Wisconsin Guard unit completes training exercise in Japan

By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson
Wisconsin National Guard

The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 332nd Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC) tested its limits during the multi-national exercise Yama Sakura 61 in Osaka, Japan, which concluded yesterday (Feb. 6).

"This is the biggest exercise in the Pacific," said Lt. Col. John Morgen, 332nd RAOC commander. "It gives us a chance to stretch our staff members in a number of ways - the military decision-making process, information flow, planning, coordinating and executing. This sets up perfectly for our [mission essential task list] tasks."

Yama Sakura is an annual bilateral exercise involving U.S. forces and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, and is designed to strengthen military operations and build working relationships. The scenario depicts a massive military assault against Japan and the military response from Japanese and U.S. forces. This year's exercise was the largest since the Great Tohuku Earthquake in March 2011.

Morgen said the 332nd RAOC is a small, versatile unit that plans and coordinates terrain management, area damage control, security, safety and unity of command within a designated rear area - in short, the unit keeps the rear area running smoothly to best support the forward battlefield units. This requires developing effective solutions to challenging problems and circumstances.

"We do command post operations," Morgen explained. "This [exercise] is exactly that. The 332nd has an impressive history of being the organization with the best answers."

The skills honed during this exercise, which began Jan. 23, can also be applied to domestic operations such as disaster response, Morgen said.

Yama Sakura also provides cultural exchange opportunities, with U.S. service members visiting local cultural sites and homes, and taking part in activities such as a Japanese drum performance, tea ceremony, calligraphy, ceramics and cooking. Morgen said some unit members visited a local orphanage.

"It's a unique training experience," he said. "Not only do our Soldiers get a chance to get better at their jobs, but they work with their Japanese counterparts and they experience Japanese culture."

Morgen said he was proud of how his unit performed during Yama Sakura 61.

"I've had an opportunity to be in two other exercises in Japan like this," he said. "I've never seen this level of coordination with the Japanese. In terms of collective training, we're doing very, very well."

Morgen said the 332nd RAOC conducted command post operations and cultural briefings for the past three months to prepare for this exercise.

"Having an opportunity to travel halfway around the world to get great training, in an environment that culturally enlightens, is a great opportunity," he said. "It makes for a better Soldier and develops a better individual perspective."

The 332nd RAOC is one of two rear operations centers in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and one of only 10 nationwide. Next year the Monroe-based 64th ROC will take part in Yama Sakura.

Wasp, ESG-2 Begin Bold Alligator "D-Day" Operations

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Drae C. Parker, USS Wasp Public Affairs

USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) -- Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) started "D-Day" operations Feb. 6 as Exercise Bold Alligator switches from its initial stages into full exercise combat operations.

"D-Day" marks the transition to land operations, where more than 3,600 Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen representing 11 countries will begin to take back beaches in Virginia and North Carolina during a complex training scenario in which parts of the United States belong to hostile forces.

"This was the first day," said Lt. Cmdr. George Pastoor, lead planner for Bold Alligator. Pastoor added that the strike group will continue putting people on the beaches over the next few days.

Bold Alligator is the largest amphibious exercise conducted by U.S. forces in the last decade and since it is based on real-world situations, the exercise will run in real time and will not end until the mission is complete.

Wasp is serving as the flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 for the exercise, and the ship's crew spent the past few days loading the equipment and personnel necessary to conduct well deck and flight deck operations.

"We are here to train like we fight," said Rear Adm. Kevin D. Scott, ESG-2 commander, in a ship-wide address over the ship's intercom system. "I know we are ready; to not only learn but to strike. Give it everything you've got and we will be victorious."

While Wasp handled command and control operations during the first day of D-Day operations, its crew will launch landing craft, air cushions and amphibious assault vehicles along with coordinating efforts with international forces and carrying out normal day-to-day evolutions.

"It's the most amphibious operations the ship's done in two years," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW/EXW) Joseph Costa, a member of Wasp's well deck control crew. "This allows the junior Sailors to see how their efforts contribute to the ship's larger mission."

The overall exercise involves 24 ships at sea conducting operations as well as numerous synthetic ships and personnel that aid in the overall training.

Pastoor said Bold Alligator involved a huge planning effort that went on for a year, starting in January 2011. The future plan for Bold Alligator is to switch between live and synthetic exercises each year.

"We worked hard for this," said Pastoor. "When you see all the ships in their place and ready to go, all the planning is worth it."

Wasp began Bold Alligator Jan. 30 and is expected to continue in the scenario until Feb 12.

Military Works with Habitat for Humanity of Guam

By Shaina Marie Santos, Joint Region Edge Staff

TALOFOFO, Guam (NNS) -- Service members partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Guam to refurbish the home of an island resident in Talofofo, Guam Feb. 4.

