Face of Defense: Air Guardsman's Entrepreneurial Approach Earns Safety Award

By Air Force Capt. Lynn Lee
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - A revolutionary, entrepreneurial approach to safety program management has earned induction into the Air Force Safety Hall of Fame for an Air National Guard officer here. Air Force Lt. Col. Edward Vaughan, former deputy director of safety for the Air National Guard, was recognized at a ceremony here Feb. 6 for his "unique contribution to safety and the U.S. Air Force mishap prevention program ... resulting in enduring and significant advances to safety."

An F-16 fighter pilot, Vaughan previously served combat flying tours with Indiana and New York Air National Guard flying squadrons in Iraq. In 2008, he transferred to the Colorado Guard, but he's currently serving on active duty at the Air War College here, participating in the Center for Strategy and Technology's future studies think tank known as Blue Horizons.

Vaughan credits his "Disruptive Solutions Process" for his widespread success. DSP invests small amounts of resources in many innovative ideas from the field and develops those that show success and return on investment.

An entrepreneurial leader, Vaughan created the joint-service, see-and-avoid, civil and military mid-air collision avoidance Web portal used at more than 100 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps bases. He also created the online segment of Air Force and joint-service Maintenance Resource Management, which is credited with a 75 percent reduction in Class A accidents due to maintenance. A Class A accident involves loss of life or more than $1 million in damage.

Vaughan also leveraged the Air Force's existing bird aircraft strike hazard capabilities into an interagency avian flu tracking and predicting model. He built an unprecedented interdepartmental team, including experts from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Department of Agriculture, National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration, Centers for Disease Control, Federal Aviation Administration, Defense Department and others. The result is the dBird.us portal, scheduled for integration into existing pandemic prediction programs.

All combined, Vaughan's Air National Guard programs are credited with saving millions of taxpayer dollars, and at least several lives.

Last month, the Defense Safety Oversight Council approved funding to apply an Air National Guard fatigue mitigation program called FlyAwake throughout the Defense Department. The program is another spin-off of Vaughan's DSP process, which originated at the 201st Airlift Squadron of the District of Columbia Air National Guard. This marks the eighth time since 2005 that the DSOC has supported an Air National Guard safety initiative.

Joseph Angello, executive secretary of the DSOC, said the Guard programs continue to receive his support because Vaughan's team reliably delivers.

Vaughan's DSP appears simple in its approach, but it achieves remarkable results.

"To tighten our [observe, orient, decide and act] loop, we've adopted a lean, asymmetric acquisition approach – Contracting 2.0, if you will – pursuing many small solutions from small firms in parallel, often capitalizing on existing commercial technologies," he said. "And by driving the funding requirements and time-to-market for all solutions toward zero, our failures are just as valuable as our successes. If even only one succeeds, then the whole portfolio is productive for the taxpayer."

Vaughan said his team evaluates the best ideas against existing military requirements and then executes the solution. That means working closely with contracting officers, finance experts, academia, the scientific community and other governmental departments to leverage existing capabilities against the new ideas efficiently and effectively.

"It may take the military many years to design, develop, fund and field a major weapons system, like an aircraft," he said. "The acquisition process for these huge programs is mind-numbing. So any opportunity we have to deliver fast, effective capability to warfighters right now is a must-do."

Vaughan, who in 2007 became the first Air National Guard member awarded the Air Force Chief of Staff Individual Safety Trophy, said these awards recognize the innovation, hard work and tenacity of the 106,800 men and women of the Air National Guard.

"Those dedicated warfighters, often deployed in harm's way around the globe, expect and deserve the best possible service from their National Guard Bureau," he said. "Our role is simply to bring their visions to a practical reality."

(Air Force Capt. Lynn Lee serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

USS Vella Gulf Crew Captures Pirates in Gulf of Aden

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - The crew of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf apprehended seven pirates in the Gulf of Aden today after responding to a distress call from a nearby merchant vessel. The event marks the first time Combined Task Force 151, a multinational effort to fight piracy in the region, has apprehended suspected pirates, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials said.

At about 3 p.m., the Marshall Islands-flagged motor vessel Polaris sent a distress call to all ships in the area, reporting that a small skiff containing seven suspected pirates had attempted a forcible boarding of their vessel using a ladder. Polaris crew members removed the ladder before pirates could come aboard, officials said.

Vella Gulf responded immediately and intercepted the skiff and several men on fitting the physical descriptions given by Polaris crew members. A Vella Gulf visit, board, search and seizure team conducted a consensual boarding and found several weapons.

Polaris met up with Vella Gulf, and the crew provided positive visual identification of the suspected pirates. The suspects were brought onboard Vella Gulf, where they were processed and are being held until they are transferred to a temporary holding facility onboard the supply ship USNS Lewis and Clark.

(From a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command news release.)

Organization Plans 'Valentines for Veterans' Concerts

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - A nonprofit organization and officials from four Veterans Affairs hospitals joined forces to plan four free "Valentines for Veterans" concerts to show appreciation to veterans and their families. "Our hope is that the concerts will boost awareness of local VA medical centers, increase understanding of the issues facing severely wounded veterans as well as their families, and encourage people to visit hospitalized veterans or consider volunteering at their local VA," Mike Lynch, executive director of Help Hospitalized Veterans, said.

The free concerts -- scheduled for four cities over three days, starting tomorrow -- are for veterans and their families only, Lynch said.

The concerts are part of National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week, an official VA program that is celebrated at Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country. Formerly called No Greater Love Week, it dates back as far as 1978. The Valentines for Veterans concert series started in 2007, and was inspired by a love story between a severely wounded Iraq combat veteran and his wife.

Concert organizers met the young man and his wife on Valentine's Day 2006 when he was being treated at the VA medical facility in Prescott, Ariz. They were so compelled by the couple's story that they wanted to do something the following Valentine's Day to honor the two and all the young men and women who have been injured from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After the success of prior concerts and the overwhelmingly positive reception from veterans, their families and community members alike, concert organizers said they've have already begun looking to add additional cities across the United States for the 2010 series.

This year's concert schedule kicks off tomorrow in Tampa, Fla., where The Spinners and Little Anthony and the Imperials will perform at the Florida State Fairgrounds for an anticipated crowd of 5,000 veterans and family members.

Two concerts are scheduled Feb. 13. More than 1,000 people are expected to enjoy The Tams and The Embers at the Cultural and Civic Auditorium in Charleston, S.C. At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, more than 800 people are expected to enjoy Little Anthony and the Imperials.

