Local, Utah Guard Members Aid Colorado Flood Response

By Army Capt. Adam Musil
36th Infantry Division

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 11, 2013 – The 36th Infantry Division's Domestic All-Hazards Response Team-West continues to coordinate assistance requests and support for the Colorado flood relief effort.

A military hydraulic excavator belonging to the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry Division supports the Colorado flood relief efforts. Courtesy photo by Domestic All-Hazards Response Team-West    (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

"The floods have stopped, but the damage that remains provides huge problems for the people in the area," said Army Capt. Robert Anspaugh, the planner for Domestic All-Hazards Response Team-West, or DART-W. "The type of destruction ranges from simple road damage to roads being completely washed away, leaving large craters. Some people can't get to their homes and are having to backpack-in fuel and food."

The DART-W was notified of the flood weeks ago during a training exercise focused on hurricane and flood response. Within a few days of the notification, DART-W had soldiers on the ground to assist with coordinating the relief effort. DART-W helped establish the reception, staging, and onward movement centers for incoming troops and assessed unit capability gaps.

"Once we established the needs of the mission, we reached out to Guard units in the surrounding areas for additional support. The Utah National Guard will be the first to assist the Colorado units already in place," Anspaugh said.

The Colorado National Guard's 947 Engineer Company was the first to respond to the floods. The unit was activated Sept. 20. Within 48 hours, they were filling damaged roads. The Utah National Guard will provide additional engineers and equipment to double the engineer assets. The additional manpower will enable the units to set up rotations and provide continuous operations.

"We have assembled a rotational plan of Army and Air guards that will carry through November 25," said Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Schrag, DART-W noncommissioned officer-in-charge. "This will allow the units time to complete the entire Highway 36 and take on the smaller side roads before the major impact of the weather."

With already one snow this season, officials believe snow and cold weather will greatly hinder the units' ability to restore the roads.

"Realistically, we have until about the end of November to get all the roads fixed before the weather gets too bad," Anspaugh said.

Schrag, who returned early this week from Colorado, believes procedures have been set in place to provide for an effective response.

"This operation is a Joint Guard initiative. We have Guard units from two states [Colorado, Utah] on the ground now and Air and Army Guard units from an additional seven states [Kansas, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana, Florida, Virginia] set to rotate in. I'm confident we can get the job done," Schrag said.

Comprised of Texas Army National Guard soldiers, the DART-W, based in Austin, Texas, at Camp Mabry, is responsible for synchronizing the National Guard response to major hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires west of the Mississippi River.

The DART-W is one of two primary DAR headquarters. The other, DART-East is commanded by the 29th Infantry Division, and headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va. Command of each headquarters rotates annually between Army National Guard divisions. The 36th Infantry Division has been selected to lead DART-W for two years.

South Dakota National Guard Continues Storm Aid

South Dakota National Guard

RAPID CITY, S.D., Oct. 11, 2013 – South Dakota National Guard members continue to support the state after the Oct. 4 winter storm that crippled western South Dakota.

South Dakota National Guard soldiers assist an electrical crew with setting a utility pole near Faith, S.D., Oct. 10, 2013. Army National Guard photo    (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Nearly 50 soldiers and airmen have been called to state active duty to support residents since Oct. 5. They’ve helped to clear roads, remove snow and assist electrical cooperative crews with gaining access to locations needing power lines repaired.

 

More than a dozen other full-time National Guard members have also provided support to state active-duty personnel in response to the storm. So far, 19 separate missions have been requested of the Guard since operations began.

Eight missions are complete and the Guard expects to continue to assist electric companies in power restoration efforts for the next seven to 10 days.

Guard forces and equipment began responding immediately after the blizzard and sent to locations hardest hit in Harding, Meade, Perkins and Pennington counties. Equipped with snow blowers, front-end loaders, bulldozers, heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks and Humvees, Guard members were dispatched locally and from across the state to help communities dig out from the record-breaking storm.

“Our soldiers and airmen are proud to be able to respond to local emergencies such as this,” said Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, adjutant general of the SDNG. “Our service in a state active-duty status like this is foundational to what the National Guard is all about.”

Across the region, snow totals averaged 30 inches, with some isolated areas recording almost five feet, setting new snowfall records for October in the Black Hills and many western counties. Snow accumulation, along with freezing temperatures and wind gusts up to 70 mph, downed thousands of tree limbs and electrical power lines, blocked roadways and decimated livestock caught in the storm.

Emergency management officials from multiple counties requested support from the state’s emergency management office and the governor, who declared a state of emergency and activated National Guard forces to assist.

