Soldier Missing In Action From WWII Is Identified

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

He is 2nd Lt. Ernest E. Martin, U.S. Army, of Hanover, Mont. He will be buried on Oct. 11 in Ellensburg, Wash. Representatives from the Army met with Martin's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of Secretary of the Army.

In November 1944, the 109th and 112th Infantry Regiments, 28th Infantry Division, were attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Martin, a member of C Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, was reported missing in action near Vossenack on Nov. 10.

In 2000, a German construction company found human remains in an unmarked grave while clearing wartime unexploded ordnance from the Hürtgen Forest. The remains, along with military rank and branch insignia were turned over to U.S. officials.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Martin'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) 699-1169.

Soldier Medics Re-enlist in Nation's Capital

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 2, 2008 - A group of soldier-medics, whose duties adhere to the Hippocratic Oath to provide ethical medical treatment, pledged allegiance to another credo today -- the oath of re-enlistment. Between the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool here, nearly 80 troops stood at attention as Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker, Army surgeon general, recited a passage from Lincoln's second inaugural address.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right," he said, "let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Before administering the oath of re-enlistment to the formation of troops standing at attention, Schoomaker said, "Your willingness to raise your hand and re-enlist speaks volumes about you and your love of country."

One soldier re-enlisting today was Spc. Crystal Conner, a respiratory therapist, who along with many of the soldiers at today's ceremony works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

She originally enlisted in 2002 to prove to her family that she is dependable, and that she could do something without them "hovering over" her. "I know I've done that," she said, "and more."

Having achieved her original goal, Conner said, she continues serving in the Army – with today marking her second re-enlistment -- because she feels it's her calling.

"I've been deployed to Iraq before, so I can kind of sympathize with the soldiers coming back, and I know what they've been through," said Conner, who deployed to Baghdad in 2004 for a year. "I wouldn't rather do anything than take care of them."

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rudy DelValle, command sergeant major of Walter Reed Health Care System, said those re-enlisting represent troops who love their duties as soldiers.

"They love what leadership is doing for them right now. They love their country, the sacrifices they're making, they want to be a soldier, they want to take care of people," he said. "There are only about five soldiers getting re-enlistment bonuses. The rest of them are doing it only because they want to be a soldier."

Army Col. (Dr.) Norvell Coots, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System, said the re-enlistment of medics illustrates a show of support to the military and provides a boost to morale within the unit.

"Usually, you hope to get this many throughout an entire year," he said of re-enlistments. "And here we've accomplished that on the second day of the fiscal year. It's just an amazing sense of patriotism on the behalf of these medical soldiers."

Staff Sgt. Clayton Eric Cunningham re-enlisted today for the second time in his seven-year tenure in the Army. As a warrior transition squad leader at Walter Reed, Cunningham's job involves helping wounded troops transition after returning home from deployment. His favorite part of the job is interacting with veterans, he said.

Cunningham recalled a special bond he forged with a young Army specialist who was injured when a makeshift bomb struck his Humvee in Iraq. As a result, the soldier suffered from traumatic brain injury, a mental condition characterized by headaches, dizziness, lack of motor coordination, memory loss and other symptoms.

"It threw him out of the vehicle. It killed the other three people inside," Cunningham recalled. "He got really messed up -- really bad TBI. He couldn't remember his name a lot of the time."

Cunningham said it was great to see the young soldier's condition improve under the warrior transition program.

"It's really cool to see them advance in their medical treatment and get better," he said.

Recently Wounded Vets Sail Toward New Recognition of Capabilities

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 2, 2008 - Army Staff Sgt. Michael Fradera had never even been on a sailboat before an improvised explosive device in Baghdad blasted away both of his legs during the early days of the troop surge in Iraq. But yesterday, the former 1st Infantry Division soldier, now medically retired from the Army, was the king of San Diego Harbor at the helm of a 43-foot racing sailboat, B-Quest II.

Fradera is among 56 recently wounded veterans, including troops being processed through the disability evaluation system, participating in the first National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic Pilot Program. The week-long clinic, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, opened Sept. 28 and continues through tomorrow.

Many of the participants, like Fradera, were wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and are getting an early introduction to the therapeutic value of not only sailing, but also surfing, kayaking, hand-cycling and track and field events.

During yesterday's sailing event, Kevin Wixom welcomed Fradera and his wife, Jennifer, aboard the Nelson/Marek Custom 43 racing sailboat he captains for Challenged America. B-Quest II is the flagship of the San Diego-based organization founded by disabled Vietnam veterans to provide adaptive sailing opportunities for others with disabilities.

Joining the Fraderas on B-Quest II were Marine Cpl. Sherman Watson and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary Wiedemann. Watson, assigned to the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb explosion in Fallujah, Iraq, and is undergoing the disability screening board process. Wiedemann was medically retired from the Air Force due to several physical issues, including a digestive disorder picked up during a deployment to Iraq.

Other clinic participants with more severe disabilities took their places on 16-foot Martin adaptive sailboats. These two-seaters accommodate an instructor and a veteran who steers the boat from the forward seat using a joystick that replicates the action of a rudder, Wixom explained.

As B-Quest II was leaving its slip, Wixom quickly informed the veterans that crewing a sailboat is no spectator sport. "Everyone aboard here is working, not just riding," he said.

Wixom and other volunteers assigned them to crew positions and took them through the basics of how to hoist and trim the sails, grind winches, tack the boat to change direction and take the helm to navigate through San Diego Harbor.

An amputee himself who lost his left leg five years ago in a motorcycle accident, Wixom called sailing a great rehabilitative sport because it demands strength, adaptability to ever-changing wind conditions and teamwork.

"With sailing, there's a lot of physical work involved, but there are also important lessons for life," he said. "You have to pay attention to the environment, to know what's going on around you and how to use that to the best of your ability. That's a valuable life lesson for anyone to be successful, whether you're a corporate CEO or an accountant or a skipper."

Wixom said the sailing experience would help the veterans recognize the opportunities open to them if they're receptive.

"Our hope is to show them that life is not over and that they can still do things like this," he said. "And on top of that, we just want them to have fun and enjoy a good time."

Adjusting the mainsail during a reach across the harbor, Fradera cheered on his fellow crewmembers. "Come on, guys!" he called. "Put some guns into it!" Meanwhile, Watson took the helm, working to keep the tell-tales on the jib sheet flying despite light and inconsistent winds.

