Afghan Women Show Progress By Taking On Community Issues

By Army 1st Lt. Lory A. Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - More than 100 local women who attended the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team Woman's Shura in the province's Anaba district Aug. 4 participated in discussions on the welfare of their villages and addressed ongoing issues. Air Force Capt. Jillian Torango, of the Panjshir PRT, and Miriam Panjshiri, director of women's affairs, represented their organizations at the shura, or community gathering.

Shuras are important for the PRT as well as local government representatives, because they ensure local voices are heard by both groups, Torango said. She explained that the Panjshir PRT tries to conduct women's shuras once a month to ensure the voices of Afghan women are heard and their concerns are addressed. Essentially, shuras serve as a platform to allow Afghan women freedom of speech.

"Every time I meet with the women of Panjshir, I leave with two very distinct feelings," Torango said. "First, I appreciate the freedoms I have as an American. Second, it makes me feel very positive about the way women feel empowered to help with their families and communities."

Panjshir is a highly conservative region, Torango explained, where women typically interact within the same small groups. The interaction at the Panjshir PRT Woman's Shura testifies to a good relationship between the women of Panjshir, the director of women's affairs and the PRT, she said.

Air Force medical technician Tech. Sgt. Dawn Tiemann attended the shura with Torango to answer medical questions and make the Afghan women feel more at ease. Feeling comfortable is essential to promoting a free flow of ideas, Torango said.

"These women all have great ideas about what can be done to make their villages better," Torango explained. "For instance, they talk about the need for power, drinking water and schools."

With many widows and large families in Panjshir, humanitarian assistance and vocational training are very important.

"The women talk about wanting to learn skills that will help generate money for their families and villages," Torango said. "Women want to work, and little by little, they're being able to."

The work of the director of women's affairs and the PRT is supported by the Afghan government, said Torango, who explained that the Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs, located in the Afghan capital of Kabul, is the lead agency promoting advancement for women in Afghanistan. The ministry's mission is to ensure women have legal, economic, social, political, and civil rights, including the right to be free from all forms of violence and discrimination, Torango said.

(Army 1st Lt. Lory A. Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 14, 2008

Air Force

Securiguard, Incorporated of McLean,Virginia is being awarded a firm-fixed price contract for $95,382,517. The purpose of this contract is to provide a comprehensive security force to effectively execute and manage security operations on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and its associated Florida Annexes (Jonathan Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex, Cocoa Beach Tracking Annex, Fort Pierce Microwave Relay Annex, Malabar Transmitter Annex, Melbourne Beach Optical Tracking Annex, Stuart Microwave Relay Annex, Port Canaveral Cable Terminal Annex, Wabasso Microwave Relay Annex). The contractor will be required to provide a fully trained, armed, and uniformed security force whose capability and quality meets Air Force standards in accordance with Air Force Instruction (AFI) 31-101 and AFI 31-20. Performance requirements include: Protect the capability to launch; protection of National, DoD, and commercial space-lift resources; provide command and control of security forces; provide dedicated response to protection level 1-4 resources; provide installation and restricted area entry control; maintain law and order; provide law enforcement patrols and traffic enforcement; provide security for launch and hazardous operations; manage and operate Security Force Control Center; monitor and survey installation electronic security systems; provide marine security operations; develop installation security plans and procedures; provide resource protection; Pass & ID services; perform services during crisis and contingency. At this time no funds have been obligated. Patrick AFB, Fl is the contracting activity (FA2521-08-C-0011)

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, VA, is being awarded a contract for $34,500,105. The action will provide survivability research and development analysis to European Security Operations Center and the 66th Military Intelligence Group. The location of performance is Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va. At this time $1,856,358 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of Herndon, VA, is being awarded a contract for $18,941,252. The action will provide U.S. Marine Corps logistics chain survivability analysis. The location of performance is McLean, Va. At this time $454,000 has been obligated. Offutt AFB, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-03-D-1380).

Henry M. Jackson Foundation of Rockville, Md., is being awarded a contract for $20,992,931. The objective of this effort is to provide research and research support for the Biosciences and Protection Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The Biosciences and Protection Division has four key technology mission areas: 1) biotechnology, 2) bio-behavioral performance, 3) biomechanics, and 4) counterproliferation. This effort will develop innovative science and technology to advance the state-of-art in each of these mission areas. This effort will provide for an integrated administrative and management test-bed venue focused on innovative technology concepts required to capitalize on advances in the biosciences and to provide radically new Air Force capabilities. These capabilities will improve warfighter performance and combat effectiveness, as well as provide a general public benefit through appropriate civilian applications. The location of performance is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Brooks City Base, Texas. At this time $700,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-05-2-6518).

L-3 Communications of Pittsburgh, Penn., is being awarded a contract for $6,128,869. This action will provide design and development of two, 1 meter primary, on axis Cassegrain, azimuth/elevation mount telescopes for use in laser propagation and turbulence sensing experiments at the Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland AFB, N.M. At this time $1,500,000 has been obligated. Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity (FA9451-08-C-0262).

Survival Innovations, Inc of Arden North Carolina is being awarded a contract for $5,999,044. The objective of this effort if to tailor development, integration and testing of a head and neck restraint system to provide improved head and neck injury protection within acceptable limits for the smaller anthropometric population range of fighter aircraft, thereby optimizing warfighter injury tolerance and protection during emergency escape. This research will potentially benefit all aircraft ejection systems. At this time $5,999,044 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-08-C-6925).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Huguenot Energy LLC., Charleston, S.C.* is being awarded a maximum $53,153,997 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in Charleston, South Carolina. Using services are Army, Navy, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were originally 55 proposals solicited with 18 responses. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0357).

US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division, Vista, Calif. is being awarded a maximum $34,585,000 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for full line food distribution services. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. There are no other locations of performance. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising second option year. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 3 responses. The date of performance completion is August 17, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3206).

Midstream Fuel Service LLC., Houston, Texas* is being awarded a maximum $6,064,080 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are Carrabelle, Florida and Beaumont, Texas. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were originally 55 proposals solicited with 18 responses. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-0362).

Army

Caddell Construction Co., Montgomery, Ala., was awarded on Aug. 13, 2008, a $48,463,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of three simulation training facilities with a gross square footage of 240,043 for non-motion based and motion based simulations. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Ga., and is expected to be completed by March 2, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on May 2, 2008, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-07-D-0056).

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Aug. 13, 2008, an $8,904,288 firm-fixed price contract for procurement of spares and ground support equipment for the Bahrain Defense Force. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 20, 2005. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0003).

