Tuesday, October 06, 2020

U.S., Bulgaria Chart 10-Year Road Map for Military Cooperation

 Oct. 6, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Bulgarian Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov signed a 10-year road map charting defense cooperation between the two countries over the next decade.

Bulgaria and the United States are NATO allies, and Esper praised the Balkan nation for dedicating 3 percent of gross domestic product toward defense in fiscal 2019. The road map looks for ways for the two countries to fix gaps in military capabilities and to improve interoperability, Esper said.

People wearing face masks sit at a conference table while one without a mask speaks to a man just across the table from him.

It also establishes a framework for the continuous development of Bulgaria's military readiness and capabilities for the next decade through sustained cooperation between the two nations.

"This road map will give us a chance to not only intensify our bilateral relations, but to be individually beneficial to each other's national defense," Karakachanov said through an interpreter. "Also, to be beneficial to NATO … to be able to counter the malign intentions of our adversaries."

Bulgaria is a front-line NATO state. Esper said the nation plays a critical role in protecting NATO's eastern flank.

"We, of course, share many security interests, particularly issues such as Black Sea security, defense modernization and security cooperation," Esper said. 

Esper said he wants more NATO allies to reach at least the 2 percent goal of GDP committed to defense. "I encourage you and our other alliance members to pay to push for 2 percent of the GDP spending target and to make the needed investments to enhance your capabilities and capacity," he said. "Because you know, I believe that 2 percent should be a floor, not a ceiling."

Ocean Targets

 

A sailor fires a .50-caliber machine gun from a helicopter during a live-fire exercise above the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 24, 2020.

Night Firing

 

Marines and sailors fire an M240B medium machine gun during a night shoot aboard the USS Germantown during security operations in the Philippine Sea, Sept. 27, 2020.

DOD Makes Progress Implementing Women, Peace, Security Act

 Oct. 6, 2020 | BY C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

Back in October 2017, the U.S. Congress passed — and the president signed — legislation that identified the active participation of women as crucial to maintaining peace and security around the globe.

A woman in a military uniform shakes hands with a young boy. Other women and children are milling about in the background.

"The meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to the long-term stability of countries and regions," reads the "Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017," or WPS, which was signed into law on Oct. 6 of that year.

Lawmakers and the president even agreed U.S. policy should not just identify women as being critical to conflict resolution and the preservation of peace, but should also promote their participation.

"It shall be the policy of the United States to promote the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts, reinforced through diplomatic efforts and programs," the law continues.

Three women in black robes sit on a couch and talk to a woman in a military uniform who is sitting on a chair.

The law specifically directs the Defense Department to ensure, among other things, training for personnel in conflict prevention, peace processes, mitigation, resolution and security initiatives that address the importance of participation by women, as well as strategies and best practices for ensuring meaningful participation by women.

Stephanie Hammond, the acting deputy assistant secretary for stability and humanitarian affairs, said the department is thoroughly onboard with the intent of the law and is on track with implementing its requirements.

"DOD very forcefully supports the whole-of-government implementation of the WPS Act and strategy," Hammond said during a virtual presentation today at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "The United States faces an increasingly complex global security environment ... the United States and our partners must be better prepared to meet these security challenges, which means we cannot afford to overlook half the population."

In June, she said, the department launched DOD's strategic framework and plan for implementing the Women, Peace, and Security Act.

"In recognition of the relationship between our own ability to implement the intent of the WPS mandate abroad and how we organize, train and equip our own forces, our plan acknowledged the need for the department to model and employ the WPS principles it advises other partner nations to uphold," she said.

In implementing the plan, she said, the department has a network of WPS advisors and subject matter experts who advise and train senior leaders, commanders and staff on how to integrate WPS principles into policies, plans, operations and partner-nation engagements.

Women in headscarves stand together, indoors, and speak with each other.

"To date, we have engaged with more than 50 partner nations to demonstrate the value of women's meaningful participation to national security and to share best practices on the recruitment, employment, development, retention and promotion of women in military forces," she said.

The department has also developed a number of formal training programs as part of its WPS implementation efforts, Hammond said. These training programs are aimed at WPS advisors, but development is also underway on training for senior defense leaders and augmenting existing training programs — such as the defensewide training on combating human trafficking — with relevant WPS material.