On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, the concert series concludes in Prescott, Ariz., where about 1,500 people are expected to see Russell Thompkins Jr. and The New Stylistics at Yavapai College Performance Hall.

In addition to the Valentines for Veterans concerts, Help Hospitalized Veterans sponsors several other national events with VA, such as the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival and the National Veterans Golden Age Games.

For complimentary concert tickets and more information, contact Lovell Henderson at 216-701-6511.

Air Force Reinstates Good Conduct Medal for Enlisted Members

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - The Air Force has reinstated its Good Conduct Medal for exemplary service by enlisted airmen, senior military officials announced here today.
Reinstatement of the medal is effective today, officials said. The Air Force Uniform Board announced on Feb. 6, 2006, that the Good Conduct Medal would no longer be awarded. It was thought at the time that the award wasn't needed because nearly all Air Force members are exemplary performers. Previous awardees were permitted to wear the medal.

Meanwhile, the other armed services continued to award Good Conduct Medals to their enlisted members, said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, chief of the Air Force's manpower, personnel and services directorate.

Airmen -- who often serve in war zones alongside their Army, Navy, and Marine Corps counterparts as part of the joint-force team -- also deserve recognition for their good service, Newton said.

"Airmen are striving to do the very same thing that their battle buddies are doing in other services," the three-star general said.

Award of the Good Conduct Medal to deserving airmen, Newton said, also is part of the Air Force's illustrious heritage.

The idea to reinstate the Good Conduct Medal surfaced during an awards and decorations meeting on Jan. 7, 2008. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley signed off on the change on Nov. 22.

Airmen generally are eligible to earn the Good Conduct Medal if they exhibit exemplary behavior over a three-year period. The award features a sky-blue ribbon with two vertical red, white and blue stripes. Suspended from the ribbon is a round, golden medal featuring the image of an eagle, around which are inscribed the words, "Efficiency," "Honor" and "Fidelity."

Subsequent awards of the medal are represented by a "cluster" device.

After reintroduction of the Good Conduct Medal was approved, time was required to work out administrative procedures, said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley, the Air Force's top noncommissioned officer. Qualified airmen, McKinley said, will receive the award retroactively to 2006.

Some airmen felt that the discontinuance of the Good Conduct Medal was an act of "taking something away" from them, he said. "This is an enlisted medal," McKinley said, "and we are taking care of the enlisted force."

Defense Language Institute Rolls Out New Programs

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - The Defense Department's premier language school in Monterey, Calif., has launched several new initiatives designed to foster language and cultural outreach from as close as its backyard all the way to troops stationed in South Korea. One domestically focused program the Defense Language Institute, or DLI, rolled out recently is a weekly AM radio program called Salute to the Armed Forces.

The host, Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Lamar, said the show is designed to connect military and civilian cultures.

"I want to show the local community that servicemembers are not only defending our nation, but are also real people with families who have many of the same problems in life," he said.

Lamar will interview uniformed servicemember guests on Wednesdays, discussing a range of topics that span military life. In the show's debut last week, two military moms spoke about the difficulties of balancing their military and family lives.

Tonight, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kristi Folowell is slated to speak about her career as a military linguist and her experience in Iraq. A live stream of the show can be heard from 6-8 p.m. at http://www.knry.com/StreamingMain.htm.

Meanwhile, DLI has launched two linguistic and cultural programs that now are accessible to the public.

"Legends and Folktales" is an interactive Web site that features animated versions of stories that form the cultural foundations of nearly three dozen countries. Short, narrated flash-animation films give viewers a rudimentary understanding of some of the ancient stories that still resonate strongly in national identities today. The films are available at http://fieldsupport.lingnet.org/products/LF1.

Similarly, DLI's "Countries in Perspective" is a Web-based tool designed to provide basic facts about countries and their geography, history, economy, society and security arrangements. The program, available at http://www.lingnet.org/areaStudies/perspectives/default.asp, is objective and fact-based, and doesn't editorialize, according to a DLI news release.

DLI officials also announced they've begun testing its Beta version of a Korean language and culture guide. These guides, known as Headstart Programs, already are available in Iraqi, Dari, Pashtu, Farsi and Chinese. The kits provide nonlinguist servicemembers a computer-based, self-paced method of receiving the equivalent of the first two weeks of training that students receive at the DLI campus.

The self-guided program takes 80 to 100 hours to complete, according to a DLI news release, and can be obtained at https://lmds.dliflc.edu/home.aspx.

"After completing the course, soldiers should be able to hit the ground in a new country with enough language skills to conduct business and have limited communication with civilians in the local language," the release states.

End Strength Mitigates Army Guard's January Recruiting Shortfall

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 11, 2009 - The Army National Guard missed its recruiting goal for January, but it remains slightly over its congressionally mandated end strength of 358,200, an Army Guard official confirmed yesterday. "We're paying a success dividend," said Army Lt. Col. Ron Walls, chief of recruiting and retention for the Army National Guard. "Our numbers are off the program goal, but that's OK, because of where we are with our end strength. We have never been more whole than we are right now from a readiness perspective."

According to figures the Defense Department released yesterday, the Army Guard signed up 4,913 new soldiers, 88 percent of its goal of 5,577 enlistees. The Air National Guard got 896 new airmen, 127 percent of its goal of 703 enlistees.

With 366,009 soldiers currently assigned, the Army Guard is at 102 percent of its end-strength goal for this fiscal year.

Walls said the Army Guard has been able to drive up end strength through its innovative recruiting programs, such as G-RAP and Active First, and re-enlistment rates that have remained steady despite an increasing operational tempo.

"We will focus on where we are," he said. "And right now, we are above in end strength, and our quality marks are stronger than ever, and we will use that to our advantage."

Walls added that the Army Guard's quality marks have not been this high since 2003.

"We are now fine-tuning what we have," he said.

While going after this quality market, Walls said, the Army Guard will continue to "shape our incentives based on funding availability and focus heavily on soldiers in formations already."

"They pay the price," he said. "They are part of a team already, and there are dollars associated with them from a training perspective." Keeping trained soldiers helps with readiness, and "there is goodness in that as well," Walls said.

In the future, Walls predicted, the Army Guard will continue to provide incentives to a variety of populations from high-schoolers to 40-year-olds.

"We're looking at that now as far as innovative measures to reach those populations and give them the opportunity to serve in our formations," he said.

With the nation's focus shifting to the economy, Walls said, the Army Guard must come up with new incentive programs that don't involve money to gain accessions.