Ttec-Tesoro, Norcross, Ga., was awarded on Aug. 12, 2008, a $8,716,000 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of company operations facilities. Work will be performed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 11, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on June 23, 2008, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-07-D-0058).

Navy

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $17,394,620 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost plus fixed fee contract (N00383-06-D-001J) to incorporate post production and performance based logistics support requirements necessary for the continued safe and effective operations of fielded F/A-18 A-D aircraft. This modification provides support for the Navy, Marine Corps; and the governments of Australia, Canada, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Kuwait, and Malaysia. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo. (76 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (21 percent); Warner Robins, Ga. (2 percent); and Santa Clarita, Calif. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $903,305 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($12,574,529; 72 percent) and the Governments of Canada ($1,461,918; 8 percent); Spain ($1,016,986; 6 percent); Australia ($794,520; 5 percent); Finland ($677,991; 4 percent); Kuwait ($423,744; 2 percent); Switzerland ($360,183; 2 percent); and Malaysia, ($84,749; 1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

American Electronic Warfare Assoc., California, Md., is being awarded a $14,777,791 cost-plus-fixed-fee bridge contract for the continuation of engineering and ground test support services at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Atlantic Ranges and Facilities Department, Integrated Combat Environments Division and Modeling and Simulation Division. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. and is expected to be completed in Feb. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $2,463,347 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-08-C-0074).

Nan, Inc. dba Ocean House Builders, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded $11,432,000 for firm-fixed-price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity design-build multiple award construction contract (N62478-08-D-4009) for all design, construction and incidental related work to construct a new 1-story facility which combines a fleet store and MWR outdoor gear facility into one building. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and work is expected to be completed by May 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured with 41 offers solicited, 12 proposals received and award made on Feb. 28, 2008. The total contract amount is not to exceed $100,000,000, which includes the base period and four option years. The multiple contractors (five in number) may compete for task order under the terms and conditions of the existing contract. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii is the contracting activity.

Cameron Bell Corporation, Government Solutions Group,* Charleston, S.C., is being awarded a potential maximum $9,980,891 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (delivery order), cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical and engineering services in support of the Cyber Asset Reduction Security (CARS) program at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego, Information technology Enterprise networking environment. Support includes: knowledge management, content management, systems mapping, architectural integration, analysis, planning, design and implementation of new systems, subsystems and critical items to support requirements. Work will be performed at selected Space and Naval Warfare Systems activities within the United States, including: San Diego, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Norfolk, Va.; New Orleans, La.; and Charleston, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Aug. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was negotiated as a sole source agreement in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), Only One Responsible Source (FAR Subpart 6.302-1). There is only one source, Government Solutions Group, qualified and capable of performing the work at a reasonable price to the Government. The use of any other contractor would involve a substantial duplication of costs not expected to be recovered through competition. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N66001-08-D-0078).

Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $5,598,148 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-05-C-0050) to exercise an option for the FY 2008 production of AN/ARC-210(V) Electronic Protection Radio System for the Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification includes 74 RT-1851A(C) ARC-210 receiver-transmitter radios; 59 MT-6567 mounting bases; 62 C-12719 controls; and 59 RF filter diplexers. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $1,773,551 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

Georgian Humanitarian Mission Continues

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - The humanitarian mission under way in Georgia is intended to alleviate suffering for now and will move into longer-range help in the future, officials said at a Pentagon news conference today. The Air Force has sent two supply-filled C-17 Globemaster III transports into Georgia's capital of Tbilisi. More flights will follow, officials said, but none are scheduled just yet.

Russian troops who invaded Georgia last week are beginning to pull back, Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also spoke at the news conference.

"Generally, the [Russian] forces are starting to move out of the city, particularly Gori, starting to consolidate their positions and get themselves into a position where they can start to back away towards ... the border," the general said. "We see that going on particularly in the areas around the seaports and around Tbilisi, and up north of Tbilisi and west towards Gori."

Russian air activities in and around the region have virtually stopped, Cartwright said. "Over the last 24 hours, really, there has been no air activity," he said. "So we see them generally complying and moving back into a position where they can start to make their exit in an orderly fashion."

Another Air Force plane transported a six-man humanitarian assistance assessment team. "This is a sequenced kind of thing," Gates said. The team will look at the seaports, airports and roads, assess their condition and report back to U.S. European Command. The team also will work with the U.S. Embassy in Georgia and with Georgian leaders to ascertain what the country needs. U.S. military transport planes or ships will deliver that aid.

Cartwright said the military team will look at what roads are open, where help is needed, and what kind of help is needed in those areas. Civilian humanitarian assistance teams from various U.S. agencies will join the servicemembers as the assessment process goes forward, State Department officials said.

The two C-17s that have already arrived carried what's become the standard package for humanitarian assistance, Cartwright said. Goods delivered included materials to build shelters, clothing and medical supplies.

"What we don't want to do is build some sort of mountain of supplies there with no distribution system," Cartwright said.

The general said he expects many answers will come in the next 48 hours.

Byers Loses in Quarterfinals, Vows to Wrestle in London

By Tim Hipps
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - After being eliminated from the quarterfinals of the Olympic Greco-Roman 120-kilogram wrestling tournament today, Army Staff Sgt. Dremiel Byers vowed to continue his quest for an Olympic medal at the 2012 London Games. "Today, I was supposed to be getting a medal for my grandfather," Byers said. "I guarantee if he was still alive, I would call him and tell him what happened today and he would probably say, 'Well, I won my bowling tournament,' whether he did it or not. I think about that. He wanted me to know one of us was winning, so I still owe him."

Byers opened the tournament with a 1-0, 2-1 victory over Ukraine's Oleksandr Chernetskyi.

"I just came out and tried to work a few things, and it worked out," Byers said. "I was able to score."

In his second match, Byers faced China's Deli Liu, who seemed even larger than a 6-foot-8 heavyweight with the support of the home crowd packed inside the China Agricultural University gymnasium.

"He was amped up," said Byers, who prevailed, 4-1, 1-1 and 1-1. "He's gotten a whole lot better -- I think even bigger and stronger. His wrist is like the size of VCR tapes.

"It's his home country," Byers continued. "A lot of honor is in your heart when you're wrestling in front of your people. You want to give them a medal because sometimes there are people out there who deserve it more than you. My hat's off to him. That's a tough loss for him and his home crowd. He brought it. He was really trying hard. I was just able to hold him off."

Sweden's Jalmar Sjoberg ended Byers' tournament with a 0-3, 1-1 and 1-1 victory that seemed to slip from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program soldier's grasp.