Like Fradera, Watson had never been on a sailboat before. The last time he was on San Diego Harbor, he said, was aboard an aircraft carrier that had been called back to port so the Marines onboard could gear up for the invasion into Iraq.

More than six years later and with three Purple Hearts, Watson put those thoughts away as he savored his sailing experience aboard B-Quest II. "This feels soooooo good," he said, his face lapping up sunshine and breeze. "Getting to be here doing this is just awesome. I love every minute of this."

Military Health System Asks Service Members and Their Families for Feedback

DoD announced today that the Military Health System (MHS) would like service members and their families to respond to new questionnaires designed to help MHS leaders understand their needs and expectations.

"These questionnaires are part of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' commitment to supporting wounded, ill and injured service members—ensuring that their care is DoD's top priority," said S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

The questionnaires—one for wounded, ill or injured service members and one for their family members—are available on-line beginning today and will remain open for completion until Oct. 15. Both questionnaires ask for feedback concerning a service member's experience and satisfaction with the care he or she has received since becoming wounded, ill or injured.

To encourage candid responses that will lead to positive change in the delivery of care for our service members and their families, all survey responses will remain anonymous. Analysis and results of the survey will be available in November 2008, at http://www.health.mil .

“Care is continually improving, but MHS leaders recognize there is still more to be done," said Casscells.

On-line questionnaires are available at: http://www.health.mil/Pages/Page.aspx?ID=18.

New Law Would Help Drug Enforcement, Coast Guard Officer Says

By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 2, 2008 - Legislation imposing tough penalties for operating undocumented semi-submersible vessels in international waters would help drug-interdiction efforts, the deputy chief of the Coast Guard's Law Enforcement Office said Sept. 30. Self-propelled semi-submersibles, or SPSSs, are small sea vessels, usually less than 100 feet in length, designed to sink themselves when detected, Coast Guard Cmdr. Cameron Naron explained to bloggers in a teleconference. Drug traffickers are adapting the technology with increasing success to evade Law Enforcement, he said.

"Drug-trafficking organizations continue to adapt these vessels ... to our Law Enforcement successes," Naron said. "These SPSSs were once perceived as a very impractical and risky smuggling tool, but now have proven successful as an innovative and highly mobile asymmetrical method of conveyance."

Naron said the number of encounters with smugglers using semi-submersibles to transport illegal drugs from South America to the continental United States ballooned in fiscal 2008, with 62 known incidents in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, compared to about two dozen over the previous six and a half years.

Coast Guard officials estimate that two to three semi-submersibles carrying illegal drugs travel up the Pacific coast each week, he added.

"In order to prosecute these cases, we've always needed to have at least a representative sample of the drugs on board," Naron explained, which is difficult and risky to obtain if the crew succeeds in sinking the vessel before Law Enforcement takes control.

"These SPSSs are built to scuttle, which means to sink themselves very quickly," he explained. "And the time ... that it takes to get on board and try to keep them from scuttling is a very, very short amount of time that we have, and [it] puts our boarding teams at significant risk."

Naron described a Sept. 13 nighttime interdiction of a stateless semi-submersible detected 350 miles west of Guatemala, in which smugglers tried to throw a Coast Guard law-enforcement team off the vessel by backing down and quickly reversing the engines. When the team clung to exhaust fixtures to avoid being thrown into the ocean, he said, the people aboard attempted to flood the vessel and escape through the conning tower.

"Although the scuttling valves were only open for a few moments," he said, "nearly a foot of water had already entered the hull of this SPSS."

Naron said the team recovered and detained four Columbian nationals who will be prosecuted in the United States. The vessel was carrying 11,850 pounds of cocaine, he said.

"The operator later admitted that he was trying to kill the boarding team by throwing them off the SPSS and into the vessel's propeller," Naron said.

If signed by the president, Naron said, new legislation approved in the House of Representatives Sept. 29 would allow for the prosecution of anyone caught on a self-propelled semi-submersible if it's on an international voyage and isn't documented in any country or registered in any state.

The legislation, he said, provides for a 15-year jail term and a $1 million civil penalty for the offense. It was passed by the Senate prior to House approval, he added.

"This legislation will allow us to prosecute these people just based on the fact that they were operating [a semi-submersible] vessel, subject to the ... qualifications," Naron said. "So, that will help our enforcement efforts significantly to counter this, and hopefully, this means moving drugs into the U.S. and other places will be significantly reduced."

Naron said the legislation also would help reduce the risk associated with drug-interdiction efforts by the Coast Guard and other agencies.

(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.)

Africa Command Unfurls Colors During Pentagon Ceremony

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2008 - A new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics raised its flag during a Pentagon ceremony today. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen that "U.S. Africa Command reports for duty!"

The focus of American foreign policy in Africa is defense, diplomacy and development, Gates said during the ceremony.

"On the defense side, AfriCom's mission is not to wage war, but to prevent it – not to show United States military presence, but to enhance the security forces of our partners," Gates said.

The command will build lasting ties with African nations, the secretary said. "All of this contributes to our overall goal as a nation: to be a trusted, reliable partner for the nations of Africa," he added.

President Bush announced in February 2007 that the U.S. military would form the command as part of an overall change in the DoD footprint.

"Beyond moving and realigning troops and bases, we have also been reconsidering, on a more general level, the nature of the kinds of threats to our nation ... and those threats we might face in the future," Gates said.

Crime, terrorism, natural disasters, economic turmoil, ethnic fissures and disease can be just as destabilizing on the African continent as traditional military threats, Gates noted. "It makes sense to fuse old understandings of security with new concepts of security, and how security, stability and development go hand-in-hand," he said.

One sign that AfriCom is a different paradigm is that one of its deputy commanders is Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates. The U.S. Agency for International Development also has provided personnel for the new command, as has the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

The command will focus on supporting military professionalism and military capacity, said USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore, who also spoke at the ceremony. Fore also represented the State Department for the unfurling.

Helping African nations build security will enhance their development prospects, Fore said.

"We welcome AfriCom's integrated and innovative command structure," she said. "The State Department will ensure that AfriCom's activities are coordinated by our ambassadors. Such coordination will make sure our foreign policy priorities are met and are complementary among all United States programs and activities, and [that] their effectiveness is maximized.

