By Retired Army Col. Randy Pullen
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 20, 2008 - The U.S. Army Reserve will celebrate its 100th birthday on April 23, marking a full century of service in which Army Reserve soldiers have continuously answered the nation's call. Army Reserve soldiers served in both world wars, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the ongoing global war on terrorism. They also helped respond to countless other crises, emergencies, disasters, operations and expeditions.
That busy century of service to America all began when Congress established the Army's first federal reserve force on April 23, 1908. President Theodore Roosevelt signed Senate Bill 1424, creating the Medical Reserve Corps. The Reserve medical officers in the corps could be ordered to active duty by the secretary of war during times of emergency.
In June 1908, the first 160 medical professionals received Reserve commissions. This number grew to about 360 by 1909 and to 1,900 by 1916. The concept of bringing civilian professionals into the Army in a disciplined and quickly-accessible manner also expanded beyond the medical profession and beyond just officers.
In 1912, the Regular Army Reserve was created, a federal reserve outside of the Medical Reserve Corps. It grew much more slowly than its predecessor; by 1913, there were only eight enlisted men in it. Three years later, some 3,000 Army Reserve soldiers would be called up to serve beside their Regular Army and National Guard comrades along the southern border of the United States.
This first mobilization of the Army Reserve was due to tension between the United States and Mexico caused by the actions of the Mexican revolutionary, Francisco "Pancho" Villa, and the subsequent punitive expedition after him led by Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing. A second Mexican-American War was averted, but this mobilization provided invaluable experience for America's Army in the greater war soon to come.
As World War I raged on it Europe, major changes were taking place in the Army's structure. The National Defense Act of 1916 established the Officers Reserve Corps (into which the Medical Reserve Corps would be merged in 1917), the Enlisted Reserve Corps and the Reserve Officers Training Corps. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, these organizations – as well as the entire Army – would expand dramatically. For example, by June 1917 there would be 9,223 Army Reserve doctors, dentists and veterinarians -- a huge increase from the original 160 only nine years earlier.
More than 170,000 Army Reserve soldiers served on active duty during World War I. The Reserve doughboys of the Great War served in every division of the American Expeditionary Force in France, whether those divisions were Regular Army, National Guard or National Army.
Among their ranks was President Roosevelt's son, Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who served in the 1st Infantry Division; Maj. Charles Whittlesey, who led the 77th Infantry Division's "Lost Battalion" during its heroic battle in the Meuse-Argonne, and Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, "America's Ace of Aces." All three would receive the Medal of Honor, Whittlesey and Rickenbacker for World War I heroism, Roosevelt for his courage in World War II. Their example and those of all the citizen-soldier doughboys set the standard that Army Reserve soldiers have followed ever since.
The era between the world wars was a difficult one for the Army. There were few incentives for service, active or reserve, other than dedication to duty and patriotism. In the Organized Reserve (as the Army Reserve was called at this time), which was primarily an organization of Reserve officers because few enlisted men served, there was no pay for unit drill and no retirement plan. With the national economy in tatters during the 1930s, training became even rarer. No year in that decade saw more than 30 percent of Reserve officers undergo annual training; in 1934, only 14 percent did so.
Despite these and other hardships, the Army Reserve continued to answer the call to serve in emergencies, such as the national emergency of the Great Depression. Between 1933 and 1939, more than 30,000 Organized Reserve Corps officers were involved in running some 2,700 Civilian Conservation Corps camps. The CCC was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's key New Deal programs that provided jobs to unemployed young men across the country.
With the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939 and especially with the fall of France in June 1940, the United States began rearming in earnest. The nation began calling on its long-neglected Reserve as a key element in rebuilding its armed forces. There were some 2,700 Reserve officers serving on active duty in mid-1940; within a year, there were 57,000 on active duty. About 90 percent of the Army's company grade officers in June 1941 were recently-mobilized Army Reserve officers.
The Reserve presence in World War II was considerable. In a typical Regular Army combat division during the peak war years, Reserve soldiers occupied most of the mid-grade officer positions. By the end of the war, more than 200,000 Reserve soldiers were on active duty, serving on every front. Roughly a quarter of all Army officers serving during the war were Army Reserve officers.
Most of them were in the grades of first lieutenant through lieutenant colonel. They included Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder who led Rudder's Rangers up the Pointe du Hoc cliffs on D-Day; Lt. Col. Strom Thurmond who crash-landed in a glider with the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day; Lt. Col. Henry Cabot Lodge who resigned from the U.S. Senate to serve in North Africa, Normandy and Italy; and Capt. Ronald Reagan who used his civilian-acquired skills as a movie star to make Army Air Force training films.
A number of these officers progressed to general officer rank. In April 1942, Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle led 16 Army B-25 bombers off the aircraft carrier Hornet on the first aerial attack against Japan. For leading what was immortalized as "the Doolittle Raid," he received the Medal of Honor and a promotion from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general. He would go on to command the Eighth Air Force and end the war as a lieutenant general.
Maj. Gen. William J. Donovan had received the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross and three Purple Hearts while leading a battalion of the 165th Infantry Regiment (the old "Fighting 69th" regiment from the Civil War), 42nd Infantry Division, in World War I. Recalled to active duty as a colonel in 1942, Donovan headed the nation's espionage and sabotage agency, the Office of Strategic Services, known as the OSS, the World War II predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency. Another hero from the First World War who also fought in the Second was Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who returned to duty as a colonel in 1941 and was soon promoted to brigadier general.
After combat in North Africa and Sicily with the 1st Infantry Division, Roosevelt led the 4th Infantry Division ashore on Utah Beach, the first general officer to come ashore on a Normandy beach on D-Day. For his leadership and courage on June 6, 1944, he received the Medal of Honor. He died of a heart attack on July 12, 1944, never learning that he had been selected for promotion to major general and command of the 90th Infantry Division.
One Reserve officer reached the highest position possible: commander in chief. Harry S Truman, who commanded a Field Artillery battery in combat during World War I, joined the Organized Reserve in 1920 and rose to the rank of colonel. He was elected U.S. Senator from Missouri in 1934. When the war began, Truman requested to be called to active duty but was turned down by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall, who said Truman was more valuable to the country in the Senate than he would be in the Army.
Marshall, as usual, was correct. As head of a special sub-committee, Truman investigated wastefulness in the nation's defense programs and saved the government billions of dollars from fraud and mismanagement. His new national prominence helped gain him a spot as President Roosevelt's running mate in 1944. When Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, Vice President (and Organized Reserve Col.) Truman became the President of the United States and led the nation to final victory in World War II.
Five years after the end of World War II, Army Reserve men and women -- women were authorized to join the Organized Reserve in 1948 -- were called to duty again, this time for war in Korea. More than 240,000 Reserve soldiers were eventually called to active duty, some as individuals, and others with the 971 Reserve units that were mobilized. Fourteen Reserve battalions and 40 separate companies actually went to Korea, and seven Reserve soldiers – men like Capt. Raymond Harvey and Cpl. Hiroshi Miyamura – received the Medal of Honor for their combat heroism.
In the 1960s, the Army Reserve stood ready to answer the Nation's call during the Berlin Crisis, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. Only Vietnam resulted in an armed conflict and, because of decisions made by the administration of President Lyndon Johnson, only a small Reserve mobilization was authorized, resulting in a call-up in 1968 of 42 Army Reserve units with fewer than 5,000 soldiers.
Army Reserve soldiers actively participated in Operation Just Cause, the United States' intervention in Panama in 1989, with military police and civil affairs support.
The biggest deployment of Army Reserve soldiers overseas since the Korean War took place in 1990-1991 with Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. More than 63,000 soldiers from 647 units were activated to accomplish both continental U.S. and overseas missions. Thousands of Individual Ready Reserve soldiers, Individual Mobilization Augmentees and 1,000 retirees volunteered or were ordered to active duty as well. In all, almost 84,000 Army Reserve soldiers answered their country's call.
In 1993, Army Reserve soldiers participated in Operation Restore Hope, the Somalia relief expedition. They included more than 100 Army Reserve volunteers who made up the 711th Adjutant General Company. Other Army Reserve civil affairs and public affairs soldiers also served in Somalia until U.S. Forces departed there in March 1994.
Since 1995, thousands of Army Reserve soldiers have conducted peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as to support those operations from Hungary, Germany, and Italy. The Kosovo conflict resulted in a stateside mission in 1999 at the Fort Dix Army Reserve Installation in New Jersey. There, Army Reserve soldiers led and were part of the Operation Provide Refuge Joint Task Force, giving relief and assistance to more than 4,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and a field in Pennsylvania. About 3,000 Americans were killed as a result of these attacks.
Army Reserve men and women were on the front lines of this first war of the 21st century from its outset, with a number of Reserve soldiers among the killed at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Army Reserve units and individual soldiers responded to the attack immediately and carried out a host of missions to support rescue and recovery operations and to secure federal facilities nation-wide.
Less than a month after the attack on America, America struck back at the base of the attackers in Afghanistan. Within a few months, Afghanistan's repressive Taliban regime, which had supported and given sanctuary to the al Qaeda terrorists who had launched the 9-11 attacks, had been driven from power and, along with the foreign terrorists, were in hiding in the rugged south and east of Afghanistan. Army Reserve soldiers contributed significantly to this victory.
Army Reserve public affairs soldiers went into the mountains of eastern Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Anaconda. Army Reserve engineers improved facilities at Kandahar, while medical citizen-soldiers treated casualties at Bagram air base. Army Reserve civil affairs soldiers operated throughout Afghanistan to help the Afghan people recover from decades of war.
On March 20, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom began, with Army Reserve soldiers in action right from the beginning and fighting their way to Baghdad alongside their comrades-in-arms from the other U.S. services and coalition allies. The 459th Engineer Company, for example, built bridges across the Diyala and Euphrates rivers under fire to support the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's advance to Baghdad.
Although major combat operations in Iraq were declared to be over on May 1, 2003, combat did not cease. A difficult guerilla campaign continued, one waged by loyalists of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters. Army Reserve soldiers in a multitude of units served, and continue to serve, in numerous capacities during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Not all of the Army Reserve's battles in the early 21st century were against armed foes. Nature was also a tough adversary. In 2005, for example, Army Reserve soldiers kept busy providing assistance to the victims of numerous natural disasters at home and abroad. Especially valuable were the Army Reserve helicopter units that provided assistance to the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast in September following Hurricane Katrina and to the people of Pakistan following a devastating earthquake in October.
As the Army Reserve ended its first century of service, it remained heavily committed to the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Army Reserve soldiers were decisively engaged in helping the emerging Afghan democracy. They served as part of the coalition forces building a 70,000-man strong Afghan National Army and helping the Afghans set up a modern defense establishment under the control of a democratically elected civilian government.
In Iraq, Army Reserve soldiers continued to battle Iraqi insurgents while laying the groundwork for Iraq's security forces to take over this mission themselves. A key development in accelerating the training of the new Iraqi Army was the deployment of the 98th Division to Iraq in late 2004 to speed up the new Iraqi Army's training. This was the first time since the U.S. military began training Iraqi security forces that an Army Reserve unit took on this important mission.