Antonio Bagaygay, 91, lives alone on a lot that was once covered by trees and plants. The home was almost invisible to passersby, until a Habitat for Humanity of Guam employee found him and solicited the aid of volunteers.

"This project has had at least 20-30 people each weekend," said Habitat for Humanity of Guam's board president Shane Intihar. "It is very easy to get Sailors and Airmen out to these projects. This is the kind of stuff they love to do."

Ann Cruz, administrative assistant for Habitat for Humanity of Guam, was pleased with the turnout of service members.

"The militaries, the Andersen, the Navies, and every volunteer that I call, they have all the heart when they come out and they came here, they work, and they help us out," she said. "They like to do what is good for the people and what is good for the families. They show they really are one of the Samaritans here on our island and that's what we're looking for, people like them."

Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Bryan Darnell, of U.S. Naval Base Guam Security, was one of the many Sailors who volunteered at the event.

"I like helping out," Darnell said. "I like coming out and helping people around the island. We're showing a pretty good presence out here. We're showing a lot of military personnel out here are more than willing to help the local community."

Lt. Alex May, of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas echoed his sentiments.

"Habitat for Humanity got the word out that [Bagaygay] needs help, so here we are," he said. "It's very important that we keep in touch with the community and this is one of the great opportunities to do so. I thank every single one that's here to help out."

Bagaygay grew up in the Philippines, where he was recruited into the U.S. Army. When he arrived on Guam, he helped in rebuilding efforts after World War II.

"He's done a lot to serve both the U.S. military and Guam," Intihar said.

Special Ops, Conventional Forces Work Together, Admiral Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The demands of 10 years of war have driven special operations and general-purpose forces closer together, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said here today.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven told an audience at a special operations and low-intensity conflict convention that military and interagency personnel have forged new relationships and broken new ground since 9/11.

Special operations forces have a prominent role in the new defense strategy guidance that President Barack Obama laid out last month, and McRaven said collaboration among the civilian and military leaders acknowledged the key role that special ops forces will play in the future.

“Not only has the last 10 years demonstrated the tactical, operational and strategic value of [special operations forces], but from a business sense, it has highlighted the cost-effectiveness of our force,” he said.

The special operations force has grown from 33,000 personnel in 2001 to 66,000 today. The budget has increased from $3.3 billion in 2001 to $10.5 billion today. But even with those increases, the admiral noted, those forces still represent less than 1.6 percent of the entire Defense Department budget.

But that can be a bit misleading, McRaven said, noting that Special Operations Command relies on the military services for combat service and combat service support.

“Additionally, our success is dependent on the interagency and coalition partners,” McRaven said. “Special operations today is a networked force that cannot be effective without these strong linkages to other organizations and other national special operations forces.”

The future looks bright, but there are challenges, the admiral said. He spoke of three lines of operations that will be important.

The first, he said, is to win the current fight against extremism. The bulk of this effort is in Afghanistan, but it is far from the only front. Special operations forces are deployed in 75 countries on any given day, handling civil-military operations, providing security force assistance, and helping to shape good governance and anti-corruption messages, he said.

“This mostly nonkinetic and indirect approach is the past, the present and the future of special operations forces,” McRaven said. “Working by, with, and through the host nation forces, we are helping to reduce the spread of extremism and eliminate the conditions that facilitate the rise of terror networks.”

The second line of operation is about expanding the global special operations force alliance. “Much of this work is being done through geographic combatant commanders and their special operations commands,” McRaven said.

The third line of operation is to preserve the special operations force, McRaven told the audience. “I have said repeatedly … that we cannot achieve success … unless we take care of the force,” he said. “To this end, we are taking a holistic approach to increase deployment and training predictability.”

The admiral also said he is working to ensure special operations personnel and their families get the best of care.

The collaboration between special operations and general purpose forces is not new. In Afghanistan, the 162nd Infantry Brigade -- also called the 162nd Security Force Assistance Brigade -- has two battalions partnered with special operations forces performing village stability operations. The Air Force has established an air advisory training academy program for light utility aircraft and light attack aircraft squadrons to train forces of partner nations. The Navy has established a global fleet station for partner-nation engagement, as well as a riverine warfare group and a maritime civil affairs group in direct support of special operations.

“The necessities of war drove [special operations] and general purpose forces closer together, and the new military strategy will take advantage of those relationships and build on the lessons learned,” McRaven said.

TSC, Learning Site Great Lakes Sailors Become Saturday Scholars

By James F. Antonucci, Training Support Center Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- Sailors and students from Training Support Center (TSC) and Learning Sites, Great Lakes volunteered at John Milton Gregory School to tutor and mentor 4th and 5th graders Feb. 4.

Established in 1983, Saturday Scholars is a part of the Navy's Personal Excellence program and is the model for the Partnership Tutoring Program. This five-week program ends with a graduation for students who attended at least three-quarters of the sessions. Students receive a certificate of completion and Sailors provide words of encouragement.