And because of that, he said, the Army Guard will not rest on its laurels.

"The ingenuity of the team that we have here at the Guard Bureau is never ending," Walls said. "It's about what we do with what we have right now. And we always have more innovative programs in the hopper."

(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS February 10, 2009

NAVY

TEC, Inc., Charlottesville, Va., is being awarded a maximum $30,000,000 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, architect/engineering contract for preparation of Navy and Marine Corps Environmental Planning Documentation primarily in the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility (AOR); however, work may be located any where in the United States. The work to be performed provides for National Environmental Policy Act documents such as Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, and Environmental Impact Statements. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to Calif., (80 percent); Ariz., (5 percent); Nev., (5 percent); Colo., (1 percent); N.M., (1 percent); and Utah, (1 percent). Work may also be performed in Ala., (1 percent), Hawaii, (1 percent), and remainder of the U.S., (5 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-09-D-2603).

Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $6,293,181 firm fixed priced order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-08-G-0016) for services in support of the FY 2009 ARC-210 Radio software changes to evolve the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Satellite Communication (SATCOM) waveform capability in the Next Generation Tactical Networking Radio, RT-1939(C) radio system. Tasking includes program management, system engineering, hardware design, and data deliverables. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in Sept. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

ARMY

The Ross Group Construction Corp., Tulsa, Okla., was awarded on Feb 9, 2009, a $17,460,000 firm fixed price construction contract to construct a Digital Multipurpose Training Range at Fort Bliss, Texas consisting of one lane with two course roads with cross over capability. Primary facilities include the Range Operations Control Area that includes Range Operations Center, After Action Review Building, Operations and Storage Building, General Instruction Building, Latrine, Covered Mess Shelter, Ammo Loading Docks, Unit staging area, Bleacher Enclosure, site development improvements, information systems, security lighting and fencing. Downrange target systems include, stationary armor and infantry targets, moving armor and infantry targets, battle positions, course roads, target maintenance access roads, site development, improvements and drainage, electrical power and target data cabling. Supporting facilities will include an electric service, access road and associated site development and improvements. Work is to be performed at Fort Bliss, Texas with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2010. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas is the contracting activity (W912G-08-C-0008).

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to CaZador LLC of Anchorage, Ala., for $10,000,000. This action will provide for demountable walls, high density shelving, and other furnishings. At this time, $6,609 has been obligated. 10 Contracting Division, United States Air Force Academy, Colo., is the contracting activity (FA7000-09-D-0014).

Proof Is in the Pudding That Lejeune Students Have Right Stuff

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 10, 2009 - For the second consecutive year, the high school culinary arts team from Camp Lejeune, N.C., placed first in the annual Carolina ProStart Student Invitational. A serious commitment, including late nights and weekend practice made perfect, said Shirley Bryan, a culinary arts teacher at Lejeune High School who supervises the team.

"This year's team has many qualities that you may find only in serious adults. Their work ethics are beyond belief, and they work as a team," she said. "Every one of the team members must know how to prepare each item on the menu.

"The students take pride in whatever they do, accept the challenge, and they just persevered," she said, adding that a first place two years in a row is rare.

The team of four student chefs took first place in the invitational's Culinary Competition by displaying their creativity in preparing a three-course meal in only 60 minutes. Their carrot slaw with vinaigrette and green onions; seared baby back ribs with sweet barbecue sauce with a kick; collard medley stir fried with onions, garlic, and seasoning; pork on a bed of candied sweet potatoes; and turnip roots got the judges' attention. The meal was topped off with a homemade banana split martini for dessert.

That dessert earned them a rather catchy moniker, too. "They were referred to as the 'Ice Cream Team,' because they shared the duty of hand churning the ice cream maker," Bryan said.

They also snagged a second in the Recipe Contest.

To accomplish this feat, the team had to come up with a use for Coach's Low Country Boil Seasoning. What they created was a "Clucking Yeast Roll," that used chicken stock in place of the water of the basic preparation method, along with the required seasoning.

The management team of four took third in the Case Study portion of the event, which tests students on their communication skills and their ability to apply their knowledge of the restaurant and food service industry to practical situations.

"Their success is what keeps me here, because I feel the numbers [of talented students] are enormous, and I want to facilitate as many as I can to realize their dreams and goals," Bryan said.

The invitational, held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., gives students with proven skills and a commitment to the food service industry a chance to showcase their talents. It's presented by the South Carolina Tourism and Hospitality Educational Foundation, and the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, in association with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

The winners of the 2009 Carolina ProStart Student Invitational went home with medals. The trophy, which goes home with each winning team, ended up making a round-trip from Camp Lejeune to Myrtle Beach and back. The team also earned a chance to compete in the National ProStart Invitational in San Diego from April 24 to 26.

Joint Self-Nomination System Achieves Success, General Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 10, 2009 - A Web-based self-nomination system officers can use to have their war zone or other experiences evaluated for joint-service qualification has proven to be highly successful, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. "We are truly a joint warfighting force now, and this [self-nomination system] broadens the pool for joint-officer qualification," Army Brig. Gen. Gary S. Patton, director of manpower and personnel for the Joint Chiefs of Staff office, said during a Feb. 9 interview with American Forces Press Service.

Since October 2007, active duty and reserve component officers have been able to have their war zone and other experiences evaluated for joint-service credit through a JCS-sponsored Web site, Patton said. The system has helped to provide the military with 40 new joint-service-qualified officers over the past year, he noted.

"That's 40 more joint-qualified officers we have produced this year that we wouldn't have produced in any previous year by virtue of the experience they have had," Patton said.

The self-nomination system, he added, provides junior officers the opportunity to have their experiences rated for joint-service credit.

Before implementation of the self-nomination system, Patton said, joint-service credit and qualification was achieved only by serving in authorized billets and completing the necessary military education. Most U.S. units serving in Iraq or Afghanistan today are provisional organizations, he said, that wouldn't be reflected as joint assignments for people who were not in joint positions at their home stations. Reserve-component members also couldn't qualify for joint officer duty, he added.

That's all changed, Patton said.

"We don't want to exclude anybody that feels that they're out there and are performing joint duty," the general said, noting that National Guard members and reservists also can apply to become joint-service officers.

Joint-service experiences must achieve unified action, Patton said, with respect to national military strategy, national security, planning, contingency planning, command-and-control operations under a combatant commander, and combined operations with the military of another nation.
Experience can be accumulated in separate joint-service categories, he said, or in conjunction with others.