The Army Reserve's only remaining ground combat unit served in Iraq from 2005-2006. The 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, deployed there as part of the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Separate Infantry Brigade. The Army Reserve soldiers of the 100th/442nd come from Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and Saipan.
In Iraq, they proudly upheld the heritage inherited from the original 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II, the most decorated U.S. Army units of their size in American history. During its year in Iraq, four soldiers from the battalion were killed and 45 wounded.
At the beginning of 2008, the number of Army Reserve soldiers killed in both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom had grown to 153. More than 1,250 had been wounded in action.
The Army Reserve that embarks on its second century in 2008 is one of its most battle-tested and experienced forces since its creation. More than 180,000 Army Reserve Warrior-Citizens have been called to duty since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with more than 41,000 having been mobilized more than once.
No longer a strategic reserve, the Army Reserve of 2008 is an operational reserve, with some 25,000-30,000 soldiers – from a force of about 190,000 – mobilized routinely and deployed in 18-20 countries around the world, to include the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the United States.
Not only conceptually but throughout its first 100 years, the Army Reserve changed from a force that was a smaller mirror image of the Active Army to one that complemented the Total Force with combat support, combat service support and training capabilities. Many of these capabilities were and remain either exclusively or primarily in the Army Reserve.
Though the Army Reserve has undergone many changes over the past century, one thing that hasn't changed are the quality of citizen-soldiers who continue to distinguish themselves serving their country. Today's Warrior-Citizens remain as dedicated, professional and courageous as their predecessors.
Spc. Jeremy Church of the 724th Transportation Company received the first Silver Star awarded to an Army Reserve soldier in Iraq for battling insurgents and rescuing other soldiers and civilians during an ambush on his convoy in April 2004. Staff Sgt. Jason Fetty, a 339th Combat Support Hospital soldier attached to the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade, received the first Silver Star awarded to an Army Reserve soldier in Afghanistan after hand-to-hand combat with a suicide bomber that foiled his attack on the Khost Hospital in February 2007.
They and their fellow Army Reserve comrades serving today show by their commitment and actions that they are worthy successors to the Organized Reserve doughboys and G.I.s who preceded them. As the Army Reserve continues to evolve and transform throughout its next 100 years, it will do so, as it always has, in the capable hands of those men and women who choose to be "twice the citizen."
(Retired Army Col. Randy Pullen, a former Army Reserve public affairs officer, wrote this article for the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve.)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 21, 2008
ARMY
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $42,504,058 firm-fixed price contract for the synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator. Work will be performed in Linchicum Heights, Md., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 17, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 10, 2007, and two bids were received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-08-C-P427).
Watts Constructors, Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded on Apr. 17, 2008, a $23,464,255 firm-fixed price contract for the replacement of a hydrant fuel system. Work will be performed at Hickam Air Force Base, Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by Apr. 22, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Apr. 31, 2007, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (W9128A-08-C-0009).
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integrated, Lexington, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $13,181,799 firm-fixed price contract for 880 each OR-336/A Cooler Dewar Groups and 261 each DT-635 Detector Dewars to support the requirement of Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors Night Vision Division for Apache and Bradley Fighting Vehicle Platforms. Work will be performed in Lexington, Mass., and is expected to be completed on Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Mar. 11, 2008, and one bid was received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-07-C-W004).
SFA, Inc., Frederick, Md., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $13,068,034 firm-fixed price contract for the 1500 tactical water purification systems. Work will be performed in Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed on Jan. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited in Dec. 2007. TACOM LCMC, Warren, Mich. is the contracting activity (DAAE07-02-D-T001).
CJW Construction, Inc., was awarded on Apr 15, 208, a $9,305,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of approximately 40,000 linear feet of sewer force main from the Huachuca City Waste Water Treatment Plant Lagoon. Work will be performed at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 27, 2008, and eleven bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W9128A-08-C-0009).
Technical Communications Corp., Concord, Mass., was awarded on Apr 18, 2008, a $5,750,452 firm-fixed price contract for DSD 72-A-SP Arecal-II, Military High Speed Ciphering System. Work will be performed in Concord, Mass., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 1, 2008. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-08-C-C007).
NAVY
DM Constructors, Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., is being awarded a $36,239,200 firm-fixed-price contract for wastewater treatment plant repairs and upgrade at the Naval Base, Guam. This is a design-build project with performance and prescriptive specifications. The purpose of this project is to restore the Apra Harbor wastewater treatment plant to its original design capacity and operational capability, upgrade the process components and equipment to provide reliability and efficiency of operation, and meet Environmental Protection Agency wastewater treatment requirements. This award covers Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0001 in the amount of $34,647,200; CLIN 0002 in the amount $775,000; and CLIN 0003 in the amount of $817,000. Work will be performed in Guam, and work is expected to be complete May 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 79 solicitations issued and four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-08-C-1316).
Dillon Aero, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the MK 44 Mini Gun System. The MK 44 System is a mini-gun system; the system and its supporting components are being procured to support a wide variety of needs within the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and work is expected to be completed by Apr 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-D-JN32).
Rolls Royce Naval Marine, Inc., Walpole, Mass., is being awarded a $7,976,358 firm-fixed-price contract for a DDG-1000 Baseline Tactical Auxiliary Turbine Generator (ATG) set engineering services and support. This ATG set will be delivered to the Navy land based test site in Philadelphia, Pa. This ATG set will meet the same specification established by the DDG-1000 shipyard for the lead ship installation. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Ind., (80 percent) and Walpole, Mass., (20 percent) and is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract wasnot competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-4203).
Teledyne Scientific Co., Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded $7,056,865 for an 18-month option for additional research on an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N66001-06-C-2025), which was solicited under Broad Agency Announcement No. N66001-05-X-6030 and awarded on Jun. 30, 2006. The contract provides for the development of Feedback Linearized Microwave Amplifiers in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Microsystems Technology Office research and development efforts. The scope of this effort is to develop ultra-linear, broadband low-noise microwave amplifiers with unprecedented linearity-to-dissipated dc power ratios. This option award increases the overall total value of the contract to $12,049,069. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $9,604,464. The objective of this Technical Area Task is to provide planning analysis to the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS). This analysis will ensure that CNSS is able to focus on development and document addressing key priority areas identified through the CNSS conference and hot wash process. At this time $260,869 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SPO700-98-D-4002 DO 0335).
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $42,504,058 firm-fixed price contract for the synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator. Work will be performed in Linchicum Heights, Md., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 17, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 10, 2007, and two bids were received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-08-C-P427).
Watts Constructors, Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded on Apr. 17, 2008, a $23,464,255 firm-fixed price contract for the replacement of a hydrant fuel system. Work will be performed at Hickam Air Force Base, Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by Apr. 22, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Apr. 31, 2007, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (W9128A-08-C-0009).
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integrated, Lexington, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $13,181,799 firm-fixed price contract for 880 each OR-336/A Cooler Dewar Groups and 261 each DT-635 Detector Dewars to support the requirement of Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors Night Vision Division for Apache and Bradley Fighting Vehicle Platforms. Work will be performed in Lexington, Mass., and is expected to be completed on Nov. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Mar. 11, 2008, and one bid was received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-07-C-W004).
SFA, Inc., Frederick, Md., was awarded on Apr. 18, 2008, a $13,068,034 firm-fixed price contract for the 1500 tactical water purification systems. Work will be performed in Frederick, Md., and is expected to be completed on Jan. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited in Dec. 2007. TACOM LCMC, Warren, Mich. is the contracting activity (DAAE07-02-D-T001).
CJW Construction, Inc., was awarded on Apr 15, 208, a $9,305,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of approximately 40,000 linear feet of sewer force main from the Huachuca City Waste Water Treatment Plant Lagoon. Work will be performed at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 27, 2008, and eleven bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W9128A-08-C-0009).
Technical Communications Corp., Concord, Mass., was awarded on Apr 18, 2008, a $5,750,452 firm-fixed price contract for DSD 72-A-SP Arecal-II, Military High Speed Ciphering System. Work will be performed in Concord, Mass., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 1, 2008. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-08-C-C007).
NAVY
DM Constructors, Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., is being awarded a $36,239,200 firm-fixed-price contract for wastewater treatment plant repairs and upgrade at the Naval Base, Guam. This is a design-build project with performance and prescriptive specifications. The purpose of this project is to restore the Apra Harbor wastewater treatment plant to its original design capacity and operational capability, upgrade the process components and equipment to provide reliability and efficiency of operation, and meet Environmental Protection Agency wastewater treatment requirements. This award covers Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0001 in the amount of $34,647,200; CLIN 0002 in the amount $775,000; and CLIN 0003 in the amount of $817,000. Work will be performed in Guam, and work is expected to be complete May 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 79 solicitations issued and four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-08-C-1316).
Dillon Aero, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the MK 44 Mini Gun System. The MK 44 System is a mini-gun system; the system and its supporting components are being procured to support a wide variety of needs within the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Ariz., and work is expected to be completed by Apr 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-D-JN32).
Rolls Royce Naval Marine, Inc., Walpole, Mass., is being awarded a $7,976,358 firm-fixed-price contract for a DDG-1000 Baseline Tactical Auxiliary Turbine Generator (ATG) set engineering services and support. This ATG set will be delivered to the Navy land based test site in Philadelphia, Pa. This ATG set will meet the same specification established by the DDG-1000 shipyard for the lead ship installation. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Ind., (80 percent) and Walpole, Mass., (20 percent) and is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract wasnot competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-4203).
Teledyne Scientific Co., Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded $7,056,865 for an 18-month option for additional research on an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N66001-06-C-2025), which was solicited under Broad Agency Announcement No. N66001-05-X-6030 and awarded on Jun. 30, 2006. The contract provides for the development of Feedback Linearized Microwave Amplifiers in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Microsystems Technology Office research and development efforts. The scope of this effort is to develop ultra-linear, broadband low-noise microwave amplifiers with unprecedented linearity-to-dissipated dc power ratios. This option award increases the overall total value of the contract to $12,049,069. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. of Herndon, Va., is being awarded a cost plus fixed fee contract for $9,604,464. The objective of this Technical Area Task is to provide planning analysis to the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS). This analysis will ensure that CNSS is able to focus on development and document addressing key priority areas identified through the CNSS conference and hot wash process. At this time $260,869 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SPO700-98-D-4002 DO 0335).
America Supports You: Jack Daniel's Toasts Troops with Care Packages, Concert
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 21, 2008 - More than 200 volunteers took the opportunity to support the troops here April 19 during the Jack Daniel's-United Services Organizations' "Toast to the Troops" care package stuffing party. Jack Daniel's Distillery hosted the event in conjunction with the USO, which left the event with more than 10,000 care packages to send to troops through its USO Care Package Program. It's not the first time the two organizations have paired up to toast the troops in this manner.
"We've done six of (these parties) at bases throughout the country," said Elizabeth Conway, Jack Daniel's public relations manager. "We include in each care package a personalized post card with a little message to the troops that we call a 'Toast to the Troops.'"
The note is just one of many items boxed up for the troops. One volunteer said he'd have very happy to get one of those care packages when he served.