She said the State Department and USAID recognize security is fundamental to the success of their missions on the continent. "The link between security and development is clear throughout sub-Saharan Africa," she said.

The chairman called the stand-up an exciting day for the department, and he thanked all those who worked so hard to make the command a reality. He said the command "is different than what we've done in the past, and [it will] allow us to engage in a part of the world that is critical to the United States and the world."

While the command will face challenges, it also has opportunities, and the men and women of the command – with their African partners – will meet them head-on, the chairman said. The command personnel are excited "about making a difference and in the newness of the construct, and in the ability to engage in a place where heretofore we have not been able to dedicate the resources and the people to do so. It is in that dedication and focus and engagement that will make so much difference," Mullen said.

For his part, Ward emphasized that his new command will not hijack American foreign policy on the continent. AfriCom will take its foreign policy marching orders from the State Department and in concert with other U.S. government agencies and international partners, he said, and it will conduct sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities and other military operations as directed. The goal is to promote a stable and more secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy, Ward said.

"Our first priority is the delivery and sustainment of effective security cooperation programs on the African continent and its island nations," he said. "We will work to build partner security capacity. Within our means, we will endeavor to provide value added to existing programs while establishing new programs based on what African nations and African organizations ask us to do as they seek to provide for their own security."

When all is said and done, Ward said, the command will exemplify new civilian-military and U.S.-African partnerships that seek to prevent wars and foster peace.

MILITARY CONTACTS October 2, 2008

Army

Walton Construction Co., LLC, Harahan, La., was awarded on Sept. 30, 2008, a $184,883,550 firm fixed price contract for project includes complete study, design, abatement, and construction of 16 barracks and central energy plants. Work will be performed in Fort Polk, La., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. Bids solicited were via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0070).

VETCO Contracting Services, LLC, of Watertown, N.Y., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $114,000,000 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple award task order firm fixed price contract to construct single-soldier housing on Fort Lee, Va. Work will be performed on Fort Lee and will be completed by Sept. 28, 2013. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-D-0058).

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC, Independence, Mo., was awarded a modification 34 on Sept. 29, 2008, a $70,446,012 firm fixed price contract for execution of economics price adjustment for Cooper & Total Plant volume discount. Work will be performed in Independence, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAA-09-99-D0016).

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $56,654,822 firm fixed fee price contract procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Saco, Maine, with an estimated completion date of Feb 20, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-D-0459).

Alliant Techsystems Inc, Mesa, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 26, 2008, a $53,480,866 multiple awards, indefinite delivery order firm fixed fee price contract for procurement of MK19 Grenade Machine Guns. Work will be performed in Washington, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachussetts, and Rhode Island, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited and three bids were received. U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management, Picatinny, N.J., is the contracting activity (W915QKN-08-D-0460).

AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $32,711,502 firm fixed price contract. modification to acquire two government -owned contractor-operated teams and additional air vehicle operators and maintainers as needed. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Aviation and missile Command, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0016).

Blueridge General, Norfolk, Va., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, a $25,116,678 firm fixed price contract. The project includes construction of 4 story structures totaling 115,363 NSF containing 203 non-handicap units and seven handicap units. Work will be performed in Hampton, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and four bids were received. Corp of Engineer, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-C-0083).

Caddell Corp., Co., LLC, Montgomery, Ala., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2008, $18,719,743 firm fixed price contract. The project includes the design and construction of Fires Brigade combined brigade/battalion headquarters facilities, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on Sept. 11, 2009, a $ 18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract, for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A789).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Sept 11, 2008, a $18,700,000 fixed price incentive firm target contract for 27 months of technology development for the Joint Air Ground Missile Program. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., Ocala, Fla., and Troy, Ala., with an estimated completion date Dec. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via the Web and two bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-A123).
Solis Constructors Inc, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Sept.27, 2009, a $15,900,000 construction firm fixed price contract. The project will include design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar. Work will be performed in Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 25, 2010. One hundred bids were solicited and five bids were received. US Army Engineer, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0067).

Emerson Construction Co., Temple, Texas was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $15,252,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of an Army Reserve Center, Forth Worth, Texas. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, with an estimated completion date Mar. 31, 2010. Eighty-four bids were solicited and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0053).

K.L. House Construction Co., Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2009, a $14,582,000 firm fixed price contract. Work on this project consists of the design and construction of the PJ/CRO Rescue and Recovery Training Center (RRTC) and PJ/CRO Logistics Building at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque, N.M. Work will be performed in Kirtland, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. Ten bids were solicited and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer, Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-D-0032).

ECC International, LLC, of Burlingame, Calif., was awarded on Sept. 27, 2008, a $10,771,717 firm fixed price contract for the design and construction of phase one replacement housing and related support facilities at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Work will be performed at Bagram Airfield and will be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Five bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Afghanistan, is the contracting activity (W917PM-07-D-0015).

Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0006 on Sept. 27, 2009, a $14,216,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Unit Operations Facilities. Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).

Walbridge Aldinger, Detroit, Mich., was awarded a modification 0003 on Sept. 29, 2009, a $11,415,000 firm fixed price contract for a task order will consist of design and construction of the Fires Brigade, Phase I, Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities. Work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 1, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received. U.S. Army Engineer, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (W912BV-07-D-2051).

Weeks Marine, Inc., of Covington, La., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,799,450 firm fixed price contract to dredge about 1.2 million cubic yards of maintenance material using a deep-draft pipeline. The work will be performed in Harris County, Texas, and is to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-08-C-0033).

Bering Pacific Construction of Anchorage, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,583,520 firm fixed price contract for erosion-control projects near Shishmaref, Ala., including a 175-meter breakwater. The work will be performed near Shishmaref, Ala., and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Two bids were received. The U.S. Army Engineer District, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-08-C-0028).

P&S Construction, Inc., of Lowell, Mass., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $9,337,000 firm fixed price contract for construction of the Picatinny Armament Integration Facility at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. The work will be performed on Picatinny Arsenal and will be completed by Mar. 31, 2010. Forty-six bids were solicited and eight bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-08-C-0028).

Three contractors received a $9,056,456 firm fixed price contract Sept. 29, 2008, to construct a new dining facility on Fort Benning, Ga. The contractors are: Paul S. Akins Co., Inc., of Statesboro, Ga.; I.L. Fleming, Inc., of Midway, Ga.; and G.S.C. Construction of Augusta, Ga. The work is to be completed by Sept. 29, 2012. Six bids were received for this project solicited under FedBizOps. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, is the contracting activity (W91236-08-D-0064).