The call for Guard assistance came early Oct. 5 and coordination began immediately to bring in personnel and dig out equipment. With roads nearly impassable and no travel advised, several soldiers trekked on foot several miles to reach the Guard headquarters on Camp Rapid in Rapid City to set up operations. Soldiers also trudged through deep snow in the towns of Belle Fourche and Sturgis to begin opening equipment yards. From across the state, Guard personnel from units in Aberdeen, Mobridge, Sioux Falls and Yankton were dispatched to deliver equipment and to assist recovery efforts.

According to local power companies, more than 38,000 customers lost electricity during the storm and reported more than 3,800 downed power poles.

While snow removal missions are complete, the Guard continues to support power crews who are working from house to house to restore electricity in rural areas, working alongside them pulling electrical bucket trucks out of the snow and mud after they work on a utility pole.
Guard units providing state active duty personnel to the storm recovery efforts include Alpha and Bravo Batteries of the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion, 109th Regional Support Group, 842nd Engineer Company, 200th Engineer Company, 155th Engineer Company, Joint Force Headquarters and the 114th Fighter Wing.

Readiness Week: Displaying excellence

by Airman 1st Class Soo C. Kim
374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

10/11/2013 - YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- As the military faces fiscal uncertainty, members of the 374th Airlift Wing spent the week showing that they're still conducting their mission as the primary airlift hub for the Western Pacific during Readiness Week.

Going through multiple preparations and emergency scenarios, Yokota Air Base completed its Readiness Week, Oct. 7 - 11, 2013, showcasing its ability to provide swift and flawless airlift support in the western Pacific region, regardless of any difficulties that may come in its way.

The exercise began with joint training between the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, as they worked hand-in-hand preparing both cargo and aircraft for a simulated deployment.

Following the preparation, Yokota Airmen received base defensive skills training and ability to survive and operate training, which included: self-aid buddy care, decontamination and post attack reconnaissance.

The exercise ended with an active shooter and a chemical spill scenario.

"The emergency management exercise had two main objectives. First, we wanted to verify the training for active shooter and second, we wanted to assess our emergency operation center's ability to handle two simultaneous events on the base," said Col. Clarence Lukes, the vice commander of the 374 AW. "We threw an engaging exercise scenario and the wing performed well at both."

Readiness Week also provided Yokota leadership the opportunity to roll out the new Air Force Wing Inspection Team program, which focuses on small groups of experts who test Airmen's ability to conduct their mission under various circumstances.

The new program replaces the previous Inspector General inspections, which consisted of larger groups from outside the installation, a move that saves the Air Force money and gives the accountability back to the wings according to Maj. Yancey Walker, 374th Wing Safety director.

"Traditionally, we had IG inspectors descend on a base to ensure we are complying with the Air Force regulations," said Maj. Yancey Walker, the director of inspections for the 374th AW. "The new way we are going forward is using our own experts internally as agents to ensure the commander has the accurate picture of what's going on and also we can relay the best information up to Pacific Air Force to put that burden of compliance back on the commander."

Overall the scenarios and the training over the course of Readiness Week were a great success according to Lukes.

"We met many of our objectives, including the training of our WIT. We fell short on some, but there's always a room for improvement," Lukes said. "Readiness week is over but we have to stay vigilant. Being an airlifter means we always have to be on watch and I'm extremely proud of our Airmen and the job they have done this week and the part they play in being the best wing in the Pacific."

Fitness matters: physical fitness changes a Hickam Airman's life

by Staff Sgt. Terri Paden
15th Wing Public Affairs

10/10/2013 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Tech. Sgt. Andrea Conn, a 515^th Air Mobility Operations Wing budget analyst, was an average Airman when it came to physical fitness. Her PT scores weren't terrible, but she was 50 pounds overweight and unhappy with what she saw in the mirror, so she decided to turn her life around. That was just one year ago.      

"I was running the minimum three times per week for squadron PT but I was 4" 11' and overweight and didn't like what I saw in the mirror," said Conn. "I was always the slowest one in the group, my husband was deployed and I was very stressed out and felt like I really needed an outlet."

After trying a number of fad diets unsuccessfully, Conn enlisted the help of a personal trainer and turned her attention to a healthier lifestyle via dieting and exercise to lose weight.

"I really didn't have a goal weight in mind when I started," she said. "I just wanted someone to help me figure out what I needed to do as far as my diet and exercise regimen and I couldn't do it on my own; I needed one-on-one attention."

