is implied operational risk in this proactive approach, he noted. However, accepting some operational risk significantly buys down strategic risk and the risk of inaction. "By preparing for the extremes of all-out war or high-end deterrence alone, we risk missing the contest already underway and risk discovering that conditions are against us when crisis begins."

Fourth, the department must emphasize operations in the information environment, he said.

"Our adversaries have weaponized disinformation and propaganda to their advantage. They poison public discourse, undermine democratic processes, turn citizens against each other, and deflect blame for their malign activities," he said.

Adversaries embrace the anonymity of social media platforms and the viral nature of information flow as they employ information statecraft as an integral element of their approach to competition, he continued. 

State and non-state actors alike can create non-lethal military effects through the manipulation of the information space, he said. "To compete in the information environment, the United States must accept that influence is an integral aspect of modern warfare, not just a niche capability."

It requires a whole-of-government approach that integrates technical capabilities and institutional knowledge across civilian agencies, foreign partners and other entities, Cohen said. DOD also needs new information operations technology that will enable it to identify and isolate disinformation, as well as create and amplify fact-based narratives — and to do this at the speed of today's information environment. 

Three service members with weapons walk through a field as an aircraft hovers behind them.

Fifth, irregular warfare is inherently an interagency affair, and the department must foster its interagency partnerships, including with non-governmental organizations.

In recent years, DOD has had closer cooperation with diplomatic, law enforcement and intelligence partners for counterterrorism activities. The IW Annex calls for expanding that cooperation to address the requirements of great power competition, he said. 

Besides discussing the IW Annex, Cohen mentioned that on Sept. 10, he and U.S. Socom jointly signed a memo on diversity and inclusion in the organization. "As it stands today, the force is not reflective of our larger society — a fact that should give us all pause. Barriers exist that prevent us from accessing full population segments and their unique skills and perspectives — effectually leaving needed talent outside of our formations. 

"The contest for influence and legitimacy will require diverse perspectives and new ideas that resonate among relevant audiences. This is especially true as the department attempts to coordinate and integrate its operations in the information environment against foreign propaganda and disinformation," he said.

DOD Releases Annual Suicide Report for 2019

Oct. 2, 2020 | BY Terri Moon Cronk , DOD News

Every suicide is devastating and forever changes the lives of families and communities, the Defense Department's director of the defense suicide prevention office said today.

Dr. Karin A. Orvis released the Annual Suicide Report for calendar year 2019 in a Pentagon press briefing.

The director said the defense department has the responsibility of supporting and protecting those who defend the United States.

"Suicide is a national public health issue affecting people from all walks of life," she said. "It's a growing issue that affects all ages.

"The DOD has the responsibility of supporting and protecting those who defend our country," Orvis said, "and it is imperative that we do everything possible to prevent suicide in our military community."     

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper records a video message for Suicide Prevention Month.

The 2019 ASR builds on existing reporting in the DOD Suicide Event Report Annual Report. The ASR gives researchers and suicide prevention practitioners earlier rates for service members and available data on suicide among military families, followed by the DODSER's detailed examinations of risks and contextual factors that are associated with suicide for that calendar year.  

This year's ASR continues the department's commitment to transparency and accountability on challenging issues such as the prevention of suicide. It is coordinated with the military services and DOD leadership to make sure all data and information are accurate.

The 2019 report stated that 498 service members died by suicide, she said, adding that young and enlisted service members are our military population of greatest concern. Orvis added that suicide is often a sudden and impulsive act.

The health, safety and well-being of the military community is essential to the readiness of the total force, the director noted, adding:

  • Suicide is a complex interaction of factors that vary among individuals. Because there is no one "fix," the DOD is committed to a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to prevent suicide.
  • Suicide rates in civilian populations are rising; the military is not immune to the challenges of suicide.
  • After accounting for age and gender, military suicide rates are comparable or lower than the U.S. population. 

Orvis said since the release of last year's report, the department has worked to increase coping skills among young and enlisted members, enhanced access to resources for National Guard members, increased support to military families, furthered program evaluation efforts and has taken proactive steps to mitigate potential impacts from COVID-19.

What the Report Says

Compared to the past two years, the 2019 suicide rate for active duty service members is statistically comparable to 2017, while the reserves and National Guard rates are statistically lower than 2017, the director said.  

Long term, from 2014 to 2019, the active duty rate increased, while there is no statistical evidence of an increase or a decrease for the reserve and National Guard. The department found continued heightened risk for young and enlisted members, Orvis said.

Important strides have been made in the National Guard. The rates are now comparable to the U.S. population and statistically down from 2017.

The Army Resilience Directorate officially launched its new website Sept. 18 at ArmyResilience.army.mil.

"We are cautiously optimistic, focused on long-term, sustained improvement," Orvis said.

The most recent available data on military families is from 2018. Based on that data, 193 military family members died by suicide that year. The 2018 rates for family members are also consistent with the 2017 rates.