Lockheed Martin Corp. of Grand Prairie, Texas, received a $9,005,000 firm fixed price contract Sept. 26, 2008, for add-on items to the Patriot Pure Fleet. The work will be performed in Grand Prairie and will be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (DAAH01-03-C-0164).

Nationview/Bhate JV, III, LLC, of Birmingham, Ala., was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $7,602,692 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity firm fixed price contract to design and build a child development center at Fort Bragg, N.C. Work will be performed on Fort Bragg and will be completed Jun. 23, 2010. The U.S. Army Engineer & Support Center at Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W912DY-08-D-0025).

CAPE Environmental Management, Inc., of Atlanta was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,845,326 firm fixed price contract to contaminated soil removal and groundwater investigation at the U.S. Army Reserve Center at Caven Point in Jersey City, N.J. Work will be performed at the Reserve Center. Bids were solicited via the worldwide web and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is the contracting activity (W912QR-04-D-0037).

Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).

Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).

Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston was awarded Sept. 29, 2008, a $6,776,020 firm fixed price and cost reimbursement contract for contractor program management services supporting U.S. Army Europe's support contract. The work will be performed through July 31, 2011, in Heidelberg, Germany; Kosovo; Romania; Bulgaria; and Houston. Sixty-six bids were solicited and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Transatlantic Programs Center at Winchester, Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).

Correction: Applied Energetics, Inc., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded on June 4, 2008, a $9,280,801 cost plus fixed fee contract for the continued development and production of ten counter-IED (improved explosive device) systems plus spares, operator training and technical support for an overseas operational assessment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 3, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Apr. 3, 2008. U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-08-C-0080).

Navy

Gryphon Technologies, LC, Greenbelt, Md., was awarded a $17,154,595 cost plus fixed fee contract on Sept. 30, 2008, for the procurement of Expeditionary Warfare Program and Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) maintenance, modification, repair, and trial support engineering support services. The contractor will provide all personnel, materials, equipment, services for the engineering, & technical support required to provide logistics and material support for the LCAC Program. Work will be performed in Panama City, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $300,000 expired at the end of fiscal year 2008. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via Navy Electronic Commerce On-line and Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-08-D-0021).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $12,309,998 cost plus fixed fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008). This effort is an undefinitized contract action for non-recurring engineering to demonstrate, integrate, and qualify the Interim Defense Weapon System mission kit on the MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft and including associated logistics support. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa. (99 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jul. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Rome Research Corporation, Rome, N.Y., was awarded a $6,660,939 modification under a previously awarded firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N64590-07-D-0558) to exercise option two for satellite operations, administrative, and logistics support services at the Naval Satellite Operations Center. The total cumulative contract amount after exercise of this option will be $15,217,606. Work will be performed at Point Mugu, Calif., (85 percent), Prospect Harbor, Maine, (5 percent), Finegayan, Guam (5 percent), and Colorado, Springs, Colo., (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2008. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Correction: Contract amount awarded Sept. 30, 2008, to Chenega Security and Protection Services, LLC*, Ashburn, Va., should have been $9,580,477 and should have stated that with all options exercised, the value of the contract will be $68,536,173.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Hess Corp., Woodbridge, N.J., is being awarded a maximum $94,282,706 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are the federal civilian agencies, National Institutes of Health and Marlyand Procurement Office. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-08-D-8033).

Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC, Greensburg, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $26,036,923 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Maryland. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).

Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., Herndon, Va., is being awarded a maximum $14,547,988 firm fixed price contract for electrical services. Other location of performance is Md. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (Sp0600-09-D-8000).

The "People" in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China's Military

This volume represents the latest in the series published by the Strategic Studies Institute and describes the advances and reforms the PLA has made in its recruitment, officer and NCO training and education, and mobilization. As part of its larger reform effort to modernize and transform its military into a technologically sophisticated force, the PLA has implemented a number of measures aimed at training up a “new-type” officer for its modernized forces—one capable of operating effectively in a technologically advanced “informationalized” environment. This volume sheds light on such important questions as how the PLA’s personnel system is adapting to fulfill the requirements of a military force capable of “winning local wars under informationalized conditions” and how the PLA is cultivating a new generation of officers and what capabilities these new officers will likely possess.

READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=858’

DoD Announces Activation Of Unified Geographic Command

The Department of Defense today announced the activation of United States Africa Command, the sixth unified geographic command within the DoD unified command structure.

"It is, at its heart, a different kind of command with a different orientation, one that we hope and expect will institutionalize a lasting security relationship with Africa, a vast region of growing importance in the globe," said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

U.S. Africa Command will coordinate military-to-military contacts and focus on relationships between the United States and 53 African nations, as well as African military and security organizations. The command is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, with select personnel assigned to U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions in numerous African nations.

U.S. Africa Command is pioneering closer cooperation between government agencies by embedding members of other agencies into its military chain of command. These officials are not liaisons. They are fully integrated members of the staff. Senior leaders from the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and others bring new insights and viewpoints so that the U.S. military can more effectively support the whole of the U.S. government effort in Africa. In the years ahead, the command plans to seek international partners to join the headquarters staff, including members of African militaries.

Established in October 2007, the command's focus during its first year was to build a unique organization dedicated to long-term partnerships. U.S. Africa Command will now focus on synchronizing hundreds of activities inherited from three regional commands that previously coordinated U.S. military relations in Africa.

Navy Christens Littoral Combat Ship Independence

The Navy will christen littoral combat ship (LCS) Independence at 10:00 a.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 4, during a ceremony at Austal USA Shipyard, Mobile, Ala.

The name Independence recognizes the cornerstone of our nation's foundation that so many Americans have sacrificed to ensure. Five previous ships have also had that name. The first Independence was a 10-gun sloop that served during the War of Independence. The second Independence, the first ship of the line in the Navy, was launched in 1814 as a 74-gun ship, but later refitted to a 54-gun frigate. The third Independence served with the Naval Overseas Transportation Service following the end of World War One. The fourth Independence (CVL 22), a small aircraft carrier commissioned in 1943, earned eight battle stars during World War II. The fifth Independence (CV 62) was an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1998.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., will deliver the principal address at the ceremony. Doreen Scott, wife of the former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry Scott, will serve as ship's sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by Scott breaking a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship, which is a time-honored Navy tradition.