"The Saturday Scholars program provides our newest Sailors the opportunity to perform some wonderful volunteer work for the Navy and help our Chicago community children improve in school; it's a great win/win program," said Master Chief Electronics Technician (SW/AW) Timothy D. Malak, command master chief for Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit (CSCSU) Great Lakes.

"For this one-on-one tutoring program, we volunteer roughly 3,000 man-hours each year of community service to make it work," Malak said.

CSCSU instructor Electronics Technician 1st Class (SW/SCW) Dennis G. Cope is in his first year as the Saturday Scholars Program manager. "We are able to help these students drastically improve their test scores and more important improve understanding," said Cope.

Statistics have shown that the children involved in the program have displayed a 15 to 30 percent improvement on their state test scores, placing Gregory School on the state's honor roll; all due to the support received from the Great Lakes volunteers.

Approximately 90 Navy volunteers from commands across Great Lakes participate with 40 to 50 students each season. This year, students at Gregory School receive assistance in the areas of reading, math and science.

"We really pump this up. The kids know they get a chance to be tutored by a Sailor if they come and they love it," said Gregory School teacher Cathy Wright. Along with Charlene Reynolds and retired volunteer Precious James, Wright is one of the school's program co-coordinators.

"The Sailors here are great role models, especially for the young men who get a chance to see the guys in uniform. The boys especially come out to for it."

The volunteers depart on Saturday morning and spend half an hour socializing with the kids in the cafeteria after arriving. Prior to starting the two-hour tutoring sessions the Sailors lead the school children in a motivational chant.

"We try to target the students who are struggling in the classroom... so we pull those students who can benefit from having the Sailors tutor them," Wright said.

"The students love it," said Cope. "They like the military, the uniform and ask a lot of questions about where we've been and what we do in the Navy."

"It's been pretty fun so far, I was nervous at first, but I've melded in and gotten used to it," said volunteer Seaman Josue Martinez. "My student has pretty much got it down; I've just needed to push him in the right direction!"

Cope said family members may also volunteer.

"I am very happy to be a part of this program," said Cope. "I have always enjoyed teaching/tutoring, and I think it is extremely important that our children in our community are taught everything to become well-rounded adults."

For information about Center for Training Support Center Great Lakes and Learning Sites, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/.

Officials: Women Can Suffer Same Deployment Ills as Men

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – It once was thought that servicewomen neither were exposed to the same combat situations as men nor developed the same psychological injuries. But officials now recognize otherwise.

“With the type of combat we’re in now, … it’s probably the only place where men and women really are equal,” therapist Jeanine Aversa says in “The Long Road Home,” this month’s installment of the Pentagon Channel series “Recon.”

The segment made its debuted on the Pentagon Channel yesterday and will run through February. Officials estimate that the percentage of women in the military has doubled in the past 30 years. But that increase, the “Recon” segment noted, has come with a rise in problems such as homelessness, drug addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder among female veterans.

The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments work together to address service members’ physical, mental and emotional injuries, including those of women, so officials say it’s now easier for female veterans to ask for help.

Kate McGraw, acting deputy director for the psychological health, clinical standards of care at the Defense Centers for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., said a “huge influx” of congressional funding and Defense Department support on the issues facing female veterans have helped address psychological health and traumatic brain injury.

“Because there are more people deploying and the frequency has increased over time,” McGraw said, “we’re also seeing an increase in support for the effects of deployment.”

Focus groups, growing numbers of support groups and a mental health anti-stigma campaign are part of the DOD and VA support for female veterans, she said.

Battling the stigma of seeking mental health counseling also has remained a concern among military leaders, McGraw noted. Some service members don’t seek help, she explained, because they believe doing so could hurt their careers.

“The fears don’t necessarily have a basis,” she said. “So this is an attempt to try to de-stigmatize those fears.”

Peculiar to women is an apparent higher rate of “co-occurrence” of PTSD and depression when compared with men after returning from deployment, McGraw said. And other behaviors also can play a part in women’s lives, she said.

“Women tend to have a higher incidence of binge drinking … and a higher incidence of eating disorder behavior … as compared to males,” McGraw said, citing recent literature on studies conducted during the past five years.

Women made up only seven-tenths of 1 percent of the military when now-retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught entered service in 1957. Although her active-duty experience was nothing like what today’s women service members have undergone in Iraq and in Afghanistan, she said, she emphasized that many more doors are open to women in the military now than before.

“But that progress has come with a price,” she said.

Veteran Jen Crane knows about that price. She began to have panic attacks while searching for work after she left the military. She couldn’t continue her military job as a paralegal in the civilian sector, so she took a bartending job. There, she was introduced to cocaine. She said it brought her anxiety down and made her social.

Eventually, however, Crane’s penchant for drugs nearly cost her everything.

“Because I was using, [I was told to] get help. I was a soldier, a warrior. I can handle anything,” she said she believed. “I felt like a monster.”

