Bugle Calls: A Melodic Tapestry of Military Tradition in the United States Army

Bugle calls have long been an integral part of military culture, evoking a sense of discipline, unity, and tradition in the United States Army. From the early days of the American Revolutionary War to the modern era, bugle calls have played a vital role in conveying commands, signaling activities, and fostering camaraderie among soldiers. This article delves into the fascinating history of bugle calls in the U.S. Army, highlighting their evolution, significance, and enduring impact on military life.

The Origins of Bugle Calls: 

The use of musical instruments to convey signals on the battlefield dates back centuries. However, it was during the American Revolutionary War that bugle calls emerged as an efficient and practical means of communication in the U.S. Army. With the introduction of the keyed bugle, a precursor to the modern trumpet, soldiers could transmit commands and convey important messages across vast distances with clarity and precision.

Bugle Calls in the Civil War Era: 

The mid-19th century witnessed a significant expansion in the use of bugle calls in the United States Army. During the Civil War, buglers played a crucial role in relaying commands and coordinating troop movements on the battlefield. Bugle calls such as "Taps," "Reveille," and "To the Colors" became deeply ingrained in military tradition, marking significant moments throughout the day, including wake-up calls, meals, and the solemnity of fallen soldiers.

Standardization and Regulation: 

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the U.S. Army recognized the need to standardize bugle calls to ensure consistency and effectiveness. In 1867, the Army adopted a comprehensive system of bugle calls, officially known as the "Infantry Drill Regulations." This system established a repertoire of signals, each with a specific meaning, ranging from the iconic "Charge" and "Assembly" calls to the solemn "Tattoo" and "Retreat" calls.

Bugle Calls in Modern Warfare: 

As the U.S. Army adapted to the challenges of modern warfare, bugle calls remained an essential component of military life. During World War I and World War II, buglers continued to perform their duties on the battlefield, using their instruments to convey orders, maintain discipline, and boost morale among troops. The bugle calls became synonymous with the military experience, evoking a sense of duty, honor, and patriotism.

Evolution and Legacy: 

With the advent of advanced communication technology, the role of bugle calls in the U.S. Army gradually diminished. However, their legacy lives on through ceremonial events, parades, and military traditions. Bugle calls like "Taps" continue to resonate with soldiers and civilians alike, serving as a poignant reminder of sacrifice and remembrance. Additionally, bugle calls are still taught and recognized as an integral part of military training, ensuring that the tradition is passed down to future generations of soldiers.

Preserving Tradition: 

While the bugle may have been largely replaced by electronic systems in modern warfare, the U.S. Army remains committed to preserving the tradition of bugle calls. Buglers and ceremonial units continue to showcase their musical talents, performing at official military functions, memorial services, and public events. These performances not only pay tribute to the historical significance of bugle calls but also serve as a reminder of the unwavering dedication and professionalism of the men and women in uniform.

In conclusion, bugle calls have left an indelible mark on the history and culture of the United States Army. As a testamen

Advocates see trouble for misdiagnosed soldiers

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer Anne Flaherty, Associated Press Writer – 