"He came out real fast, so I was ready for it," Byers said. "I got out there and saw that he was feeling it just as much as I was. And my offense wasn't working for me in the end, like when I really needed to. I tried to hit that gut wrench as many times as I could, and it didn't pan out.

"That's my 'go-to' move, and it wasn't there for me," he said. "My lift, I wasn't able to get off on him. Hindsight is always 20-20. Looking back, I know for a fact I should have been doing a whole lot more on my feet.

"I already know coach [Army Staff Sgt. Shon] Lewis is going to say that, right off the top," he continued. "I missed a couple of key opportunities to score on my feet, and I'll never get 'em back. And this is not the place where you should walk around saying anything like that."

Byers quickly realized and admitted his shortcomings shortly after the match.

"In competitions like this, you're looking to see your soul out there gasping on the mat for air, and it didn't happen today," he said. "I walked off; I wasn't tired. I was like, 'Man, if I'm not tired, then I didn't do everything I should've done.'

"Usually we say you get back to the hotel room and your mirror will be the most honest thing you'll ever see," he said. "I don't even have to make it that far to know I dropped the ball today. And I apologize to anybody I let down. There's more fight in me. There's a whole lot more fight in me, and I'm going to have to make sure that's shown the next competitions, the next major ones, the next Olympics."

Late in both of the scoreless second and third periods between Byers and Sjoberg, coin flips determined which wrestler would start on top in "par terre" -- on the mat. The Swede benefited both times. Byers expended extra energy while defending from below. When he got his turn on top, Byers failed to turn Sjoberg, who scored one point on both occasions.

Byers, however, refused to use that as an excuse.

"If these rules were something that started last week, I would probably have a whole lot to say about it, but I've won some matches the same way," Byers said. "It's something we know. It's an occupational hazard, I guess, but we accept it the way it is."

Byers' working mantra for most of the past decade has been to "get my hand raised, and our song played" at international tournaments. He knows, however, that hearing "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing on foreign soil while watching the Stars and Stripes getting hoisted to the rafters never comes easily.

"Greco-Roman wrestling, regardless of the rules and what changes they make, when it boils down, it's wrestling," Byers said. "And if you don't go out there and wrestle head down, [then you get] no anthem, no flag. That's the way it is."

Byers, a world champion in 2002, always has been one to successfully roll with the changes. He has wrestled out of the shadow of two-time heavyweight Olympic medalist Rulon Gardner, for whom Byers served as a training partner at the 2004 Athens Games.

"You've got to find something to keep you going," said Byers, a 6-foot-2 gentle giant off the mat who rarely complains. "There's something in us that makes us keep going. It might be just drive, determination, American spirit, me and my background soldiering, I don't know. But there's just something in here that says it's never time to quit. We've got something we can accomplish here, so we're going to hit it hard these next four years and do everything we have to do."

Although he has been a contender for three U.S. Olympic teams, Byers, 33, was an Olympic rookie in Beijing. He learned a lot as the veteran wrestler on a young Team USA.

"Honestly, it's a lot smaller tournament than what I thought," Byers said. "and I could've brought a whole lot bigger fight. I'm kicking myself for that.

"I think there was times when I was holding back," he admitted. "I always joke that I can outrun anybody on a treadmill. I don't have to think when I'm on a treadmill. But if I'm outside running, I forget what I'm doing. But on the treadmill, I'm a heavyweight king running a marathon. Sometimes it happens in wrestling. I'll be out there, and my mind will wander."

Byers, a native of Kings Mountain, N.C., who is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., cherished visiting China and experiencing Chinese culture firsthand.

"It's a beautiful place," he said. "People are very friendly. Architecture is amazing. The Great Wall experience was awesome."

Even in defeat, Byers always maintains an uncanny sense of humor and commands utmost respect. He knows how to lose graciously, but he does not have to like it.

"You can't put a cap on the fight in an American's heart," Byers said. "We're just craving another chance now. This is just fuel for something bigger, and the only thing bigger is the next Olympics."

Meantime, what's next on his agenda?

"I might make it home and get some of Momma's cooking," Byers said. "After that, I'll get back to training."

(Tim Hipps works in the U.S. Army Family and Moral, Welfare and Recreation Command Public Affairs Office.)

Sailor to Pursue Gold Medals in Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2008 - Four years after he became the first active-duty servicemember to compete for the United States at the Paralympic Games, a sailor assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego will compete again next month for gold in track and field. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Casey Tibbs, an interpretive cryptologic technician, competed in Athens, Greece, in 2004 and soon will be heading to Beijing for this year's Paralympic Games.

"I'm just ready to go there and have fun, and that's what I'm going to do, Tibbs said during an Aug. 13 teleconference with bloggers. "And, I really can't wait to go out there and represent the United States, ... the United States Navy, as well, and the whole military."

Tibbs -- who lost his right leg in a 2001 motorcycle accident -- will compete in the track and field pentathlon, 200-meter race, 400-meter race, and long jump. To prepare for the 2008 Paralympic Games, Tibbs said, he has spent an average of 30 to 35 hours per week training at the San Diego Olympic Center near his duty station.

Sitting in the medical center's prosthetics lab during the teleconference, Tibbs explained that, as a peer mentor there, he advises wounded servicemembers to take one day at a time, cautions them not to overdo their rehabilitation in the beginning, and helps them realize that things are going to get better.

"And that's what I tell them at the beginning, because sometimes ... they can hear it from a doctor, they can hear it from their family, but when they hear it from somebody who has actually sat in a hospital bed and gone from a hospital bed to an Olympic podium, it gives them a lot more hope," Tibbs said.

Tibbs had been in the Navy for nearly two years before he lost his leg. Just two and a half months later, he ran 400 meters in two and a half minutes, he said.

"I remember doing it, and it was probably the hardest run I've ever done in my life," he admitted. "But after that day, I was able to progress a lot more. And now I can run 400 meters in 53 seconds."

Three years later, his hard work and training paid off, earning him a trip to compete in Athens.

"I stayed on active duty [and] went to the games in 2004. I won a gold medal and a silver medal -- a gold medal in the 4 x 100 relay, and a silver in the men's pentathlon, setting a new American record," Tibbs said. "[I] then went to 2006 world championships. I ... won my first gold medal in the individual pentathlon, and now I've qualified for the 2008 games, where I'm going to be competing in the pentathlon, the 200 meters, the long jump and the 400 meters, and, hopefully, the relay again."

Tibbs said that before he lost his leg, he never imagined he would participate in the Olympics.