Independence is one of two LCS seaframes being produced. LCS 1, Freedom, completed its acceptance trials and was delivered to the Navy on Sept. 18, 2008. Freedom is scheduled for commissioning on Nov. 8, 2008.

The LCS is an innovative combatant designed to operate quickly in shallow water environments to counter challenging threats in coastal regions, specifically mines, submarines and fast surface craft. It is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots and can operate in water less than 20 feet deep. Independence will address a critical capabilities gap in the littorals. It will serve to enhance maritime security and it is capable of performing the core capabilities that define the Navy. It will deter hostility in troubled waters, maintain a forward presence, and it is capable of projecting power and maintaining sea control.

Under the current shipbuilding plan, the Navy is programmed to purchase 55 Littoral Combat Ships. These 55 ships will improve the Navy's capacity to respond to more globally distributed threats and will help the Navy reach its ultimate fleet goal of at least 313 ships.

The advanced design of Independence will allow it to launch and recover manned and unmanned vehicles. It will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfigured for antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis. The LCS will be able to swap out mission packages pierside in a matter of a day, adapting as the tactical situation demands. These ships will also feature advanced networking capability to share tactical information with other Navy aircraft, ships, submarines and joint units.

Independence will be manned by one of two rotational crews, blue and gold, similar to the rotational crews assigned to Trident submarines. The crews will be augmented by one of three mission package crews during focused mission assignments. The prospective commanding officer of the blue crew is Cmdr. Curt A. Renshaw, who was born in Louisville, Ky., and raised in nearby New Albany, Ind. The prospective commanding officer of the gold crew is Cmdr. Michael B. Riley, a native of Phoenix, Ariz.

In May 2004, the Department of Defense awarded both Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics separate contract options for final-system design with options for detail design and construction of up to two LCS ships. The future USS Independence (LCS 2) is the General Dynamics' lead hull in that ship design.

In October 2005, the Department of Navy awarded General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works, a contract for detail design and construction of their first LCS. General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works teammates include Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. and General Dynamics – AIS of Pittsfield, Mass. A keel laying ceremony was held Jan. 19, 2006, at Austal USA Shipyard in Mobile, Ala., where the ships is being built.

More information on the LCS can be found at: http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/lcs/ .

Oregon Guard Uses Mining Techniques to Clean Up Shooting Range

By Kim Lippert
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2008 - In a landmark project, the Oregon National Guard is relying on gold-mining technology to restore the land at a century-old shooting range on Camp Withycombe here. The process will remove lead bullets from the land and at the same time save the state millions of dollars.

"The majority of savings comes from the cleaning process that takes place on the land itself and by avoiding the cost of having to transport all of the waste to landfills," said Jim Arnold, environmental restoration manager for the Oregon Military Department.

Camp Withycombe is one of the oldest Defense Department rifle ranges in the western United States. Until the late 1990s, it had been used as a training site for hundreds of troops and police officers from around the area. Nearly 300 tons of bullets containing lead ended up in the land, creating a potential environmental concern that needed to be addressed.

"We want to be good stewards of the land," Arnold said. "The soil remediation process allows us to clean up the area and restore it to its natural [state]."

The project, five years in the making, took a lot of planning. The Oregon Military Department contracted with AMEC Earth and Environmental and coordinated with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to do the soil remediation.

Contaminated soil is taken through a machine that screens out the bullets. The soil then washes through another machine, and the bullets are dropped into a bag. The result is a pile of bagged bullets and a pile of clean soil.

In addition to bullets, workers uncovered a few other surprises.

"When we started, we only had information that small arms were used here," said Arnold. "But we have found ordnances from World War II, mortar rounds, grenades, and basically everything within the small arms category."

All ordnance was safely disposed of on site.

Throughout the process, nearly 14,000 tons of soil has been cleaned and about 300 tons of bullets were recovered. The bullets will be recycled, and the soil will be reused.

"One of the great approaches of this project is the reuse of materials," said Scott Kranz, the AMEC environmental project manager. "So often you end up excavating material and shipping off to a landfill. It's nice to be reusing material."

Once the project is completed this month, the Oregon Military Department will restore the land to its natural state. More careful planning will allow the Oregon Military Department to ensure trees are replanted and wildlife native to the land is restored.

"We're [making] it a better place than it was when we started," Arnold said.

(Kim Lippert works for the Oregon National Guard.)

America Supports You: Foundation Opens Second Fisher House in San Diego

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2008 - Wounded servicemembers and their families in San Diego will have a second "home away from home" during the recovery process when Naval Medical Center San Diego celebrates the grand opening of Fisher House II on Oct. 3. The Fisher Houses provide respite and accommodations for families of active and retired military patients who have been admitted for medical care.

"This facility represents the medical center's commitment to providing quality care and comprehensive support to patients and their families," said Rear Adm. Christine S. Hunter, commander of Navy Medicine West and the medical center. "Fisher House II expands our ability to provide a haven for families during a difficult time."

Fisher House II will mark the fifth house donated to the Navy by the Fisher House Foundation and will more than double the number of available rooms for families at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Built adjacent to Fisher House I, Fisher House II is an 8,000 square-foot, two-story house that is fully furnished and accessible under American Disabilities Act regulations.

It provides private bedrooms, a common kitchen, living room, dining room and laundry room. In addition, Fisher House II will offer wireless Internet access and cable service.

"The Naval Medical Center, particularly the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care program, treats some of our most severely injured servicemembers," said David J. McIntyre Jr., Fisher House Foundation board member and TriWest president and chief executive officer. "Having family nearby provides comfort to them and can contribute to their recovery process.

"TriWest is proud to support the Fisher House, a 'home away from home' for military families to stay while their loved one is receiving care," he added. "There, families can concentrate on healing and being together."

The ground-breaking ceremony for Fisher House II was held on June 15, 2007. During the ceremony, David A. Coker, president of the Fisher House Foundation, recognized the contributions of two major donors for the $4 million project: TriWest Health Care Alliance and T. Boone Pickens, chairman and chief executive officer of BP Capital.

The original Fisher House was built 1992 and offers eight rooms for families.

Fisher House Foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizen and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

(From a Naval Medical Center San Diego news release).