WASHINGTON – At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely dismissed hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggests.
Under pressure from Congress and the public, the Army later acknowledged the problem and drastically cut the number of soldiers given the designation. But advocates for veterans say an unknown number of troops still unfairly bear the stigma of a personality disorder, making them ineligible for military health care and other benefits.
"We really have an obligation to go back and make sure troops weren't misdiagnosed," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist whose nonprofit "Give an Hour" connects troops with volunteer mental health professionals.
The Army denies that any soldier was misdiagnosed before 2008, when it drastically cut the number of discharges due to personality disorders and diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorders skyrocketed.
Unlike PTSD, which the Army regards as a treatable mental disability caused by the acute stresses of war, the military designation of a personality disorder can have devastating consequences for soldiers.
Defined as a "deeply ingrained maladaptive pattern of behavior," a personality disorder is considered a "pre-existing condition" that relieves the military of its duty to pay for the person's health care or combat-related disability pay.
According to figures provided by the Army, the service discharged about a 1,000 soldiers a year between 2005 and 2007 for having a personality disorder.
But after an article in The Nation magazine exposed the practice, the Defense Department changed its policy and began requiring a top-level review of each case to ensure post-traumatic stress or a brain injury wasn't the underlying cause.
After that, the annual number of personality disorder cases dropped by 75 percent. Only 260 soldiers were discharged on those grounds in 2009.
At the same time, the number of post-traumatic stress disorder cases has soared. By 2008, more than 14,000 soldiers had been diagnosed with PTSD — twice as many as two years before.
The Army attributes the sudden and sharp reduction in personality disorders to its policy change. Yet Army officials deny that soldiers were discharged unfairly, saying they reviewed the paperwork of all deployed soldiers dismissed with a personality disorder between 2001 and 2006.
"We did not find evidence that soldiers with PTSD had been inappropriately discharged with personality disorder," wrote Maria Tolleson, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Army Medical Command, which oversees the health care of soldiers, in an e-mail.
Command officials declined to be interviewed.
Advocates for veterans are skeptical of the Army's claim that it didn't make any mistakes. They say symptoms of PTSD — anger, irritability, anxiety and depression — can easily be confused for the Army's description of a personality disorder.
They also point out that during its review of past cases, the Army never interviewed soldiers or their families, who can often provide evidence of a shift in behavior that occurred after someone was sent into a war zone.
"There's no reason to believe personality discharges would go down so quickly" unless the Army had misdiagnosed hundreds of soldiers each year in the first place, said Bart Stichman, co-director of the National Veterans Legal Services Program.
Stichman's organization is working through a backlog of 130 individual cases of wounded service members who feel they were wrongly denied benefits.
Among those cases is Chuck Luther, who decided to rejoin the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks. He had previously served eight years before being honorably discharged.
"I knew what combat was going to take," he said.
Luther, who lives near Fort Hood, Texas, said throughout his time in the Army, he received eight mental health evaluations from the Army, each clearing him as "fit for duty."
Luther was seven months into his deployment as a reconnaissance scout in Iraq's violent Sunni Triangle in 2007 when he says a mortar shell slammed him to the ground. He later complained of stabbing eye pain and crippling migraines, but was told by a military doctor that he was faking his symptoms to avoid combat duty.
Luther says that he was confined for a month in a 6-by-8 foot room without treatment. At one point, Luther acknowledges, he snapped — biting a guard and spitting in the face of a military chaplain.
After that episode, Luther says, the Army told him he could return home and keep his benefits if he signed papers admitting he had a personality disorder. If he didn't sign, he said, he was told he would be kicked out eventually anyway.
Luther, whose account was first detailed by The Nation, signed the papers.
His case highlights the irony in many personality discharges. A person is screened mentally and physically before joining the military. But upon returning from combat, that same person is told he or she had a serious mental disorder that predated military service.
As in the civilian world, where many insurance companies deny coverage for illnesses that develop before a policy is issued, the government can deny a service member veteran health care benefits and combat-related disability pay for pre-existing ailments.
Despite the Defense Department's reforms, groups such as the National Veterans Legal Services Program say they don't have enough manpower to help all the veterans who believe they were wrongly denied benefits.
Stichman says his organization has more than 60 law firms across the country willing to take on the legal cases of wounded veterans for free. But even with that help, the group doesn't know when it would be able to take on even one new case.
A congressional inquiry is under way to determine whether the Army is relying on a different designation — referred to as an "adjustment disorder" — to dismiss soldiers.
Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican, wants the Pentagon to explain why the number of these discharges doubled between 2006 and 2009 and how many of those qualified to retain their benefits.
As for Luther, he got lucky. After about a year, he says the Veterans Administration agreed to reevaluate him and decided that he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome coupled by traumatic brain injury. The ruling gives him access to a psychologist and psychiatrist every two weeks, despite his discharge status, he said.
But Luther acknowledges that he still struggles. In June, he received word that the Army had turned down his appeal to correct his record, which means he could never return to the service or retire with full benefits.
A week later, he says, he lost his job delivering potato chips because a superior felt threatened by him. Luther says he misses the Army.
"When I was in uniform, that defined me," he said. "It's what made me, me."
___
Online:
U.S. Army Medical Command: http://www.armymedicine.army.mil
Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov/
"Give an Hour": http://www.giveanhour.org
National Veterans Legal Services Program: http://www.nvlsp.org/

Joint Task Force Haiti Prepares for 'New Horizon'

By Christen N. McCluney

Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

May 13, 2010 - Joint Task Force Haiti is preparing to stand down its disaster-relief mission in Haiti at the beginning of June, nearly six months after a Jan. 12 earthquake devastated the country.

"We will stand down the joint task force on the first of June," Army Maj. Gen. Simeon G. Trombitas, the task force's commanding general, said during a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable yesterday. "That is when I will take the last elements of United States Army South home and send those sister-services personnel back to their home stations."

More than 22,000 U.S. servicemembers were in Haiti at the height of the mission. Of those, about 14,000 were in ships at sea, while 8,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were on the ground at any given time during the height of operations, Trombitas said.

The mission remains to save lives and alleviate suffering while transitioning into mitigating the ill effects of weather, the general said.

Currently, there are about 850 servicemembers on the ground in Haiti. Once the joint task force stands down, eight people will stay in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to work with a traditional military liaison office. Their job will be to coordinate humanitarian missions with the U.S. Agency for International Development -- the lead U.S. federal agency in the effort -- and the Haitian government during an already-scheduled theater security cooperation exercise called "New Horizons."

The exercise will bring in about 500 soldiers, mainly from the Louisiana National Guard -- along with soldiers from the Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Puerto Rican and Virgin Island National Guards -- to conduct engineering activities and medical readiness training exercises around Gonaives, which is north of Port-au-Prince. The group will work on engineering projects that include rebuilding three schools and building a fourth. They also will receive training to become culturally aware of the activities in the country while bringing medical help to people in need.

When asked to measure the success of Joint Task Force Haiti so far, Trombitas said he doesn't believe that success can be measured in numbers.

"Our first success was the incredible flexibility of our military," he said. Success is measured, he added, in how the Haitian people see the U.S. effort.

"Our success is measured and will be continued to be measured in those things that we have done here and how the Haitian people remember us," the general said.