"[For] our data, … after adjusting for the age and sex differences across the military and civilian populations — with our military population being younger and comprising more males — the military has comparable or lower rates to the U.S. population," she said.

At this time, the director said, it is too early to determine whether suicide rates will increase for 2020.

"We will need to have the full year of data and investigations completed to determine [the] cause of death," she added.

Future Steps

Based on the findings from the report, the DOD must target its population of greatest concern and continue to support families. Efforts will focus on:

  • Young and enlisted members: Address perceived barriers to seeking help and encourage use of support resources, address common risk factors with an integrated violence prevention approach and support rollout of a new "988" crisis line number.
  • Military families — Teach influencers such as spouses, chaplains and students in DOD schools of risk factors for suicide, encourage help-seeking and promote safe storage of lethal means.
  • Measuring effectiveness: Continue to assess program effectiveness via the DOD-wide program evaluation framework and enhance research, data and evaluation capabilities.

The way people communicate about suicide influences perceptions, attitudes and behaviors, such as how people view or make decisions to seek help, Orvis said.

Suicide prevention poster.

"We encourage using resources at www.reportingonsuicide.org when communicating about the report's findings and other suicide-related communications."

The department cannot prevent suicide alone; it must continue to collaborate on research, data sharing, outreach and other key efforts with federal agencies, nonprofits and academia, she noted.

"Suicide is preventable," Orvis said. "We continue to do more, including targeting our initiatives to our young and enlisted members while continuing to support our military families. We will not relent in our efforts. We owe this to our service members and families defending our nation."

Door Detonation

 

Soldiers detonate an explosive charge during Noble Partner at Vaziani Training Area, Ga., Sept. 12, 2020. The exercise is designed to enhance force readiness and interoperability.

Mule Mission

 

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lucas M. Kidder walks mules out of their pen during training at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Calif., Oct. 1, 2020. The course teaches students to use mules to travel through difficult terrain with mission-essential gear.

Irregular Warfare Annex to National Defense Strategy Made Public

 Oct. 2, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

The Defense Department released the unclassified portion of the Irregular Warfare Annex to the 2018 National Defense Strategy today.

Soldiers prepare to parachute.

This unclassified summary of the IW Annex allows the department to communicate to interagency and industry partners, along with the American public, about the proactive efforts by the department to avoid crises, said Joe Francescon, deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combatting terrorism. 

"Officials hope this summary reassures the American public, allies, partners and the international community of the department's strongest commitment to be proactive against the security challenges confronting the nation," he said.

Adversaries like Russia and China use IW tactics and techniques, which are below the threshold of conventional warfare, to influence populations. These tactics and techniques include activities such as using social media to erode the legitimacy of democratic values and institutions, he said.

Military descend by rope from hovering aircraft.

China in particular, uses IW to steal intellectual property that's vital to national security, he said. Beijing also provides infrastructure loans to nations with the expectation that the money can be used to leverage its global military strategy.

The annex provides a strategy for dealing with these malign influences short of war. There is a vast array of non-kinetic options available to conventional and special forces to prevent war, and if deterrence fails, to shape war, he said.

Working with allies and partners is one of these options, Francescon  said. For example, if a U.S. aircraft carrier operated with an ally like Japan Self-Defense Forces in the South China Sea, that would send a message to Beijing that freedom of navigation is important and meddling in the affairs of nations in the region will not be tolerated, he said, meaning that partnerships send a stronger signal than acting unilaterally.

Two military personnel are parachuting.

Another example, he said, would be the U.S. and other Arctic nations collecting intelligence on Russian and Chinese economic and military activities in the area in order to better forecast and forestall bad behavior.

The DOD also works with allies and partners in the area of military information support operations, to counter propaganda and falsehoods from adversaries.

Cooperation with industry is also important in the IW effort, Francescon said.

For instance, industry could assist by building tools to help identify Chinese or Russian bots that spread misinformation, he pointed out.

Military personnel conduct field exercise.

Interagency cooperation is also an essential part of the IW Annex strategy, he said. For example, DOD supports the State Department's Global Engagement Center, to help counter misinformation campaigns by adversaries. The center coordinates this work with U.S. embassies throughout the world.

Lastly, the department has incorporated IW strategies in the curriculum at department training and education centers, he said. Included in that curriculum are ways adversaries use IW to their advantage, DOD countermeasures and incorporating the hard lessons learned from past IW efforts in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In short, the IW Annex is a road map for deterrence and provides off-ramps for the U.S. in options short of kinetic warfare. "That should be reassuring to the American public," he added.

Test Samples

 

Arizona National Guard service members prepare and collect COVID-19 test samples at the Arizona Department of Economic Security before transporting them to a state lab for testing in Prescott Valley, Ariz., Sept. 30, 2020. The testing ensures state employees, who work closely with the public, continue to provide essential services.

Airborne Ops

 

Soldiers freefall from an aircraft during airborne operations in Pordenone, Italy, Oct. 1, 2020.

Sunlit Sail

The guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett transits the Persian Gulf, Sept. 29, 2020.