A flag-officer-staffed review panel, he said, evaluates submitted experiences according to whether or not they truly reflect work with other U.S. military services, agencies or coalition members.

Submitted experiences are graded on a point scale, Patton said, with the accumulation of 36 points being the threshold for full joint-service experience qualification under the self-nomination system. However, he added, joint-service officer aspirants still must complete the necessary education to be fully qualified.

A mission's intensity or challenging nature also is evaluated by panel members, Patton said. For example, he said, war zone work in instructing Iraqi or Afghan soldiers would carry greater weight than some other overseas duties.

Humanitarian and disaster-relief missions also may qualify for joint-service experience, Patton said. Eligible experiences submitted for evaluation are to have taken place after Sept. 11, 2001.

The panel may validate an experience, disapprove it, or take no action at all, Patton said.

"This is a process that all of our officers can take advantage of, by virtue of self-nominating themselves," Patton said. "Your service will let you know if you just don't meet the criteria."

The self-nomination process applies only to officers in the grades of O-6 and below. General and flag officers are handled separately through their respective services' general- and flag-officer matters offices.

Officers usually begin their joint-service careers as majors, Patton said. Some joint-service officers, he said, may later serve at the general- or flag-officer level. Since Oct. 1, officers have been required to be fully joint qualified to be appointed to the grade of O-7.

Whether officers obtain joint-service experience by serving in traditional joint-service billets or through the self-nomination process, they still must successfully complete the necessary education for full qualification, Air Force Col. Darlene M. Roquemore, chief of the Joint Officer Management Branch at the Pentagon, explained in a recent interview.

Such courses of instruction, Roquemore said, are offered at the Joint Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va., and at senior-level service schools and other senior-military educational institutions, such as the National War College at Fort McNair here.

"No matter which way you look at it -- by virtue of traditional path [or] experience path - the end result is a joint-qualified officer," Patton said.

Joint-service experience just "makes officers better," Patton said, regardless of their service branch.

"For now and in the future, we're always going to fight jointly, in many cases with coalition forces," Patton said.

Stimulus Bill Includes Military Construction Projects

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 10, 2009 - White House officials asked for a list of Defense Department programs that could be part of the $800 billion stimulus bill now under Senate consideration, defense officials said. The guideline was for projects that could "be started or accelerated within a matter of months," officials said.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, which includes about $10.9 billion in defense-related spending, Jan. 28. The Senate version calls for $7.2 billion in defense spending. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure today.

Once the Senate passes its version, members of both houses of Congress will meet to reconcile the differences. President Barack Obama has asked Congress for a bill he can sign by the weekend.

Military construction projects make up most of the request, defense officials said. These include funding for medical clinics, child care and housing facilities for the troops, improvements to military bases' energy efficiency and research into renewable energy.

Pentagon officials said they welcome any funding that would help to improve the quality of life for servicemembers and their families.

Program Helps Veterans Transition From War Zone to Campus

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

Feb. 10, 2009 - Military veterans transitioning from service to the classroom face challenges more complex than simply memorizing dates, learning theories and mastering equations. Adjusting to the college environment, in general, often is the most difficult part of the transition from military life, said John Schupp, who recently launched the Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran program at Cleveland State University in Ohio, specifically designed to help veteran students make those adjustments.

The program is open to veterans only and is geared to ease them into student life rather than let them become overwhelmed, Schupp said. Campus life and the bureaucracy of a university can be a difficult transition for anyone, especially someone coming from a military background, he noted.

The idea for the program came in 2006 after Schupp, a chemistry professor, received a call from a student who'd been having trouble with her course work. The student was a military veteran who spent nearly three years in Kosovo in the late 1990s and had been in and out of college for the eight years since, Schupp said.

The student explained how, after eight years, she finally felt like a student and felt like she fit in as a member of the university, he added.

"Listening to her talk about her experiences in Kosovo, then [thinking about] her having to listen to a teacher and freshman students discuss their issues and trying to make that kind of adjustment, ... I thought to myself that this is a problem that's going to happen time and again, and I want to know what can I do about it," he said.

Schupp began researching veterans' use of educational benefits such as the Montgomery GI Bill with the local and state Veterans Affairs offices. He said he learned that although money for college is one of the most appealing reasons people join the military, fewer than 10 percent of veterans actually take advantage of their educational benefits. He interviewed Vietnam and Gulf War veterans over a six-month period, asking why they didn't use their GI Bill and what would have kept them in school, he added.

Most veterans claimed to have difficulty concentrating in class, Schupp explained.

"So, my experiment was to change the environment," he said. "It's either the building or the people, so let me take the civilians out of the equation."

Schupp convinced university officials to permit a test class to find out how veterans would do and react, he said. A pilot class of 14 chemistry students took the first exam of the program last spring, and the results were "remarkable," he said.

"It wasn't just circling or matching the answers," Schupp said. "They actually had to know and write out the answers. They handed it in -- no one tore it up or walked out -- and when I graded them, they had a higher average than my civilian classes."

The program's learning environment is much more comfortable, because the veterans-only classes are much smaller than classes open to the whole student population and the students know everyone else in the classroom understands them and has similar experiences.

"By taking the civilians out of the environment, it allows [the veterans] to relax and focus on what they have to do as well as give them the confidence to ... take the test and not worry about the environment," he said.

The veteran classes also have turned into "mini-counseling sessions," Schupp said. Because the classes are composed entirely of veterans, the students speak openly about their experiences and what they've been through.

"I didn't realize what was happening, but they get to class about 15 minutes prior and talk about their issues," he explained. "So what's happening is they're having these mini-counseling sessions four times a day, two days a week. We've disguised counseling sessions with English 101, Math 101 and Science 101."

Schupp also identified the issues veterans were having during their first day on campus. Under the program, veterans meet with someone one-on-one rather than dealing with "long, confusing lines and the bureaucracy of university registrations and admissions," Schupp said.

Of the 14 original students, 10 went on to the summer semester. By fall semester, 25 veteran students participated, and 41 are enrolled for the current spring semester, he said.

The program offers 12 credit hours of veterans-only classes for the students' first semester, then nine credit hours for the next, so full-time students have to take three credit hours of civilian course work, Schupp said.

Universities and colleges and Veterans Affairs systems across the country have taken interest in CSU's veteran-student program, Schupp said. So far, 23 universities and colleges are considering offering the SERV program as early as the fall semester, he added.