Highly decorated Army Colonel dies in Texas

WACO, Texas – A man considered to be the country's most decorated soldier has died.

Oak Crest Funeral Home in Waco, Texas, says retired Col. Robert Lewis Howard died Wednesday. He was 70. The funeral home obituary said that at the time of his death he was the most decorated American soldier.

Howard served in the Army from 1956 to 1992. He was nominated three times for the Medal of Honor, the nation's most prestigious award for combat veterans. He was awarded it once, for his bravery in Vietnam during a mission to rescue a missing soldier in enemy territory.

He was wounded 14 times in Vietnam and was awarded eight Purple Hearts.

Howard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. No date has been set.

Special Forces Soldier

On May 22, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature Master Sergeant Regulo Zapata, Jr. United States Army (ret.).

Program Date: May 22, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Special Forces Soldiers
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/05/23/Special-Forces-Soldiers-

About the Guest
Master Sergeant Regulo Zapata Jr., USA (ret.) was an Army Special Operations NCO and retired as a Master Sergeant in 2003 after 28 years of service with the U.S. Army Special Forces. He now lives in Gilroy (California). Master Sergeant Regulo Zapata, Jr. is the author of Desperate Lands: The War on Terror through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier.

According to the book description of Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier it “is the unprecedented story of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers and the missions they have carried out while fighting the war on terror in the Horn of Africa and in Afghanistan. The book is unique and timely, in that it tells the compelling story of our nations struggle and of its soldiers fighting a new and different kind of war never fought before a Global War on Terror. This true story comes at a time when our nation has divided feelings and opinions about this war a division that exists among both government leaders and the American people. These pages offer a different perspective that of lower enlisted soldiers reflecting their personal experience in combat zones in Africa and Afghanistan as they witnessed and experienced the fog of war. The author Special Forces Master Sergeant Regulo Zapata, Jr. shares his extraordinary journey through ancient and desperate lands at the front lines of this ongoing war. Here are true stories of sacrifice, bravery, excitement, horror, anger, tedium, fear, camaraderie, and more a firsthand look behind the headlines at the reality of the exceptional and difficult challenges U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers face as they defend America against the terrorist threat.”

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

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

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/05/23/Special-Forces-Soldiers-

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

NYPD Emergency Services Unit

Editor's Note: The guest is a Vietnam Vet.

June 5, 2008, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On June 11, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature an interview with Retired NYPD Detective and former member of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit, Alan Sheppard.

Program Date: June 11, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: NYPD Emergency Services Unit
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/06/12/The-Watering-Hole

About the Guest
In the late 1960s, Detective Alan Sheppard, NYPD (ret.), served two years with the United States Army. His service included deployment with the 101st Airborne Division to the Republic of South Vietnam. In 1969, Alan Sheppard joined the New York City Police Department. His first assignment was as a patrol officer in the 81st Precinct which is located in the north central area of the borough of Brooklyn. This neighborhood is known as "Bedford Stuyvesant." A small section along the southern border is referred to Stuyvesant Heights.

In 1974, Alan Sheppard was assigned the Emergency Service Unit. The Emergency Services Unit of the NYPD is nation’s largest permanent emergency response team with over 400 personnel. The “ESU” provides specialized equipment, expertise and support; “from auto accidents to building collapses to hostage situations, ESU officers are called on when the situation requires advanced equipment and expertise.” In 1985, Alan Sheppard was assigned to the NYPD Intelligence Division and given dual status with the United States Marshals. In 1988, he worked an undercover assignment and in 1989 he was assigned to the Major Case Squad. Detective Alan Sheppard, NYPD (ret.) is the author of E-Man: Life in the NYPD Emergency Services Unit.

According to Lieutenant Vernon Gebreth, NYPD (ret.), “Sheppard served in the NYPD during the urban warfare years and received his Baptism of Fire at the Williamsburg Siege. He was a decorated hero of the NYPD and member of the elite Emergency Services Unit (ESU). In his book, E-Man Al takes the reader on a non-stop roller coaster ride of emotions as he reveals life on the streets through the eyes of a combatant during the turbulent times and the work of the Emergency Services Unit—the same unit that the Police call when they need Help.”

According to one reader, Alan Sheppard’s book, “is a fast paced account of a true story about a cop who not only carried people from burning buildings and off of bridges high above the waters of NYC but also saved a fellow cop from sure death by shooting his killer dead. You will not be able to put this book down! I urge to read how some people don't imagine how to be a hero but actually become one.”

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

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

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

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

Police Omerta

May 28, 2008, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On June 4, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature an interview with Joe Sanchez a former NYPD police officer and the author of Latin Blues: A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD and A Tale of the Enemy Within.

Program Date: June 4, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: An Interview with Joe Sanchez
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

About the Guest
In 1965, Joe Sanchez was drafted into the United States Army, at the age of 18. On his twentieth birthday, he found himself with the First Air Cavalry Air Mobile Division deployed near the village of Phantiet in South Vietnam. On that day, his unit was engaged in a firefight with Viet Cong. Joe Sanchez and three of his comrades were wounded by a grenade during that firefight.

