Statement by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta on Supercommittee Negotiations

The failure of the Congressional Supercommittee to reach an agreement on deficit reduction is a setback for the country’s efforts to achieve fiscal responsibility while protecting our national security.  If Congress fails to act over the next year, the Department of Defense will face devastating, automatic, across-the-board cuts that will tear a seam in the nation’s defense.

Despite the danger posed by sequestration, I join the President in his call for Congress to avoid an easy way out of this crisis.  Congress cannot simply turn off the sequester mechanism, but instead must pass deficit reduction at least equal to the $1.2 trillion it was charged to pass under the Budget Control Act.

In my four decades involved with public service, I have never been more concerned about the ability of Congress to forge common-sense solutions to the nation’s pressing problems.  Since becoming Secretary of Defense, I have made it clear that the Department has a responsibility to help the country get its fiscal house in order -- and we are doing that.  I have been leading a strategy-driven effort to achieve the more than $450 billion in cuts over 10 years required by the Budget Control Act.  We will move ahead with that plan.

But as Secretary of Defense, my primary responsibility is to protect the security of the nation.  The half-trillion in additional cuts demanded by sequester would lead to a hollow force incapable of sustaining the missions it is assigned.  If implemented, sequester would also jeopardize our ability to provide our troops and their families with the benefits and the support they have been promised.  Our troops deserve better, and our nation demands better.

Military Sealift Command Visits Cable

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Delesia Buchanan, USS Frank Cable Public Affairs

POLARIS POINT, Guam (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, Commander, Military Sealift Command (MSC), visited submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), Nov. 20, to assess the ship's material condition and the progress of work since MSC integrated the ship with civil service mariners (CIVMAR) in February 2010.

Navy Capt. Pete Hildreth, Frank Cable's commanding officer, and CIVMARs Chief Mate Joseph Siddell and Chief Engineer James Shirley, greeted Buzby and led him on a tour of the ship.

"This was a great opportunity to showcase the work that the Navy and the CIVMAR crew have done on board the ship," said Siddell. "Rear Adm. Buzby saw the progress we've made since the last time he came onboard."

As Buzby toured the ship he saw first hand the strides made to improve the ship's engineering spaces, reefer decks, boats and crane spaces, supply storerooms and the MSC berthing.

"He recognized the improvements of the material conditions of some long-standing problems in the engine room and fire room," said Hildreth. "He was very complimentary to the job that engineer and deck departments had done."

After his tour, Buzby held an all hands call on the crew's mess with the CIVMARs to discuss current issues and update them on new plans of relief and the rotation of four to five years for the permanent crew. Buzby also talked about the implementation of the new dual band Next Generation Wideband commercial satellite communications infrastructure and service.

"Basically for the same cost that I'm paying today for a little bandwidth, I could buy almost double the bandwidth so we can provide greater capacity for crew use," said Buzby. "That's the plan, and it's going to happen really soon."

Buzby took questions from the CIVMAR crew and addressed their concerns, acknowledging the plan to complete jobs when the ship goes through a regular overhaul and dry docking in Vigor Marine, LLC in Portland, Oregon.

"I think he was really happy to see the team come together on relatively short notice to get the ship ready for the flag officer visit," said Hildreth. "The ship looked good, and the crew did a good job getting ready for it."

Frank Cable conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

USS Emory S. Land Arrives in Guam

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Gabrielle Blake, USS Frank Cable (AS 40)

APRA HARBOR, Guam (NNS) -- Submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) arrived at Naval Base Guam to temporarily assume the responsibilities as Guam's main submarine repair facility, Nov. 21.

Emory S. Land, originally homeported in Diego Garcia, will replace the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), during Frank Cable's scheduled Regular Overhaul and Dry Docking in Portland, Ore.

"It's great to see our sister ship arrive in Guam," said Cmdr. Timothy Sparks, Frank Cable's executive officer. "The Emory S. Land arrival marks a major milestone in Western Pacific (WESTPAC) maintenance."

As part of expeditionary manning, Frank Cable rotates approximately 80 crewmembers on and off Emory S. Land, to complement their crew of Sailors and civilian service mariners (CIVMARs).

Sparks said this marks the first tender turnover since Frank Cable arrived in Guam to relieve the now decommissioned submarine tender USS Holland (AS 32) as the WESTPAC tender in May 1996.

Emory S. Land left Diego Garcia in October and made port visits to Malaysia and the Republic of the Philippines prior to her arrival in Guam. During her stay in Guam, the Land crew, along with stay behind personnel assigned to Frank Cable, will continue to service submarines and carry out the mission of the tenders.

Yeoman 3rd Class Kelly Mossi, assigned to Emory S. Land said he and his fellow shipmates know integrating a larger amount of crewmembers from both ships may be challenging, but they are excited to be in Guam and to work with more Frank Cable Sailors.