According to Conn, it was during this time she fell in love with fitness. After losing 30 pounds her trainer convinced her to take on an even bigger challenge: a body building competition.

Between 2012 and 2013 Conn placed second in two separate competitions proving she'd not only reached her fitness goal of being more physically fit, but she'd also exceeded it.

"The competitions helped me reach a good point in my life. I felt like I had finally done something great for me," she said.

Armed with this new found confidence she decided to find a way to share it with others.

"Since PCS'ing I've started working on a personal training certification," she said. "I want to pay it forward. I want to give people what my trainer gave me."

Conn said she wants to be a positive example for those who may be struggling with physical fitness like she was.

"I see a lot of frustration with PT and the test especially," she said. "People are discouraged, but they can make a change if that's what they want. If they are willing to put forth effort and adjust their way of living they can make the changes they want to see. You just have to work for it."

Conn said though she wasn't failing her PT test at the time she decided to get serious about working out, she wasn't where she needed to be physically.

"Passing a PT test doesn't mean you're physically fit," she said. "There are 364 other days a year you need to work at it. Don't wait until the last minute, identify problem areas ahead of time and start working on them early. Work to be in an overall better physical condition and being prepared for a PT test won't be an issue."

In addition to enhanced health and PT scores, Conn said getting in shape improved her overall well-being and emotional health.

"As I went through the process of getting in shape I noticed a big change in myself," she said. "I started enjoying the gym ... I was working out a lot and the more I worked out the less I felt stressed and the more energy I had. It helped me cope with my husband's deployment; I just felt great all around."

However, Conn said it took more than just exercising to help her achieve her fitness goals.

"My diet was a big problem for me before. I would eat if I was bored even if I wasn't hungry and I drank alcohol a lot," she said. "Now I choose healthier alternatives. I don't restrict myself. I have my guilty pleasures, but I work hard and I have a lot more self-control than I did before."

Conn advises any Airmen currently struggling with their PT test or overall fitness level to prepare to do a major overhaul in all areas of their life.

"Being in shape is a lifestyle change," she said. "You have to be prepared to change everything and understand it won't be easy. You might find that you're different than others around but you have to find what empowers you to want to be better. Everyone has the power to change the things they don't like about themselves and once you make the physical changes you will see the emotional and mental changes too."

Missing Airmen From Vietnam War Accounted For

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, have been accounted for and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert E. Pietsch, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Maj. Louis F. Guillermin, 25, of West Chester, Pa.,will be buried as a group Oct. 16, in a single casket representing the two servicemen at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.  Guillermin's individual remains weres buried Oct. 5, 2013, in Broomall, Pa.

On April 30, 1968, Guillermin and Pietsch were on an armed-reconnaissance mission when their A-26A Invader aircraft crashed in Savannakhet Province, Laos.  Witnesses saw an explosion on the ground and did not see any signs of survivors.  Search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful, and Guillermin and Pietsch were listed as Missing in Action.

 In 1994, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) team, lead by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed the crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos.  The team recovered human remains and evidence, but was unable to fully survey the site due to the presence of dangerous unexploded ordinance.

In 2006, joint U.S./LPDR teams assisted by Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel cleared the site and gathered additional human remains and evidence, such as personal effects and crew-related equipment.

The remains recovered were analyzed by scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory using circumstantial evidence and forensic analysis, such as mtDNA comparisons. Portions of the remains were individually identified as Guillermin through an mtDNA match from a hair sample from Guillermin's medical file.  The rest of the remains recovered were not individually identified, but correspond to both Pietsch and Guillermin.

There are more than 1,640 American service members still unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. 

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

WWII Marines Accounted For

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that two U.S. Marines missing in action from World War II, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Henry S. White, 23, of Kansas City, Mo., and Staff Sgt. Thomas L. Meek, 19, of Lisbon, La., will be buried as a group in a single casketrepresenting the two servicemen, on Oct. 18, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On July 21, 1943, White and Meek were crew members of an SBD-4 Dauntless dive-bomber that departed Turtle Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides, on a night training mission and failed to return.  During the training mission, the aircraft was reported as crashed on a coral cliff on nearby Mavea Island.  In September 1947, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Service team investigated the crash on Mavea Island, but recovered no remains. In 2012, a JPAC team excavated the crash site on Mavea Island, Republic of Vanuatu, and recovered the remains of White and Meek and non-biological evidence amid the aircraft wreckage, which included U.S. and Australian coins dating to 1942 and earlier, U.S. military captain's bars, and a military identification tag that correlates to Meek by name and service number.  What was found at the crash site, along with the remains, correlate circumstantially to White and Meek, however, no individual identifications were possible.