After discharge, Joe Sanchez served three years as a police officer with the New York Port Authority Police Department. He then applied for, and was accepted, as a police officer for the New York City Police Department. Joe Sanchez battled crime on the streets of New York, not realizing the most vicious enemy was within the NYPD.

In October of 1983, Joe Sanchez was indicted by a Special and Extraordinary Grand Jury in Manhattan for one count of Burglary in the First Degree; one count of Grand Larceny in the first Degree; one count of Grand Larceny in the second Degree; six counts of Grand larceny in the Third Degree; and, one count of assault in the Third Degree. Joe Sanchez would ultimately be exonerated of the charges because the true betrayal wasn’t Joe’s, it was his enemies within the NYPD that had set him up.

For a time, Joe Sanchez became a letter carrier and then reentered the criminal justice field as a correctional officer serving in both Sing Sing and Coxsackie State Prisons. If you ask Joe Sanchez, he will tell you, “It's a true story. I've been trying to tell it for a long time. It's my story, but not mine alone. It is also the story of those who lived and died alongside me, in Viet Nam and in that other battle, for justice and safety under the shield of the law; that is fought daily in the streets of every big city by every honest cop. In this case, the city is the Naked City, and the cop [namely, me] is a Latino. And the battle is neither for the civilians alone, nor just against the bad guys in the street. Some times the bad guys are in the Department. And sometimes the people who need protection are the honest cops.”

Joe Sanchez is the author of Latin Blues: A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD and A Tale of the Enemy Within.

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

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

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

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

Army Leadership

As the keystone leadership manual for the United States Army, FM 6-22 establishes leadership doctrine, the fundamental principles by which Army leaders act to accomplish their mission and care for their people. FM 6-22 applies to officers, warrant officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted Soldiers of all Army components, and to Army civilians.

From Soldiers in basic training to newly commissioned officers, new leaders learn how to lead with this manual as a basis. FM 6-22 is prepared under the direction of the Army Chief of Staff. It defines leadership, leadership roles and requirements, and how to develop leadership within the Army. It outlines the levels of leadership as direct, organizational, and strategic, and describes how to lead successfully at each level. It establishes and describes the core leader competencies that facilitate focused feedback, education, training, and development across all leadership levels.

It reiterates the Army Values. FM 6-22 defines how the Warrior Ethos is an integral part of every Soldier’s life. It incorporates the leadership qualities of self-awareness and adaptability and describes their critical impact on acquiring additional knowledge and improving in the core leader competencies while operating in constantly changing operational environments.

In line with evolving Army doctrine, FM 6-22 directly supports the Army’s capstone manuals, FM 1 and FM 3-0, as well as keystone manuals such as FM 5-0, FM 6-0, and FM 7-0. FM 6-22 connects Army doctrine to joint doctrine as expressed in the relevant joint doctrinal publications, JP 1 and JP 3-0. As outlined in FM 1, the Army uses the shorthand expression of BE-KNOW-DO to concentrate on key factors of leadership.

What leaders DO emerges from who they are (BE) and what they KNOW. Leaders are prepared throughout their lifetimes with respect to BE-KNOW-DO so they will be able to act at a moment’s notice and provide leadership for whatever challenge they may face.
FM 6-22 expands on the principles in FM 1 and describes the character attributes and core competencies required of contemporary leaders. Character is based on the attributes central to a leader’s make-up, and competence comes from how character combines with knowledge, skills, and behaviors to result in leadership.

Inextricably linked to the inherent qualities of the Army leader, the concept of BE-KNOW-DO represents specified elements of character, knowledge, and behavior described here in FM 6-22.

READ ON
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/repository/materials/fm6-22.pdf

Face of Defense: Real Estate Agent Chooses to Serve

By Sgt. Brandon Little, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 14, 2008 - A little more than two years ago, Juliana Rizzo was a real estate agent living in Long Island, N.Y., with her two children, Angelo and Amanda, when she decided it was time to fulfill her childhood dream. That dream was to join the United States Army.

"As a little girl, I always wanted to join the Army, because my father and grandfather spent several years in the military and served their country proudly," said Rizzo, a supply specialist in Company E, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Task Force 12, Multinational Division Baghdad.

"I don't know if my father ever deployed, but my grandfather served in the Korean War and Vietnam," she said. "They've both become very successful (in jobs outside the military), but they started their education in the Army."

Rizzo, the daughter of an airplane mechanic and granddaughter of a NASA radio communications transmitter, also has achieved plenty of her own success in the short time she's been in the military.

"When (Rizzo) arrived to unit, only three days after the unit was established, she was a private fresh out of advanced individual training and she had a hip problem that really bothered her," said Army 1st Sgt. Foy Dix, of Company E. "I had a talk with her and told her that being in the Army means sometimes you have to overcome pain. Within 60 days, she nearly scored (the maximum) 300 points on her physical fitness test."

In addition to overcoming physical adversity, the new private also had to learn her job quickly and with little supervision.

"Her supply sergeant went to the basic noncommissioned officer course while the unit was still being set up, so she had to set up the unit supply office by herself," said Dix, a native of Ventura, Calif. "She also helped run a company that had no commander -- just a first sergeant and three flight lieutenants."

Even though her leaders said they already were impressed by her work ethic and determination in keeping track of more than $3.5 million worth of unit equipment, Rizzo's most attention-grabbing performance was yet to come.