Guard Bureau Chief Visits Soldiers in Balkans

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 10, 2009 - The National Guard's support of NATO peacekeeping operations in southeastern Europe is making an important contribution in helping the citizens of Kosovo, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said here Feb. 4. Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley visited Missouri National Guard soldiers deployed to Multinational Task Force East at Camp Bondsteel after walking the streets of downtown Pristina, the capital city.

"I can't tell you how impressed I was walking through those streets and seeing the faces of the men and women of Kosovo who appreciate what you are doing here," McKinley said in a town hall meeting.

American forces have conducted peacekeeping operations in Kosovo following Operation Allied Force in 1999. Nearly a year ago, the United States and other European nations formally recognized Kosovo as an independent nation.

As McKinley walked a few miles in a presence patrol with the Missouri military police soldiers, he was greeted by Kosovars as he passed markets, shops and schools.

"It's a great thing when our leaders come out here to talk to the soldiers," Army Capt. Shannon Dean Holiday, commander of the task force's Thunder Bravo battery. Holiday, who is deployed from Bernard, Mo., said the soldiers who make up the American task force serve nine-month deployments to ensure a safe and secure environment and assist in a transition to civil authority.

Missouri's soldiers patrol one of the more populated areas of the American missions in Kosovo. Holiday said they have a great relationship with the Kosovo police forces, which are growing.

"We come from so many walks of life back home," he said. "Whether you are in education or law enforcement, we can directly relate to some of the same problems they are dealing with. That's one of the great things the Guard brings here."

The Guard assumed command of the task force in November 2007. The Missouri Guard members here will return from their deployment shortly and hand their mission over to citizen-soldiers from California.

McKinley thanked the Guard members who have supported the NATO peacekeeping operations and asked them to extend his thanks to their families as well.

(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

Military Services Meet or Exceed January Recruiting Needs

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 10, 2009 - All active duty U.S. military services and reserve components met or exceeded their January recruiting needs, Defense Department officials reported today.
The Army signed up 9,658 new active-duty soldiers, 107 percent of its target number of 9,000 enlistees.

The Navy signed up 2,948 new active-duty sailors, 100 percent of its target number.

The Marine Corps signed up 3,720 new active-duty Marines, 109 percent of its target number of 3,406 enlistees.

The Air Force signed up 2,600 new active-duty airmen, 100 percent of its target number.

The active Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy also met or exceeded their retention goals for January, officials said.

Guard and reserve forces met or exceeded their January recruiting needs.

The Army Reserve signed up 3,223 new soldiers for 103 percent of its target number of 3,128 enlistees.

The Navy Reserve signed up 712 new sailors, meeting 100 percent of its goal.

The Marine Corps Reserve signed up 879 new Marines, for 155 percent of its target number of 567 enlistees.

The Air National Guard signed up 896 new airmen, for 127 percent of its target number of 703 enlistees.

The Air Force Reserve signed up 683 new airmen, meeting 100 percent of its goal.

The Army National Guard signed up 4,913 new soldiers in January. Although that number is listed as 88 percent of the monthly goal, there's more to the story, a National Guard Bureau official said.

"It's not just about the monthly recruiting goal," Randy Noller, a Guard Bureau spokesman, said. "Right now, we are over our end strength and can slow down on recruiting."

The Army National Guard now has 366,200 soldiers in its ranks, which exceeds its authorized end strength of 358,200 troops, Noller said.

Since the Army National Guard is recruiting fewer new soldiers each month, it can "increase the quality of people coming in," Noller said.

Attrition losses in all reserve components are within acceptable limits, officials said.

Mullen Encourages Troops to Seek Mental Health Care When Needed

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized the importance of de-stigmatizing mental-health care for returning war veterans today as he cut the ribbon on a newly renovated facility designed to improve that care. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, paying his first visit to the home of the 10th Mountain Division, presided at the official opening a new, state-of-the-art, mental health facility.

Speaking earlier in the day at town hall sessions with junior soldiers and family readiness group leaders, Mullen said the military needs to do a better job of encouraging people who need it to seek mental-health care services.

"We've got to work hard to meet the need, and actually get ahead of, the challenges we have," he said. "I think we're all in denial if we don't recognize the huge, huge stress [multiple deployments have] put our force and our families under.

"Leaders have to address that, and address it up front," he said.

Mullen cited disturbing suicide rates in the Army, and urged soldiers to "take care of each other" and recognize symptoms of post-traumatic stress and other difficulties. He also urged spouses to be on the lookout for problems. "We have to have every sensor out," he said.

Families, too, can experience secondary signs of post-traumatic stress, he said, with the accompanying depression, sleeplessness and fear.

"This is human stuff," Mullen told the group. "It's not unexpected."

The big hurdle, Mullen said, is getting people who need it to seek care without fear that it will damage their reputation or military career.

Fort Drum's new Wilcox Center was renovated to provide that much-needed care in a modern, state-of-the-art facility. A two-year renovation added 2,000 square feet to the World War II-era facilities it replaced, increasing its overall size to more than 28,000 square feet.

Mullen toured the center, which includes more space for the post's behaviorial health department, offering more than 70 new office spaces, three reception areas and multiple group meeting rooms and video tele-psychiatry offices.

The main reception area features a large, domed skylight and children's waiting area that creates a welcoming atmosphere for soldiers and their families and providers. An expanded records storage area and up-to-date automation systems help to increase the staff's ability to provide care for soldiers and their families.

Dr. Todd L. Benham, chief of Fort Drum's behavioral health department, had rave reviews about the building.

"The Wilcox Clinic is truly an amazing facility," he said. "Once you step inside, you will see that the Army, the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Fort Drum have worked diligently to make a facility that shows the importance of caring for soldiers and their families."

Army Maj. Ross A. Davidson, the Army Medical Department Activity's logistics chief, said the new clinic demonstrates the Army's commitment to troops and their families.

"This beautiful facility is the direct result of a committed team's effort to plan, develop, and build a facility dedicated to improving the health of our soldiers and the Fort Drum community," he said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS February 9, 2009

NAVY

Undersea Sensor Systems, Inc., Columbia City, Ind., is being awarded a $34,777,470 firm fixed price contract for the procurement of 4,195 AN/SSQ-36B sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy. (4,150) and the Government of Pakistan, (45); 30,454 AN/SSQ-53F sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy, (30,104) and the Government of Pakistan, (350); and 8,302 AN/SSQ-62E sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy. Work will be performed in Columbia City, Ind., (90 percent) and Halifax, Nova Scotia, (10 percent) and is expected to be completed in Feb. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured by electronic request for proposals and two offers were received. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy, ($34,517,590; 99.25 percent) and the Government of Pakistan, ($259,880; .75 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0040).