There are more than 400,000 American service members that were killed during WWII, and the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.      

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

Fiscal 2013: an engaging year for Pacific Air Forces

by Master Sgt. Matthew McGovern
Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

10/11/2013 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.

These operations began with the inactivation of 13th Air Force and the operationalization of the Headquarters PACAF Staff, as the Air Force established its benchmark component major command (C-MAJCOM). This unified structure gives PACAF dual focus: support to an operationalized staff across the range of military operations and performance of mandated duties of organizing, training, and equipping Airmen.

Throughout the year, PACAF Airmen expanded engagements, increased combat capability and improved warfighter integration by participating in more than 25 exercises and humanitarian operations throughout the region.

"Engagement is something we are doing every day across the Asia-Pacific region," said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Pacific Air Forces. "I cannot overstate the importance of working with our allies, partners and the international community to deter aggression and to maintain peace and stability in the region."

Operation Pacific Angel is an example of PACAF's expanded engagements, as more than 275 PACAF Airmen and joint service members joined host nation military and civilian forces, multilateral military, and non-governmental organizations in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam to promote regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief interoperability.

The PACANGEL engagements included medical, dental, optometry, and engineering programs, as well as various subject-matter expert exchanges. More than 22,000 total patients were cared for in these countries and 15 structures such as schools or medical clinics were built or refurbished during these operations.

"Partnering in operations such as Pacific Angel enhances our ability to work together and effectively respond to humanitarian disaster relief and international peacekeeping operations," said Lt. Col. Keith Gibson, commander of Pacific Angel 13-2, from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Increased combat capability was another focus this year, as exercises such as Red Flag Alaska involved more than 110 aircraft and the participation of more than 5,200 personnel from the U.S. Air Force active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and Marines, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Three Red Flag multinational exercises occurred this year. The two week-long tactical air combat exercises replicated the stress warfighters face during their first 10 combat sorties of a conflict.

Expanding engagements as well as theatre security cooperation was also evident in early February as Cope North was in full swing. Participants from the U.S. Air Force, the Japan Air Self Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force focused on Large Force Employment scenarios, which enhanced the interoperability of 15 different airframes.

"During Cope North, we are able to facilitate an environment, in coordination with our international partners, which allows us to share information to decision makers," said Lt. Col. Michael Erickson, 962d Airborne Air Control Squadron commander. "This provides those on the ground and in the air the best possible situational awareness."

Besides exercises, multi-national leadership visits and exchanges also increased the situational awareness and solidified partnerships. Lt. Gen. Cha-Kyu Choi, Republic of Korea, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, visited PACAF headquarters in November to discuss ways to further improve support and cooperation between our nations' air forces.

Another significant meeting was the first-ever Medical Acupuncture and Battlefield Medicine Subject Matter Expert Exchange in Beijing, China Oct. 21-27. U.S. Air Force medical physicians attended at the invitation of China's People Liberation Army to help U.S.-China militaries increase mutual trust and understanding while sharing practices in traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition, General Carlisle hosted a 14-member Chinese People's Liberation Army of China delegation as part of an agreed upon reciprocal visit between Chinese and American military officers. During their visit, the Chinese officers received a briefing from General Carlisle on PACAF's priorities, and toured a C-17 Globemaster III.

The year closed with General Carlisle representing PACAF along with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, meeting with People's Liberation Army Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Li Chunchao, in Beijing, China, Sept. 24. The U.S. Air Force leaders visited with various military leaders in China as well as tour the Chinese Air Force Aviation Medicine Research Institute as part of a weeklong trip.

Working with our allies and partners to expand engagement is crucial to PACAF's responsibilities in the Department of Defense's largest area of responsibility.

Throughout this past fiscal year and into the next, PACAF has and will continue to work together with established allies and partners, to help build their confidence, improve combined interoperability, disrupt proliferation and provocations, and solidify joint access during contingencies and/or for throughput to critical locations across the Asia-Pacific region.

20th Air Force commander relieved of command

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, relieved Maj. Gen. Michael Carey from command of 20th Air Force today due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership and judgment.

Kowalski made his decision based on information from an Inspector General investigation into Carey's behavior during a temporary duty assignment. The allegations are not related to operational readiness or the inspection results of any 20th AF unit, nor do they involve sexual misconduct.