"When we were in (Hohenfels, Germany) going through 'Iron Warrior' training, she went up to the Iraqi role players and started talking to them in their own language," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Cuomo, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, a native of Troy, N.Y. "Nobody knew that she spoke Arabic, and it especially shocked the role players; she was definitely the hero of the battle out there."

"I learned Arabic in my Long Island neighborhood, and I pretty much taught myself a lot of the (words and phrases) I didn't know," Rizzo said. "I'm not very fluent in Arabic, but I do know enough to communicate. I also speak Spanish, and I know some phrases in Hindu."

Rizzo does a lot more than just handle unit supplies; she operates the company arms room, does public affairs for Company E, and she takes time to listen to some of the issues her fellow soldiers are having, Dix said.

She made such a strong impression throughout the battalion that she was sent to the Warrior Leadership Course as a private first class, Cuomo said. Soldiers usually attend the course at the rank of specialist or sergeant.

"I went down and talked with the WLC sergeant major two days after the course started, and I asked him, 'If I had a high-speed private first class, would you take that person?'" he said. "The course was a little rough for her, because she was the only private first class there, but she made it through and graduated in the top 17 percent of her class."

Rizzo was promoted to specialist shortly after arriving in Iraq and went to the sergeant's promotion board four months later. She received 150 points in the promotion board, and was recently laterally promoted to corporal. She continues to set the standard and then to exceed that standard, Dix said.

"I just try to give 100 percent in everything I do," Rizzo said, "and I always try to do above what is expected of me."

The soon-to-be sergeant is taking online classes toward a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. She said she hopes to one day be an Army career counselor or an Arabic linguist.

Dix said he won't be surprised if Rizzo is selected to be a staff sergeant by the end of her deployment.

"If she continues to do what she's doing know, I see her being a sergeant promotable before we leave Iraq," Dix said. "I know I couldn't do as much she does and continue to smile. I have no doubt that if I had five of her, I could run an entire platoon."
(Army Sgt. Brandon Little serves with Task Force 12 Public Affairs in Multinational Division Baghdad.)

Police Corruption

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



February 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) The February 13, 2008 program of Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole focuses on Police Corruption with special guest Lieutenant Stephen Beeler, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (ret.).

Program Date: February 13, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Police Corruption
Guests: Lieutenant Stephen Beeler
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

About the Guest
In 1962, Stephen Beeler joined the United States Army, serving in Germany. After his discharge in 1965, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. During his law enforcement career he served in patrol, administration, court services, community relations, press liaison and hostage negotiations. In 1986, he retired because of a duty-related injury. From 1987 to 1995, he was the business manager for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Winslow. Stephen Beeler has a Masters Degree from Pepperdine University at Malibu and a Masters Certificate from Loyola University, Los Angeles. Stephen Beeler is the author of The Firestone Syndrome.

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

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

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

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

Army Continues to Treat Blast-Related Injuries

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 7, 2008 - The Army is aggressively diagnosing and treating soldiers who suffer concussive injuries and stress related to blast attacks, the Army's surgeon general said today. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker, Army surgeon general and commander of U.S. Army Medical Command, told reporters during a media roundtable at the Pentagon today that issues stemming from such combat conditions are a "great concern" to soldiers, their families and the American public.

"We know the importance of prevention of these injuries and illnesses; we know the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of both concussive and post-traumatic stress symptoms," Schoomaker said. "And we are aggressively executing programs that are designed to educate, to prevent, to screen and to provide the appropriate care in a timely fashion for all of these deployment-related stresses and injuries."

Concussive injuries and their psychological responses are "not new concepts to us," the general said. He noted that concussions occur domestically -- on America's highways and sports fields -- as often as they do in combat, and that referring to them as the war's "signature injury" is a mischaracterization.

Schoomaker said he doesn't believe the war on terror has produced any one signature injury. But he believes there is a signature weapon used by insurgents: a blast.

"It's being used very effectively in combat," he said. "It blinds our soldiers in some cases if they're unprotected. It deafens them. If it defeats our protective equipment, it may cause a mild concussive injury all the way to a very severe penetrating head injury."

The general said military health care professionals must identify and treat blast-related injuries as soon as possible after the event.

"Doing an effective screening as close as possible to the actual event and then making a decision whether that soldier should take a knee and step out of the battle so that they can recover ... is our most important goal," he said

Schoomaker said the Army created initiatives to increase the rapidity and efficiency of treatment, including arming medics to allow them to more safely treat wounded troops in combat zones, providing servicemembers with improved first aid kits, and training troops in medical techniques. In addition, in 2007 the Army instituted an 800,000-strong chain-teaching initiative -- from the most seasoned commander down to the most junior soldiers -- on concussive injuries and post-traumatic stress.

Army health officials are looking into the role context plays in a concussive injury and its aftermath, Schoomaker said, which may be a more significant factor than originally thought. To illustrate the importance of context, the general made an analogy to a quarterback who is hit hard in the course of a football game. Regaining consciousness while surrounded by thousands of sympathetic fans is a vastly different context from awakening in a combat zone, surrounded by the wounded bodies of your battle buddies, he said.