"The whole Olympic ... dream really didn't start until after I lost my leg," he said. "I was 22 years old, or 23, when I started thinking, 'Hey, I could go to the Paralympic Games.' That's really when my dream started."

As Tibbs prepares for his departure for the 2008 Paralympics he reflected on the hero who helped him attain his Olympic dream: his coach, Joaquim Cruz, an Olympian from Brazil. Cruz won the gold medal in 1984 in the 800 meters as his country's only gold medalist in track and field.

"He ran 1:41 in the 800 meters, and he's one of three people to ever do that in history of all sports, period," Tibbs noted. "And he's definitely an inspiration to me, so he's definitely one of my Olympic heroes."

Tibbs added that competing in the 2008 Paralympics is not about winning a gold medal or being the first-place finisher. "It's about just getting back to your life and competing in sports and just playing sports," he said. "It's a huge part of rehabilitation."

The opening ceremonies for the 2008 Paralympic Games are scheduled for Sept. 6, with competition officially starting Sept. 9.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

Gates Says Russian Actions Have Long-Term Implications

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - Countries around the world are looking at Russia "through new lenses" following its aggression against the former Soviet republic of Georgia, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Meanwhile, the United States continues humanitarian efforts to help Georgians affected by the conflict. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo jets have delivered supplies to Georgia, and another aircraft delivered a U.S. military survey team to the country.

"During these humanitarian relief operations, the United States expects Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport -- including seaports, airports, roads and airspace -- remain open," Gates said during a Pentagon news conference.

Gates echoed President Bush's call for Russia to abide by its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. "We expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country," Gates said.

Russian aggression against Georgia will have long-term implications for U.S.-Russian relations, the secretary said. The military incursion into Georgia will affect ongoing and long-term strategic dialogue with the Russian Federation that he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had engaged in since 2007, Gates said.

"The expectation was that our two nations, despite our differences, shared areas of common interest where we could work together as real partners," he said.

But Russia's military action in Georgia and in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia "has called into question the entire premise of that dialogue, and has profound implications for our security relationship going forward, both bilaterally and with NATO," Gates said. "If Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia, the U.S.-Russian relationship could be adversely affected for years to come."

The United States cancelled participation in a multinational naval exercise with Russia due to begin tomorrow. "We've also canceled a U.S.-Canadian-Russian exercise -- Vigilant Eagle -- that was to have begun on Aug. 20," Gates said.

"In the days and weeks ahead, the Department of Defense will reexamine the entire gamut of our military-to-military activities with Russia and will make changes as necessary and appropriate, depending on Russian actions in the days ahead," the secretary said.

Soldiers, Airmen in Europe Work to Provide Georgia Aid

By Army Capt. Bryan Woods
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - The U.S. Army's 21st Theater Sustainment Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe began working Aug. 12 to begin emergency humanitarian assistance for the people of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Soldiers from 66th Transportation Company and 39th Transportation Battalion and airmen from 723rd Air Mobility Squadron worked 36 straight hours to load onto pallets more than 75,000 pounds of tents, blankets, bedding, hygiene items, clothing, beds, cots and medical supplies to support the mission.

The humanitarian aid supplies were provided from State Department stock at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center Europe's humanitarian assistance program warehouse in Pirmasens, Germany.

An air load planning officer was in charge of the load as it was received and placed onto aviation pallets. After the loads were inventoried, certified, weighed and strapped down, they were handed over to the Air Force for loading and transport to the destination.

"It's a good feeling to be able to do something good for someone during a situation like this," Army Sgt. Henry Pinckney, of 5th Quartermaster Company, said. "I think it is important because you never know when you are going to be the one requiring help one day."

Army Capt. Gabriel Legendry, of 39th Transportation Battalion, in charge of the loading site at the deployment processing center, said the effort is worthwhile.

"When we are working against the clock with a 24-hour turnaround, everyone is working hard," he said, "but it brings a lot of joy to do something good for someone."

(Army Capt. Bryan Woods serves in the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs Office.)

Air Force Completes First Georgia Humanitarian Aid Mission

By Air Force Capt. Erin Dorrance
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport jet departed Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and landed at Tbilisi International Airport here yesterday, delivering $1 million in humanitarian aid to reduce the suffering of the people of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The joint military effort supported coordination by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development with Georgian officials. The Defense Department was directed to support the effort with a joint U.S. military operation that launched with the delivery of 16 pallets of medicine, clothing, sleeping bags, cots and other essential items.

"Our sole goal is to safely and rapidly deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia to alleviate human suffering and save lives," said Col. Benjamin Everson, chief of U.S. Army Europe's International Operations Division. "We will continue to support this humanitarian mission until the host nation and the U.S. State Department determine that it is no longer needed."

The C-17, based out of McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., was operated by a 3rd Airlift Squadron crew from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and landed amid cheers and smiles from local nationals on the airfield.

One pallet after another was quickly offloaded from the aircraft. The Georgians on the ground continually thanked the U.S. military team for its efforts.

"We are in dire need of these supplies," said Sergey Khomchenko, Counterpart Community and Humanitarian Assistance Program director. "Thank you so much for helping us in this great time of need. These supplies will surely save lives."

U.S. officials, including a U.S. European Command survey team, continue to coordinate closely with the Georgian government to determine what aid is most needed within the country and how best to distribute it.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, a U.S. European Command spokesman, praised the joint humanitarian relief effort.

"We are very pleased that the joint military community -- EuCom, U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Air Forces in Europe -- have the opportunity to provide logistical support to bring these humanitarian supplies here," he said. "EuCom forces will remain ready to support as further needs are assessed."

(Air Force Capt. Erin Dorrance serves in the 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office.)

America Supports You: Groups Help the Few, the Proud, the Expecting

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - Two troop-support groups hosted a "Military Showers of Appreciation" for 15 expectant military mothers July 27 at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Many of the expectant mothers helped by the two groups -- North Star Group and Operation Showers of Appreciation -- have spouses who are deployed and will not be home for the birth of their new babies.

"Military Showers of Appreciation assists active-duty Military families from all branches that are expecting new babies with various items they will need to care for their new baby," said Mandy Sims, vice president of the North Star Group. "Because many of these pregnant mothers have babies alone with new fathers deployed, we pay special attention to pampering these spouses and supporting them positively during this time."

The North Star Group -- a home-front supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program -- has been hosting "Military Showers of Appreciation" since 2006. The group decided to make this event one of their various military programs after a North Star Group volunteer and military veteran had her baby alone during her husband's deployment.