While Frank Cable is in dry dock, there are plans to replace switchboards and the ship's electrical power control panel, replace low pressure turbine rotors and steel, and conduct machinery and habitability overhauls and repairs.

Sparks said that as these repairs and upgrades are being carried out, there will be a small contingent of Frank Cable Sailors and CIVMARs stationed aboard the ship for duty section support, and for the various security watches.

"One hundred fourty-five Frank Cable personnel will depart Guam for approximately seven months to oversee the availability requirements," said Sparks. "The majority of the Frank Cable crew will be remaining in Guam and assigned temporary duty to the Emory S. Land."

Emory S. Land will be the WESTPAC tender until Frank Cable returns mid 2012. Emory S. Land conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 5th and U.S. 7th Fleet areas of responsibility.

NASCAR Event Shows Pride in Military Families, First Lady Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – A barbecue at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida before the Ford 400 NASCAR race is the latest example of the pride Americans have in their military families, First Lady Michelle Obama said yesterday.

At the event -- held in conjunction with the White House’s “Joining Forces” initiative, which fosters public and private-sector support for service members, veterans and their families -- Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, thanked military families for their service and highlighted their resilience.

Tony Stewart won the race and the 2011 NASCAR crown, but military families received a share of the applause at the speedway.

“The fact that NASCAR is taking the time … during what is probably the most tense time of their whole race season -- that they’re putting the focus on all of you -- is just what we want you to know,” the first lady told the military families at the event. “This is how much your country is willing to step up.”

NASCAR is one of thousands of businesses, organizations, educational institutions and plain folk who step forward for service members and their families because they know what they owe military personnel, Obama noted.

“We know you guys are moms … and dads juggling it all alone while someone is deployed,” she said. “For all the military kids out there, we want the whole country to know we know that you’re sacrificing as well. That it’s not easy to have your mom and dad away from home for long periods of time, but you guys are strong. You guys are leaders in your own right.”

Obama and Biden said they want Americans to think of service members and their families all times of the year, not just during special occasions.

“We want to make this a part of the dialogue in this country forever,” the first lady said. “This is about the way we want this country to talk about our troops, veterans and military families forever. We want you to feel that appreciation and that gratitude so that you know your sacrifice is not in vain. People care about you. They care about what you’ve done, and this is just our way of shining whatever spotlight we have on the sacrifices that you make.”

USS Anzio Enters U.S. 6th Fleet and Begins Journey Home

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian M. Brooks, USS Anzio Public Affairs

USS ANZIO, At Sea (NNS) -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) departed U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) and enters U.S. 6th Fleet AOR, Nov. 20, to make the journey to its homeport, Norfolk, Va.

Anzio, along with the other ships from the George H.W. Bush Strike Group, transited from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal.

"It was a fast and furious transit," said Lt. j.g. John Camp, Anzio's navigator. "It feels good to be back in the Mediterranean Sea and headed back home."

Anzio departed Norfolk May 10 and was the flagship for Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a counter-piracy operations coalition task force, for more than four months in the 5th Fleet AOR.

"Although the Sailors are happy to be closer to home, they fully understand the deployment is not over and they must stay focused and be safe," said Anzio's Command Master Chief Donnie Novak.

Anzio is deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Veterans Get Boost as Obama Signs Tax Credits Into Law

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama delivered a clear message today when he signed two new tax credits into law to increase the hiring of military veterans and wounded warriors.

“For businesses out there, if you are hiring, hire a veteran,” he said. “It's the right thing to do for you, it's the right thing to do for them, and it's the right thing to do for our economy.”

In August, Obama called on Congress to enact tax credits, included in the American Jobs Act, that will help to get unemployed veterans back to work.

“While we've added more than 350,000 private-sector jobs over the last three months, we've got 850,000 veterans who can't find work,” the president said. “And even though the overall unemployment rate came down just a little bit last month, unemployment for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan continued to rise.”

Obama said “that isn’t right,” and he lauded veterans as the “best that America has to offer.”

“They are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we have,” he said. “If they can save lives on the battlefield, then they can save a life in an ambulance.

“If they can manage convoys moving tons of equipment over dangerous terrain,” he continued, “they can manage a company’s supply chain. If they can track millions of dollars of assets in Iraq, they can balance the books of any company here in the United States.”

Obama noted the United States has benefitted “enormously” from veteran’s service abroad and would benefit greatly from their service at home.

“And that’s why, under my direction, the federal government has already hired more than 120,000 veterans,” he said.

Obama praised First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, for their efforts in the “Joining Forces” campaign, which has secured pledges from private-sector companies to hire 135,000 more veterans and military spouses.

“Today, we’re giving those businesses just one more reason to give veterans a job,” he said.

The president also credited Congress for the legislation. “Today, because Democrats and Republicans came together, I’m proud to sign those proposals into law,” he said. “And I urge every business owner out there who’s hiring to hire a veteran right away.”

Obama pledged continued support to the nation’s veterans and wounded warriors.