While screenings performed immediately after returning from deployment might be successful in identifying physical symptoms, the process might allow gaps in detecting latent symptoms related to context. Because certain emotional symptoms related to concussive injuries or combat stress emerge later than their physical counterparts, Schoomaker said, he advocates an additional screening three to six months after deployments. Identifying the root of emotional symptoms may help affected servicemembers avoid family, social, alcohol or other problems resulting from a lack of proper diagnosis and treatment.

Army Col. (Dr.) Loree Sutton said 10 to 15 percent of those with concussive injuries display "persistent symptoms," generally cases when the physical injury is complicated by psychological issues. Sutton is chief of the Defense Department's newly created Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. The center reflects the department's effort to step up the quality of care for wounded warriors and their families.

"We need to ensure that we ... put out the message in general that concussions heal in the vast majority of cases, and that's a good-news story," she said. "In that small minority of cases where symptoms persist, we need to take a comprehensive, holistic view."

Schoomaker emphasized the military health community's dedication to caring for injured servicemembers.

"America can truly be assured that we are not going to rest until all our soldiers who have been wounded or are injured or are ill in the service to the nation are cared for both competently and compassionately," he said. "They'll receive the best support from the United States Army, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs."

Team Works to Defend Digital Battlefield in Europe

By Kristopher Joseph
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2007 - In 1983, with the Cold War still going strong, a movie called "War Games" depicted an eccentric computer hacker named David Lightman, played by Matthew Broderick. With dogged determination to play a military-generated "game" -- Global Thermonuclear War -- David managed to hack into the North American Aerospace Defense Command computer system and almost caused an actual nuclear war with the Soviet Union. "War Games" represented the tensions and anxieties of the ever-looming nuclear threat during the Cold War nuclear arms race. The global war on terrorism has replaced many threats of the Cold War. Many believe that in today's "information age" there are real David Lightmans who pose a cyber threat to military networks that could cause the loss of innocent lives unless something is done about them.

"We are taking a proactive approach to stop these 'hacktivists' from attacking our systems," said Robert Hembrook, deputy chief of intelligence for United States Army Europe's 5th Signal Command here.

For the first time in the European military theater, a cyber-threat intelligence cell has been created for the specific purpose of detecting, monitoring and combating malicious digital infiltrations on military computer networks, Hembrook said.

Cyber defense is implemented at the Department of Defense level and already was under way in the halls of U.S. European Command, in Stuttgart, but a fully developed and funded European theater-level cyber cell now is active within 5th Signal Command, Hembrook said.

The cell consists of three experienced intelligence and computer experts whose jobs are to observe potentially harmful data passing from the Internet into friendly networks, identify patterns of attacks, analyze data, and advise the operators of the network so that they can take preventative action to ensure the safety and security of all systems in the European footprint.

"The fact is that there are people currently trying to break into our systems in an effort to obtain data or plant viruses that put servicemembers and their missions at risk," one of the cyber cell members said. "We simply cannot be vulnerable in this area."

The military, along with most other organizations, relies more and more on the speed and capabilities of computer-based technology to give it an edge on the battlefield. This reliance also allows an extra avenue of attack for the enemy. "This cyber cell marks a change of approach in the intel world," a team member said. "We are already experts on predicting physical attacks from the enemy, but we never had a dedicated staff to predict and prevent virtual attacks at a theater level."

Besides combating threats from the outside, the cell is also involved with helping its military users prevent "digital fratricide" from the inside. For work and morale purposes, DoD policy allows users filtered, monitored access to the World Wide Web on government computers. According to a cell member, this is to obtain business-related information and to visit non-work related sites as long as casual browsing does not affect getting missions accomplished.

"It's a delicate relationship of balancing functionality and security," a cell member said. "We know that many users can't do their job without computers and the Internet, so we look for ways to help protect them."

"Users need to know that Internet access is a privilege and not a right," one cyber cell member said.

The cell has taken another proactive step by leaving their offices and actively engaging and informing commanders and military communities of their findings as well as stressing the importance and relevance of the cyber battlefield.

Another cell member said that the team's audience is the leadership in theater because they are the ones who can affect changes in how members of the DoD deal with and fight these cyber threats.

"We have had nothing but positive feedback from commanders," one cell member said. "They are taking our reports seriously, and more and more they are seeing that, if our data or systems get compromised or abused, threats to our systems can affect not only those sitting behind a desk, but also those on the front lines."

Since the 5th Signal Cyber Cell has shared its results to the intelligence community, other military organizations are asking how they too can have a cyber cell to find their own digital landmines, team officials said.

"This (cyber cell) is unprecedented at this level," a cell member said. "I saw the need for this when I worked at the DoD level. Members of the cell believe that network-defensive measures should be implemented at all levels in the military because a computer's role is becoming just as vital as an M-16 rifle in terms of winning today's wars.

"As much as the military trains its own on weapon safety, so we should be training them on computer and network safety," the cell member said. "That is where informing the leadership and giving them briefings becomes so vital."