Recently Wounded Vets Get Intro to Therapeutic Sports

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2008 - More than 50 recently wounded veterans, including troops being processed through the disability evaluation system, are experiencing the healing power of recreation here through the first National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic Pilot Program. The week-long clinic, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is giving the veterans – many wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan – an early introduction to the therapeutic value of recreational sports. Most of the participants are getting their first taste of sailing, surfing, kayaking, cycling and track and field events since being wounded or injured.

All receive treatment at VA medical centers around the country for injuries ranging from brain trauma and polytrauma to spinal cord injury and limb loss.

The clinic is the newest of five VA-sponsored events each year that give about 1,800 veterans venues to showcase their athletic abilities and creative talents while building bonds with other disabled veterans.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James B. Peake -- a retired lieutenant general and former Army surgeon general -- called the clinic a therapeutic extension of the top-quality care VA medical centers offer young veterans every day.

"The purpose of this clinic is to provide early intervention for veterans battling back from injury – not only strengthening their bodies, but overcoming and improving their mental well-being as well," he said.

In addition to high-adventure sports and recreation, the clinic provides both formal and informal opportunities for veterans to share their experiences and help each other confront and overcome their disabilities.

Chris Chandler, a volunteer at the clinic who works with the U.S. Paralympic Team, described his personal path to healing as he led a group discussion on coping skills.

Chandler was a scout deployed to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps' 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion when he lost his foot to a landmine in December 2001.

"It changed my whole world," he told the group, noting that the injury stole both his independence and his ability to run competitively. "It was a huge passion in my life, and I felt like my identity had been taken," he said. "I was very angry for a very long time."

Veterans around the room nodded in understanding as Chandler told his story.

Today, Chandler credits his caregivers for helping him to get back on the track, racing through the Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound program.

"People showed me a glimpse of the future, and where I could be if I wanted to," he told the group. "It was one of the biggest things that helped me through."

This week, Chandler said, he hopes the veterans -- particularly those just learning to live with their disabilities -- will recognize possibilities they may have considered lost.

"The philosophy here is to introduce veterans who may have ideals about things they think they can't do, to a variety of new activities that they can do," agreed Tom Brown, director of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

Among the participants getting that introduction is Cpl. Sherman Watson, a member of the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, who's undergoing the disability screening board process. Watson was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in February 2006 when a roadside bomb left him with traumatic brain injury – and his third Purple Heart award.

After two years of intensive rehabilitation, Watson is here this week, trying his hand at track and field events, kayaking and other sporting events.

As much as he loves the sports, Watson said, he gets even more gratification getting to know others who understand and relate to what he's experienced.

"I like the camaraderie here," he said. "I'm comfortable talking with the other veterans, hearing what they have to say and knowing that I'm not struggling by myself.

"Being here, I feel free, and I feel happy."

Pilot Missing In Action From The Vietnam War Is Identified

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

He is Col. David H. Zook, Jr., U.S. Air Force, of West Liberty, Ohio. He will be buried Oct. 4 in West Liberty.

On Oct. 4, 1967, Zook was on a psychological warfare operation over Song Be Province, South Vietnam, when his U-10B Super Courier aircraft collided in mid-air with a C-7A Caribou. The C-7 pilot said he saw the other aircraft hit the ground and explode. Several search and rescue attempts failed to locate Zook's remains.

In 1992, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident in Song Be Province. The team interviewed Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the crash and saw remains amid the wreckage. The team surveyed the site and found evidence consistent with Zook's crash. While later examining the evidence recovered from the site, a small fragment of bone was found.

In 1993, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered a bone fragment and non-biological material including small pieces of military clothing. In March 2008, a final excavation was conducted and more human remains were recovered.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and also used dental comparisons in the identification of Zook'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) 699-1169.

Registry Tracks Effects of Embedded Metal Fragments

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 30, 2008 - A Defense Department registry is helping officials gather data to be sure the long-accepted practice of leaving embedded metal fragments in wounded warriors' bodies as long as vital organs aren't threatened is valid. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology created the Embedded Metal Fragments Registry in December.

"In general, we've [always] felt that metal fragments in a body, if they're smaller than a certain size ... and they're not in a vital area of the body, it's OK to leave them in," said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, DoD's deputy director for force health protection and readiness. "That's been that way for, actually, centuries, [but] we want to be able to validate that with actual data."

To date, the registry deals only with wounded servicemembers from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

The military's interest in the effects of embedded metal fragments began in the early 1990s after Gulf War veterans reported health concerns, Kilpatrick said. During the Gulf War, servicemembers used munitions made with depleted uranium. The military had studied the effects of firing munitions made from depleted uranium, but not the effects of being hit with them.

Several servicemembers were hit with these munitions in combat accidents, and looked to the depleted uranium as a possible cause of illnesses Gulf War veterans were reporting. But research that began in the mid-1990s hasn't revealed any cause for concern that depleted uranium fragments were causing harm to those harboring them.

"We've had some 70 people followed at the Baltimore [Veterans Affairs Medical Center] that were hit with depleted uranium," Kilpatrick said. "We've not seen any health effects in them yet."

The new registry's aim is to look at the effects of embedded metal fragments over the long term. To date, the registry has looked at 400 to 500 fragments to determine their makeup.

Those who have had fragments removed and sent to the registry but still live with unrecoverable fragments will become part of a database, Kilpatrick said. Administrators will use medical records created when servicemembers were injured in blasts and subsequent medical records to add to that database, Kilpatrick said.

This information will be shared with the Veterans Affairs health care system, because the intention of the registry is to follow the veterans for the rest of their lives, he said.

"We're really on the very ground floor of building this registry," Kilpatrick said. "As we're working with the services we're saying, 'Let's make sure that we're covering the people who are in the electronic records that are really pretty valid from about 2005 forward.'"

Earlier records, including those from the very start of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, aren't in electronic format and therefore are more difficult to use for the registry, he said.

The registry holds promise on many fronts, Kilpatrick said. It has the potential to help the military spot trends and track down potential causes of illnesses, and it could lead to new tests that would determine the type of metal and its concentration in an individual.

It also will help the military keep tabs on the enemy.

"We never know what the enemy may be shooting at us," Kilpatrick said. "We don't really know what the enemy's going to be putting in some of these roadside devices. The question is always 'What's on the world market?'"