"20th AF continues to execute its mission of around-the-clock nuclear deterrence in a safe, secure and effective manner," Kowalski said. "It's unfortunate that I've had to relieve an officer who's had an otherwise distinctive career spanning 35 years of commendable service."

AFGSC vice commander Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein has been named the interim 20th AF commander.

Headquartered at F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., 20th AF is responsible for the nation's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings. It has dual responsibilities to AFGSC and U.S. Strategic Command. As the missile Numbered Air Force for AFGSC, 20th AF maintains and operates the nation's ICBM force. Designated as STRATCOM's Task Force 214, the command provides on-alert, combat ready ICBMs to the President.

WWII Airman Identified

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

Army Air Force 1st Lt. Robert G. Fenstermacher, 23, of Scranton, Pa., will be buried on Oct. 18, in Arlington National Cemetery. On Dec. 26, 1944, Fenstermacher was a pilot of a P-47D Thunderbolt that was on an armed-reconnaissance mission against targets in Germany, when his aircraft crashed, near Petergensfeld, Belgium.

A U.S. military officer reported seeing Fenstermacher’s aircraft crash. Reaching the site shortly after impact, he recovered Fenstermacher’s identification tags from the burning wreckage. No remains or aircraft wreckage was recovered from the crash site at that time and Fenstermacher was declared killed in action.

Following the war, the U.S. Army Graves Registration Service (AGRS) investigated and interviewed a local Belgian woman who told team that an aircraft crashed into the side of her house. The team searched the surrounding area, but was unsuccessful locating the crash site.

In 2012, a group of local historians excavated a private yard in Petergensfeld, Belgium, recovering human remains and aircraft wreckage consistent with a P-47D. The remains were turned over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).

To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparisons, which matched Fenstermacher’s records.

There are more than 400,000 American service members killed during WWII, and the remains of more than 73,000 were never recovered or identified.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

Duel of the schools

by Donovan Jackson
42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

10/9/2013 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -  -- Taking a break from the daily rigors of Air Force academia, the Air Command and Staff College competed against the Air War College in the second annual Duel of The Schools competition Monday and Tuesday.

Events took place base-wide, providing excitement, relaxation and a competitive spirit for ACSC and AWC students.

"This friendly rivalry started three years ago," said Lt. Col. Dwayne Lahaye, AWC student. "The Duel of The Schools competition is a great break from the demanding academic routine for all of the students. The AWC team was really fired up this year, and we are always looking forward to competing against our much younger counterparts at ACSC."

According Lahaye, the Dual of The Schools competition is a "carry on" from the Jim Thorpe Days competition, but at a much more economical cost.

"In the past, the AWC would send students to participate in a long-standing annual sports event called the Jim Thorpe Days," he said. "Students would travel to Carlisle Barracks (Penn.) to compete against the other senior military schools, like the Army War College and National War College, in mental and physical challenges. However, due to serious budget constraints in the past couple of years, the AWC began reaching out to its neighbor ACSC for fun competition hosted locally at Maxwell."

Events for the competition ranged from the physical, such as tennis, cycling, and running, to the cognitive, such as Jeopardy and chess.

"I really enjoyed all of the events, but my favorite was the 5K run," said ACSC student Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Farley, an F-18 Hornet pilot. "This event really helped to bring the colleges together while encouraging us to get to know one another on a competitive level."

Aside from being an enjoyable time, the competition provided the opportunity for international officer students to participate in friendly, American competition.

"I really enjoyed the competitive spirit of my American colleagues," said Col. Marco Lant, member of the Italian Air Force and AWC student. "I feel that a competition such as this helps to build our relationships and partnerships amongst each other, but most importantly, our friendship."

AWC class president, Col. David Drichta, said that the competition helps to bring a "level of balance" to the academic year.

"We are all here for a year of professional military education, and competitions like the Duel of The Schools gives us a chance to refresh ourselves before hitting the books again," said Dritcha. "You can only study for so long; it's nice to get out and have a little fun with athletics."
After the scores for each individual event were counted, ACSC rose victorious over AWC, bringing home a trophy and bragging rights until next year's event.

NATO Fosters Partnerships Key to Future Success

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2013 – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised efforts that are expanding and strengthening the partnerships he called fundamental to the alliance’s ability to deal with modern security challenges.

Partnerships “are key to our future success in a world where risks cross borders and we are all interconnected,” Rasmussen said during a news conference today in Brussels.

“By working together, NATO and our partners are making a real contribution to dealing with today’s security threats, including outside the Euro-Atlantic area,” he said. “Partnerships produce real results -- on operations, in training and exercises, and in the reform and management of democratic defense institutions.”