"On the island I was on, we'd have been too glad to have one of those things, a little package like that," said Bill Stang, a World War II Marine veteran.
Stang was referring to Guadalcanal, where he and his comrades served after participating in the initial landing on the island. He said they ran out of everything while they "existed" there.
He said he believes today's troops will appreciate each box they get, though they might be just a bit disappointed.
"Each time they open one of those packages, they're going to look for a little bottle of Jack Daniel's, but it's not going to be there!" he said with a laugh.
Another volunteer agreed with the potential for disappointment, but knows for a fact today's troops will appreciate the other goodies.
"I know exactly what they need over there, and the stuff that I saw that was in the bags, it was like perfect," said former Army Sgt. Michael Cain.
The former soldier, who lost his right leg below the knee when his vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in Tikrit, Iraq, on Aug. 7, 2003, is medically retired.
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center-outpatient traveled to Quantico to help pack boxes and said it was a great experience. "I love it so much," Cain said, "just knowing that those guys are getting good stuff over there."
The volunteers got good stuff, too. Jack Daniel's provided a barbecue lunch and a concert as a thank you for their hard work.
Country music star Craig Morgan, an Army veteran with 11 years active-duty service and another six years reserve duty, helped pack boxes before he hit the stage to perform.
He said he met several wounded warriors who were volunteering and was touched by their stories.
"I have a great deal of respect for what the men and women in the armed services are going through these days," the singer said. "I'm humbled by their presence and the pride that they take and their ability to carry on as if nothing's happened. I don't know how you can talk to these guys and not be motivated to do more."
It's not the first time Morgan has had the opportunity to participate in a Jack Daniels' stuffing party. Of the six events the distillery's hosted, Morgan's been right there to flash his megawatt smile, joke with the crowd, and entertain fans with hits like, "That's What I Love About Sunday."
"They asked us and we volunteered, and we like it so much they can't get rid of us," Morgan said with a chuckle. "They would probably like to have another artist, but I won't let anybody else come and do it."
The USO is a supporter of America Support You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
April 21, 2008 - More than 200 volunteers took the opportunity to support the troops here April 19 during the Jack Daniel's-United Services Organizations' "Toast to the Troops" care package stuffing party. Jack Daniel's Distillery hosted the event in conjunction with the USO, which left the event with more than 10,000 care packages to send to troops through its USO Care Package Program. It's not the first time the two organizations have paired up to toast the troops in this manner.
"We've done six of (these parties) at bases throughout the country," said Elizabeth Conway, Jack Daniel's public relations manager. "We include in each care package a personalized post card with a little message to the troops that we call a 'Toast to the Troops.'"
The note is just one of many items boxed up for the troops. One volunteer said he'd have very happy to get one of those care packages when he served.
"On the island I was on, we'd have been too glad to have one of those things, a little package like that," said Bill Stang, a World War II Marine veteran.
Stang was referring to Guadalcanal, where he and his comrades served after participating in the initial landing on the island. He said they ran out of everything while they "existed" there.
He said he believes today's troops will appreciate each box they get, though they might be just a bit disappointed.
"Each time they open one of those packages, they're going to look for a little bottle of Jack Daniel's, but it's not going to be there!" he said with a laugh.
Another volunteer agreed with the potential for disappointment, but knows for a fact today's troops will appreciate the other goodies.
"I know exactly what they need over there, and the stuff that I saw that was in the bags, it was like perfect," said former Army Sgt. Michael Cain.
The former soldier, who lost his right leg below the knee when his vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in Tikrit, Iraq, on Aug. 7, 2003, is medically retired.
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center-outpatient traveled to Quantico to help pack boxes and said it was a great experience. "I love it so much," Cain said, "just knowing that those guys are getting good stuff over there."
The volunteers got good stuff, too. Jack Daniel's provided a barbecue lunch and a concert as a thank you for their hard work.
Country music star Craig Morgan, an Army veteran with 11 years active-duty service and another six years reserve duty, helped pack boxes before he hit the stage to perform.
He said he met several wounded warriors who were volunteering and was touched by their stories.
"I have a great deal of respect for what the men and women in the armed services are going through these days," the singer said. "I'm humbled by their presence and the pride that they take and their ability to carry on as if nothing's happened. I don't know how you can talk to these guys and not be motivated to do more."
It's not the first time Morgan has had the opportunity to participate in a Jack Daniels' stuffing party. Of the six events the distillery's hosted, Morgan's been right there to flash his megawatt smile, joke with the crowd, and entertain fans with hits like, "That's What I Love About Sunday."
"They asked us and we volunteered, and we like it so much they can't get rid of us," Morgan said with a chuckle. "They would probably like to have another artist, but I won't let anybody else come and do it."
The USO is a supporter of America Support You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Gates Forms Task Force to Promote Intelligence, Surveillance for Warfighters
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates established a new task force last week to ensure the Defense Department is doing everything possible to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to support warfighters, he announced today. Gates told officers at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., he created the task force to give the ISR issue the same level emphasis that another task force he established has put on mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles.
"My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during a speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
Gates expressed frustration at the pace of progress, slowed by people "stuck in old ways of doing business" who make instituting change "like pulling teeth."
The new task force will move the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance issue to the front burner as it explores "more innovative and bold ways to help those whose lives are on the line," he said.
Getting more ISR support to deployed forces "may require rethinking long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots and which do not," Gates said.
"For those missions that still require manned missions, we need to think hard about whether we have the right platforms," he said. Particularly in environments where the United States and its partners have total control of the skies, "low-cost, low-tech alternatives" may provide the basic reconnaissance and close-air support needed, he said.
Gates recalled the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles in the 1990s, when he was director of central intelligence. "The introduction of UAVs around this time meant far less risk and far more versatile means of gathering data, and other nations like Israel set about using them," he said. "In 1992, however, the Air Force would not co-fund with CIA a vehicle without a pilot."
As he called today for out-of-the-box thinking about how the military can operate in the most sensible, affordable way, Gates said it's time to recognize the role unmanned aerial vehicles play in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions -- and how much more they can contribute.
"Unmanned systems cost much less and offer greater loiter time than their manned counterparts, making them ideal for many of today's tasks," he said.
He noted a 25-fold increase since 2001, with 5,000 now in the military inventory. "But in my view, we can do -- and we should do -- more to meet the needs of men and women fighting in the current conflicts while their outcome may still be in doubt."
Brad Berkson, director of program, analysis and evaluation, will chair the new task force and provide regular updates to Gates beginning early next month, said Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
Other task force members include representatives of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, the Joint Staff, the military services, the comptroller, and other Defense Department components.
American Forces Press Service
April 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates established a new task force last week to ensure the Defense Department is doing everything possible to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to support warfighters, he announced today. Gates told officers at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., he created the task force to give the ISR issue the same level emphasis that another task force he established has put on mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles.
"My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during a speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
Gates expressed frustration at the pace of progress, slowed by people "stuck in old ways of doing business" who make instituting change "like pulling teeth."
The new task force will move the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance issue to the front burner as it explores "more innovative and bold ways to help those whose lives are on the line," he said.
Getting more ISR support to deployed forces "may require rethinking long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots and which do not," Gates said.
"For those missions that still require manned missions, we need to think hard about whether we have the right platforms," he said. Particularly in environments where the United States and its partners have total control of the skies, "low-cost, low-tech alternatives" may provide the basic reconnaissance and close-air support needed, he said.
Gates recalled the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles in the 1990s, when he was director of central intelligence. "The introduction of UAVs around this time meant far less risk and far more versatile means of gathering data, and other nations like Israel set about using them," he said. "In 1992, however, the Air Force would not co-fund with CIA a vehicle without a pilot."
As he called today for out-of-the-box thinking about how the military can operate in the most sensible, affordable way, Gates said it's time to recognize the role unmanned aerial vehicles play in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions -- and how much more they can contribute.
"Unmanned systems cost much less and offer greater loiter time than their manned counterparts, making them ideal for many of today's tasks," he said.
He noted a 25-fold increase since 2001, with 5,000 now in the military inventory. "But in my view, we can do -- and we should do -- more to meet the needs of men and women fighting in the current conflicts while their outcome may still be in doubt."
Brad Berkson, director of program, analysis and evaluation, will chair the new task force and provide regular updates to Gates beginning early next month, said Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
Other task force members include representatives of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, the Joint Staff, the military services, the comptroller, and other Defense Department components.
First Recruits Enlist Using Biometric Technology
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - When 20 recruits gathered yesterday at the Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station to sign their enlistment contracts, none needed a pen. Instead, they read their contracts on a computer screen, then pressed their index fingers onto an electronic pad next to it, becoming the first servicemembers to enlist using biometric technology.
Army Lt. Col. Robert S. Larsen, the station commander, swore in the recruits on Fort Meade, Md. This marked a big step in the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command's transition to paperless enlistment recordkeeping, said Ted Daniels chief of the command's accessions division.
Nineteen-year-old Krista Hearne of Salisbury, Md., became the first recruit to sign her enlistment contract biometrically before taking her oath of enlistment to join the Army. Eighteen-year-old Chance Muller of Sharpsburg, Md., followed, becoming the first male to use biometrics as he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
After swearing them into the military, Larson used his own index fingerprint to biometrically sign their contracts. When the process was completed, the new servicemembers received print-outs of their enlistment contracts, which included a facial photo and the fingerprint. No other paper was required for a process that once required multiple signatures and took reams of paper.
"The process starts off without paper and it ends up without paper," said Daniels. "But we do print out one copy, for the individual."
Many of the enlisting troops had seen biometrics technology used on television and thought it "pretty neat" to learn that they were to be the first enlistees to use it, Daniels said. "We told them what we were doing was revolutionary, that this was the first time it was being down within the Department of Defense," he said. "They came through here and said, 'This is pretty neat, man.'"
Biometrics is becoming increasingly widespread in society. Some supermarkets used them at the checkout counter. Even Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., takes biometric measurements from guests' fingers to ensure the same person uses a ticket from day to day.
Daniels said biometrics will offer MEPCOM broad advantages, improving security, reducing redundancy and dollar costs and saving the command an estimated 70 million sheets of paper a year.
Last year alone, the command administered 510,000 enlistment Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery tests and 348,000 physical examinations to recruit 266,000 new soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.
Now using biometric technology, MEPS officials will capture each applicant's biometric print at first contact. That information will be used to verify the applicant's identity and track progress throughout the qualification process: from aptitude testing to medical screening to background check to contract signing to shipping off for boot camp or basic training.
Biometric information captured at enlistment will become part of the servicemembers' permanent personnel records. Ultimately it will follow them throughout their military careers, providing concrete verification of their identity.
Because biometrics are unique to every individual and can't be forged, they add security protections just not possible with traditional "wet" signatures, Daniels explained.
"What we want to do is make sure whoever is next to you in the foxhole is exactly who they are supposed to be," he said.
Meanwhile, biometrics is expected to provide faster, less redundant personnel processes, he said. As it becomes widespread throughout the department and services, it will help short-cut procedures required for everything from getting a common access card to signing up for Tricare benefits through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.
"There will be no need to start from scratch each time," Daniels said.