Sparton Electronics, DeLeon Springs, Fla., is being awarded a $34,125,936 firm fixed price contract for the procurement of 31,593 AN/SSQ-53F sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy and 9,578 AN/SSQ-62E sonobuoys for the U.S. Navy (9,528) and the Government of Pakistan, (50). Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Fla., and is expected to be completed in Feb. 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $251,010 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured by electronic request for proposals and two offers were received. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy, ($34,039,381; 99.74 percent) and the Government of Pakistan, ($86,555; .26 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0039).

L-3 Services Inc, Marlton, N.J., is being awarded $27,063,793 for task order #0072 under previously awarded contract (M67854-02-A-9010) to provide ongoing acquisition support, financial support, logistic support, fielding support, training support, and managerial support for the Marine Corps Systems Command' Communications, Intelligence and Networking Systems (CINS) Product Group's (PG's) Strategic Business Team, Operations Officer, Program Manager (PM), Communications and Networking Systems (PM CNS), PM Intelligence Systems (PM INTEL) and PM Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (PM CREW). The Contractor shall be required to interface and coordinate with other contractors supporting CINS including those in all the Commercial Enterprise Omnibus Support Services (CEOss) domains. It is the contractor's responsibility to arrange all Non-Disclosure Agreements necessary to interface with other contractors to accomplish the CINS mission. MCSC's CINS mission is to act as the central agent for the research, development, acquisition, and life cycle management of communications, intelligence, surveillance, and networking systems throughout the Marine Corps. The PG's assigned mission includes the responsibility of CINS for the Operating Forces and the Support Establishment. The programs within the PG cover all phases of the acquisition process. Work will be performed in Stafford, Va., and work is expected to be completed in Feb. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $3,822,478 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Land and Armament LP, Minneapolis, Minn., is being awarded $21,258,964 for a delivery order under a previously awarded contract (N00014-06-D-0046) to research and develop an Advanced Containment Launcher for Electromagnetic Rail Gun. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, Minn., and work is expected to be completed Sept. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under an Office of Naval Research Broad Agency Announcement 05-003. Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

Motorola, Inc., Columbia, Md., is being awarded a $20,000,000 modification to a previously awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N65236-06-D-5196) for hand-held radios to support the Enterprise Land Mobile Radio (ELMR) Infrastructure. The cumulative value of this contract, including this modification is $63,105,144. Work will be performed in Columbia, Md., and is expected to be completed by September 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $20,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through the Federal Business Opportunities website and the SPAWAR e-Commerce website, with six offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Atlantic is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $16,615,880 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6311) to provide integration services for mission packages that will deploy from and integrate with the Littoral Combat Ship. The Navy's plan is to use spiral development to improve mission capability in identified mission areas. LCS Mission Packages will be optimized for flexibility in the littorals. Mission package capabilities are currently focused on primary mission areas of mine warfare emphasizing mine countermeasures, littoral anti-submarine warfare, and littoral surface warfare operations including prosecution of small boats. The LCS Mission Packages are developed and acquired separately from the LCS Sea Frame. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., (47 percent), Washington, D.C., (26 percent), Panama City, Fla., (12 percent), Hollywood, Md., (12 percent), San Diego, Calif., (2 percent), and Dahlgren, Va., (1 percent) and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $3,323,180 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity.

Ocean Systems Engineering Corp., is being awarded $16,199,973 for task order #0051 under previously awarded contract (M67854-02-A-9020) for the Marine Corps Systems Command's Communications, Intelligence and Networking Systems (CINS) Product Group's (PG's) mission is to act as the central agent for the research, development, acquisition, and life cycle management of communications, intelligence, surveillance, and networking systems throughout the Marine Corps. The PG's assigned mission includes the responsibility of CINS for the Operating Forces and the Supporting Establishment. The programs within the PG cover all phases of the acquisition process. The scope of this Statement of Work is to provide engineering and technical support for the CINS PG's Strategic Business Team, PM Communications and Networking Systems (PM CNS), PM Intelligence Systems (PM INTEL) and PM Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (PM CREW). The Contractor shall be required to interface and coordinate with other contractors supporting CINS including those in all the Commercial Enterprise Omnibus Support Service (CEOss) domains. It is the contractor's responsibility to arrange any Non-Disclosure Agreements necessary to interface with other contractors in order to accomplish the CINS mission. Work will be performed in Stafford, Va., and work is expected to be completed in Feb. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $905,089 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Zel Technologies, LLC*, Hampton, Va., is being awarded a $7,382,410 cost plus fixed fee contract to provide research and development efforts relative to understanding oceanographic phenomenon. Specifically this contract provides for mission support for the U.S. Navy P-3C aircraft, by providing specific engineering investigations, consisting of Multi-spectral Electromagnetic and Electro-optical Propagation through atmospheric, marine, and land environments. Work will be performed in Boulder, Colo., (86 percent); Fairfax, Va., (13 percent); and Hampton, Va., (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Feb. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0026).

Sealaska Environmental Services, LLC*, Juneau, Alaska, is being awarded a $5,505,095 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for operation, maintenance, and long term monitoring environmental services at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, is $28,531,879. Task Order 0001 is being awarded at $451,500 for operation and maintenance of remediation sites A and F located on Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor Submarine Base, and Silverdale, Wash. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Mar. 2010. All work on this contract will be performed in the NAVFAC Northwest AOR including but not limited to, Wash., (78 percent), Alaska, (18 percent), Ore., (1 percent), Idaho, (1 percent), Mont., (1 percent), and Wyo., (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Mar. 2014. Contract funds for Task Order 0001 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity (N44255-09-D-4005).

Correction: Contract awarded Feb. 5, 2009, to George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., has an amended contract base award amount of $7,140,937 and with contract options exercised the total cumulative value of the contract will be $10,360,084.

USSOCOM

L-3 Services of Tampa, Fla., is being awarded a $400,000,000 maximum order amount modification to increase the contract ceiling on the current indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for information technology support to USSOCOM Headquarters, its component commands, theater special operation commands and the military departments (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) that have or provide direct support to Special Operations Forces. The work will be performed in Tampa and other locations and will expire Mar. 31, 2011. The ceiling increase will be accomplished by issuing modification P00047 to contract number USZA22-02-D-0017 on an 'other than full and open' competition basis.