Hammond also said the department is working with the Defense Security Cooperation University to put WPS material into that school's curriculum.

A dozen women in military uniforms sit on a tank turret.

Plans for the future, she said, involve more closely integrating WPS concepts not just into department policies, plans, doctrine, training and education, but also into the department's security cooperation, guidance, training and activities with partner nations.

"We've made a tremendous amount of progress on WPS implementation in these past few years, and the department has an opportunity and the momentum and capacity right now to carry this work much further," Hammond said.

Guard Members Recognized for Assisting Lab With COVID-19 Testing

 

Oct. 6, 2020 | BY Army Sgt. Seth Lacount , Alaska National Guard

From early June, to mid-August, Air Force Capt. Roger Tran and Army Capt. Jamie Bowden, Alaska National Guardsmen assigned to the 103rd Civil Support Team, augmented the Alaska State Public Health laboratory by processing COVID-19 samples for testing.

Over the course of approximately 21 days of testing, totaling more than 148-man hours, the two officers tested 11,426 samples.

"I feel honored, for our unit to have been considered for this important task," said Bowden, who specializes in medical operations for the 103rd CST. "This mission is right in our wheelhouse, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work alongside, and in support of the community."

An Army officer, wearing PPE, tests COVID-19 samples in a lab.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lab testing is a specialized skill. To be done effectively, it requires people with the extensive training and supervision, along with requisite knowledge and skills pertinent to the lab environment.

Guardsmen in CST units have a specialized capability of responding to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident. Bowden and Tran come with a wealth of expertise they've acquired throughout their careers. Both service members have completed the Army's Analytical Lab Course, which re-enforces specific skill sets and techniques they've employed in the testing effort, like polymerase chain reactions.

Tran and Bowden were both recognized by the Rasmuson Foundation as "unsung heroes" for their work during the pandemic.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, the commissioner and adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, gave high praise to both service members for their dedication to excellence.

"While we are proud of the whole team at Military and Veterans Affairs, these two individuals stand out for selfless service, innovative approaches and going above and beyond," Saxe said.

An Air Force officer, wearing PPE, tests COVID-19 samples in a lab.

In addition to supporting the Analytical Laboratory System operator request by the state that was coordinated through the State Emergency Operation Center, Bowden and Tran recently participated in their unit's Terminal Proficiency Evaluation, which served as a validation for the unit on August 4, 2020.

This type of validation is done once every 18 to 24 months. The training, evaluated by an outside civil support team, replicated a scenario where an unknown biological hazard was present, with a request for assistance from the FBI.

"Our team executed this validation with speed and precision," said Tran, who works as the nuclear medical science officer for the 103rd CST. "It's a testament to the collective attitude and work ethic of our unit as a whole."

Dive Ready

 

A Marine participates in dive sustainment training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sept. 22, 2020.

Replenishment Duo

The USS John S. McCain sails away after a replenishment with the USNS Charles Drew in the East China Sea, Oct. 6, 2020.

 

Platoon Performance

 

Marines assigned to the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon perform at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Oct. 2, 2020.

Monterey Missile

 

A missile launches from the flight deck of the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey during a live-fire exercise in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2020.

Memorial Ceremony

 

The Air Force Academy band recognizes graduates, cadets and officers who have passed away in the last year during a ceremony on the Air Force Academy campus in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 25, 2020.

Seahawk Signaler

 

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Officer Elizabeth Homer signals an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter on the flight deck of the USS Gabrielle Giffords in the Pacific Ocean, Oct. 1, 2020.

Readout of 2020 U.S.-Georgia Bilateral Defense Consultations

 Oct. 6, 2020


The Department of Defense and the Georgian Ministry of Defense conducted Bilateral Defense Consultations by video teleconference today. The consultations were chaired by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper and the Georgian First Deputy Minister of Defense Lela Chikovani.   

The purpose of the consultations was to discuss bilateral security cooperation priorities, share information on progress toward realizing shared security goals, and strengthen the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership.

The U.S. and Georgian delegations discussed building on the strong foundation of the Georgia Defense Readiness Program in establishing new security cooperation goals for the future. Other topics of conversation included Afghanistan and the Resolute Support Mission, as well as Georgian Ministry of Defense reform and modernization efforts. 