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - When 20 recruits gathered yesterday at the Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station to sign their enlistment contracts, none needed a pen. Instead, they read their contracts on a computer screen, then pressed their index fingers onto an electronic pad next to it, becoming the first servicemembers to enlist using biometric technology.
Army Lt. Col. Robert S. Larsen, the station commander, swore in the recruits on Fort Meade, Md. This marked a big step in the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command's transition to paperless enlistment recordkeeping, said Ted Daniels chief of the command's accessions division.
Nineteen-year-old Krista Hearne of Salisbury, Md., became the first recruit to sign her enlistment contract biometrically before taking her oath of enlistment to join the Army. Eighteen-year-old Chance Muller of Sharpsburg, Md., followed, becoming the first male to use biometrics as he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
After swearing them into the military, Larson used his own index fingerprint to biometrically sign their contracts. When the process was completed, the new servicemembers received print-outs of their enlistment contracts, which included a facial photo and the fingerprint. No other paper was required for a process that once required multiple signatures and took reams of paper.
"The process starts off without paper and it ends up without paper," said Daniels. "But we do print out one copy, for the individual."
Many of the enlisting troops had seen biometrics technology used on television and thought it "pretty neat" to learn that they were to be the first enlistees to use it, Daniels said. "We told them what we were doing was revolutionary, that this was the first time it was being down within the Department of Defense," he said. "They came through here and said, 'This is pretty neat, man.'"
Biometrics is becoming increasingly widespread in society. Some supermarkets used them at the checkout counter. Even Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., takes biometric measurements from guests' fingers to ensure the same person uses a ticket from day to day.
Daniels said biometrics will offer MEPCOM broad advantages, improving security, reducing redundancy and dollar costs and saving the command an estimated 70 million sheets of paper a year.
Last year alone, the command administered 510,000 enlistment Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery tests and 348,000 physical examinations to recruit 266,000 new soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.
Now using biometric technology, MEPS officials will capture each applicant's biometric print at first contact. That information will be used to verify the applicant's identity and track progress throughout the qualification process: from aptitude testing to medical screening to background check to contract signing to shipping off for boot camp or basic training.
Biometric information captured at enlistment will become part of the servicemembers' permanent personnel records. Ultimately it will follow them throughout their military careers, providing concrete verification of their identity.
Because biometrics are unique to every individual and can't be forged, they add security protections just not possible with traditional "wet" signatures, Daniels explained.
"What we want to do is make sure whoever is next to you in the foxhole is exactly who they are supposed to be," he said.
Meanwhile, biometrics is expected to provide faster, less redundant personnel processes, he said. As it becomes widespread throughout the department and services, it will help short-cut procedures required for everything from getting a common access card to signing up for Tricare benefits through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.
"There will be no need to start from scratch each time," Daniels said.
America Supports You: Organization Hires Heroes
By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee.
During his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Justin was approached by Bayne Tippins, a businessman who offered him a job as soon as his health returned.
Callahan inspired Tippins to found Hire Heroes USA, an non-profit organization dedicated to helping disabled veterans to find the right fit in the civilian job market. Hire Heroes USA is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects individuals, non-profit groups and companies who want to support U.S. military men and women.
"Hire Heroes USA was designed to give other wounded servicemembers like myself the opportunity that I was fortunate to have right out of the hospital," Callahan said during an interview on America Supports You Live BlogTalkRadio. He and Tippins discussed the organization's success during the interview.
Callahan explained that the biggest challenge for many wounded warriors is getting their confidence reestablished after a tragic event.
"It's really to pick them up and point them in the right direction, helping them to re-establish the confidence they've lost going through something traumatic...and the direction to move forward," he said.
Part of re-establishing this confidence is understanding how the skills developed in the military apply to the civilian job market. One skill, Callahan mentioned, is leadership.
"A non-commissioned officer is responsible for 6 to 8 soldiers operating under very stressful situations...they are taught the hard things by the military."
Callahan talked about his day-to-day experience working with countless organizations that see great value in employing those with military experience. Employers notice military experience and benefit from an incredibly motivated group of individuals, Callahan explained.
"These men and women are so motivated to get into a good job that has a steady salary where they have the opportunity to advance."
Now the challenge for Callahan and Tippins is reaching out to the many veterans who might need assistance and do not realize how to best market their skills to a new audience. Callahan explained that the organization places everyone from sales reps to IT professionals, and from security personnel to project managers.
"A lot of servicemembers don't know what's out there. They are used to doing a certain job in the military, and when they get in the civilian world they do not always know how to apply and transfer the skills they have learned making them noticeable to employers," Callahan said.
One example of many such skills is the ability to handle logistics, Tippins said.
"Getting men and troops and supplies from point A to point B is an incredibly transferable skill," he said.
Tippins also said learning new skills easily is a common attribute of veterans.
"They are extremely trainable," he said. "The acquisition of the new skills within a new position comes easily because of their experience in the military."
Tippins explained that the mission Hire Heroes USA is to reach out to candidates, identify their strong qualities and let them know that there are jobs available for them.
"Some servicemembers just need to understand that company XYZ has a need for you.... Hire Heroes USA is designed to be a bridge to get out in front of organizations that are anxious to hire them," Tippins said. "We want to help them adjust to becoming a great member of society that they have already defended so bravely."
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee.
During his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Justin was approached by Bayne Tippins, a businessman who offered him a job as soon as his health returned.
Callahan inspired Tippins to found Hire Heroes USA, an non-profit organization dedicated to helping disabled veterans to find the right fit in the civilian job market. Hire Heroes USA is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects individuals, non-profit groups and companies who want to support U.S. military men and women.
"Hire Heroes USA was designed to give other wounded servicemembers like myself the opportunity that I was fortunate to have right out of the hospital," Callahan said during an interview on America Supports You Live BlogTalkRadio. He and Tippins discussed the organization's success during the interview.
Callahan explained that the biggest challenge for many wounded warriors is getting their confidence reestablished after a tragic event.
"It's really to pick them up and point them in the right direction, helping them to re-establish the confidence they've lost going through something traumatic...and the direction to move forward," he said.
Part of re-establishing this confidence is understanding how the skills developed in the military apply to the civilian job market. One skill, Callahan mentioned, is leadership.
"A non-commissioned officer is responsible for 6 to 8 soldiers operating under very stressful situations...they are taught the hard things by the military."
Callahan talked about his day-to-day experience working with countless organizations that see great value in employing those with military experience. Employers notice military experience and benefit from an incredibly motivated group of individuals, Callahan explained.
"These men and women are so motivated to get into a good job that has a steady salary where they have the opportunity to advance."
Now the challenge for Callahan and Tippins is reaching out to the many veterans who might need assistance and do not realize how to best market their skills to a new audience. Callahan explained that the organization places everyone from sales reps to IT professionals, and from security personnel to project managers.
"A lot of servicemembers don't know what's out there. They are used to doing a certain job in the military, and when they get in the civilian world they do not always know how to apply and transfer the skills they have learned making them noticeable to employers," Callahan said.
One example of many such skills is the ability to handle logistics, Tippins said.
"Getting men and troops and supplies from point A to point B is an incredibly transferable skill," he said.
Tippins also said learning new skills easily is a common attribute of veterans.
"They are extremely trainable," he said. "The acquisition of the new skills within a new position comes easily because of their experience in the military."
Tippins explained that the mission Hire Heroes USA is to reach out to candidates, identify their strong qualities and let them know that there are jobs available for them.
"Some servicemembers just need to understand that company XYZ has a need for you.... Hire Heroes USA is designed to be a bridge to get out in front of organizations that are anxious to hire them," Tippins said. "We want to help them adjust to becoming a great member of society that they have already defended so bravely."
Face of Defense: Physical Therapist Shares Story With College Students
By Army Capt. Constance Quinlan
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Army Capt. Chris Remillard took hometown recruiting to a whole new level when he gave a live guest lecture to students at Ithaca College in New York, from this base in Iraq. Remillard, a 2004 Ithaca College alumnus, spoke to the students April 2 and shared his experiences serving in the Army. He is a physical therapist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's Company C, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
A month before his guest lecture, Remillard received an invitation from a former Vietnam-era Army physical therapist, Dr. Michael Pagliarulo, chair of the Ithaca College Physical Therapy Department. Pagliarulo asked the 2004 graduate to speak to his class about the unique opportunities afforded physical therapists in the Army.
"A civilian PT can't order things like X-Rays, bone scans, MRIs. He has to send patients back to a primary care doctor. Not only can I order tests, I can prescribe medicine and refer soldiers to other specialists," said Remillard, a native of Syracuse, N.Y. "It's really designed to expedite the process for soldiers, especially in this type of environment."
Remillard was commissioned into the Medical Service Corps through the Cornell University Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 2004 with a degree in physical therapy from Ithaca College.
Several students expressed interest in joining the ROTC after the hour-long question and answer session, attended by roughly 40 students and faculty members.
Remillard has already made plans to conduct another session with Ithaca's next class of physical therapy students.
"It's nice to promote my field and bring new people in," he said. "It puts everything I do into perspective ... keeping soldiers in the fight."
(Capt. Constance Quinlan is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Army Capt. Chris Remillard took hometown recruiting to a whole new level when he gave a live guest lecture to students at Ithaca College in New York, from this base in Iraq. Remillard, a 2004 Ithaca College alumnus, spoke to the students April 2 and shared his experiences serving in the Army. He is a physical therapist assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's Company C, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
A month before his guest lecture, Remillard received an invitation from a former Vietnam-era Army physical therapist, Dr. Michael Pagliarulo, chair of the Ithaca College Physical Therapy Department. Pagliarulo asked the 2004 graduate to speak to his class about the unique opportunities afforded physical therapists in the Army.
"A civilian PT can't order things like X-Rays, bone scans, MRIs. He has to send patients back to a primary care doctor. Not only can I order tests, I can prescribe medicine and refer soldiers to other specialists," said Remillard, a native of Syracuse, N.Y. "It's really designed to expedite the process for soldiers, especially in this type of environment."
Remillard was commissioned into the Medical Service Corps through the Cornell University Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 2004 with a degree in physical therapy from Ithaca College.
Several students expressed interest in joining the ROTC after the hour-long question and answer session, attended by roughly 40 students and faculty members.
Remillard has already made plans to conduct another session with Ithaca's next class of physical therapy students.
"It's nice to promote my field and bring new people in," he said. "It puts everything I do into perspective ... keeping soldiers in the fight."
(Capt. Constance Quinlan is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS April 18, 2008
USSOCOM
ITT Industries, Inc. is receiving a restructured IDIQ production contract with a contract maximum of $312,000,000, firm-fixed price and cost, for the suite of integrated radio frequency countermeasures in support of U. S. Special Operations Command, Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). The work will be performed primarily at ITT in Clifton, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract restructure was awarded under Authority 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The solicitation was posted electronically on FedBizOps and no other offers were received. The contract number is H92241-06-D-0001.
Insitu Group, Inc., of Bingen, Washington, is being awarded a firm-fixed price contract with a not-to-exceed value of 23,953,000 for unmanned aircraft system information gathering, target surveillance, and reconnaissance services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. The work will be performed in Bingen and three other locations using O&M fiscal year 2008 funds. The contract number is H92222-08-C-0022.