“So to our veterans, know that we will stand with you as long as it takes for you to find a job,” he said. “And to our businesses, let me say again, if you are hiring, hire a veteran.”

The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides businesses that hire unemployed veterans with a credit of up to $5,600 per veteran, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers a credit of $9,600 per veteran for businesses that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Under the Recovery Act, employers who hired certain unemployed veterans were eligible for a tax credit of up to 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages, for a maximum credit of $2,400 for veterans who had been unemployed at least four weeks. This credit expired at the end of 2010. For employers who hire veterans unemployed for longer than six months, a new credit of 40 percent of the first $14,000 of wages, up to $5,600, will be applied.

The Wounded Warrior Tax Credit will double the existing tax credit for long-term unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities. A new credit of 40 percent of the first $24,000 of wages, up to $9,600, will apply for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed longer than six months.

The law will maintain the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $4,800 for veterans with service-connected disabilities.

The new tax incentives continue an ongoing effort to ease unemployment among veterans. A White House statement released today notes that in August the president challenged the private sector to hire or train 100,000 veterans or military spouses by the end of 2013.

With the help of Joining Forces,, the statement says, more than 1,500 private-sector companies have stepped up so far to employ more than 18,000 veterans and spouses and have committed to hiring 135,000 veterans and spouses by the end of 2013.

“Hire a veteran today,” Obama said at the signing ceremony. “They will make you proud, just as they've made this nation proud.”

San Diego Training Center Partners with SEAL Training Command

By Lt. Emily Castro, Training Support Center West Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Training Support Center (TSC) San Diego began a partnership with Naval Special Warfare Training Detachment 1, Nov. 21, to have students awaiting orders or for a school contribute to unit level training for deploying West Coast-based SEAL teams.

"The opportunity for our hold students to participate in this high-level training environment is invaluable - both in terms of direct support to the training mission and the indirect positive experience each student has after contributing to the training of our SEALs," said Capt. Antonio Cardoso, commanding officer, TSC San Diego.

The student volunteers are employed throughout the training in events such as close quarters combat, land warfare, visit, board, search and seizure, and special operations urban combat training. The students are tasked with a variety of jobs from setting up and taking down targets, picking up expended munitions casings, cooking meals, and cleaning, to acting as an opposing force against the SEAL elements.

"Having the students act as an opposing force benefits the SEALs because they can be chaotic and unpredictable due to their lack of specific awareness as to how the SEALs are trained and what their strategies are during combat," said Chief Special Warfare Operator Glen Davis. "Live action role players are a critical enhancement to our unit level training. Static paper targets provide a need for identification of friendly and unfriendly engagements, but when you introduce live people, it adds the dynamic of unpredictability and establishes a requirement to follow through the scenario by handling live personnel."

Unit level training is a vital series of readiness events that prepare SEAL teams to forward deploy to combat zones; the time allows for battlefield cohesion and enables platoons to come together as a single fighting unit. After unit level training, SEALs complete squadron integration training to incorporate their support personnel and fine tune all of their training in final preparation for deployment.

"Our relationship with Training Support Command San Diego has been incredible. Their support has almost become a requirement to maintain our training scenarios at their current level of complexity. We are grateful for the dedication and energy their staff puts into this program and look forward to their continued participation," said Davis.

"This is an experience that I normally wouldn't ever see in my job. It's cool to see other aspects of the Navy outside my rate," said Interior Communications Electrician Fireman Apprentice (SW) Brian Mares, a student at Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Command.

TSC San Diego includes three geographically separate service support centers that support 15 independent learning sites within the San Diego region. The command supports both surface Navy and aviation schools and averages 60,000 students per year.

Face of Defense: Former Airman Saves Dog, Saves Himself

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
Defense Media Activity

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 21, 2011 – When former Air Force Senior Airman David Sharpe adopted a pit bull puppy from a rescue shelter 10 years ago, he thought he was saving her life. In a dramatic twist of events just a few months later, she ended up saving his.

Sharpe was on the verge of taking his life.

As he sat on the kitchen floor of his apartment with a .45 caliber handgun in his hand -- "ready to finish the fight with the demons that followed me back from the war" -- that pit bull puppy, named Cheyenne, sat down on the floor next to Sharpe and licked his ear. It made him laugh -- something he hadn't done much. Something clicked for him, he said, and his reason for living became clear at that moment: to care for Cheyenne.

Sharpe had been suffering from an undiagnosed case of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. As a security forces airman stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va., he went on his first deployment in December 2001 to Saudi Arabia, where he came face to face with a Taliban sympathizer who would change his life.

Sharpe said he had been working with the man for a while, though he was mostly quiet and kept to himself. One day he found the man laughing hysterically in the guard shack and asked what was so funny. The local man pointed to a picture in an Arabic newspaper of the planes crashing into the twin towers and he said he praised Allah the day this happened. Sharpe said he got angry with the man and told him to stop talking like that. Then he turned to walk away.