Crane turned to prostitution to support her drug habit, and became homeless and broke. As her situation spiraled downward, she decided to take her life.

“I was going to do it with drugs, because it was going to be slow and painful. That’s what I felt like I deserved,” she said. But before she could act on her plan, police arrested her for drug possession.

Crane went to court, and began receiving counseling from Aversa. With support from her therapist, the courts and her family, today she is married, has a child and is the national spokeswoman for a nonprofit organization, traveling around the country to tell her story.

Experiences like Crane’s are helping to change the care female veterans receive. “We’re undergoing a culture change within the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Patricia Hayes, the VA’s chief consultant on women’s health, told “Recon.”

VA estimates that 6,500 female veterans are homeless and live on the nation’s streets -- double the number from 10 years ago. VA also reported that one in five women veterans reported military sexual trauma during their military service, and the number of women with PTSD is increasing.

The wartime roles for servicewomen have changed because of their exposure to combat today,” Hayes said. Women were close to bombings in Vietnam, but not like in Iraq and Afghanistan, she said, which have involved carrying an M-16 rifle and being alert for roadside bombs.

Women need time to adjust after returning home, Hayes said.

“They need time to work through [what] they’ve been exposed to,” she added. “A lot of women say they’re thrust right back into family life. They tell us, ‘The laundry is piled up.’”

McGraw outlined signs that someone is struggling with readjustment issues. She cited symptoms such as the inability to get a good quality sleep, nightmares, or the feeling of reliving events from a deployment when awake, disturbing dreams about deployment events, changes in mood, irritability feeling increasingly on edge or keyed up, or getting startled easily.

Veteran Genevieve Chase, who suffered a traumatic head injury after the vehicle she was riding in exploded, said told “Recon” that in spite of the struggles women try to overcome, their patriotism remains intact.

“Even the women who are trying to get on their feet or have been struggling through military sexual trauma, substance abuse, suicide or any major issue, … when they come home, every single one of them is still proud of their service,” Chase said.

The Pentagon Channel’s “Recon” series is a monthly, 30-minute broadcast that provides an in-depth look at operations, missions, military events, history and other subjects highlighting the accomplishments of U.S. military men and women. All “Recon” programs are posted on the Pentagon Channel’s website.

Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command Supports Exercise Bold Alligator 2012

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman (SW/AW) Molly Treece, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) conducted a synthetic underwater mine-clearing exercise in support of exercise Bold Alligator 2012 (BA12) at Naval Warfare Development Command onboard Naval Station Norfolk Feb 3.

BA12 is the East Coast's largest joint and multinational amphibious assault exercise in 10 years and is an opportunity for NMAWC mine warfare battle staff to integrate with a combined force maritime component commander to support amphibious operations by mitigating and disabling underwater anti-access/area-denial efforts. The exercise reinforces the role mine countermeasure forces play in enabling Marine Corps' forces to launch ashore.

"It's extraordinarily valuable that the Navy and Marine Corps' team, as sister services, conduct this exercise," Rear Adm. (select) Ken Perry, vice commander, NMAWC and the mine warfare commander of Bold Alligator. "This is to regenerate that partnership and renew those capabilities as sister services, to train as we operate. It's really very valuable."

NMAWC's mission includes providing mine warfare commander battle staff to support operational maritime component commanders in executing operational control of air, surface and underwater mine countermeasure forces.

During Bold Alligator, as the Mine Warfare commander, Perry coordinates the efforts of more than 320 mine warfare Sailors across several U.S. and coalition platforms and units.

Mine warfare forces participating in the exercise include Mine Countermeasures Squadron 3, Mine Countermeasures Division 31, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, Mine Warfare platoons from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units 1, 6, 12; as well as Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center's Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) Platoon and the Naval Oceanographic Office's Data Fusion Cell.

Lt. Cmdr. Tyrone David, the Canadian liaison officer for the exercise, said that operating with Canadian and United Kingdom dive units and UUVs increases U.S. and coalition mine warfare proficiency. "We train as we fight. It's a tremendous rehearsal for real-life operations."

Divers operated from Canadian Kingston Class coastal defense vessels HMCS Summerside (MM 711) and HMCS Moncton (MM 708).

BA12 will be a live and synthetic, scenario-driven, simulation-supported exercise designed to train Expeditionary Strike Group 2, Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2nd MEB) and Carrier Strike Group 12. Staffs will plan and execute a MEB-sized amphibious assault from a seabase in a medium land-and-maritime threat environment to improve naval amphibious core competencies.

The exercise is in its second week and will run through Feb. 12, ashore and afloat, in and off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

USS Mustin arrives in Ishikari

By Ensign Margaret Morton, USS Mustin Public Affairs

ISHIKARI, Japan (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) arrived in Ishikari for a port visit Feb. 6.