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $127,202,565. This contract modification is an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) for Lot 1, material/fabrication, initial spares and lot 2 advance procurement for the C-5M Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). At this time $127,202,565 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-07-C-6471, P00003).
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a modified contract for $31,480,000. This action will the procurement of non-recurring engineering activity for aircraft production program changes at a not-to-exceed price of $31,480,000 for the Peace Drive I (Pakistan) program for foreign military sales F-16 Block 52M aircraft. At this time $15,740,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8615-07-C-6031, P00005).
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., of Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a modified firm fixed price contract for $27,000,000. This action will provide the procurement of non-recurring engineering activity for developmental support equipment and country standard technical order at a not-to-exceed price of 27,000,000 for the peace Drive I (Pakistan) Program for foreign military sales F-16 Block 52M aircraft. At this time $13,500,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8615-07-C-6031, P00004).
Raytheon Co., Intelligence and Information Systems of Omaha, Neb., is being awarded a modified cost plus incentive fee contract for $23,096,392. This action provide for Joint Environment Toolkit Hardware/Software Fielding to STRATCOM, 26th Operational Weather Squadron (OWS), 25th OWS, 15th OWS, 17th OWS, 21 OWS, 28 OWS, Air Operations Command (AOC) and Site Surveys. At this time $8,596,128 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8720-04-C-0015 P00018).
Teksouth Corp., of Gardendale, Ala., is being awarded a contract for $17,199,961. This action will provide information technology services for the operations, sustainment, and refinement of the Commanders' Resource Integration System (CRIS). CRIS facilities decision making within the Air Force by providing visibility into worldwide supply and financial execution (to the individual transaction level) on a new real-time basis. CRIS is hosted on a cross-functional relational data warehouse and focuses on SAF, HAF, command level and base-level Financial Management (FM), Directorate of Operations (DO), and Directorate of Logistics (LG) reporting functions. A system configuration has been established that integrates Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software components (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server) with custom applications. At this time $700,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8770-08-C-0002).
Wyle Laboratories, Inc., of Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a contract for $9,590,327 With this contract action, the Reliability Information Analysis Center will implement and sustain a reliability -centered maintenance and risk assessment program to evaluate the reliability and maintainability of selected F-15 systems/subsystems/support equipment. At this time $1,159,420 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (HC1047-05-D-4005, Delivery Order 0068).
ARMY
Archer Western Contractors and LTD/Butt Construction Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill. was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $172,419,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of a BRAC Human Performance Wing complex. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 15, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Oct. 3, 2007, and three bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0014).
Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services Corp., Anchorage, Ala., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $14,163,496 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of F22 Infrastructure Phase II and F22 taxiway, taxilanes, and arm-de-arm. Work will be performed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Nov. 8, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0007).
Raytheon Co., AMDS, Andover, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $13,171,464 firm-fixed price contract for SWEEP VII modification kits and spares. Work will be performed at Andover, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jul. 30, 2007. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0247).
Nakaya Construction, LLC, Bountiful, Utah, was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $7,407,983 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of an addition and alteration to a hydraulic flight control facility. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and is expected to be completed on Oct. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 23, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-08-C-0005).
Tiber Creek Consulting, Inc., Vienna, Va., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $7,320,691 delivery order contract for the procurement of a performance-based contract to provide the personnel support for the Reserve Component Manpower Systems suite of applications. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 16, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Dec. 31, 2007, and two bids were received. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (W9133L-08-F-0060).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
River Trading Co., LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio*, is being awarded a maximum $11,964,752 firm fixed price, service funded contract for delivery of coal. Other locations of performance are in West Va. Using services are Army and Air Force. There were originally 160 proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is May 31, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-0653).
DeRossi & Son Co., Vineland, N.J.*, is being awarded a maximum $6,537,353 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity, total set-aside contract for man's poly/wool coats. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. The original proposal was solicited on FedBizOpps with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 30, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SP0100-05-C-0449).
ITT Industries, Inc. is receiving a restructured IDIQ production contract with a contract maximum of $312,000,000, firm-fixed price and cost, for the suite of integrated radio frequency countermeasures in support of U. S. Special Operations Command, Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). The work will be performed primarily at ITT in Clifton, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract restructure was awarded under Authority 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The solicitation was posted electronically on FedBizOps and no other offers were received. The contract number is H92241-06-D-0001.
Insitu Group, Inc., of Bingen, Washington, is being awarded a firm-fixed price contract with a not-to-exceed value of 23,953,000 for unmanned aircraft system information gathering, target surveillance, and reconnaissance services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. The work will be performed in Bingen and three other locations using O&M fiscal year 2008 funds. The contract number is H92222-08-C-0022.
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $127,202,565. This contract modification is an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) for Lot 1, material/fabrication, initial spares and lot 2 advance procurement for the C-5M Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). At this time $127,202,565 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-07-C-6471, P00003).
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a modified contract for $31,480,000. This action will the procurement of non-recurring engineering activity for aircraft production program changes at a not-to-exceed price of $31,480,000 for the Peace Drive I (Pakistan) program for foreign military sales F-16 Block 52M aircraft. At this time $15,740,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8615-07-C-6031, P00005).
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., of Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a modified firm fixed price contract for $27,000,000. This action will provide the procurement of non-recurring engineering activity for developmental support equipment and country standard technical order at a not-to-exceed price of 27,000,000 for the peace Drive I (Pakistan) Program for foreign military sales F-16 Block 52M aircraft. At this time $13,500,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8615-07-C-6031, P00004).
Raytheon Co., Intelligence and Information Systems of Omaha, Neb., is being awarded a modified cost plus incentive fee contract for $23,096,392. This action provide for Joint Environment Toolkit Hardware/Software Fielding to STRATCOM, 26th Operational Weather Squadron (OWS), 25th OWS, 15th OWS, 17th OWS, 21 OWS, 28 OWS, Air Operations Command (AOC) and Site Surveys. At this time $8,596,128 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8720-04-C-0015 P00018).
Teksouth Corp., of Gardendale, Ala., is being awarded a contract for $17,199,961. This action will provide information technology services for the operations, sustainment, and refinement of the Commanders' Resource Integration System (CRIS). CRIS facilities decision making within the Air Force by providing visibility into worldwide supply and financial execution (to the individual transaction level) on a new real-time basis. CRIS is hosted on a cross-functional relational data warehouse and focuses on SAF, HAF, command level and base-level Financial Management (FM), Directorate of Operations (DO), and Directorate of Logistics (LG) reporting functions. A system configuration has been established that integrates Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software components (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server) with custom applications. At this time $700,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8770-08-C-0002).
Wyle Laboratories, Inc., of Huntsville, Ala., is being awarded a contract for $9,590,327 With this contract action, the Reliability Information Analysis Center will implement and sustain a reliability -centered maintenance and risk assessment program to evaluate the reliability and maintainability of selected F-15 systems/subsystems/support equipment. At this time $1,159,420 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (HC1047-05-D-4005, Delivery Order 0068).
ARMY
Archer Western Contractors and LTD/Butt Construction Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill. was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $172,419,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of a BRAC Human Performance Wing complex. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 15, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Oct. 3, 2007, and three bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0014).
Bristol Environmental & Engineering Services Corp., Anchorage, Ala., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $14,163,496 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of F22 Infrastructure Phase II and F22 taxiway, taxilanes, and arm-de-arm. Work will be performed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Nov. 8, 2007, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0007).
Raytheon Co., AMDS, Andover, Mass., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $13,171,464 firm-fixed price contract for SWEEP VII modification kits and spares. Work will be performed at Andover, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jul. 30, 2007. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0247).
Nakaya Construction, LLC, Bountiful, Utah, was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $7,407,983 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of an addition and alteration to a hydraulic flight control facility. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and is expected to be completed on Oct. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 23, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-08-C-0005).
Tiber Creek Consulting, Inc., Vienna, Va., was awarded on Apr. 16, 2008, a $7,320,691 delivery order contract for the procurement of a performance-based contract to provide the personnel support for the Reserve Component Manpower Systems suite of applications. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., and is expected to be completed on Apr. 16, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Dec. 31, 2007, and two bids were received. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (W9133L-08-F-0060).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
River Trading Co., LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio*, is being awarded a maximum $11,964,752 firm fixed price, service funded contract for delivery of coal. Other locations of performance are in West Va. Using services are Army and Air Force. There were originally 160 proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is May 31, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-0653).
DeRossi & Son Co., Vineland, N.J.*, is being awarded a maximum $6,537,353 firm fixed price, indefinite quantity, total set-aside contract for man's poly/wool coats. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. The original proposal was solicited on FedBizOpps with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of performance completion is Apr. 30, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SP0100-05-C-0449).
Gates Salutes Fallon for "Unparalleled" Energy
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised Navy Adm. William J. Fallon during his retirement ceremony today for bringing "unparalleled energy, ideas and diplomatic skill" to U.S. Central Command and for 41 years of service that has left the United States stronger and safer. Fallon, who assumed command of CentCom in March 2007, concluded his career under brilliant blue skies at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The setting held special significance for Fallon, who commanded a carrier air wing aboard the Roosevelt during the Gulf War, and commanded the Theodore Roosevelt battle group in 1995 as it supported NATO operations in Bosnia.
Gates said he knew he was getting one of the military's most experienced senior officers and one of its best strategic minds when he recruited Fallon from U.S. Pacific Command to focus on one of the world's most complex regions in CentCom.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Fallon's steadiness as "a guy who can rely on to stay calm and collected when all around you, people are losing their heads" brought strength to those who served with and under him in both war and peace.
"You can count on him when minutes and seconds count," Mullen said.
Mullen pointed to Fallon's leadership strengths: dependability, honesty, steadfastness and sincerity. Fallon was someone people trusted, he said, who "makes decisions and stands by them the way he stands by his people."
Gates said there's no doubt that this blend of professional experience and personal strength brought special capability to CentCom. "There can be no doubt how much we have benefited from his leadership at Central Command during the last year," he said.
The secretary cited progress on several fronts. "We are all familiar with the tremendous progress that has been made in Iraq,' he said, calling Fallon "a valued voice" in ensuring those gains aren't lost. "He has advised the president and me, and I can tell you that his suggestions, his thoughts, his candor have been valued and critical in determining the way forward," Gates said.
Afghanistan, too, has seen successes in the last year during Fallon's command, the secretary said. "Our military is working more closely with our partners than at any time in the past," he said. "The Taliban has been rolled back. We are applying a coordinated and ever-more-effective strategy that focuses on the non-military aspects of the fight."
But beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates said the Middle East as a whole has benefitted from Fallon's leadership."He has applied the same strategic thinking and diplomatic skills in the Middle East that he did in the Pacific," he said.
Gates noted that Fallon was the highest-ranking officer and in more than a decade and the first Centcom commander to visit Lebanon. "We can see the results in the increasing willingness of nations of the region to extend diplomatic support to Iraq, and to work together to confront shared threats through initiatives like the Gulf Security Dialogue."
Beyond his service within CentCom, Fallon's four decades of service have "advanced America's interests and helped defend our nation and our liberty," he said.