ARMY

Raytheon Co., Cage 96214, McKinney, Texas, was awarded on Dec. 23, 2008, a $179,677,365 firm fixed price for production contract for a modification to multi-year, firm fixed price, time and materials contract Number W15P7T-06-C-M209 with Raytheon Network Centric Systems (Raytheon), to increase the quantity of Horizontal Technology Integration (HTI) Second Generation Forward Looking Infrared (SGF) Block 1 A-Kits that can be obtained under the contract's existing options, to enable the Government to acquire up to 6,153 additional HTI SGF Block 1 A-Kits/B-Kits. Work is to be performed at McKinney, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15P7T-06-C-M209).

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is modifying a cost plus incentive fee contract with McDonnell Douglas Corp., of Long Beach Calif. for an amount not to exceed $114,400,000. This contract modification is a Foreign Military Sales requirement for procurement of a spare engine, night vision devices, ground handling equipment, spares, alternate mission equipment, support equipment, publications, repair and return, contractor logistics support, participation in the Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership, and services. At this time, $56,056,000 has been obligated. 516 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00278).

The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to the Raytheon Co., of Tucson, Ariz. for $49,750,000. This action will provide Small Unmanned Aerial System Research and Evaluation program. At this time $76,095 has been obligated. AFRL/PKDA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8650-09-D-7905).

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Microelectronics Advanced Research Corp., (MARCO), Durham, N.C., is being awarded a $10,000,000 modification to a previously awarded other transaction agreement for phase four (year three) of the Focus Center Research Program. Work will be performed in Durham, N.C., (11 percent); Pittsburgh, Pa., (17 percent); Atlanta, Ga., (19 percent); Cambridge, Mass., (17 percent); Berkeley, Calif., (21 percent); Los Angeles, Calif., (15 percent); and is expected to be completed Nov. 2009. This is a sole source award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contracting activity is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., (HR0011-07-3-0002, P00008).

Mullen: People 'First and Foremost' as Military Shifts Focus

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - As the military begins to shift its focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, it can't lose focus on supporting troops and their families, most importantly by increasing the "dwell time" at home stations between deployments, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told 10th Mountain Division soldiers who returned from Iraq in November, others training for a 2010 deployment, and wives of deployed troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan that they're the backbone of the military.

"Thanks for what you do, and your service to your country at this critical time," Mullen said at a town hall meeting of junior soldiers grades E-4 and below. "[You are] the best we have ever had, and [I am] exceptionally grateful for your service to our nation.

"You serve a larger calling than just yourself, as does your family," he said. "We couldn't do it without you, and we couldn't do it without the family support that has been extraordinary."

In a separate session with family readiness group representatives, Mullen and his wife, Deborah, extended thanks to family members whose loved ones have deployed two, three, even five times since 9/11.

"I recognize that we have asked extraordinary things and have seen extraordinary results," he said. "I don't take that for granted."

As the military looks to the future -- one likely to see greater focus on Afghanistan and possibly tightened budgets -- Mullen said it can't lose sight of the basics of taking care of people. "It is first and foremost," he told the family group. "I don't care what we buy. At the core of our future success is our people."

A top priority, he said, is to increase dwell time between deployments. The 10th Mountain Division soldiers currently have as little as 12 months at home between deployments. Much of that "home time" actually is spent away from home, training for the next deployment.

Mullen said he wants to see dwell time extended as quickly as possible, and to make as much of it as possible time actually spent at home.

"I am hopeful that in about 12 to 24 months, we can take some of the pressure off with increased dwell time at home," he said. "We recognize the need for more time at home. I'm focused on it, the secretary of defense is focused on it, and so is the president. He has told me that personally."

The chairman said he'd also like to see the highly unpopular "Stop Loss" program – which allows the Army to keep soldiers in critical specialties beyond their enlistment contracts -- end as quickly as possible. "If I could do it, I would stop it tonight," he told a spouse. But as the Army increases its end strength and trains up those forces so they are deployable, he conceded, it's more likely going to take 24 to 36 months before the program can be lifted.

Mullen pointed to rising suicide rates and the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder as signs of the heavy stress troops are under. He urged them to look out for each other and help to de-stigmatize getting help when it's needed.

Looking ahead, Mullen said, it's highly likely the military will face budget cuts. That needs to be done by cutting programs "where costs have spun out of control" so funds remain on the war effort and taking care of the troops fighting it and their families, he said.

But the United States must ensure deploying troops have the equipment, training and other support required to succeed, the chairman said. "We cannot send young men and women off to war and not give them the resources that they need," he told the soldiers.

"If have to make some hard choices, we'll do that," he said. "But most of all, we need to get it right for our people and fund the wars we are in."

That includes protecting not only military pay and bonuses, but also medical care, family programs, housing and other allowances. These help ensure that "when you make a decision about your future, you're in a world-class outfit, and you will make a decision to stay if that's right for you," Mullen said.

Today's troops represent the future of the force, he said. Mullen told the soldiers and their families he's focused on "making sure that the combat-hardened force we have -- after multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and the best we have ever seen -- is in fact the guarantor of a successful military in the future."

Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Mangum, the division's rear-echelon commander, called Mullen's visit a great shot in the arm for the 9,000 soldiers currently at Fort Drum, as well as about 9,000 deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The most important thing for them is that he knows they're carrying a heavy load and appreciates it," Mangum said. "Hearing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say thank you means a lot."

Newest Fisher House to Serve Southern California Veterans, Families

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - It was pouring liquid sunshine as the Fisher House Foundation and the Veterans Affairs Department prepared to dedicate the 43rd Fisher House in Brentwood, Calif., on Feb. 6, but the significance of the event wasn't lost on Mother Nature. "The clouds broke, and we actually had sunshine for about an hour and a half [during] the ceremony and reception," Jim Weiskopf, Fisher House Foundations executive vice president of communications, said. "Then it started to rain again."

Wounded Marines from Camp Pendleton joined in the festivities, with one leading the Pledge of Allegiance and another helping to cut the ribbon.

Families who will be living in the newest Fisher House also were on hand to dedicate the 16,800 square-foot building, which provides military families a "home away from home" while their loved ones recover from injuries or illnesses. While there are a few other Fisher Houses of comparable size, this is becoming a standard, Weiskopf said.

Located on the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System campus on the edge of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, the California-Spanish style "comfort home," includes 21 suites, each with a private, handicapped-accessible bathroom. The two-story, elevator-equipped house features communal spaces such as a family room, a multi-cooking station kitchen, a large dining room and shared laundry facilities.