Mustin's arrival corresponds with the start of the 63rd Annual Snow Festival held in Sapporo. While in port, Mustin Sailors will have the opportunity to join tourists from around the world to admire the amazing works of art the festival has to offer in the form of ice.

In addition to viewing the ice sculptures, Sailors also plan to partake in some of the many winter sports offered in the region such as skiing, snowboarding, and bushwalking.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the many statues and trying the regional cuisine. This is my first Japanese port outside of Yokosuka," said Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 1st Class Hugo J. Perez. "I'm excited for an outstanding cultural and culinary experience. I especially want to try the seafood."

The Ishikari port visit gives the Mustin crew a chance to interact with the Japanese people in order to build upon the existing relationship with one of America's most important allies in the Pacific region.

"I anticipate the officers and crew to join in the many events associated with the festival and to gain an even greater understanding of the country and people that we partner to protect with the Japanese Self Defense Force," said Mustin's commanding officer, Cmdr. Scott A. Tait.

Mustin is one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

Face of Defense: Military Spouse Enlightens, Educates

By T. Anthony Bell
Army News Service

FORT LEE, Va., Feb. 7, 2012 – You don't have to meet Latorial Faison to know her.

Her life and experiences -- the search for self-identity, the revelation of family secrets, her academic triumphs, motherly aspirations, spirituality, perspectives on African-American history and culture, and a number of other topics -- have all been offered up for public consumption in the poetry she posts at http://www.latorialfaison.com.

A Fort Lee military spouse and educator, Faison offers up her thoughts and feelings with such a naked and unadulterated truth that one might feel a form of intimacy with this native of rural Southhampton County.

"I tell people all the time that writing is risky," the 38-year-old mother of three said, "because you have to say what you feel, be truthful."

Raised by nonbiological grandparents who adopted her at a young age, Faison's being was formed in the church and is grounded in such values as hard work and family unity. She took up writing in grade school and eventually wound up studying English and religion at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, earning degrees from both.

She later went on to teach extensively in various parts of the country. She is currently an instructor at Virginia State University.

On her calling as a poet, Faison said the strength lies in her ability to ignore what people might think of her work.

"I don't look for the confirmation of others to tell me who I am, or that what I'm doing is worthy," she said. "If you're looking for confirmation, then you might not ever tell the story."

Confirmation certainly was not on her mind when she was invited to speak at her high school graduation years ago. Faison was warned to remove references to Christianity from her address, but she refused to do so.

"They told me two days before graduation, 'You have to take that out,'" recalled the deeply religious Faison. "Guess what? I left it in. That's the story of my life -- if others set a boundary and I feel like I need to cross it, I'm going to cross it."

Faison uses this trademark approach to share, teach and enlighten; especially when she's penning prose about black history and culture. She has written two books on the subject and many other separate works. Her efforts seems to subscribe to the notion that black history, although full of monumental achievements and celebrated as such during African-American History Month, also is fraught with inhumanity and heartbreak. These unpleasantries are worthy of acknowledgement, she noted.

Faison's poem titled "Tears for Freedom" is one of many that tackle events and issues in which the word "celebration" isn't quite the right fit.

They swallowed the great

Atlantic to loose the grip

Of shackles and chains

They leaped boldly from

Ships of inhumanity

To priceless freedom

Mother Earth was drenched

In blood and tears as one child
Enslaved another

Faison acknowledges such content may make some uncomfortable, but history can't be changed, she said, or sugar-coated. However, she added, she isn't interested in digging up the past to incite anger, inflict pain or cause guilt, but rather to use it to help all people understand the unique struggles of African-Americans and to support efforts to better race relations.

"For instance, in the workplace and various places in the community," she explained, "you might see a black, or any person for that matter, and you might not understand what their motives are -- why they do what they do. If you knew something about their history, you will understand that person better."

Faison might have been thinking along those lines when she wrote these verses in her poem "Celebrate”:

Celebrate freedom's long road,

Every man and woman who bore the load.

Recognize every black institution.

Celebrate every black contribution.

Know the pride of black power.

Stand together in the final hour.

Acknowledge black history on any day.

Allow freedom to ring in the noblest way.

Faison's poetic range runs the full spectrum of emotion, from rage to pride. She said when she was younger, she wrote to "get things off my chest." As a result, many of those works are stinging, and even startling.

Faison said she still has the ability to alarm, but her expressions have evolved into something beyond her emotions. That ability is displayed in "Time to Be Set Free," a social and historical indictment that black people need "to let that past die and learn how to move beyond it," she said.

"I don't mean that we should forget it, that we don't honor it, that we don't teach it, but we don't sulk in its tragedy so much so that it deters us from prospering individually or collectively":

On this day we must recognize

That misconstrued fate has been baptized
Thrown from wretched slave ships capsized

To revisit the land of the living

Where we stare at one another
Half-way forgiving

For a past we never were meant to see

One so full of history
Let it be … just simply be

A time to kill

that negative
get-us-nowhere noise
And be set free.