The secretary thanked Fallon for his inspiration and example. "Those who had the opportunity to work under you and with you will now carry forward in their critical work with your example firmly in their minds," he said.
Fallon said he's grateful to have had the opportunity to "get something done and make a difference in this world." He said he's "very confident in the future" and inspired by the quality and dedication of the men and women serving the country in uniform.
Gates thanked Fallon's family, especially his wife Mary, for their service and wished them fair winds and following seas as they begin their next life journey. "I, and many others, will truly miss you," he said.
Fallon succeeded Army Gen. John Abizaid as CentCom commander on March 16, 2007. The admiral resigned from the position last month after a magazine article implied that he opposed some U.S. policies in the Middle East. Gates downplayed differences between Fallon's and the administration's policies, and told reporters he had accepted Fallon's resignation "with reluctance and regret."
Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey became acting CentCom chief during a March 28 relinquishment-of-command ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised Navy Adm. William J. Fallon during his retirement ceremony today for bringing "unparalleled energy, ideas and diplomatic skill" to U.S. Central Command and for 41 years of service that has left the United States stronger and safer. Fallon, who assumed command of CentCom in March 2007, concluded his career under brilliant blue skies at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The setting held special significance for Fallon, who commanded a carrier air wing aboard the Roosevelt during the Gulf War, and commanded the Theodore Roosevelt battle group in 1995 as it supported NATO operations in Bosnia.
Gates said he knew he was getting one of the military's most experienced senior officers and one of its best strategic minds when he recruited Fallon from U.S. Pacific Command to focus on one of the world's most complex regions in CentCom.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Fallon's steadiness as "a guy who can rely on to stay calm and collected when all around you, people are losing their heads" brought strength to those who served with and under him in both war and peace.
"You can count on him when minutes and seconds count," Mullen said.
Mullen pointed to Fallon's leadership strengths: dependability, honesty, steadfastness and sincerity. Fallon was someone people trusted, he said, who "makes decisions and stands by them the way he stands by his people."
Gates said there's no doubt that this blend of professional experience and personal strength brought special capability to CentCom. "There can be no doubt how much we have benefited from his leadership at Central Command during the last year," he said.
The secretary cited progress on several fronts. "We are all familiar with the tremendous progress that has been made in Iraq,' he said, calling Fallon "a valued voice" in ensuring those gains aren't lost. "He has advised the president and me, and I can tell you that his suggestions, his thoughts, his candor have been valued and critical in determining the way forward," Gates said.
Afghanistan, too, has seen successes in the last year during Fallon's command, the secretary said. "Our military is working more closely with our partners than at any time in the past," he said. "The Taliban has been rolled back. We are applying a coordinated and ever-more-effective strategy that focuses on the non-military aspects of the fight."
But beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates said the Middle East as a whole has benefitted from Fallon's leadership."He has applied the same strategic thinking and diplomatic skills in the Middle East that he did in the Pacific," he said.
Gates noted that Fallon was the highest-ranking officer and in more than a decade and the first Centcom commander to visit Lebanon. "We can see the results in the increasing willingness of nations of the region to extend diplomatic support to Iraq, and to work together to confront shared threats through initiatives like the Gulf Security Dialogue."
Beyond his service within CentCom, Fallon's four decades of service have "advanced America's interests and helped defend our nation and our liberty," he said.
The secretary thanked Fallon for his inspiration and example. "Those who had the opportunity to work under you and with you will now carry forward in their critical work with your example firmly in their minds," he said.
Fallon said he's grateful to have had the opportunity to "get something done and make a difference in this world." He said he's "very confident in the future" and inspired by the quality and dedication of the men and women serving the country in uniform.
Gates thanked Fallon's family, especially his wife Mary, for their service and wished them fair winds and following seas as they begin their next life journey. "I, and many others, will truly miss you," he said.
Fallon succeeded Army Gen. John Abizaid as CentCom commander on March 16, 2007. The admiral resigned from the position last month after a magazine article implied that he opposed some U.S. policies in the Middle East. Gates downplayed differences between Fallon's and the administration's policies, and told reporters he had accepted Fallon's resignation "with reluctance and regret."
Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey became acting CentCom chief during a March 28 relinquishment-of-command ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
America Supports You: Texas Festivities Celebrate American Heroes
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - People who couldn't attend a day-long celebration of those who serve in the military here last week could still enjoy the sounds thanks to and Internet music and video site. The online music and entertainment site SyncLive made the festivities available via a live Web cast when the Fort Hood community came together April 11 to honor about 80,000 servicemembers and Defense Department civilians during a "Salute to Our Heroes" celebration.
The celebration featured live music, but troops didn't have to be on Fort Hood to enjoy the sounds. The artists who performed during the event included FOSTERCHILD, Framing Hanley, Grupo Mania, Lyfe Jennings, Maren Morris, Jennifer Pena, Kritickill, Mark Chesnutt, Mylin, Rissi Palmer, Tantric and Wild Horses.
Metal Sanaz, who participated in a similar event held in Kuwait in March, was one of the special guests.
The free Web cast made it possible for troops, including the Fort Hood-based Army 4th Infantry Division and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, to participate no matter where they are in the world.
"We are excited about the opportunity to salute our troops and present soldiers, families and music fans with a platform where they can experience great music and interact with one another live online," said Aric Berquist, CEO and Founder of SyncLive.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
(From a SyncLive news release.)
April 18, 2008 - People who couldn't attend a day-long celebration of those who serve in the military here last week could still enjoy the sounds thanks to and Internet music and video site. The online music and entertainment site SyncLive made the festivities available via a live Web cast when the Fort Hood community came together April 11 to honor about 80,000 servicemembers and Defense Department civilians during a "Salute to Our Heroes" celebration.
The celebration featured live music, but troops didn't have to be on Fort Hood to enjoy the sounds. The artists who performed during the event included FOSTERCHILD, Framing Hanley, Grupo Mania, Lyfe Jennings, Maren Morris, Jennifer Pena, Kritickill, Mark Chesnutt, Mylin, Rissi Palmer, Tantric and Wild Horses.
Metal Sanaz, who participated in a similar event held in Kuwait in March, was one of the special guests.
The free Web cast made it possible for troops, including the Fort Hood-based Army 4th Infantry Division and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, to participate no matter where they are in the world.
"We are excited about the opportunity to salute our troops and present soldiers, families and music fans with a platform where they can experience great music and interact with one another live online," said Aric Berquist, CEO and Founder of SyncLive.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
(From a SyncLive news release.)
Bush: U.S. Will Maintain Troop Levels in Korea
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 20, 2008 - The United States will keep its current number of troops -- roughly 28,000 -- deployed to the Republic of Korea, President Bush said yesterday. During a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart President Lee Myung-Bak, Bush said the two leaders constantly assess the need for U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula, and both agree on the necessity of maintaining present levels there.
"We reached an agreement to maintain the current U.S. troop level on the peninsula. This is a mutual agreement that benefits both our nations and will strengthen our alliance," Bush told reporters at Camp David.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-Hee will coordinate the implementation of U.S. forces, the president said.
On this first-ever visit by a Korean head of state to the presidential retreat, Bush thanked Lee for South Korea's military commitment in the Middle East.
"We're also thankful for the Koreans' contributions to young democracies, whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq or Lebanon," Bush said. "And we want to thank you and your people, Mr. President, for those sacrifices."
During closed-door talks before the news conference, the leaders also discussed South Korea's request to upgrade its foreign military sales status. The Foreign Military Sales program is the government-to-government method for selling U.S. defense equipment, services and training, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Web site.
"Korea has asked to upgrade its foreign military sales status with the United States and to have the same access to U.S. military technologies as NATO and other key allies, and I strongly support this request and have instructed Secretaries Rice and Gates to work with the Congress to get this done," Bush said, referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The U.S. and South Korea are working alongside China, Russia and Japan to press the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Bush said. These six-party talks have resulted in North Korea beginning to disable plutonium production facilities at Yongbyon, Bush added.
"And now North Korea must fulfill its other obligations: provide a full declaration of its nuclear programs and proliferation activities in a verifiable way," the president said.
President Lee said South Korea and the U.S. do not "harbor hostile intent" towards North Korea, but rather seek to promote multilateral dialogue.
"I'm very happy with the results of today's meeting, and we will work very closely together to see the complete dismantlement of the nuclear weapons program of North Korea, and we will work closely within the six-party talks framework," Lee said.
American Forces Press Service
April 20, 2008 - The United States will keep its current number of troops -- roughly 28,000 -- deployed to the Republic of Korea, President Bush said yesterday. During a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart President Lee Myung-Bak, Bush said the two leaders constantly assess the need for U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula, and both agree on the necessity of maintaining present levels there.
"We reached an agreement to maintain the current U.S. troop level on the peninsula. This is a mutual agreement that benefits both our nations and will strengthen our alliance," Bush told reporters at Camp David.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-Hee will coordinate the implementation of U.S. forces, the president said.
On this first-ever visit by a Korean head of state to the presidential retreat, Bush thanked Lee for South Korea's military commitment in the Middle East.
"We're also thankful for the Koreans' contributions to young democracies, whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq or Lebanon," Bush said. "And we want to thank you and your people, Mr. President, for those sacrifices."
During closed-door talks before the news conference, the leaders also discussed South Korea's request to upgrade its foreign military sales status. The Foreign Military Sales program is the government-to-government method for selling U.S. defense equipment, services and training, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Web site.
"Korea has asked to upgrade its foreign military sales status with the United States and to have the same access to U.S. military technologies as NATO and other key allies, and I strongly support this request and have instructed Secretaries Rice and Gates to work with the Congress to get this done," Bush said, referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The U.S. and South Korea are working alongside China, Russia and Japan to press the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Bush said. These six-party talks have resulted in North Korea beginning to disable plutonium production facilities at Yongbyon, Bush added.
"And now North Korea must fulfill its other obligations: provide a full declaration of its nuclear programs and proliferation activities in a verifiable way," the president said.
President Lee said South Korea and the U.S. do not "harbor hostile intent" towards North Korea, but rather seek to promote multilateral dialogue.
"I'm very happy with the results of today's meeting, and we will work very closely together to see the complete dismantlement of the nuclear weapons program of North Korea, and we will work closely within the six-party talks framework," Lee said.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Senior Enlisted Advisor Approaches Retirement With New Outlook
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - As he approaches retirement next week after 33 and a half years of service, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. "Joe" Gainey said he's preparing for the next phase of his life with a new outlook: It's not necessary to always be "Number One." In his final "all-hands call" with enlisted members of the Joint Staff here today, the first senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff explained the dramatic genesis of his change of heart.
In his past two and a half years as senior enlisted advisor, Gainey has told servicemembers in the most far-flung reaches of the globe that they should always strive to be Number One.
A favorite adage was: "You've got to strive to be number one, because number two is just the first place loser. It's like a team of sled dogs -- the first dog sees white snow; all the other dogs see the butt of the dog in front of them."
Gainey was in Walter Reed Army Medical Center here earlier this year recovering from surgery to correct an old neck injury that had not healed correctly when he suffered a stroke. Doctors kept him in a medically induced coma for seven days; and he spoke here today a mere two weeks after leaving the hospital.