In a 2006 interview for Defense Systems magazine, Tom Reardon, chief of the Intelligence Division for Network Enterprise Technology Command at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., had this to say about the level of importance computer networks play in military operations: "Network-centric operations are how we prosecute war and sustain the warfighter. If an enemy can degrade or destroy that capability, the tide of the battle could easily be turned in their favor. Worse yet, if the enemy succeeds in denying our network-centric capability, our forces may not be able to deploy; we couldn't show up to seize or defend terrain or support an ally."

Today, the 5th Signal Cyber Threat Intelligence Cell team members are the U.S. Army Europe warfighters in virtual trenches making sure the digital frontlines are defended.

"From an intel point of view, we've gone from 'patch the leaks' to 'build a better boat,'" Hembrook said.

(Kristopher Joseph is a public affairs specialist and editor of 5th Signal Command's biannual Echo magazine.)

Over 1700 Cop Books

EDITOR'S NOTE: One of the authors is a former servicemember.

December 23, 2007, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 800 state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of three police officers and their book, the website has grown to include more than 1700 books written by state and local law enforcement officials.

Vonn Auld Kopp is the pseudonym for a police officer whose 32 year law enforcement career included spending the last 23 years in the Houston Police Department homicide division. Vonn Auld Kopp is the author of Homicidal Humor.

According to the book description of Homicidal Humor, “Welcome to the world of urban police legend and lore. If I had firsthand knowledge of the events described herein, I would be hauled before both federal and state investigative grand juries. What I have actually done here is record stories told to me by cops from all over this country. For three decades I have collected confessions, bizarre stories, statements and lies that were told to me.”

At the age of 19, Jim Stewart joined the United States Army. He served in Vietnam from October of 1966 to October of 1968. He then worked as a civilian in Vietnam for the next two years. He served with the 552nd, 300th, 560th, 527th , and"C"CO of the 716th MP BN. In 1992, Jim Stewart joined the Brawley Police Department. He retired in 2002 at the rank of corporal. He is the author of The Angel from Vietnam.

According to the book description of “The Angel from Vietnam, “In 1970, after four years in Vietnam, Jim Stewart left behind his daughter, Phuong. It is estimated that fifty thousand Amerasians were left behind when America pulled out of the country for good in 1973. Jim carried this with him for years after the war. Join him on his journey through personal tragedy as a young boy in Maryland, his often humorous adventures in the Army, and the serious events that took place during his years in Vietnam and afterwards.”

In December 1985, Jon M. Shane Joined the Newark Police Department (New Jersey) and was assigned to the South Police District. During his 20 year law enforcement career, he worked a variety of assignments and worked his way through the ranks of detective, sergeant and lieutenant, eventually reaching the rank of Captain. His last active duty assignment was in the Command Operations Center which provides command rank supervision to the Department during non-business hours. Captain Jon Shane (ret.) has a BA and Masters in criminal justice; and, is currently working on his Doctorate in Criminal Justice. Captain Jon Shane (ret.) is the author of What Every Chief Executive Should Know.

According to the book description of What Every Chief Executive Should Know, “How many officers do we need? Are we efficiently using the ones we have? Is there a relationship between the number of officers we have and our crime rate? What s the status of our patrol car fleet? Are citizens satisfied with our work? What s the cost of our special programs and what are the actual benefits? Big questions that demand solid answers! This book will help you provide them! Easy to understand and designed to help top administrators use actual current information and calculations to make the kinds of informed decisions that make agencies run smoothly, efficiently and economically.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 811 police officers (representing 366 police departments) and their 1722 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Eskimos, Treasure Island and LAPD

Editor's Note: Two of the authors are former servicemembers.

November 9, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists nearly 800 state and local police officers who have written books.

Jim Rowell was drafted into the United States Army in 1968. After Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training he was deployed to Vietnam. According to Jim Rowell, “I landed in Vietnam on a bright yellow and red Brannif jet airplane on July 21, 1968. My first impression? The 120 degree heat that knocked me off my feet and a song playing in the background on a loudspeaker”

After his military service, Jim Rowell commenced a 28 year law enforcement career with the DeKalb County Police Department (Georgia). Suffering a heart attack in 1999, Jim Rowell retired from the DeKalb County Police Department Homicide Unit as a police captain. Throughout his law enforcement career, Jim Rowell served in uniform and as a detective in burglary, youth, sex crimes and homicide.

After retiring, Jim Rowell renewed his efforts to publish a manuscript he had written ten years before for his two children. Calling his story Granny and the Eskimo; Angels in Vietnam; which “describes his journey through life from youth to Vietnam where he experienced what can only be described as a paranormal event involving his mother and grandmother the day he was wounded in an ambush. He also tells the reader about his friendship with his mentor on the battlefield, the Eskimo. It was the Eskimo's untimely death on a cold winter night in Anchorage, Alaska that prompted Jim to write his story.”

In 1973, Larry Powalisz joined the Milwaukee Police Department’s police aide program, and, after a two year internship, was promoted to police officer, graduating from the City of Milwaukee Safety Academy in February 1976. During his tenure as a police officer, Larry patrolled one of Milwaukee’s busiest districts. He was later selected to become a member of the department’s Tactical Enforcement Unit—the full-time special weapons and tactics unit. He also served on the department’s Robbery Task Force.