So far, Kilpatrick said, the catalogued metal fragments don't show anything unusual.

"The good news is that we've not seen anything in those fragments that is a dangerous-type metal," he said. "These are all the usual types of metals -- iron being the most prevalent one, followed by aluminum or copper or brass. Things you'd expect to see."

The whole aim of the program, he said, is to be able to care for servicemembers properly and give them some peace of mind that the fragments they carry shouldn't cause any problems.

Executive Order Eases Federal Employment for Military Spouses

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 30, 2008 - President Bush signed an executive order this week that will make it easier for spouses of servicemembers to get federal jobs. The order authorizes noncompetitive hiring of spouses and should make the hiring process easier and faster for those in this category, said Patricia Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy.

"It shall be the policy of the United States to provide for the appropriately expedited recruitment and selection of spouses of members of the armed forces for appointment to positions in the competitive service of the federal civil service as part of the effort of the United States to recruit and retain in military service, skilled and experienced members of the armed forces and to recognize and honor the service of such members injured, disabled or killed in connection with their service," Bush wrote in the order, issued Sept. 26.

The order will allow spouses "to walk into any personnel office of any federal agency and get a job," Bradshaw said. "This sidesteps this long-enduring process that often turns spouses away."

Bush first proposed the initiative in his State of the Union address in January. "We want to ensure that our military families are taken care of," Bradshaw said. Surveys show that employment for spouses is a concern to servicemembers and their families.

To be eligible, individuals have to be the spouse of an active-duty member or of a reservist on active duty called on to relocate.

Also eligible are the spouses of servicemembers listed as 100 percent disabled and separated or retired, as well as widows or widowers of servicemembers who died on active duty and who have not remarried.

"We hear from servicemembers that a key to retention and recruitment is the support systems in place to help family members," Bradshaw said. "More than half of the military members are married, and this is a significant issue for them."

Only about 10 percent of military spouses remain in the same place for five years, and the frequent moves make employment a problem, Bradshaw noted.

"The objective of this appointment is to actually get their foot in the door, and then they will be able to move around the federal government that much easier," she said. "This authority gets them into the door. It doesn't waive the qualifications for the job."

The director of the Office of Personnel Management will issue the implementing regulations.

"We are working with them very aggressively as quickly as possible," Bradshaw said. "Unfortunately, it will be sometime after the first of the year before we see interim regulations."

Ukrainian Ship Hijacking Causes Concern at Pentagon

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 30, 2008 - Some 30 Russian tanks and various munitions aboard a Ukrainian vessel that was hijacked by Somali pirates Sept. 25 has caused serious concern for Defense Department officials, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters here today. "[The Defense Department] has seen a dramatic increase in piracy in this area, and it is a matter of real concern," Morrell said. "This particular vessel has on it a number of Russian tanks, ammo and [rocket-propelled grenades] and anti-aircraft weapons that raise this to another level of concern."

The Ukrainian cargo ship, the Faina, was transporting an estimated $30 million of Russian military equipment to Kenya when it was taken over by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The fact that Kenya was receiving the weapons isn't a concern for the United States, Morrell said, citing Kenya's legitimate right to build up its self defense.

"We know [Kenya] as a government that is in good standing," Morrell said, noting President Bush's meeting with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki yesterday. "[Kenya} is a peaceful government with legitimate self-defense needs, so we have no reason to believe that this cargo was not destined to the government of Kenya as their president suggests."

Preventing the munitions from ending up in the wrong hands is the main objective for U.S. officials, Morrell said, based on the uncertainty of whether or not the pirates would sell the munitions to terrorists.

"Our concern is making sure that this cargo does not end up in the hands of anyone who would use it in a way that would be destabilizing to the region," he said, "and we have committed significant resources to make sure those objectives are met."

Several ships from the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Naval Forces Central Command area of operations began pursuit of the Faina almost immediately after its hijacking and are monitoring the pirate's activities. The U.S. warships have "enormous capabilities" and firepower, but the Defense Department is focused on a peaceful solution, Morrell said.

Russian naval forces reportedly are on their way to the site, but are not expected to arrive for several days. The United States has no issues working with the Russian navy and intends to cooperate candidly to ensure the munitions are kept out of terrorist hands, he said.

"[The United States] already has several U.S. naval vessels on scene, which have contained the vessel in question," Morrell said. "We have what is necessary to deal with the situation at hand. It does contain Russian cargo, so we don't have a particular issue with the Russians coming on the scene as well.

"In terms of the bigger picture of piracy and the problems it poses on commercial shipping in that area," he continued, "it is one that the 5th Fleet has been working on and addressing."

DNA Lab Helps Return Servicemembers to their Families

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 30, 2008 - Thumb-tacked to the inside of Jennifer O'Callaghan's office cubicle is a picture of Marine Capt. William Francis Mullen. On her desk is a red metal bracelet engraved with his name, and the date the fighter pilot went missing.

Mullen presumably was shot down during a combat mission in Laos in 1966. His body was never found, but O'Callaghan hopes to change that.

"Hopefully, one day, we will find him, too," she said.

O'Callaghan works as a mitochondrial DNA analyst at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md. She is not connected to Mullen in any way other than by the passion that drives her and the others at the lab to painstakingly work through extracting and sequencing the mitochondrial DNA of 800 bone and tooth samples each year provided by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC.

DNA testing, once deemed unreliable by the scientific community, has developed to become a key piece of evidence in nearly 85 percent of all missing troop identifications, DoD officials said.

"Once people realized the value of the DNA for forensic examinations and identifications of degraded or unrecognizable remains, it solidified DNA's role in human identification," said Army Lt. Col. Louis Finelli, chief deputy medical examiner and director of the DoD DNA registry.

Five teams of technicians, analysts and supervisors work on the cases that are flown in from the JPAC, which is based in Hawaii. The JPAC is one of a handful of DoD agencies charged with recovering and identifying missing servicemembers from past wars. Its Central Identification Lab sends the bone and tooth samples to the DNA lab even as its forensic anthropologists work to identify the remains of recovered servicemembers using other means, such as dental and personnel records, personal items and historical accounts.

The DNA lab has two main missions. One is to provide DNA testing on the remains of current servicemembers who die, and the other is to provide DNA testing on the remains of servicemembers who have been recovered from past wars. In the latter respect, the DNA lab is one of the oldest and largest labs in the world that works with what's known as "ancient DNA testing," or testing from severely degraded samples. It also is the world's leader in working with mitochondrial DNA, officials said.