His voice was slightly slurred -- but still easily understood -- as he spoke to the enlisted servicemembers. And he joked that the feeding tube he still must use because he has problems swallowing is more like being refueled like an airplane than eating.
But the brush with death changed him, he said. "Being Number One is not what matters; I know that now," he said. "Being the best you can be in your job is what matters.
"Where you sit doesn't matter. It's what you do for others that makes you value-added," he added. "If each of us can't do something for somebody else every single day, then why do we come to work?"
Gainey recounted visiting the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and being greeted by young sailors who took pride in what they did. Even the sailors who kept the flight decks free of debris realized they had a vital part in the ship's mission and took pride in what they do, he said.
He also urged servicemembers to maintain the professional standards of their individual branches of service even when serving in a joint environment, like the Pentagon. "Even though you're in a joint world, remember what uniform you have on. Do your joint job, but every morning look at your ... uniform and remember that you are in that branch of service," the sergeant major said. "You are a sailor, airman, Marine, soldier, Coastie first. The reason I say that is, maintain your appearance for whatever your service is."
After Gainey's remarks today, enlisted members of the Joint Staff told him they had dedicated a bench in his name at the Armed Forces Retirement Home here.
In his time as senior enlisted advisor, Gainey has been a tireless advocate of the home for retired enlisted servicemembers. He and his staff routinely visited residents there, completing projects and sometimes just visiting at bedsides. He recounted that he and his wife, Cindy, visited just yesterday.
"If you've never been out there, you have to make time," he said. "They are our past warriors.
"Their eyes just light up," he said about elderly retired servicemembers he's visited at the home. "If they want to tell you war stories, listen to them, because that's the life they lived."
He particularly encouraged women servicemembers to visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home to spend time with a 97-year-old former member of the Women's Army Corps. "That's your history," he said. "And when she passes, it's gone."
Residents at the home die at the rate of eight to 15 per month, and Gainey regularly attends monthly memorial services. He pressed servicemembers on the joint staff to do the same. "I would love to see that chapel filled with troops for those monthly memorial services," he said.
The home is funded partially through $.50 monthly deductions from enlisted servicemembers' and warrant officers' paychecks, and Gainey urged the troops here today to lobby their service leaders to approve an increase of that deduction to $1 per month, which would result in $7 million in addition funding per year for the home, Gainey said.
"I've talked to, I think, well over 5,000 troops and asked them, 'Would a dollar a month break your bank?' No one has said 'yes' yet," he said.
"I'm a believer that, if we cannot take care of the past, how do we take care of the future?" Gainey said. "If we can't take care of our past, how in the heck are we going to be able to take care of our wounded warriors in the future?"
Gainey will retire April 25 in a full-honors retirement ceremony at Fort Myer, Va.
American Forces Press Service
April 18, 2008 - As he approaches retirement next week after 33 and a half years of service, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. "Joe" Gainey said he's preparing for the next phase of his life with a new outlook: It's not necessary to always be "Number One." In his final "all-hands call" with enlisted members of the Joint Staff here today, the first senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff explained the dramatic genesis of his change of heart.
In his past two and a half years as senior enlisted advisor, Gainey has told servicemembers in the most far-flung reaches of the globe that they should always strive to be Number One.
A favorite adage was: "You've got to strive to be number one, because number two is just the first place loser. It's like a team of sled dogs -- the first dog sees white snow; all the other dogs see the butt of the dog in front of them."
Gainey was in Walter Reed Army Medical Center here earlier this year recovering from surgery to correct an old neck injury that had not healed correctly when he suffered a stroke. Doctors kept him in a medically induced coma for seven days; and he spoke here today a mere two weeks after leaving the hospital.
His voice was slightly slurred -- but still easily understood -- as he spoke to the enlisted servicemembers. And he joked that the feeding tube he still must use because he has problems swallowing is more like being refueled like an airplane than eating.
But the brush with death changed him, he said. "Being Number One is not what matters; I know that now," he said. "Being the best you can be in your job is what matters.
"Where you sit doesn't matter. It's what you do for others that makes you value-added," he added. "If each of us can't do something for somebody else every single day, then why do we come to work?"
Gainey recounted visiting the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and being greeted by young sailors who took pride in what they did. Even the sailors who kept the flight decks free of debris realized they had a vital part in the ship's mission and took pride in what they do, he said.
He also urged servicemembers to maintain the professional standards of their individual branches of service even when serving in a joint environment, like the Pentagon. "Even though you're in a joint world, remember what uniform you have on. Do your joint job, but every morning look at your ... uniform and remember that you are in that branch of service," the sergeant major said. "You are a sailor, airman, Marine, soldier, Coastie first. The reason I say that is, maintain your appearance for whatever your service is."
After Gainey's remarks today, enlisted members of the Joint Staff told him they had dedicated a bench in his name at the Armed Forces Retirement Home here.
In his time as senior enlisted advisor, Gainey has been a tireless advocate of the home for retired enlisted servicemembers. He and his staff routinely visited residents there, completing projects and sometimes just visiting at bedsides. He recounted that he and his wife, Cindy, visited just yesterday.
"If you've never been out there, you have to make time," he said. "They are our past warriors.
"Their eyes just light up," he said about elderly retired servicemembers he's visited at the home. "If they want to tell you war stories, listen to them, because that's the life they lived."
He particularly encouraged women servicemembers to visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home to spend time with a 97-year-old former member of the Women's Army Corps. "That's your history," he said. "And when she passes, it's gone."
Residents at the home die at the rate of eight to 15 per month, and Gainey regularly attends monthly memorial services. He pressed servicemembers on the joint staff to do the same. "I would love to see that chapel filled with troops for those monthly memorial services," he said.
The home is funded partially through $.50 monthly deductions from enlisted servicemembers' and warrant officers' paychecks, and Gainey urged the troops here today to lobby their service leaders to approve an increase of that deduction to $1 per month, which would result in $7 million in addition funding per year for the home, Gainey said.
"I've talked to, I think, well over 5,000 troops and asked them, 'Would a dollar a month break your bank?' No one has said 'yes' yet," he said.
"I'm a believer that, if we cannot take care of the past, how do we take care of the future?" Gainey said. "If we can't take care of our past, how in the heck are we going to be able to take care of our wounded warriors in the future?"
Gainey will retire April 25 in a full-honors retirement ceremony at Fort Myer, Va.
Robot Introduces Deployed Soldier to Baby Boy
By Cheryl Harrison
Special to American Forces Press Service
Texas, April 18, 2008 - A robot normally used by doctors to perform work remotely allowed a soldier in Baghdad to virtually interact with his newborn son in Texas for the first time. An RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System, wireless, mobile, remote-presence robot that allows a doctor to be in two places at once, allowed Army Staff Sgt. Erik Lloyd to meet his seven-day-old boy Blake on April 10.
The RP-7 can move untethered, allowing a remote physician seated at a control station to freely interact with patients, family members and hospital staff from anywhere, anytime.
In this case, the robot gave Lloyd the opportunity to interact with Blake and with his wife, Kristie. Because of his deployment, Lloyd had missed Blake's April 4 birth.
Lloyd is assigned to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research here, and he is currently serving with the Deployed Combat Casualty Research Team, located with 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad.
While Lloyd looked through a computer screen in Iraq, his wife Kristi and members of the institute's staff gathered around an RP-7 in a conference room at Brooke Army Medical Center here, to introduce the soldier to his baby boy.
"So, who do we have here?" said Lloyd from Baghdad, panning the monitor of the robot around to see everyone gathered around the 5-and-a-half-foot tall robot.
Lloyd used a joystick connected to a laptop to control the robot's advanced digital camera to zoom in and focus on his son. The camera's high resolution, which normally allows a physician at the control station to read monitor screens or printouts, allowed the soldier to clearly focus on his son's features.
"Hey! Is he asleep? Poke him to wake him up. Hold his head so we can get a picture from our end," said Lloyd playing with the controls and making the most of the robot's capabilities.
Between the "ooohs" and "aaahs" over the 2-week-old infant, Lloyd kept a grin on his face and eyes on his son. He asked Kristie questions about his son and conducted conversations with other members of the group in the room, while using the robot's controls to look at people around the room.
"He'll be walking and potty trained by the time I get back, right?" joked Lloyd, who is due to return home in six months.
Lloyd said he was delighted to have the opportunity to see his son in a way that allowed him to have control over the interaction.
"It was such a wonderful experience to be able to actively interact with my wife while she was able to show me our son for the first time," Lloyd said. "I was able to control the robot and actually move around the room a bit to get a different perspective than what a conventional video camera would have allowed."
Lloyd said he was grateful to his leadership and his units for allowing him to have this experience.
"I am very appreciative of the command groups, both here at the 86th CSH and the Institute of Surgical Research, for allowing me to utilize this amazing piece of technology. It is really a wonderful feeling to be part of two commands that know how to take care of their soldiers and their families in a time of need." Lloyd said.
"It was an awesome experience. I am far from the first father in this conflict who has missed the birth of their child. ... However, with this technology I was in a small way allowed to feel more like I was part of a family than I had been ... since he was born," Lloyd said.
Kristie said she was also impressed with the robot's capabilities and what it allowed her husband to experience.
"I talk to him every day, and he demands pictures all the time. We use a Webcam but the connection isn't good," Kristie Lloyd said. "But this was great. Erik was playing with the controls and trying to figure out how to use the robot."
Unlike Lloyd, Army Maj. Kevin Chung, medical director for the burn intensive care unit at Brooke, is an expert on using the robot. So much so, in fact, that members of the staff have nicknamed the robot "Chungbot." Chung uses it from home, while on leave, temporary duty assignments, or while at conferences from outside of the state in order to have access to the Intensive Care Unit. When outside the ICU, Chung is available to the ICU via the robot.
Chung said Lloyd was "amazed at the technology and the clarity of the video link" and really benefitted from the experience.
"The interaction they had was amplified by his ability to move the robot around and zoom in and out with the camera. He was able to see his son close up. Granted nothing is better than being there in person, but given the circumstances with him being half a world away, this technology allowed him to be 'remotely' present with his newly expanded family."
Chung added that "the entire session was very emotional for all those who had the opportunity to witness the remote interaction."
(Cheryl Harrison works for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Texas, April 18, 2008 - A robot normally used by doctors to perform work remotely allowed a soldier in Baghdad to virtually interact with his newborn son in Texas for the first time. An RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System, wireless, mobile, remote-presence robot that allows a doctor to be in two places at once, allowed Army Staff Sgt. Erik Lloyd to meet his seven-day-old boy Blake on April 10.
The RP-7 can move untethered, allowing a remote physician seated at a control station to freely interact with patients, family members and hospital staff from anywhere, anytime.
In this case, the robot gave Lloyd the opportunity to interact with Blake and with his wife, Kristie. Because of his deployment, Lloyd had missed Blake's April 4 birth.
Lloyd is assigned to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research here, and he is currently serving with the Deployed Combat Casualty Research Team, located with 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad.
While Lloyd looked through a computer screen in Iraq, his wife Kristi and members of the institute's staff gathered around an RP-7 in a conference room at Brooke Army Medical Center here, to introduce the soldier to his baby boy.