"I turned around and I heard a couple of 'clicks' and 'clacks' and this little guy is pointing his [submachine gun] right at me," Sharpe said. "I froze for a few seconds, but it felt like days. I looked at him and pulled my M-16 up and charged it. We were yelling at each other and then a [British] guard came in and pointed his weapon at the guy, and then a French guard came in the side door and pointed his weapon at the British guard."

Once the incident de-escalated, Sharpe had to recount it to his unit leaders numerous times. With the official procedures for debriefing such an incident completed, Sharpe was referred to the chaplain.

"I went and saw the chaplain, and that lasted for all of about two minutes," Sharpe said. "[The chaplain said], 'Tell me what happened, Airman Sharpe.' I said, 'I don't even want to talk to you right now, sir. No offense -- I just want to be left alone.'"

Sharpe said the chaplain told him to come back when he was ready, but Sharpe never went back. He finished the rest of his deployment without incident and returned home to Virginia, but things did not go back to "normal" for Sharpe.

"I started having nightmares about this guy taking his weapon and pointing it in my face," he said. "I had visions of the bullet going through my head and coming out the other side. I woke and I started crying, and then I started calling myself a bunch of names and saying to myself, 'Suck it up.' 'What's wrong with you?'"

Sharpe said he began having violent outbursts with his family and friends over the simplest of questions, especially about his deployment. He began starting fights with strangers and even turned on his friends. One friend in particular continued to reach out to Sharpe.

"One of my friends came to check up on me and said, 'Hey, there's this pit bull rescue I want to check out. Do you want to come with me?'" Sharpe said. "I said, 'Absolutely. I want to get a fighting dog -- I'm a fighter.' So I went, and there were about eight puppies running around in a pen, and all of them were all over me. But there was one that was off in the corner, and that was the one I chose."

Sharpe said when he took Cheyenne home he felt better immediately. Though he was happier since he had gotten his new companion, he said, he continued to have violent outbursts. During one outburst in the kitchen of their apartment, Cheyenne watched and waited for Sharpe to calm down.

"I picked her up and took her back to my bed, and I just lost it -- started crying, bawling," Sharpe said. "She didn't say anything. She inched her way up [to my face]. She knew something was wrong. She just started licking the tears off my cheek. It makes you laugh, it tickles, and I immediately starting feeling relief, because I didn't have anyone [saying] to me, 'How do you feel now? Are you glad you got that off your chest?' She never asked. I told her on my own terms."

Sharpe didn't realize it at the time, but he and Cheyenne were engaging in a form of pet therapy. She would be his confidant on the road from that lonely night on the cold linoleum floor when he considered suicide to being a champion for other veterans with the same struggles.

"Pet therapy helps people who have PTSD to reconnect with the world,” said Megan O'Connell, a clinical nurse specialist at Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center at Fort George G. Meade, Md. "It helps to create a routine, a sense of connection, when you have to feed the dog and make sure the dog is watered, that it has all of its shots. It helps you. It forces you to become part of this world and to start to reintegrate.

"Especially dogs -- they react to body language," O'Connell continued. "If your body language is stressed, they want to come over, because they want you to stop being stressed, so they pay a lot of attention to you. It makes you feel like they care and they're listening, and that makes you feel comfortable to want to open up more."

In the meantime, Sharpe separated from the Air Force after six years of service. A few months later, after watching a TV news special about service animals, Sharpe came up with the idea to pair up shelter animals with veterans living with PTSD. He called the program Pets 2 Vets.

Sharpe took $3,500 of his personal savings to get started. Unlike other programs, P2V provided companion animals to veterans versus other programs that provided service animals to perform physical tasks for disabled veterans.

Initially, Sharpe would pick up veterans who were recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and take them to local shelters to interact with the animals. As the program grew, P2V provided an avenue for veterans to adopt their own companion animals as well as give veterans at Walter Reed an opportunity to visit shelter animals during their recovery.

About a year after Sharpe founded P2V, he reached a milestone. He was finally ready to talk to a human about his experiences while deployed. After meeting with doctors from the Veterans Affairs Department, Sharpe was diagnosed with PTSD and depression -- five years after he separated from the military, and nine years after the incident in Saudi Arabia.

"One of the problems with PTSD is that it really destroys people's trust," O'Connell said. "They feel disconnected. One of the things a dog can do is help to be that bridge to trust. Unless you've had a bad experience, most people have very positive feelings toward pets, so people are more willing in a lot of ways to talk to the dog or relate to the dog than they are to another person, especially if they've been through a traumatic experience."

Although the battle with PTSD is never over, P2V has placed more than 50 shelter animals with veterans, and Sharpe is now married to his long-time friend, the former Jenny Fritcher. Later this year, David, Jenny and Cheyenne will welcome a baby boy into their family.

"I always say Cheyenne brought me to Jenny," Sharpe said. "If it wasn't for Cheyenne, I wouldn't have this beautiful wife and beautiful life. She saved me."