"This shower shed a little sunlight on a difficult time that many Military spouses experience during constant deployments," Sims said. "Many people do not realize the sacrifices the entire military family makes during a deployment. It is important to the North Star Group that military families know they are appreciated and that they are not alone."

The baby showers are held quarterly, and applications are accepted on a first-come, most-needed basis. Twenty to 25 spouses are honored per shower each quarter.

At the most recent baby shower, held in July, the North Star Group and Operation Showers of Appreciation honored the 100th family assisted. Families at the special shower received lunch, gifts, massages, mini-makeovers and professional family portraits.

"I received a lot of baby necessities," said Ashley Ruiz, who attended the July 27 shower. "Everything from baby bottles to a bassinet, the gifts helped us out a lot. The entire event was just a very supportive, caring atmosphere. I really enjoyed it. The baby shower also provided me an opportunity to meet and make new friends with other pregnant Military moms."

North Star Group plans to work with Operation Showers of Appreciation again in planning the next "Military Showers of Appreciation" event, scheduled Dec. 6 for 20 expectant mothers at Camp Pendleton. Military families are informed about these baby showers through information and application flyers and news releases distributed on bases and posted online at the North Star Group and Operation Showers of Appreciation Web sites.

"We will make every attempt to do something special for expecting families even if they miss the shower cut-off dates," Sims said. "These quarterly showers are currently held at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms, California, base locations, with plans of expanding to bases in other states in the future. All military servicemembers in California willing to travel to the shower from any Military bases in the area are welcome to apply."

To be considered, applicants must provide a valid active-duty military ID, current leave and earnings statement, proof of pregnancy and a completed application.

The North Star Group, which also offers information referral services to these mothers, is a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

America Supports You: Soldiers in Iraq Unite With Families Through Reading

By Army Capt. Kathryn Rains
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - As deployments have remained consistent for soldiers and family members of the 4th Infantry Division, separation has been commonplace. To aid in strengthening the separated families' relationships, the nonprofit United through Reading program promotes the "read aloud" experience for separated families.

The program fosters communication between deployed soldiers and their children, siblings, nieces, nephews or those to whom they are a mentor.

"If we make a difference in one soldier's life and possibly that of his or her children, we have been successful, but to impact so many soldiers and families is simply overwhelming and fills the heart with pride," said Army Lt. Col. Steven Palmer, who hails from Las Vegas and serves in Multinational Division Baghdad as commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade.

"This program has grown so large for us that nearly everyone feels the positive influence of this family interaction," he said. "I cannot be more proud of our ministry team and the positive impact they have had on our daily mission."

The support for this program throughout the battalion has been in keeping with the 4th Infantry Division's motto, "Steadfast and Loyal." A video of the deployed soldier reading a book, and the book, are mailed to the child. The child's reaction is mailed in return to the soldier.

"It's a wonderful blessing to be able read to my daughter on video, receive a video in return, and be able to watch her sit and follow along with the book," said Army Staff Sgt. James Stanley, who hails from Troufdale, Ore., and serves as a personnel noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment. "It helps with the separation, and I get to help teach her to read at the same time."

United through Reading's nationally acclaimed programs provide opportunities for powerful emotional bonding to deployed servicemembers and their families. The program attempts to relieve the stress of separation by coordinating a book reading session between adult and child.

Chaplain (Capt.) Mark Olson, from Dayton, Tenn., who has six children of his own, offers soldiers this opportunity to communicate with their children not only by providing a reading room for soldiers to record in, but also by taking the program to the soldiers working on the flight line.

"Many soldiers do not have the time to come to our reading room, so we take our video camera and books to them," Olson said. "The main idea for this program is simply to keep soldiers in touch with their families. The greatest reward, however, is the knowledge that someone back home will cry, smile, or laugh as they see their loved one in living color, live before them on TV."

(Army Capt. Kathryn Rains serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade.)

(Editor's Note: More information on groups and individuals supporting the troops can be found at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil, the Web site of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 13, 2008

Navy

The University of New Orleans, New Orleans, La. is being awarded a $49,283,693 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with provisions for issuance of fixed-price task ordercontract for analytical and technical support services from undergraduate and graduate students and faculty at a geographically local educational institution in support of advanced research and development projects on behalf of multiple customers in the South Eastern La., and South Miss., region to include, but not limited to, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, New Orleans; Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Command; Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration; Department of Navy Chief Information Office; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Finance Center; and other federal government research and development activities. Work will be performed in New Orleans, La., and is expected to be completed by 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract wascompetitively procured with oneproposal received. The Space and Navy Warfare Systems Center New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (N69250-08-D-0302).

Alion Science and Technology Corp., Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $37,930,000 ceiling-priced indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of integrated anti-submarine training systems, which will provide single platform and integrated computer based training. In addition, the trainers will support an anti-submarine warfare synthetic training environment and provide a continuous training capability that is interoperable, distributed, mobile, and deployable. Work will be performed in Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Command, Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed in Aug. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla. is the contracting activity (N61339-08-D-0009).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $16,124,867 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6311) to provide integration services for mission packages that will deploy from and integrate with the Littoral Combat Ship. The Navy's plan is to use spiral development to improve mission capability in identified mission areas. The LCS mission packages are developed and acquired separately from the LCS sea frame. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., (32 percent); Washington, D.C., (26 percent); Panama City, Fla., (15 percent); Hollywood, Md., (15 percent); San Diego, Calif., (5 percent); Dahlgren, Va., (5 percent); and Newport, R.I., (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins Aerospace and Electronics, Inc., Portland, Ore., is being awarded a $7,200,000 (in total ceiling amount) firm-fixed-price, Basic Order Agreement (BOA) for spares, repairs, and engineering services and support of HGS-3000 heads-up display system for the C-130J aircraft sustainment program. The HGS-3000 heads-up display system is an electronic system that displays information on a screen so the flight crew does not have to "look down" to read the aircraft instrumentation equipment. Work will be performed 100% in Portland, Ore and is anticipated to be complete at the conclusion of the BOA in Aug. 2013. Funds will be obligated as each job order against this BOA is identified. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities, Navy Electronic Commerce Online, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane website with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-G-WT00).

Army

Watterson Construction Co., Anchorage, Ala., was awarded on Aug. 11, 2008, a $33,850,000 firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of a barracks facility. Work will be performed at Fort Richardson, Ala., and is expected ot be completed by Sept. 10, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Dec. 20, 2007, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0023).

Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., McMinnville, Ore., was awarded on Aug. 11, 2008, a $9,507,456 firm-fixed price contract for MEDEVAC services. Work will be performed at Fort Wainwright, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on Jun. 13, 2008, and two bids were received. Army Contracting Agency, Fort Richardson, Ala., is the contracting activity (W912CZ-08-D-0006).

Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Aug. 12 2008, a $6,057,283 firm-fixed price with cost-plus fixed fee line items contract for GRIFFIN munitions and engineering services. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 5, 2008. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0252).

Valley Machine Co., Alexandria, Ala., was awarded on Aug. 12, 2008, a $6,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for the finish, repair and paint of various combat vehicle parts. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Aug. 2, 2006, and two bids were received. Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KF-06-D-0009).

Air Force

Micro-Sat Systems, Inc, of Littleton, Colo., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for a maximum of $14,999,579. This contract provides for research and development in the area of space plug-n play electronics. MSI, with its subcontractor Advanced Solutions Inc., will develop modular flight software and continue in the development of a robust software architecture that takes advantage of various software modules to address the wide range of mission needs, evaluate wireless data and power transfer technologies for PnP application, develop thin film deployable solar arrays to provide additional power to the location of performance is Micro-Sat System, Colorado Springs, Colo. At this time $200,000 has been obligated. Kirtland AFB, N.M. is the contracting activity (FA9453-08-C-0249).

Soldier Sets Two Olympic Records En Route to Double Trap Gold

By Tim Hipps
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - Spc. Walton Glenn Eller III, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, set two Olympic records en route to winning a gold medal in double trap at the Beijing Shooting Range here yesterday. Marksmanship unit teammate Spc. Jeffrey Holguin finished fourth in the event.

Eller's score of 145 in the qualification rounds eclipsed the previous Olympic record of 144 set in the 2004 Athens Games by United Arab Emirates shooter Ahmed Almaktoum, who finished seventh in Beijing.

In double trap, competitors fire their 12-gauge shotguns from five adjacent shooting stations. At each station, two targets are thrown simultaneously from an underground bunker at speeds up to 50 mph at set angles and height. The targets are thrown with a variable delay of up to one second, and competitors get one shot per target.

"I realized with my last pair to go, 'Oh, the Olympic record is only 144. If I hit my last pair, I'm going to get the Olympic record.'"

When Eller did that, he said, he sensed he was on his way to a spectacular day. He missed his first two targets in the final, but settled down and missed only three shots the rest of the way.

"If you shoot the Olympic record [in qualification rounds] and you've got a little bit of a lead, you expect to come out with gold," Eller said. "But after I went out there [in the final] and missed that first pair, it was a little dicey there for a second, but I brought it all back together."

Eller's final score of 190 topped Almaktoum's world record of 189, also set in Athens. Italy's Francesco D'Aniello won the silver medal in Beijing with a score of 187, and China's Binyuan Hu took the bronze with a 184 total.

"It's incredible," said Eller, 26, a native of Katy, Texas, who is stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. "I finally made a final in the Olympics. I came in like 12th [in Sydney] and 17th [in Athens], and finally came out and put a good day together. This was the only thing I was worried about for the last two years."

Explaining his key to success, Eller reached into his vest and revealed a handful of trading cards.

"Hard work," the three-time Olympian said as he shuffled cards featuring soldiers of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. "That, and I had my teammates with me. The military has been great to me. They've helped me fulfill a dream that, without them, I don't think would've ever happened. I owe everything to them.

"Joining the Army was an incredible gain for me," he continued. "It gave me a lot of discipline. I was fortunate enough to go into the Army Marksmanship Unit. It's great having those guys to train with every day. They really pushed me along. Just working with them all day, every day, it keeps you in it.

Being a soldier means he's expected to do what's asked of him, Eller noted. "For right now, they asked me to come to the Olympics and win a gold medal for the United States," he said. "I don't know how to better represent them than with a gold medal in my hand."

Eller said he couldn't wait to give his parents a big bear hug.

"I'm going to go find my parents and celebrate," he said. "They've been here all week, and to the last two Olympics, watching me. To have them here and to finally win a gold medal for them is incredible. The crowd was amazing. The facilities were incredible."

Holguin, 29, of Yorba Linda, Calif., finished fourth with a 182 total.

"I shot really well today, until the final," Holguin said. "This game is all about putting four good rounds together, and honestly, I could only manage two. I had a mediocre round and a bad round. So when you've got two good rounds, they don't offset the mediocre and bad rounds.

"Finishing fourth," he added, "that's where you finish when you shoot like I did in the final."

On this day, Holguin tipped his cap to Eller.

"It's all about him now," Holguin said. "Glenn Eller and I started shooting against each other a long, long time ago, and we actually enlisted in the Army together in the fall of 2006. This was half of our goal. We wanted gold and silver at the Olympics. We came really close, but I'm happy for him."

But during the competition, Holguin said, he did not pull any punches.

"When we're out on the shooting line, we take the gloves off and go at it as hard as anybody else," Holguin said. "I don't feel bad when he misses a target. If he would have lost the gold medal, yeah, I would have felt badly for him, but not if I was in the silver medal position. I'd be chasing him the whole way."

Holguin agreed with Eller that joining USAMU was their best move.

"Joining the Army was probably the best thing I could've done for my shooting career, just because of the discipline and structure that comes along with the Army," Holguin said. "The Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning has world-class shooting facilities. We shoot with and against some of the best in the world," he said. "I've been training with the 2008 Olympic gold medalist for the last two years straight since I joined the Army, so the Army has definitely taken my shooting to the next level.

"My heartfelt thanks go out to everybody who has been behind me this whole time, but it's Glenn's day," Holguin said. "He earned it. He deserves it."

(Tim Hipps works in the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command Public Affairs Office.)

Soldier Becomes Oldest U.S. Woman Competitor in Olympic History

By Tim Hipps
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - At age 56, Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Elizabeth "Libby" Callahan became the oldest U.S. woman competitor in Olympic history with a 25th-place finish in the women's 25-meter pistol shooting event today at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall. "I've been told oldest-ever female Olympian of any nation, of all time," Callahan said. "But I don't know if that's right."

USA Shooting officials could not confirm that claim. At any rate, Callahan certainly has withstood the test of time on the competitive pistol-shooting line.

"Well, it shows my longevity, I guess," Callahan said with a laugh and a smile that rivaled the seemingly never-ending smiles of the Chinese hosts of the Beijing Games. "I'm just still kicking, and I'm not putting any restrictions on myself. It doesn't say I have to stop at a certain age.

"In fact, the oldest Olympic medalist was in shooting," she noted, "and he was 73, back in the early 1900s."