Nuclear DNA testing is most commonly used now in forensic labs around the world to pinpoint a specific identity. But the drawback is that it can be used mostly only on high-quality samples, and other appropriate DNA references by which to confirm the identity are necessary, such as samples from immediate kin or a blood reference sample.

Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, on the other hand, points only to maternal lineage, but it is easier to extract from severely degraded bone and tooth samples, and reference samples can be from any maternal relative, regardless of the generation. This is especially helpful for identifying servicemembers' remains from past wars, because some remains are decades old and many immediate family members of the servicemembers have since died.

The development of using mtDNA testing to aid identification of servicemembers has led to a boom in business for the lab. It has shot up from testing only about 200 samples a year in 1995 to having plans to test as many as 1,000 a year by 2010. Also, since the early 1990s, the lab has processed 12,000 DNA reference samples from family members. Their sample results are entered into a database that is referenced against the missing servicemembers' DNA test results.

Finelli said the mission of the lab speaks to DoD's efforts to recover its missing servicemembers.

"I think we're unrivaled in that capacity in the world," Finelli said.

The sampling process can take months, or sometimes years, depending on the quality of the sample. The scientists there work in the "blind," not knowing many of the particulars surrounding the cases of those they are testing. Bone and tooth samples are sent to the lab in a small cardboard envelope sealed with evidence tape to protect them from tampering. Inside is a letter with a case and sample number, the conflict and region from which the sample is returned.

JPAC's recovery teams travel on about 70 missions a year to some of the most remote locations around the world to recover the remains. The DNA lab has received samples from drained rice paddies, termite mounds, glaciers and the sides of mountains, said Jackie Raskin-Burns, a supervisory DNA analyst at AFDIL. She said when remains arrive, the scientists can't help but wonder who they are and what their story was.

"Every case is different, and every case is exciting," Raskin-Burns said. She has worked at the lab for 14 years, and said the cases become personal for those who work on them. She keeps track of all cases she works on and matches them with the DoD notifications released after the families are notified.

"I still get goose bumps when a sequence matches a reference," she said. "I still get a little pit in my stomach when it doesn't, because you so want to help bring these guys home."

The samples provided are small -- typically only about 5 grams, weighing less than one-half of an ounce. The surface of each sample is sanded and cleaned to remove external contaminates. Technicians take about half of the sample, about the size of a pea, and grind it into a fine powder. Only about two-tenths of a gram of the powder is used for sampling.

The samples are purified, and everything in the cell is removed except for the pure mtDNA. The target area of the mtDNA is then replicated within the sample to give the scientists a sufficient number of copies to work with. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the targeted mtDNA are made. When finished, the mtDNA is separated and actually is visible on a gel when illuminated by an ultraviolet light.

Once the scientists verify that mtDNA has been obtained and that the sample is clean and accurate, it again is purified and then broken down into its base pair components. Each of the components is fluorescently tagged, allowing the analysts to record the exact order of the components.

The order of these components -- the mitochondrial DNA sequence -- is compared to a reference sequence. Each difference in the sequence is noted, and those differences are compared to a database of other reference sequences.

Mitochondrial DNA is not exclusive to an individual, and some sequences are very common. Therefore, a sequence match does not necessarily prove relationship, because others can have the same sequence. But, if two sequences do not match, it does prove they are not related maternally.

So, if anthropologists recover remains from an airplane crash, they already think they know who was on the plane. When tested, if the mtDNA sequence matches that servicemember's family reference sample, it is strong evidence that the sample, indeed, came from the person they believed to be on the plane. The test results are combined with other evidence gathered at the crash site and by forensic anthropologists to make an identification.

On the other hand, if the mtDNA sequence from the recovered remains does not match that of a maternal relative of the servicemember thought to be on the plane, the scientists can conclude that the remains are not those they believed them to be.

Once the sequence comparisons are made, a report is sent to the Central Identification Laboratory at the JPAC. If needed, it will return the samples to have them compared to relatives in the family reference sample database. The DNA lab does not make any servicemember identifications. It simply renders a report that indicates whether sample sequences are consistent with reference samples, or that a relationship cannot be determined.

Much of the work is done in test tubes in sterile labs by scientists clad in white lab coats and goggles. Air locks and separate ventilation systems keep stray DNA and other contaminants from ruining the tests. Despite what could be a cold and impersonal scientific environment, many at the lab say they feel personally connected to the mission and are determined to help return the remains to their families.

"If a case doesn't look like it's working, I'll put that much more effort into trying to get something out of it, because I know this is somebody's relative," O'Callaghan said. "This is somebody's brother. This is somebody's father. And I can be the one who can help bring him home."

O'Callaghan picked Mullen's name and profile from the Vietnam War Memorial when she started working at the lab. Her husband is a former Marine who served in combat, and O'Callaghan said that as a family member, she appreciates the lab's mission.

"I would want somebody to do this for me if something happened to him in Iraq," she said. "So I am very happy to do this for someone else."

Raskin-Burns has attended about a dozen presentations of servicemembers' remains to their families. She said the look on the family members' faces has kept her at the lab for 14 years.

"When you're working so hard at one thing for such a long time, to be rewarded by having this person go home to their family, it's very touching and becomes very personal," she said.

As a soldier, Finelli said that DoD's efforts are well spent, and even owed, to servicemembers' families and to those who have died in combat.

"The parents entrust their sons and daughters to the government every day. It's only right that we provide an answer back to them should [their sons and daughters] pay the ultimate sacrifice in the line of service to the country," Finelli said. "Nobody wants to be the lonely soldier out on the battlefield, not embraced by their country, who they died for."

Finelli said he expects that the lab's mission will continue to grow as research and technology continue to break new ground in identifying servicemembers' remains. The lab now leads the way in mtDNA research for the rest of the world, he said, noting that private organizations and other governments have asked for help in many high-profile cases in the past decade. And DoD is investigating expanding the use of DNA testing in the current war on terror, Finelli said.

With the advances in technology and science, Finelli said, he thinks the days of returning servicemembers' remains to their families decades after they died on the battlefield are over.

"There will never be an unknown soldier out there ever again," Finelli said. "The government has put their trust and funding into making sure they can tell my parents who I am."