"So, who do we have here?" said Lloyd from Baghdad, panning the monitor of the robot around to see everyone gathered around the 5-and-a-half-foot tall robot.
Lloyd used a joystick connected to a laptop to control the robot's advanced digital camera to zoom in and focus on his son. The camera's high resolution, which normally allows a physician at the control station to read monitor screens or printouts, allowed the soldier to clearly focus on his son's features.
"Hey! Is he asleep? Poke him to wake him up. Hold his head so we can get a picture from our end," said Lloyd playing with the controls and making the most of the robot's capabilities.
Between the "ooohs" and "aaahs" over the 2-week-old infant, Lloyd kept a grin on his face and eyes on his son. He asked Kristie questions about his son and conducted conversations with other members of the group in the room, while using the robot's controls to look at people around the room.
"He'll be walking and potty trained by the time I get back, right?" joked Lloyd, who is due to return home in six months.
Lloyd said he was delighted to have the opportunity to see his son in a way that allowed him to have control over the interaction.
"It was such a wonderful experience to be able to actively interact with my wife while she was able to show me our son for the first time," Lloyd said. "I was able to control the robot and actually move around the room a bit to get a different perspective than what a conventional video camera would have allowed."
Lloyd said he was grateful to his leadership and his units for allowing him to have this experience.
"I am very appreciative of the command groups, both here at the 86th CSH and the Institute of Surgical Research, for allowing me to utilize this amazing piece of technology. It is really a wonderful feeling to be part of two commands that know how to take care of their soldiers and their families in a time of need." Lloyd said.
"It was an awesome experience. I am far from the first father in this conflict who has missed the birth of their child. ... However, with this technology I was in a small way allowed to feel more like I was part of a family than I had been ... since he was born," Lloyd said.
Kristie said she was also impressed with the robot's capabilities and what it allowed her husband to experience.
"I talk to him every day, and he demands pictures all the time. We use a Webcam but the connection isn't good," Kristie Lloyd said. "But this was great. Erik was playing with the controls and trying to figure out how to use the robot."
Unlike Lloyd, Army Maj. Kevin Chung, medical director for the burn intensive care unit at Brooke, is an expert on using the robot. So much so, in fact, that members of the staff have nicknamed the robot "Chungbot." Chung uses it from home, while on leave, temporary duty assignments, or while at conferences from outside of the state in order to have access to the Intensive Care Unit. When outside the ICU, Chung is available to the ICU via the robot.
Chung said Lloyd was "amazed at the technology and the clarity of the video link" and really benefitted from the experience.
"The interaction they had was amplified by his ability to move the robot around and zoom in and out with the camera. He was able to see his son close up. Granted nothing is better than being there in person, but given the circumstances with him being half a world away, this technology allowed him to be 'remotely' present with his newly expanded family."
Chung added that "the entire session was very emotional for all those who had the opportunity to witness the remote interaction."
(Cheryl Harrison works for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
Regenerative Medicine Seen as Means to Repair Wounded Warriors
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 17, 2008 - The Defense Department today launched a five-year, Army-led cooperative effort to leverage cutting-edge medical technology to develop new ways to assist servicemembers who've suffered severe, disfiguring wounds during their wartime service. The newly established Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, known by the acronym AFIRM, will serve as the military's operational agency for the effort, Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
A key component of the initiative is to harness stem cell research and technology in finding innovative ways to use a patient's natural cellular structure to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers, Casscells said.
Just more than 900 U.S. servicemembers have undergone amputations of some kind due to injuries suffered in wartime service in Afghanistan or Iraq, Casscells said. Other troops have been badly burned or suffered spinal cord injuries or significant vision loss.
"Getting these people up to where they are functioning and reintegrated, employed, (and) able to help their families and be fully participating members of society" is the task at hand in which AFIRM will play a major role, Casscells said.
AFIRM will fall under the auspices of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command, based at Fort Detrick, Md., and it also will work in conjunction with U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, in San Antonio.
The Medical Research and Material Command is the Army's lead medical research, development and related-material acquisition agency. It comes under U.S. Army Medical Command, which is led by Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the Army's surgeon general. Schoomaker accompanied Casscells at the news conference.
"The cells that we're talking about actually exist in our bodies today," Schoomaker pointed out. "We, even as adults, possess in our bodies small quantities of cells which have the potential, under the right kind of stimulation, to become any one of a number of different kinds of cells.
For example, Schoomaker said, the human body routinely regenerates bone marrow or liver cells.
AFIRM will have an overall budget of about $250 million for the initial five-year period, of which about $80 million will be provided by the Defense Department, Schoomaker said. Other program funding will be provided by the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md., the Department of Veterans Affairs, and local public and private matching funding.
Rutgers University, in N.J.; Wake Forest University, in N.C.; and the University of Pittsburgh also will participate in the initiative.
Dr. Anthony Atala, a surgeon and director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest, also attended the news conference. Atala's current research keys on growing new human cells and tissue.
"All the parts of your body, tissues and organs, have a natural repository of cells that are ready to replicate when an injury occurs," Atala told reporters.
Medical technicians now can select cells from human donors and, through a series of scientific processes, can "regrow" new tissue, Atala said.
"Then, you can plant that (regenerated tissue) back into the same patient, thus avoiding rejection," Atala said.
Special techniques are being developed to employ regrown tissue in the fabrication of new muscles and tendons, Atala observed, or for the repair/replacement of damaged or missing extremities such as noses, ears and fingers.
Continued advancement in regenerative medicine would greatly benefit those servicemembers and veterans who've been severely scarred by war, Schoomaker said.
The three-star general cited animals like salamanders that can regrow lost tails or limbs. "Why can't a mammal do the same thing?" he asked.
American Forces Press Service
April 17, 2008 - The Defense Department today launched a five-year, Army-led cooperative effort to leverage cutting-edge medical technology to develop new ways to assist servicemembers who've suffered severe, disfiguring wounds during their wartime service. The newly established Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, known by the acronym AFIRM, will serve as the military's operational agency for the effort, Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
A key component of the initiative is to harness stem cell research and technology in finding innovative ways to use a patient's natural cellular structure to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers, Casscells said.
Just more than 900 U.S. servicemembers have undergone amputations of some kind due to injuries suffered in wartime service in Afghanistan or Iraq, Casscells said. Other troops have been badly burned or suffered spinal cord injuries or significant vision loss.
"Getting these people up to where they are functioning and reintegrated, employed, (and) able to help their families and be fully participating members of society" is the task at hand in which AFIRM will play a major role, Casscells said.
AFIRM will fall under the auspices of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command, based at Fort Detrick, Md., and it also will work in conjunction with U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, in San Antonio.
The Medical Research and Material Command is the Army's lead medical research, development and related-material acquisition agency. It comes under U.S. Army Medical Command, which is led by Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the Army's surgeon general. Schoomaker accompanied Casscells at the news conference.
"The cells that we're talking about actually exist in our bodies today," Schoomaker pointed out. "We, even as adults, possess in our bodies small quantities of cells which have the potential, under the right kind of stimulation, to become any one of a number of different kinds of cells.
For example, Schoomaker said, the human body routinely regenerates bone marrow or liver cells.
AFIRM will have an overall budget of about $250 million for the initial five-year period, of which about $80 million will be provided by the Defense Department, Schoomaker said. Other program funding will be provided by the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md., the Department of Veterans Affairs, and local public and private matching funding.
Rutgers University, in N.J.; Wake Forest University, in N.C.; and the University of Pittsburgh also will participate in the initiative.
Dr. Anthony Atala, a surgeon and director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest, also attended the news conference. Atala's current research keys on growing new human cells and tissue.
"All the parts of your body, tissues and organs, have a natural repository of cells that are ready to replicate when an injury occurs," Atala told reporters.
Medical technicians now can select cells from human donors and, through a series of scientific processes, can "regrow" new tissue, Atala said.
"Then, you can plant that (regenerated tissue) back into the same patient, thus avoiding rejection," Atala said.
Special techniques are being developed to employ regrown tissue in the fabrication of new muscles and tendons, Atala observed, or for the repair/replacement of damaged or missing extremities such as noses, ears and fingers.
Continued advancement in regenerative medicine would greatly benefit those servicemembers and veterans who've been severely scarred by war, Schoomaker said.
The three-star general cited animals like salamanders that can regrow lost tails or limbs. "Why can't a mammal do the same thing?" he asked.
Army Reserve to Celebrate Century of Service
American Forces Press Service
April 17, 2008 - Since April 23, 1908, the men and women of the U.S. Army Reserve have answered the nation's call to service at home and around the globe. Next week, the reserve will mark its 100th birthday with ceremonies in and around the nation's capital. To celebrate a century of service, the Army Reserve will hold a mass re-enlistment on the Capitol Hill steps here and remembrance ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va. Slated to attend the events are Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz and Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, respectively the Army Reserve chief and senior enlisted soldier.
Kicking off the event at 10 am, 100 Army Reserve soldiers will raise their right hands, once again pledging their service to the nation. Their re-enlistment symbolizes the Army Reserve's commitment to another century of service, according to an information sheet distributed by the Army Reserve.
Following the re-enlistment, past Army Reserve soldiers will be honored at 2:15 p.m. during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Later at the cemetery, current and future reservists will be commemorated with a tree-planting and plaque dedication.
Unlike the component of the past, which served primarily as a strategic reserve, today's Army Reserve is an operational force that plays an integral role in the world's greatest Army, the information sheet states.
"Today's Army Reserve soldiers represent the values upon which our country was founded. They are citizens who are willing to lay down their plows and pick up their rifles when called upon," according to information made available by the service. "They're proud of their service. They're proud to say they're part of the Army Reserve."
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the military has mobilized more than 216,000 Army reservists. Currently, more than 26,000 of these soldiers are deployed worldwide.
April 17, 2008 - Since April 23, 1908, the men and women of the U.S. Army Reserve have answered the nation's call to service at home and around the globe. Next week, the reserve will mark its 100th birthday with ceremonies in and around the nation's capital. To celebrate a century of service, the Army Reserve will hold a mass re-enlistment on the Capitol Hill steps here and remembrance ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va. Slated to attend the events are Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz and Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, respectively the Army Reserve chief and senior enlisted soldier.
Kicking off the event at 10 am, 100 Army Reserve soldiers will raise their right hands, once again pledging their service to the nation. Their re-enlistment symbolizes the Army Reserve's commitment to another century of service, according to an information sheet distributed by the Army Reserve.
Following the re-enlistment, past Army Reserve soldiers will be honored at 2:15 p.m. during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Later at the cemetery, current and future reservists will be commemorated with a tree-planting and plaque dedication.
Unlike the component of the past, which served primarily as a strategic reserve, today's Army Reserve is an operational force that plays an integral role in the world's greatest Army, the information sheet states.
"Today's Army Reserve soldiers represent the values upon which our country was founded. They are citizens who are willing to lay down their plows and pick up their rifles when called upon," according to information made available by the service. "They're proud of their service. They're proud to say they're part of the Army Reserve."
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the military has mobilized more than 216,000 Army reservists. Currently, more than 26,000 of these soldiers are deployed worldwide.
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