Logistics Agency Provides Thanksgiving Meals

By Nick Sistrun
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21, 2011 – Service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as U.S. State Department employees serving there, will be able to savor the familiar taste of home on Thanksgiving Day thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support workers here.

More than 270 dining facilities have received their food deliveries and are postured to serve the special Thanksgiving holiday fare.

Deliveries included 168,000 pounds of turkey, 37,800 pounds of stuffing, 93,876 pounds of beef, 43,560 pounds of sweet potatoes, 24,000 pounds of shrimp, 34,560 pies and 25,800 pounds of cranberry sauce, along with other holiday treats.

“America’s military is a special group of heroic men and women who continually make sacrifices for our freedom,” said Navy Rear Adm. David Baucom, DLA Troop Support commander. “It is our duty and covenant to show our gratitude by providing them the very best our country has to offer for the holidays.”

As the U.S. military mission winds down in Iraq, the State Department has been increasing its personnel there and using DOD’s food supply chain infrastructure. As a part of the arrangement, State Department employees and service members eat together in the same dining facilities.

DLA Troop Support has a team of employees dedicated to ensuring that deployed service members can experience a memorable holiday meal each Thanksgiving.

As a DOD combat support agency, DLA provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The agency sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America’s military forces need to operate, from food, fuel and energy, to uniforms, medical supplies, and construction and barrier equipment. DLA also supplies more than 80 percent of the military’s spare parts.

With headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA has about 27,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,178 weapon systems.

28 Sailors Investigated for Illegally Using Spice

From Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Twenty-eight Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) have recently been involved in investigations for illegally using the designer drug Spice.

The use of synthetic drugs in the Navy, to include Spice, is illegal, and the Navy continues to aggressively investigate the use of synthetic drugs and hold those in violation accountable.

The 28 Sailors have been identified as part of six different investigations throughout the past month. All personnel who have been found to have been using illegal substances will be processed for administrative separation in accordance with Navy policy. Violations of the Navy's substance abuse policies include use and possession, and Sailors will be held accountable and separated if appropriate.

"The Navy's policy on drug abuse is simple and clear - zero tolerance," Vice Adm. Gerald R. Beaman, commander U.S. 3rd Fleet, reiterated after a similar event occurred in October. "Drug abuse puts lives and missions at risk and undercuts unit readiness and morale. The use of synthetic drugs, to include Spice, is illegal and the Navy continues to aggressively investigate the use of synthetic drugs and hold those in violation accountable."

The Navy has a series of measures in place to educate Sailors about the perils of drug use and dependency; to deter them from ruining their professional careers and personal lives by choosing to use drugs; and an aggressive program to detect drugs in the unlikely event a Sailor decides to use them.

By holding Sailors accountable for drug abuse, the Navy better protects and retains the overwhelming majority of Sailors who conduct themselves honorably. The Navy continues to actively investigate suspected illicit and designer drug use and possession. If it is determined that additional Sailors have used drugs, those Sailors will be held accountable and if appropriate, processed for separation.

On March 1, 2011, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exercised its emergency scheduling authority to control five chemicals used to make Spice and other "fake-pot" type products.

Donilon: Obama Calls for ‘All-in’ Asia Strategy

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – National Security Advisor Tom Donilon discussed the administration’s “all-in” Asia strategy during a press conference in Indonesia today.

Donilon said the president’s weeklong engagements with Asian leaders culminating in the East Asia Summit “is the implementation of a substantial and important reorientation in American global strategy.”

The summit has occurred annually since 2005, with the United States and Russia participating for the first time this year along with Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, India and China.

Donilon noted that from the president’s hosting of the 19th annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in Honolulu through a trip to Canberra and Darwin in Australia and culminating with the summit in Bali, Obama worked this week with 25 nations “in the fastest-growing economic region in the world,” and attended formal bilateral meetings with 10 countries’ heads of state.

A White House fact sheet on the summit noted while the gathering’s traditional agenda includes regional concerns such as education, finance, energy and the environment, Obama called for discussions on security topics including maritime cooperation and nuclear nonproliferation. The president also pledged support to advance humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the region.

Donilon said the administration has worked for three years on a strategic rebalancing of what officials viewed as an “underweighted” U.S. involvement in Asia.

“We set about, through three lines of quite specific work, to address that underweighting,” he said.

Donilon outlined those approaches: strengthening alliances and security partnerships; engaging with emerging regional power centers such as China, India and Indonesia; and participating in and helping to form regional, multilateral economic, diplomatic and security institutions.

The president has given “clear guidance” that the United States will allocate the resources to maintain a strong security presence in Asia, Donilon said, in the midst of what he described as a $489 billion spending reduction over 10 years.

“With Asia, that means being all in, and doing the things that are required here with the resources that are necessary,” the national security advisor said.

“From our perspective, we've been able to positively advance each of the key goals that we had for the course of this trip,” he added. “And I think that's been in the U.S. interest.”