Faison said she will continue to use verse to move people beyond the pain of the past, but she concedes that much work has to be done.

"People are still uncomfortable with our history," she said. "We need to get to a place where we can comfortably and honestly talk about things. And I don't think we are where we need to be."

Faison said she plans to support her husband in his retirement, complete her doctorate, write fiction and nonfiction books, work full-time at a public institution and become a dean.

Breeding Program Turns Puppies Into Troops

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Feb. 7, 2012 – Bernadine Green stands tall amid a group of young military recruits in training, assessing their behavior for signs of future excellence.

In the coming months, some of these troops will “wash out” of training, while others will go on to serve their nation, saving lives and ensuring security in locations around the world.

But for the moment, Green is content to just stand back and watch. These future troops are, after all, just a few weeks old and of a much different sort -- or, to put it more accurately, breed -- than their military training counterparts.

While Lackland is known for its basic military training -- a grueling eight-and-a-half week program that turns young men and women into airmen -- it’s also home to the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Breeding Program, which provides working dogs to every service branch and numbers among the largest military breeding programs in the world.

Green, the program’s deputy director and a former Maryland State Police canine handler, is among a team of dog experts that breed, train and raise Belgian Malinois to serve alongside other military working dogs, a select group used by DOD and other government agencies for patrol, drug and explosive detection, and in specialized missions both stateside and overseas.

The breeding program, administered by the 341st Training Squadron, is an important DOD asset, Green told American Forces Press Service as she cradled an 11-week-old Belgian Malinois named Donja in her arms. “We can provide a product that’s specially tailored for our needs,” she said. “We can start these puppies from birth … and really start guiding them along the DOD training path.”

At the heart of the program are the breeders -- known as stud dogs and brood bitches -- which are selected for their outstanding performance as military working dogs. Experts select only Belgian Malinois for this purpose, Green explained, because that breed tends to make outstanding working dogs, able to carry out their mission equally well on an installation or in a combat zone.

Once a litter is born, the puppies progress through three phases that help determine their suitability to become a military working dog. The first phase, called whelping, takes place from until the puppies are 8 weeks old. This early on, whelping care attendants mainly are getting a feel for the puppies’ personalities and exposing them to a variety of sounds.

Meanwhile, trainers and development specialists are keeping an eye out for the attributes that bode well for a successful working dog, Green said as she gestured toward a litter of puppies -- fourth-generation DOD -- tumbling over each other in a small playhouse. She ticked off a list of those qualities: not afraid of noises, inquisitive, eager to check out new places, sociable, not overly aggressive, and eager to play with objects, such as toys and balls.

As if on cue, Donja -- whose birth name is Ddonja, in keeping with the program’s official double-letter naming convention -- wiggled out of Green’s arms and began gnawing on a rope. DOD-bred dogs’ names all start with double letters, she explained, to distinguish them from other military working dogs.

At about eight weeks, the puppies are placed in a foster home, where they stay for about five months. Foster families are volunteers from San Antonio and outlying communities. Some are service members or veterans, while others have military affiliation, but all share a common desire to serve.

“Families love to do it,” Green said. “It’s their way of giving back to the community and the military, and also for the sheer pleasure of caring for a puppy.”

The foster phase serves several purposes, she explained. By living in a home versus an austere kennel, they learn social skills and are exposed to a variety of environments. “Families take them everywhere -- to school, playgrounds, stores, work,” Green said. “It broadens the puppy’s horizon.”

Having foster homes also keeps the program’s costs manageable, she added.

“This phase is probably the most integral part of the program,” Green noted. “Without these foster parents raising puppies, … we don’t get well-rounded dogs.”

At about 7 months old, foster families return the puppy to Green and her colleagues, a challenging time not just for the puppy, but also for the families who have grown attached to their now-beloved family member.

“We have a lady who fostered 13 puppies and one of the brood bitches,” Green said. Each time she returns a puppy, she added, “she cries a blue streak.”

The transition also can be tough on the puppy, Green noted, which now must adjust to sleeping in a kennel instead of their home. “They’re taken care of, but it’s not the same as being with their family,” she said.

Some puppies don’t recover from the loss, which is a strong indicator the dog isn’t suited for military work. In that case, the dog is put up for adoption, Green said, noting there’s a long list of people waiting to adopt DOD dogs.

The puppies that adjust well enter adolescent training, an intensive phase that lasts about five months and serves as a precursor to working dog training. Trainers use this time to expose the dogs to situations and environments they may encounter on an installation or in a combat zone, such as aircraft, vehicles and strange buildings, and to sounds such as gunfire.

“We evaluate how they are environmentally, their object drive, how long they’ll play or interact with us,” Green said. “This all leads to the ability to train as a detection dog.”