The foundation has made a solemn commitment to keep faith with those who have served the country, Ken Fisher, Fisher House Foundation chairman, said in a news release. It's is a responsibility the foundation accepts gladly, he added.

The community gladly accepted the responsibility as well. Each community where Fisher House builds is asked to raise about half the funds needed to complete the process, Weiskopf said. In Los Angeles, he added, the community did a remarkable job.

"The American Legion Pacific Palisades Post 283 ... donated $2.125 million to us," he said. After placing a call to the American Legion's Indianapolis headquarters, Weiskopf learned that was the largest single donation ever made by an American Legion post.

The Los Angeles Fisher House is the only one that will open this year; about eight more are nearly ready to be started.

"We are going to start a whole bunch more projects, but since we're not 'in the ground' yet, and they take almost 14 months to build, nothing will open up in calendar year 2009," Weiskopf said. "We'll have lots to open up in 2010."

Coast Guard Marks Acquisition Milestones

By Coast Guard Lt. Tony Migliorini
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - The Coast Guard's acquisition directorate has marked a number of positive milestones in delivering new assets and capabilities to the field, the Coast Guard's senior acquisitions official said Feb. 6. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Gary T. Blore, assistant commandant for acquisition, provided bloggers and online journalists with an update on several major projects and announced the delivery of the 200th vessel from the foreign military sales program.

Blore also discussed the importance of ensuring American taxpayers know the Coast Guard is spending their money wisely.

"One of the tenets of our new acquisition processes is we try to be as transparent as possible," he said. "We want the public ... to be aware of what we are doing in the Coast Guard."

Among the 22 major acquisition projects under way, Blore highlighted the progress of the "response boat medium" project, the Rescue 21 system, the HC-144A Ocean Sentry medium-range surveillance aircraft, the national security cutter and the Sentinel-class patrol boat.

The Coast Guard has delivered the sixth of 180 planned response boat medium vessels, and officials are conducting operational tests in a variety of geographic areas. Blore noted that one of the new vessels participated in the rescue operation when U.S. Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River on Jan. 15.

The Rescue 21 project -- the Coast Guard's advanced command, control and communications rescue system -- is now being employed on more than 60 percent of the nation's coastline, Blore said. It will be deployed at Sector North Carolina at the end of the month, and Sector Boston is scheduled to be accepted in May, he added.

The Coast Guard's sixth HC-144A "Ocean Sentry" aircraft is flying from Spain to its U.S. destination of Elizabeth City, N.C., this week, Blore said. Five additional aircraft are under contract and are scheduled for delivery before November 2010.

The Coast Guard's first Legend-class national security cutter, Bertholf, is on track to complete electronic emissions security compliance and final acceptance by May, the admiral said. Also, the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock division recently delivered its report on Coast Guard fatigue design enhancements to the national security cutter.

Coast Guard officials are excited about moving forward with its Sentinel-class patrol boat project, and are planning to take delivery of a lead vessel in 2011, Blore said.

"We have a lot of things going on in acquisitions," he said. "We think we have reformed our processes and are doing things very well."

(Coast Guard Lt. Tony Migliorini serves at the Coast Guard Headquarters public affairs office.)

Guard Embraces Army's 'Year of NCO' Observance

By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - The leadership of the Army National Guard has embraced the yearlong celebration of the Army's noncommissioned officer corps, which features many events and initiatives planned throughout the year to showcase the role of NCOs. "For 372 years, our noncommissioned officers have been the backbone of the Army National Guard," Army Command Sgt. Maj. John D. Gipe, the Army Guard's command sergeant major, said in a letter announcing support of the Year of the NCO. "Since 9/11, though, they have particularly proven to be its very heart and soul."

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army chief of staff, expressed a similar sentiment.

"As [Army Secretary Pete Geren] and I looked around the Army," Casey said, "it was clear to us that the noncommissioned officer is the glue that is holding this Army together at a critical time, and many accomplish the near-impossible every day."

The military is engaged in protracted overseas operations, including combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. After more than seven years of combat operations, Gipe said, many people believe the NCOs of the Army Guard are among the best in the Guard's history.

"Our ranks consist of the most talented pool of professional NCOs ever to muster," Gipe said. "Their unique depths and talents, forged in their communities, bring to the force the ability to operate, maintain, administer, manage, train, lead, fight, dominate and win on today's battlefield."

The Year of the NCO comes with a special significance for the Guard, with the naming of Staff Sgt. Michael Noyce-Merino of the Montana Army National Guard as the Army's NCO of the Year.

"Sergeant Merino exemplifies the professionalism, skill and knowledge that are the hallmarks of National Guard NCOs, and we are immensely proud of this great American," Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said.

As part of the celebration, the Army Guard has several events planned for the year to highlight the contributions of the NCO, including many events that will feature Noyce-Merino. Each month is scheduled to focus on the achievements and contributions in everything from combat operations to daily training activities, officials said.

(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

State Partnerships Prevent Calamities, Guard Bureau Chief Says

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 9, 2009 - The development of international military-to-military relationships built through the National Guard's State Partnership Program will become vitally important in preventing future world calamities, chief of the National Guard Bureau said here Feb. 5. Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, speaking to students at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, said the National Guard in the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia now have 60 state partnerships with the militaries of other nations.

"Their governors and their adjutants general, who run their militaries, have all formed working partnerships with nations in the various corners of the world," he said.

Because it's easier to prevent calamities than to respond to them, "you start by preventing the things that can go wrong, and you start preventing by meeting and sharing ideas with people," McKinley said.

The partnership between California and Ukraine, which started more than 15 years ago, is a perfect example, he said. In an effort to bolster their disaster readiness and response, Ukraine sent representatives to California in November to participate in Vigilant Guard, a weeklong emergency-response training exercise.

The Ukrainian delegation exchanged ideas and techniques with their American counterparts on how to deal with flooding, which they experience each year in western Ukraine. In July, heavy rains brought a record deluge there, causing the worst financial damage in more than 100 years.

"We are living in complex and challenging times," McKinley told the group of nearly 50 international civilian and military leaders attending a seminar on transatlantic security. He encouraged the group to forge new relationships with each other that could serve them in the future.

Partnerships are an effective tool to handle future natural and man-made calamities, which some officials predict will be larger in their scope and size and in the challenges they will pose to governments, the general said.

"We certainly prepare for that major disaster," McKinley said. "How we as a world community respond to it will be vitality important. The integrated efforts between our governments will be critically important to all of us."

(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves at the National Guard Bureau.)