Defense-related announcements during Obama’s Asia trip included an agreement with Australia to establish a rotational deployment of Marines to train with Australian military forces and a transfer and upgrade of 24 Excess Defense Article F-16s to the Indonesian air force.

Press Secretary Cites Concerns of Sexual Assault in Ranks

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will issue “very direct guidance” in the coming months about how the department should respond to sexual assaults within the ranks, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today.

George Little cited public commentary from Capitol Hill and elsewhere on the military’s sexual assault problem, and he said Panetta finds it “totally unacceptable.”

Panetta “had zero tolerance for this at the CIA when I worked with him there,” Little said, “and he believes that it’s no longer acceptable that we say we can just ‘do better’ on this. We need to take action.”

Potential actions are being discussed, but no final decisions have been made, he said.

The defense secretary is “troubled by what he understands are sexual assault problems inside the military,” Little said.

“In the coming months,” he continued, “you will see him issue very direct guidance to the department on this very important issue and problem.”

USS George H.W. Bush Arrives in 6th Fleet

By Mass Communication Specialist Third Class (SW/AW) Greg Wilhelmi, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (NNS) -- Aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), along with embarked squadrons and staffs of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22, arrived in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), Nov. 20.

George H.W. Bush completed five months of combat operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR and was relieved by USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).

While in the Mediterranean Sea, George H.W. Bush will conduct a full range of maritime operations and theater security cooperation efforts in concert with coalition, joint, interagency and other partners to improve operational proficiency, and maintain maritime safety and security.

The ship will continue through the Mediterranean Sea and make its seventh scheduled port visit on its return to homeport in Norfolk.

George H.W. Bush departed from Norfolk May 11, for a regularly scheduled deployment as part of the ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations and operate in international waters across the globe, along with other coalition maritime forces.

George H. W. Bush is the flag ship of George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG). Additional ships deployed with the strike group are guided-missile cruisers USS Gettysburg (CG 64) and USS Anzio (CG 68), and the guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22 - USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and USS Mitscher (DDG 57).

USS New Orleans Kicks Off 'United Through Reading' Program

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dominique Pineiro, Amphibious Squadron 5 Public Affairs

USS NEW ORLEANS, At Sea (NNS) -- The religious ministries team aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) launched its "United Through Reading" (UTR) program Nov. 16, for Sailors and Marines to use throughout the ship's deployment.

UTR provides the opportunity to keep an open line on communication with loved ones and help relieve the stress of deployment by having deployed service members read aloud to children via DVD.

The program is available to any service member, including those who do not have children but would like to send a message or read a book to someone special in their lives.

"Just taking the 10 or 15 minutes to refocus on the home front helps us stay balanced and keep our perspective on what we're actually fighting for; the freedoms of our friends and family members at home," said Lt. Paul Armstrong, USS New Orleans chaplain. "It's also a great way to say 'I love you' in a way that will really connect with a child's heart."

Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Marilyn Smith expressed her excitement with the program and said she plans to record a DVD at least once a month throughout the deployment.

"My daughter just started to read before I left, and this is a great way for me to continue being there," she said. "It's very tough, but the technology we have today helps us bridge the gap and bring us closer to our family, even if we aren't (physically) there."

While the child watches the DVD, his or her reaction is recorded and sent to the service member via e-mail or through the mail.

"I know what her reaction will be, she'll be happy, probably clap and point to the screen and say 'that's my mommy!'" Smith said. "It's tough being away from her, but this helps me stay connected."

According to the program's official website, UTR is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that has united families facing physical separation by facilitating the bonding experience of reading aloud together

USS New Orleans is assigned to Amphibious Squadron 5, and along with embarked Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the ship deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Readiness Group, Nov. 14.

Commissioned in 2007, USS New Orleans is the second of the San Antonio-class transport dock ships. Its warfighting capabilities include a state-of-the-art command and control suite, substantially increased vehicle lift capacity, a large flight deck, and advanced ship survivability features that enhance its ability to operate in the littoral environment.

Adm. Papp reviews mission of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia

By CDR Glynn Smith

This is the first of a three-part series focused on Adm. Bob Papp’s travel to the Middle East and Europe to meet with partner organizations and visit Coast Guard personnel. It was written with contributions by Ademide Adedokun.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp visited Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia in Manama, Bahrain, this week to learn more about the unit’s evolving mission in support of U.S. naval forces in the region and meet with Coast Guard personnel. This coordination is critical to the Coast Guard’s continued support, as part of the combined armed forces in the area, to protect U.S. national interests.

The Coast Guard established PATFORSWA as a contingency operation in November 2002 following a U.S. Navy request for patrol boats to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. The focus then was protecting two Iraqi oil terminals responsible for 90 percent of the nation’s gross national income. The Coast Guard answered by deploying 110-foot patrol boats with support personnel to conduct this mission.