In addition to broad cooperation demonstrated by the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, NATO continues to expand its efforts with partners in other operational theaters, the secretary general said.

He recognized several new developments:

-- A Ukrainian frigate joined Operation Ocean Shield yesterday, representing the first time any partner nation has taken part in NATO’s counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa;

-- The Republic of Moldova will join the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the first time that country has contributed to any NATO-led operation;

-- NATO allies and partners in southeastern Europe came together last week to work on a NATO-led initiative aimed at improving governance and democratic oversight in the defense sector; and

-- NATO partner Austria is co-leading a NATO project to support the defense education system of another partner country, Serbia.

“We have immense experience of working with partners,” Rasmussen said. “And looking ahead, our cooperation with partners continues to grow.”

A major NATO exercise to take place in Poland and the Baltic states next month will ensure the NATO Response Force “is ready to defend any ally, deploy anywhere and deal with any threat,” he said.
Ukraine and Finland will participate in the Steadfast Jazz exercise, and other NATO partners have expressed interest as well, he reported.

“So they will train alongside us -- and will then have met the requirements to deploy with next year’s NATO Response Force,” he said.

Meanwhile, another NATO partner, Georgia, has been accepted to join the Response Force in the future, and Rasmussen said he expects Georgian troops to be available to the force in the 2015 timeframe.

“This, again, would be a first: the first time Georgia has joined NATO’s rapid-reaction team,” he said.
NATO’s diverse partnerships “are delivering,” he added.

Rasmussen recognized as examples milestones to be reached in the coming year: the 20th year of the Partnership for Peace initiative aimed at strengthening security and cooperation across the Euro-Atlantic, the 20th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue that forges ties with countries around the Mediterranean, and the 10th year of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative with Gulf region nations.

“All these initiatives have borne fruit, but there is more that they can do,” he said.

Exploring ways build on 20 years of operations experience and to take the alliance to that next step is expected to be a major agenda item at NATO’s 2014 Summit in Great Britain.

“The summit … will ensure that we continue to build on the lessons we have learned, to strengthen the alliance and keep it ready to deal with modern security challenges,” Rasmussen said. “It will reaffirm the vital transatlantic bond on which NATO was founded. And it will further enhance our partnerships, which are key to our future success.”

Carter to Step Down as Deputy Defense Secretary in December

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has announced that Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter will step down December 4.

Carter has served in senior Defense Department positions since the start of the Obama administration including as undersecretary of defense for acquisition technology and logistics under Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates before becoming the department's number two official.

In a statement issued late today, Hagel said he met with Carter this morning “and reluctantly accepted his decision to step down.”

Hagel called Carter an extraordinarily loyal and effective deputy secretary who constantly provided outstanding support to service members fighting downrange. “He possesses an unparalleled knowledge of every facet of America’s defense enterprise, having worked directly and indirectly for eleven secretaries of defense over the course of his storied career,” Hagel said.

Hagel thanked Carter for remaining his deputy and helping him get up to speed in the department during some unusual times. “I have continually relied upon Ash to help solve the toughest challenges facing the Department of Defense,” Hagel said. “I particularly appreciate his work spearheading the Strategic Choices and Management Review, which put the department in a far stronger position to manage through unprecedented budget uncertainty.”

As undersecretary, Carter led DOD’s efforts to accelerate the fulfillment of urgent operational needs such as the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles. He worked to increase the department’s buying power, and worked to strengthen America’s defenses against emerging threats, such as cybersecurity.
Deputy defense secretaries generally remain in the background, but Carter held some very visible portfolios including serving as the department’s point man in defense relations with India. Most recently, he headed the department’s investigation into the Washington Navy Yard shooting.

Hagel called Carter a brilliant strategist and an excellent manager. “His compassion, love, and determination to overcome any and all bureaucratic obstacles earned him abiding respect and appreciation,” he wrote. “I am confident that the Department, and the country, will continue to benefit from Ash Carter's service in the months and years ahead.”

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Carter's decision to leave was his and his alone.
Carter has moved back and forth between academia and government. He earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and in medieval history from Yale University, and received his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Before joining the Obama administration, Carter chaired the International and Global Affairs faculty at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and was Co-Director of the Preventive Defense Project.

During the Clinton administration, Carter served as assistant secretary of defense for international security policy.

Hagel thanked Carter for remaining on the job until December. He said the time will help smooth the transition. “The department will miss him,” Hagel wrote. “I will miss him.”