In 1994, Larry Powalisz was promoted to the rank of detective, where he investigated robberies, shootings, and other violent criminal offenses. He was also assigned to the Milwaukee PD’s nationally recognized Gang Crimes Unit/Intelligence Division. In addition, Larry also served as a military special agent, where he recently completed 20 years of service in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.

In an effort to create a positive set of values for our nation’s next generation of impressionable young people, Larry put pen to paper and created this book, The Island Treasure Hunt, featuring two very likeable characters who find themselves faced with an ethical dilemma. The message conveyed by The Island Treasure Hunt is that good deeds do not go unnoticed. It’s a positive message today’s young people will hopefully realize.

Louis Jackson is a former Los Angeles Police Department police officer and the author of Raw in Blue. According to the book description of Raw in Blue, “A six year veteran on the force is subjected to all the ups and downs that a day in a cop's life entails: family disputes, robberies, gangs, and the like. Suddenly his life changes in a matter of moments. Intrigued by a beautiful TV star, he wanders into an unforeseen set of circumstances involving other cops, drugs, and his life. Things get worse as one of his best friends turns out to be smack in the middle of a possible way out unscathed. A gun battle to the death is the only answer for some. Romance and a daring plan unfolds and ends at a beautiful resort. Death and survival are the order of the day.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 798 police officers (representing 360 police departments) and their 1706 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Sea Services Unveil New Maritime Strategy

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 17, 2007 - The new U.S. maritime strategy elevates war prevention to the same level of importance as warfighting. Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations; Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps; and Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard, today unveiled "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower" at the International Seapower Symposium, in Newport, R.I.

Representatives from 98 countries attended the symposium. Roughead said it was fitting that the new strategy was briefed at the event, because it is an outgrowth of talks with allies that began at the symposium two years ago.

"The American people expect -- demand -- that we as a Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard remain strong," the admiral said. "They also expect our services to defend their territory and to be able to protect our citizens."

This is the traditional mission of a maritime strategy, but the American people also expect U.S. naval forces to cooperate with maritime forces of other nations. U.S. security and prosperity "is completely linked to security and prosperity of other nations around the world," Roughead said.

The new maritime strategy calls on the Navy to develop certain strategic imperatives. "We believe we must be a global force, a globally positioned force," the Roughead said.

U.S. maritime forces must have credible combat power "that can limit various regional issues, that can deter conflict, and that can fight and win when called upon to do so." The Navy must be able to work with others, but also must be able to fight and win without allies, if needed, he said.

U.S. naval forces will be globally distributed but will be concentrated in two general areas: the western Pacific and the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean region. Those forces must be able to be moved, brought together, shaped and structured so the U.S. Navy can conduct operations around the world, Roughead said. They also need to be able to work with long-standing allies and new partners.

Maritime forces must be able to conduct sea-control operations, and they must be able to project power. "When access is denied, we must have the capability to project power and to maintain those capabilities as enduring capabilities," the admiral said.

But in addition to maritime security, the strategy calls for an expanded core capability: disaster response and humanitarian assistance. The Indonesian tsunami that ravaged the Indian Ocean basin in 2004 is a case in point for the need for this capability. Maritime forces of many nations converged upon the area and saved countless lives.

But there has to be a basis for those forces to come together. "We develop the relationships; we develop the procedures; we develop the methods that allow us to be more effective should something like that happen," Roughead said.

And this is not just an international issue, as the military and maritime response following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 proves, he said.

The key to the maritime strategy is trust, Roughead said. "We believe that trust cannot be surged. Trust is not something that has a switch and you can turn on and off," he said. "Trust is something that must be built over time. Trust is built through discussions, operations, activities and exercises and through initiatives that each of us may undertake and bring others into. It is built on seeking opportunities to work more closely together."

The admiral said he especially wants young naval officers and sailors to participate in military-to-military exchanges. Relationships with members of other navies must be developed so that when the maritime forces serve together it is not the first time the sailors have met.

Conway said the Marine Corps absolutely agrees with the new strategy. But, given the pressure of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it may be some time before his service can embrace it fully, he added. "We are closer to the United States Army than we have been for a long, long time," Conway said. "We have been operating alongside them -- intertwined with them really -- over the last four, five years."

The Marine Corps is an expeditionary force by nature, and having 26,000 Marines in a land battle in Anbar province takes some of that capability from the corps. "We go down to the sea in ships," he said. "But right now, we are very much taking on the profile of a second land army.

"We have to go through an expeditionary filter when we get out of there to get back to a lighter, faster, more hard-hitting capability that is deployable aboard our nation's ships."

Allen said the U.S. Coast Guard completely subscribes to the strategy. "It reinforces the time-honored missions we carried out in this country since 1790," he said. "It reinforces the Coast Guard maritime strategy of safety, security and stewardship, and it reflects not only the global reach of our maritime services but the need to integrate and synchronize and act with our coalition and international partners to not only win wars ... but to prevent wars."

Allen called the new strategy a "convergence of ideas and leadership" and said it represents a step "forward in a very uncertain future and an era of persistent, irregular conflict."

Roughead said the global system in place today requires this maritime strategy. The global system changes every day as changes occur among people, nations, economies, law and knowledge. "Change is a good thing, because change gives us the opportunities to make adjustments to pursue new initiatives, and that's what the strategy is about," he said.