 “Most people typically see us day-to-day on U.S. waters saving lives, enforcing law and protecting the marine environment,” said Papp. “But the Coast Guard is also at all times a military service and member of the U.S. armed forces. We have routinely fought in the Nation’s wars and conflicts since our founding in 1790.” See for yourself in the best Coast Guard books written by real USCG veterans!

We expanded our role by deploying forces into Iraq to provide training and advisory support to Iraqi naval forces and inspection support for redeploying U.S. forces back home. In other locations, Coast Guard forces secure ports being used by U.S. ships and train other naval forces in the region to enhance their skills.

The increase in demand led to PATFORSWA becoming a fully commissioned permanent duty station in June 2004. It represents the largest allocation of Coast Guard forces outside of the United States.

In January 2009, PATFORSWA began training and administrative support for Coast Guard Visit Board Search and Seizure teams deployed with Task Force 151 on counter-piracy operations in the western Indian Ocean near Somalia. And more recently, in September 2010, PATFORSWA transitioned to Operation New Dawn with other Department of Defense forces, during which the mission changed from combat to stability operations in Iraq.

 “I am very pleased to hear that our capabilities are being put to good use here,” Papp said. “We are the only organization that can do what we do. I look forward to continued support to local naval operations.”

Today, PATFORSWA continues to deliver the Coast Guard’s unique capabilities as a member of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in support of national objectives. It’s key to success are the amazing people that volunteer each year to make the required sacrifices in leaving their loved ones and comforts behind and serving their nation far from home. Their reward is helping the Iraqi people rebuild their nation after decades of dictatorship and others in reducing the influence of terrorism.

“We have truly extraordinary people serving across the Middle East,” said Papp, adding, “I am always in awe of the volunteers we get each year for this duty, and they always exceed the number of positions we have in theater.”

Obama: Take Time to Honor Troops, Families

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama pointed out the importance of honoring military families’ contributions and sacrifices in his proclamation declaring Nov. 20-26 National Family Week.

“Our troops and military families serve with valor at home and overseas, and as a nation we have a moral obligation to serve these patriots as well as they have served us,” the president wrote.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched the Joining Forces campaign earlier this year to better fulfill this promise to troops, veterans and their families, the president said. The initiative is intended to raise awareness of the challenges military families face and to challenge Americans to make a difference in their lives.

As loved ones gather for the holidays, Obama urged all Americans to pause to give thanks to those who share in the “trials and triumphs of our lives.”

“Our families illuminate our days and bring meaning to our years, and their love has the power to see us through our greatest challenges,” he said. “This week and throughout the year, let us strive to give back to our friends, families, communities and neighbors, and to work together in pursuit of our highest ambitions.”

The president urged states, communities and individuals to take part in ceremonies and activities that celebrate the nation’s families throughout the week.

“This week, we celebrate the threads of compassion and unity that tie our families together, enrich our communities and strengthen the fabric of our nation,” he wrote.

Navy Leadership, Wounded Warriors Play in Wheelchair Basketball Exhibition

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Mikelle D.Smith, Defense Media Activity

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- In honor of Warrior Care Month 2011, military personnel from every branch of service participated in the Wounded Warrior Wheelchair Basketball Exhibition held at the Pentagon Athletic Center, Nov. 18.

Wounded Sailors had the opportunity to share in the festivities alongside key Navy leadership including Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) the Honorable Juan M. Garcia; Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Admiral Kevin M. McCoy; and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West, during a two-hour basketball clinic followed by the basketball exhibition.

"The most important thing about this event is to highlight these wounded warriors and understand that the best days of their lives and service to country are still ahead of them," said Garcia. "To see what our wounded warriors are challenged with every day is really a humbling experience. I can unstrap myself and get out of this chair at any moment, and some of them can't which is a testament to their spirit."

Personnel not directly involved with the event were also given the opportunity to get in a chair and shoot hoops with the service members, which provided further insight to the continuous potential and determination of wounded warriors.

"Being out here with these warriors and getting to do this is a great experience and an honor," said West. "They are determined, and they are ready to get down to business. They are a really talented group and they make it look easy when it is really quite challenging."

Operations Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Frank, wounded warrior and participant, expressed his gratitude for the men and women that took the time to acknowledge and support warrior care month, as well as the continued efforts of organizations that sponsor events such as the exhibition.

"Really, you never know the types of abilities you need to play basketball in a wheelchair until you get in one and start shooting around," said Frank. "I want to personally thank Navy Safe Harbor because they really put forth a lot of effort to bring us [wounded warriors] together and give us the support we need to get back into doing physical activities again. I really appreciate it."

The event was sponsored by the Navy Safe Harbor Foundation and the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment. Both organizations focus on providing wounded warriors and their families with non-medical care assistance and concerns such as transitioning back to active duty or the civilian community.