When they’re about 12 months old, the dogs are evaluated for entry into the 341st Training Squadron’s Military Working Dog Training Program here, which is about 120 days long and teaches the dogs how to patrol and detect drugs and bombs worldwide. The squadron also trains all handlers, kennel masters and specialized mission function dog teams for the Defense Department.

Puppies that enjoy biting on balls, rags and “bite sleeves” tend to make good patrol dogs, Green explained, which are dogs tasked with security. They work with a handler to protect government assets, to track and apprehend, and to search buildings, among other tasks. Dogs that prefer to use their nose versus their teeth most likely will excel at detection work, she added, such as sniffing out explosives.

The program’s goal is to produce about a third of DOD’s working dog requirement, or about 270 dogs militarywide, Green noted.

While most of these dogs are assigned to military installations worldwide, based on demand, some may be sent to another government agency, such as the Transportation Security Administration. The 341st supports the TSA canine detection program with shared training facilities and working dog procurement.

“Right now, the need is great for detection dogs,” she said, noting that the demand for these dogs skyrocketed after 9/11 and continues with the ongoing dangers posed to troops by homemade bombs. “These puppies will save more people with their nose than they ever will with their teeth.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class Russell Minta, the program’s senior noncommissioned officer, credits his former military working dog for his safe return from two deployments in Iraq. “He took care of me downrange,” he said. “No one ever got within a leash length of me, and I was never worried about running into a bomb of any type. He cleared thousands of homes and roadways and fields.”

As Green headed back to a private room to check on a new litter of puppies, she noted her pride at taking part in a mission that saves lives and protects troops in places such as Afghanistan.

It’s a mission she expects to continue, particularly since it ensures a steady supply of quality working dogs to the military.

“We have a homegrown source right here,” she said.

U.S., Japanese Officials Discuss Military Realignment

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2012 – U.S. and Japanese representatives met at the State Department yesterday to discuss changes under consideration to agreements on realignment of U.S. forces in the Pacific.

Specifically, the discussions centered on the 2006 Roadmap to Realignment and the 2009 Guam International Agreement, said Navy Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

Participants reaffirmed their governments' commitment to maintaining and enhancing a robust security alliance dedicated to Japan’s security and to maintaining peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Hull-Ryde said.

“The [U.S. government] remains committed to enhancing the U.S.-Japan alliance and strengthening operational capabilities while significantly reducing the impact of U.S. bases on the Okinawan people,” she added.

These and related longstanding agreements, negotiated over many years, describe the linkage between the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma relocation, the Marine Corps move to Guam and land returns on Okinawa, the commander said.

During the meeting, she added, “representatives reaffirmed their support of the principles of the 2006 Realignment Roadmap and pursuit of a military presence in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region that is operationally resilient, geographically distributed and politically sustainable.”

The two countries remain fully committed to the implementation of a Futenma replacement facility and the relocation of the Futenma air base to Camp Schwab, she added.

Guam remains an essential part of the larger U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy, which includes developing Guam as a strategic hub and to establishing an operational Marine Corps presence on Guam by relocating some Marines there from Okinawa.

No decisions were made at yesterday’s meeting, Hull-Ryde said.

Obama Nominee Could Become Air Force’s First Female General

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama has nominated Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger to the rank of general, and as commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced today.

The promotion would make Wolfenbarger the Air Force’s first female four-star general.

“The secretary strongly supports the president's nomination, and he believes that General Wolfenbarger is an outstanding Air Force officer,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today. “The fact that she would be the first woman to wear a fourth star in the Air Force, if confirmed, is a testament to her skills, experience and dedication.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Wolfenbarger would become the military’s second female officer to receive four stars behind Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, who was promoted to general in 2008.

As the military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition in the Pentagon, Wolfenbarger is responsible for research and development, test, production, and modernization of Air Force programs worth more than $40 billion annually.

A 1980 Air Force Academy graduate, Wolfenbarger began her career in acquisitions as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. She has held a variety of assignments at headquarters Electronic Security Command and Air Force Systems Command.

Wolfenbarger has had oversight of the F-22 program at Wright-Patterson and in the Pentagon, and was program director for the B-2 aeronautical systems at Wright-Patterson. She commanded the Aeronautical Systems Center’s C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing.

Wolfenbarger was director of the Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence at the Pentagon, then served as director of the Headquarters AFMC Intelligence and Requirements Directorate at Wright-Patterson. She was the vice commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson before taking her current position.

Wolfenbarger holds master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.

Bold Alligator Exercise Takes Fight to the Shore

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/FMF) Chad V. Pritt, USS Kearsarge Public Affairs

USS KEARSARGE, At Sea (NNS) -- Four months to the day before the 68th anniversary of the landing at Normandy, the Navy and Marine Corps team conducted another historic amphibious operation.

Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest amphibious exercise in the past 10 years, culminated Feb. 6 with a D-Day landing on the beaches of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Amphibious craft and thousands of U.S. Marines and British and Canadian commandos deployed from multiple ships to the shores of North Carolina following a week at sea practicing all facets of amphibious operations. The exercise's scope and scale were last seen during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"This type of an amphibious operation occurred at the start of the war as we brought forces over into the [Arabian] Gulf off the coast of Kuwait, in about this size of a task force," said Marine Col. Scott S. Jensen, commanding officer of Marine Air Group (MAG) 29. "The difference being, is once we got there we offloaded onto the shore and our command and control shifted into a friendly country, and we reset ourselves land-based and were ready to support the combatant commander."

Landing craft air cushions and amphibious assault vehicles delivered Marines and coalition forces from the United Kingdom and Canada from amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) to the beach in a mock amphibious landing. The exercise is a revitalization of amphibious capabilities and re-investment in the Navy-Marine Corps team.

Marines from Regimental Landing Team 2, MAG 29, 2nd Marine Regiment, and British and Canadian commandos embarked Kearsarge Jan. 23 through Feb. 3 in preparation for the landing. The combined nature of the exercise allowed the U.S. and its partners to share amphibious tactics.

"A lot of times we say, 'oh they're coming to learn our tactics, techniques and procedures,'" said Jensen. "But I think these are smart people from great countries who bring a lot to the table from what they've learned, and we're seeing a lot of that sharing."

While the exercise is the largest in 10 years, the ability to launch an aggressive amphibious assault has always been a capability the Navy and Marine Corps have maintained.

"What a lot of people don't realize, is that the assault on Afghanistan was launched from the sea, to 700 miles inland," said Capt. Peter Pagano, commander, Amphibious Squadron 4. "Those initial forces from amphibious ships and aircraft carriers, kicked off OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom)."

The importance of amphibious capability lies not only with a tactical edge, but also a logistical need to provide from the sea. Sea basing, the maritime services' revolutionary power projection doctrine, provides American and coalition forces the ability to sustain a fighting force anywhere in the world.

"There are a lot of places around the world that just don't have the infrastructure or the political position to allow a huge American force to fly in and operate," Jensen said. "There aren't many places with capabilities in the world that can match what we see in this team."

Bold Alligator began Jan. 30 and will continue until Feb. 12 afloat and ashore, in and around North Carolina and Virginia.

NETC Excellence in Safety Award Winners Announced

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) announced the winners of the Fiscal Year 2011 NETC Excellence in Safety Awards Feb. 6.

The award recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of safety and risk management in a training and education environment.

"Safety is a fundamental enabler of combat readiness," said Rear Adm. Don Quinn, NETC commander. "Instilling good safety and risk management habits during initial training makes our training more effective and prepares Sailors for their introduction to the fleet. The efforts of our winners have set the standard for the domain and have directly contributed to fleet combat readiness."

- The NETC domain activity excellence in safety award recipient is Trident Training facility, Kings Bay, Ga.

- The NETC domain individual excellence in safety award recipient is Steven George, Naval Construction Training Center, Port Hueneme, Calif.

- The individual excellence in safety (collateral duty) award recipient is Senior Chief Machinist's Mate (SS) Richard Hicks, Trident Training Facility, Bangor, Wash.

"The contributions that these safety professionals have made, both on the organizational and individual level, have greatly contributed to the present and future success of our most valuable assets, our Sailors," said Donald J. Leavens, NETC special assistant for safety. "Their attention to detail and willingness to adapt to a changing environment have made a direct and tangible improvement in all areas of safety."

The three overall winners will receive a certificate and trophy which will be presented during the NETC breakout session at the Naval Safety Center's Professional Development Conference March 12.

White House to Honor Iraq War Veterans, Families

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

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will honor Iraq War veterans and their families at the White House later this month, White House officials announced in a statement today.

The president and first lady will host a dinner Feb. 29 to honor troops who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn and their families.

“This dinner -- an expression of the nation's gratitude for the achievements and enormous sacrifices of the brave Americans who served in the Iraq War and of the families who supported them -- will include men and women in uniform from all ranks, services, states and backgrounds, representative of the many thousands of Americans who served in Iraq,” the statement said.

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed the final group of U.S. troops home from Iraq on Dec. 20.

Dempsey today praised troops and their families for their service and sacrifice while serving in two operations during the Iraq War.

“We will be honored to be a part of 'A Nation's Gratitude' hosted by President and Mrs. Obama to recognize the significant contributions of the U.S. military and military families to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn,” the chairman said in a Facebook post earlier today.

“These heroes and those they represent have sacrificed to defend our nation and provide the Iraqi people an opportunity for a peaceful and secure future,” he continued. “I'm proud of their courage and appreciate this appropriate recognition of their service.”

The White House has been working with military and civilian leaders across the Defense Department on this tribute, the statement said, and will release more details regarding the dinner as they become available.