Therefore, Callahan, a four-time Olympian, already is considering taking a shot at the 2012 London Games.

"I'm not ruling it out," she said. "I'm not ruling anything out. I still feel good, and I still have that competitive fire in me."

Callahan's passion for pistol packing already has earned Summer Olympic trips to Barcelona, Atlanta and Athens, Greece, along with journeys to Hyderabad, India, for the Conseil Internationale du Sport Militaire's 2007 Military World Games, and to Salinas, Puerto Rico, for the 2005 Championships of the Americas. She's also competed in five world championships and as many Pan American Games.

After retiring in 2003 from a 28-year career with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, Callahan moved from Upper Marlboro, Md., to Pawleys Island, S.C., to be closer to her seven older brothers and sisters. She now has an unprecedented amount of free time to sharpen her shooting skills and compete internationally.

"What I've probably done in a lot of areas is that I've tried too hard," Callahan said. "I shoot great technique. I've been told this not just by U.S. coaches, but other international coaches. It's just something's happening just a few times in a match that throws me out of some competitions. That's a mental thing. And you know, the brain, the mind, is a terrible thing."

Callahan can easily laugh with herself -- seemingly oblivious to the fact that Father Time could be ticking on her athletic career. Her approach to the sport, however, remains unchanged as she approaches her 57th birthday.

"You still have to have the same mental approach, have to have the same techniques to execute the shot," she said. "There may be a different perspective in maybe somebody who is younger or hasn't been here before, but that's just all part of experience -- just having general experience in life.

"Throughout shooting, you will find that some things work at a certain period of time, and then after a while it doesn't work any more," she continued, "so you maybe try something different. Maybe it's your stance, maybe it's your grip, maybe it's your gun. There are always things that if something's not working and you've worked at it for a while, OK, let's try something different. How you execute, and how you execute under certain conditions, is always the important thing.

"I'm way [more] advanced than I was when I first started shooting," she said, "but it's some mental things that really grab me at certain times, and it hurts me in the match."

Callahan did not advance to the final here, where gold medalist Gundegmaa Otryad of Mongolia equaled the Olympic record with a 590 total. Germany's Munkhbayar Dorjsuren won the silver medal with a score of 587. China's Chen Ying took the bronze with a 585 total.

Callahan's career-best Olympic finish was 19th in the 2004 sport pistol event in Athens, where she also placed 30th in the air pistol competition.

"Some days you're really good. Some days you're really bad. And some days you're mediocre," she said. "That's what makes shooting interesting and, I guess, challenging. You can shoot a perfect score, and the next day go out and you aren't diddly squat."

Either way, Callahan always finds the resolve to shoot another day.

(Tim Hipps works in the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command Public Affairs Office.)

America Supports You: 'D-Lister' Shows Audience Laughter is Best Medicine

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - As summer ends, so goes the summer TV season, which means many favorite shows will go into hibernation for the winter. Comedian Kathy Griffin, Bravo network's somewhat saucier answer to Lucille Ball, has ensured the fourth season finale of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List," affects its audience when it airs tomorrow night.

Don't expect the funny lady to reel it in just because she's visiting with servicemembers recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

"I know our show isn't exactly 'Frontline,' but we definitely tried to weed as much comedy into the situation as possible, because these men and women let me know very quickly that when you're dealing with these kinds of injuries, you just gotta laugh," Griffin said. "What I'm proud of with [this] show is that it shows how people use humor to cope with a traumatic situation."

Griffin found laughs razzing a corporal about his questionable tattoo while touring the Fisher House Foundation's two housing facilities where outpatients and their families stay while receiving treatment at Walter Reed. She found laughs while talking with troops during a visit to the hospital. Even George the therapy dog provided amusement when Griffin stopped by the hospital's physical therapy room.

In fact, Griffin and Walter Reed's residents and employees didn't stop laughing from the moment she arrived until she walked off the stage after performing a stand-up routine in the evening.

The "little show," as she described it, was well attended until Griffin started her more-than-PG routine and some members of the audience opted to call it a night.

"To me, that's the sign of a good show," Griffin said. "You always need a couple of [ticked-off] chaplains combined with some laughing soldiers and a couple ER nurses."

Supporting servicemembers has long been a cause near and dear to Griffin, whose father, a World War II soldier, died last year. It wasn't that military legacy, however, that led her to first performance for deployed troops.

"What really got me involved was when a friend of mine, Kerri Turner from the television series "JAG," talked me into my first [United Service Organizations] trip to Afghanistan in 2002," Griffin said. "She told me that the trip would change my life, and she was right. It did."

Last year's season of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" included her visit to Iraq to entertain troops. Her positive experience and the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience was a catalyst to feature the military again this season, she said.

"My goal this year with the Walter Reed episode is to have these men and women seen for the heroes they are and their families for the human beings they are," Griffin said. "This experience shows us what happens to these brave men and women when they come home and deal with the injuries they have sustained while at war. I saw the bravery from the moment I walked into Fisher House to the rehab facility to the little show I put on that night."

Griffin said she's open to featuring the military in another episode, but isn't sure that will happen.

"At this point, I have basically put the Army through hell. I believe they call my crew 'the insurgency,' but I won't stop," she said. "I visit with returning soldiers before each show I do on the road. I am so happy to be involved with performing for the armed forces [and] meeting them; whatever I can do."

The season finale of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," which was filmed at Walter Reed in April, will premiere tomorrow on the Bravo network. Check local listings for times.

The Fisher House Foundation and USO are supporters of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Face of Defense: Airman Helps Injured Warriors 'Face' World

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Erin M. Peterson
Special to American Forces Press Service

Texas, Aug. 13, 2008 - The characteristics of a person's face are unmistakable. They are the uniqueness that makes people recognize family members, friends, co-workers. Now imagine suddenly being stripped of those defining characteristics. Facial injuries are becoming more prevalent among wounded warriors. The features that protrude the most on a person's face are at a high risk for injury.

Air Force Senior Airman Justin Jones, a maxillofacial prosthetic technician with 59th Dental Squadron here, works to help servicemembers who have suffered disfiguring facial injuries.

After he enlisted in the Air Force in December 2002, Jones was a dental lab technician for three and a half years before switching to his current specialty through on-the-job training. His position was previously occupied by a civilian contractor, now retired.

Jones' qualifications come from studying art in high school and college, where he gained an understanding of color and light. He has experience with oil painting, watercolor and clay sculpting. He is now the only full-time maxillofacial prosthetic technician in the Air Force.