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic partnership and Georgia and acknowledged the importance of building upon the success of this partnership as it continues to evolve. 

Flight Formation

 

Navy E/A-18G Growler and Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet aircraft fly in formation while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Sept. 25, 2020.

Tricky Terrain

 

A Navy MH-60S Seahawk practices terrain flight tactical landings during Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., Oct. 1, 2020. The training is designed to enhance combat readiness through realistic warfighting training in an austere environment.

Sports Heroes Who Served: Pro Football Player to Vietnam Soldier

Oct. 6, 2020 | BY David Vergun , DOD News

Sports Heroes Who Served is a series that highlights the accomplishments of athletes who served in the U.S. military.

Woody Campbell played for the Houston Oilers as a running back in the American Football League and was an AFL All-Star in 1967. He also played in the National Football League from 1967 to 1969 and 1970 to 1971. The Oilers are now the Tennessee Titans.

Campbell was one of only a handful of NFL players who, at the time, served in the military.

A man in a military police uniform poses for a head shot.

In 1969, Campbell deployed to South Vietnam and was a military policeman with the 1st Infantry Division.

His duties included patrolling Highway 13, which stretched from what was then Saigon, the South Vietnamese capital, north to Cambodia. His mode of travel was a quarter-ton M151 jeep.

The primary section of road he patrolled was located in Binh Duong province, nicknamed the Iron Triangle because it was under near constant attack due to its proximity to the capital.

A football player grabs another player from behind.

Campbell said he recalled seeing the effects of a mine explosion on a 5-ton truck and its occupants. In his 2018 book, ''IOU: A Candid Look at the Plight of American Veterans,'' he writes that after seeing the wreckage of the large truck, ''I knew there was little chance of surviving in a small jeep as we moved along the road.''

On another occasion, Campbell said three MPs from his company were ambushed and killed in their jeep on Highway 13.

Besides patrolling Highway 13, Campbell was tasked with sometimes visiting the mobile army surgical hospital, or MASH unit, at Lai Khe Base Camp. His responsibility there was to provide the names of accident victims or those killed by the enemy. He wrote in his book that while there he ''witnessed the mangled and destroyed bodies of our soldiers and enemy soldiers as they lay dying or near death from encounters in the battlefield.''

A photo shows football players on the field during a game.

Upon returning to California to out-process from the Army in 1970, Campbell said he and others did not receive a hero's welcome. Most, he said, decided to shed their uniforms for civilian clothes during and before the out-processing.

''The reason we did that was to avoid large crowds who were waiting [to] spit on returning Vietnam veterans,'' he said. ''Fresh out of combat and still in that mindset, many of us who were familiar with what was awaiting us chose to wear civilian clothing, not out of  fear but to keep from harming those doing the spitting.''

Campbell said he looked forward to getting his life back to normal and resuming his football career.

Then, about five years after his return to the states, Campbell said the nightmares and sleep disorder began. That's when he said he knew he had post-traumatic stress disorder.

A football player walks away smiling.

It wasn't a single incident that sparked it, he said, rather it was an accumulation of all of his experiences in Vietnam. He also began getting illnesses due, he thought, to Agent Orange, a toxic chemical used in Vietnam to destroy vegetation. 

Campbell sought help and counseling in what then was then called the Veterans Administration. He said it was a long and painful experience for him and others, and he said he's still on the journey.

After his football career, Campbell became the first Black sportscaster in Houston, Texas. He also enjoyed a successful career as a mid-level manager in companies that included Control Data, Digital, Compaq, IBM, as well as the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

He's also a motivational speaker and aspires to help others as they seek to grow, he wrote in his 2008 book, ''Fade to Black.''

Shadow Pros

 

Army Spc. Kemonte Williams and Pfc. Daniel Stanton perform maintenance on an RQ-7Bv2 Shadow unmanned aircraft system at Evans Army Airfield, Ga., Sept. 22, 2020.

Inspection Dive

 

A sailor jumps off a pier during an inspection dive at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. Navy and Marine Corps divers worked to ensure the propellers of the USS Halsey were fully operational.

Dad's Delight

 

An airman assigned to the 19th Airlift Wing reunites with his daughters at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., Sept. 24, 2020, upon returning from a four-month deployment.