"This event gives the people here the opportunity to experience both sides of the equation when dealing with wounded warriors," said Will Wilson, program manager for Navy Wounded Warrior Adaptive Reconditioning and Sports. "Having experienced both sides, being a wounded warrior myself, I can tell you that athletics is a lifesaving adventure. I've had athletes say that this is the only thing that keeps them going. If we can expose our leadership to what these guys have to experience every single day, it's advantageous."

Warrior Care Month is a national, joint-service effort to honor wounded warriors and their families. The theme of Warrior Care Month 2011 is "Unleashing Unlimited Potential: Healing a Wounded Warrior's Mind, Body and Spirit."

Japan, U.S. Naval Ships Complete Dynamic Koa Kai Training

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Detachment Hawaii

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Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (NNS) -- Hawaii-based Destroyer Squadron 31 completed a week of dynamic training as ships returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Nov. 17-18, from the latest Koa Kai exercise in Hawaiian waters.

It was the first time U.S. Navy ships were joined by a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) surface ship for a Koa Kai exercise. The JMSDF helicopter destroyer JS Kurama (DDH 144) participated in the exercise that began Nov. 10.

"The Koa Kai exercise provided intense and comprehensive training for all of us," said JMSDF Capt. Shinji Maruzawa, commander, Escort Division 2. "It was remarkable how well we worked together, demonstrating good teamwork and sharing skills. We have great support from our U.S. Navy friends and partners here in Hawaii."

Kurama joined guided-missile destroyers USS O'Kane (DDG 77) and USS Chafee (DDG 90); frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37); and Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11). The surface ships of CDS 31 are joined by assets from Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Helicopter Squadron Light 37, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2, and the Royal Canadian Air Force 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron.

"This is the first time we've had a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship participate in Koa Kai," said Capt. Dave Welch, commander, Destroyer Squadron 31. "They were a fantastic addition to the exercise. This gives us an opportunity to exercise in another area that our deployed ships deal with, operations with coalition and allied partners."

Hawaii-based surface combatants regularly deploy to the Asia Pacific region and often train with international partners while on deployment. Koa Kai demonstrates the Pacific Fleet commitment to forward readiness and prepares Middle Pacific ships to meet current and future challenges.

"The opportunity to work together gives our crews the chance to see that there is strength in the diversity of capabilities that our allies and partners bring and gives us a chance to work closely with them in a controlled training environment," Welch said. "It also gives our allies confidence in the rigor that we put in our preparations to go forward in deployed areas."

Sailors aboard the JMSDF and U.S. Navy ships participated in visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drills; tactical training; anti-submarine warfare and live-fire ammunition exercises; and other drills and training.

"We just returned from major exercise Koa Kai, which translates as 'Sea Warrior' from the Hawaiian language," said Firecontrolman 2nd Class Deborah Rosen, USS O'Kane. "It's a major test of the entire ship's battle readiness. It's challenging. It has to be. It's meant to be. It's designed to be. It's to make sure that we're really going to be ready to go out on deployment and accomplish our mission."

Units participating in Koa Kai 12-1, the first of two such training events in FY 12, conducted integrated flight operations, anti-surface and anti-submarine training and dynamic ship maneuvers.

Koa Kai supports the U.S. Pacific Fleet's mid-Pacific surface combatant operational employment program, which calls for all Hawaii-based surface combatants to use the strategic location in the Middle Pacific to conduct intermediate and advanced training in a multi-ship environment. The training helps each ship prepare to deploy and respond quickly to support the Maritime Strategy.

Face of Defense: Marine Armorers Stick to Their Guns

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Heather N. Johnson
Marine Corps Bases Japan

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CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  – Every Marine is a rifleman, so where would they be if their weapons did not function?

Armorers assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, work hard to ensure each weapon is accounted for and working properly.

“A normal day for an armorer begins at two in the morning,” said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Michael D. Brown, a small-arms repair technician with MWSS-172. “We come in and get accountability of every piece of gear that we are responsible for.”

Marines like Brown who work at the consolidated armory here maintain and ensure accountability of thousands of weapons used for training by Combat Logistics Battalion 3 and 4, and others.

Aside from accounting for all of the firearms, Brown said, the armorers also have to inspect each weapon.

“During a deployment, Marines rely on their weapons to keep them safe from the enemy,” he said. “If they pull the trigger and no round [is fired], not only is their life in danger, but so is the life of the Marines to their left and right.”

The armory has always played a vital role in Marine Corps operations, said Marine Corps Sgt. Todd Kovach, the armory’s noncommissioned officer-in-charge with MWSS-172.

“This job is one of the most important in the Marine Corps,” Kovach said. “We are the keepers of the sword. Without us, the Marines can’t fight in the battles that are going on today.”

Kovach and Brown said they enjoy working at the armory.

“I enjoy my job a lot,” Kovach said. “I am an amateur gun collector, and I do my own gunsmith work. I enjoy the feeling knowing that I am providing quality weapons to Marines.”

Brown feels his job is important and necessary for unit readiness.

“It keeps me motivated to do the best I can,” he said.