According to the Baylor College of Dentistry, maxillofacial prosthodontics is a subspecialty of dentistry that deals with the rehabilitation of patients with acquired and congenital defects of the head and neck region. Facial prosthetic devices are an essential part of restoring the physical and psychological well-being of patients with missing or disfigured facial structures.

Jones is brought in when a patient could benefit from a facial prosthetic. He often uses a pre-injury photo of the patient as a guide in restoring a patient's facial features. On one occasion, a patient's father was even brought in to shape an ear and match the pigment exactly.

His goal is to improve patients' quality of life, Jones said, allowing them to live without drawing attention to a specific aspect of their physical appearance. He works directly with the patients, perfecting the prosthetic until it suits each person precisely.

"I get to know my patients, and they let me know exactly what they want. I love the work that I do," Jones said.

Maxillofacial prosthetics staff members work mainly with patients from Brooke Army Medical Center and burn units in San Antonio. Air Force Col. (Dr.) Jose Villalobos, program director of maxillofacial prosthetics, praised Jones' work.

"With all the war casualties coming in right now, it is important that we use our capabilities to help those wounded warriors," he said. "Senior Airman Jones has an artistic background, and he uses his knowledge of sculpting, color and contours to restore missing or altered facial features. He has a passion for his craft, and he is filling big shoes right now."

(Air Force Staff Sgt. Erin M. Peterson serves in the 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs Office.)

Rice Calls Military Relief Mission in Georgia 'Continuous, Robust'

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - The U.S. military-led mission to provide humanitarian aid in Georgia will be "continuous and robust," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today, calling on Russia to commit to keeping open the lines of communication and transportation during relief efforts. "We expect that Russia will respect the humanitarian nature of that mission, and that ports, sea lanes, air routes will all be open for humanitarian purposes, another pledge that Russia has undertaken to the French," Rice told reporters in a news conference this afternoon.

Rice's remarks came hours after President Bush announced a first U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft was delivering humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

An additional delivery slated for tomorrow will mark the second shipment in a relief effort that could comprise many planeloads of humanitarian relief, Defense Department officials said.

"There are plans for another flight tomorrow as we continue to assess the wide range of humanitarian assistance options that we might be able to provide both in the immediate and long-term humanitarian capabilities," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will oversee the military's humanitarian mission. Rice, who is scheduled to depart this evening to France en route to Georgia, is delivering the U.S. diplomatic response.

"I am going ... first to meet with the French president and other members of the French government in France," she said, "and then I will fly on to Tbilisi to underscore the strong support of the United States for the Georgian people and for their democratically elected government."

Fighting that began in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia is now in its sixth day, and has broadened to include Russian attacks on Abkhazia, another heavily separatist region, and other parts of the country, where Russia's forces reportedly are still engaged despite Moscow's cease-fire pledge yesterday.

Company Focuses on Families to Support Military Employees

By Sara Moore
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - Kim Robinson knows that when military members deploy, they face a lot of stress overseas on top of worrying about their families at home. To help alleviate that stress, Robinson has committed to do what he can to ease the burden on the families of his employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Robinson's company, Robinson Transport, of Salina, Utah, provides $1,000 a month to the families of employees who are deployed with the National Guard or Reserve. This money is meant to supplement the family's income, and the company still pays all company bonuses, as well as full life, health and dental insurance for the deployed employee.

For its efforts to support employees who serve in the reserve forces, Robinson Transport is receiving the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The award is the highest honor a company can receive for its support of military employees.

Robinson Transport has seven employees in the National Guard or Reserve, all of whom have been deployed within the last five years, Robinson said, adding that he's happy to do what he can to support his employees while they're serving the country.

"They're over there fighting for my freedoms, which I enjoy very much, and they're leaving their families and their wives, and most of them have smaller children," he said. "They're over there worrying about their life for one thing, but on the other hand, they're worrying about what their children and their wives are going through. If I can help them that way, then that's a little less worry that they have."

Robinson Transport, which has about 130 employees, also supports its deployed employees by keeping in close contact with them via e-mail, and the company has contributed $5,000 to provide faster Internet service to deployed personnel.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Roger Orton, who has served for 33 years in the Utah National Guard, nominated Robinson Transport for the Freedom Award because he saw their dedication to military personnel firsthand. Orton has been a truck driver with Robinson for 26 years, and in 2006 he was deployed to Afghanistan. While he was gone, someone from the company called his wife at least twice a week to check on her. They also paid her the $1,000 a month, even though Orton told his boss that he actually made more money while deployed than he'd been earning at Robinson Transport.

"I asked them why they thought they needed to do that, and they said it was to ease the pain of us being gone and that it was a small price to pay for what we were doing," Orton said. "It's too bad all employers aren't this good to work for, and it's easy to see how easy it is to work for them for 26 years."

Orton said that several other members of his unit also work for Robinson, and the company always has accommodated them when it came to taking time off for drill weekends and summer training. He said when he came back from Afghanistan, he talked to the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve representative from Utah, who told him that he had received many letters telling him how supportive Robinson Transport is of its military employees.

Orton said he enjoys working for Robinson because the management is caring and supportive. "You go to work every morning knowing that you work for good people," he said. "There's no other employer that tops them. They deserve the red carpet treatment from the Army for what they do."

Having employees who also serve in the military, like Orton, is helpful to the company, Robinson said. "They're all pretty humble people anyway, but when they come back they're so appreciative," he said of the National Guard and Reserve employees. "With the other people listening to them out there on a daily basis, I think it makes the other people better Americans and makes them appreciate what they really have here."

Robinson said he's always thought of himself as patriotic, but was completely surprised to hear his company was receiving the Freedom Award.

"It's a great honor for me to be selected as one of the recipients," he said. "For my employees to nominate me for that, that was an awesome thing. I'm just proud to be a part of it."

Robinson Transport will receive the Freedom Award, along with 14 other companies, in a ceremony Sept. 18 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here. The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.

Missing WWII Pilot Is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War Two, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is 2nd Lt. Howard C. Enoch Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces, of Marion, Ky. He will be buried on Sep. 22 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Enoch's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

On March 19, 1945, Enoch was the pilot of a P-51D Mustang that crashed while engaging enemy aircraft about 20 miles east of Leipzig, near the village of Doberschütz, Germany. His remains were not recovered at the time, and Soviet occupation of eastern Germany precluded his recovery immediately after the war.

In 2004, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) surveyed a possible P-51 crash site near Doberschütz. The team found aircraft wreckage. In 2006, another JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Enoch's remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.