By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Less than three months before the next administration takes office, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he'll leave his post satisfied he made a difference to ensure warfighters have what they need to succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, with confidence that their leaders are being held accountable for their actions. Gates said today he feels "quite a bit of satisfaction" as the driving force behind causes he championed to protect troops in combat, bring them new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capabilities and care for those wounded on the battlefield.
Speaking to reporters as he returned from Fort Bragg, N.C., Gates said he feels a deep commitment to the men and women in uniform and sense of personal responsibility when he sends them to war.
"It helps that they want to go," he said. "They see the challenge. They want to go. They want to fight the fight. They want to win the fight.
"So one of the things that helps me deal with the fact that I am sending them into harm's way is to do every damn thing I can to give them everything they need to win and to come home safely."
Toward that end, Gates has become something of a maverick, bucking a bureaucracy he believes often stands in its own way. Too many people in the Defense Department, he said, want a "99 percent solution" to a problem, even if it will take years to achieve, rather than settling for a "75 or 80 percent solution" reachable in months.
And Gates has demonstrated repeatedly that he wants solutions that will save warfighters' lives today.
He said he's "very satisfied" with progress in fielding mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, or MRAPs. This was the result of an effort he spearheaded to provide deployed troops better protection against underbelly explosions.
The program represents the first major equipment procurement to go from concept to industrial production in less than a year, he said. Last month, it reached a major milestone as the number of MRAPs delivered to U.S. Central Command reached 10,000.
"They're not impervious, but they are saving lives," Gates said. He noted that just a few days ago, he saw a photograph of an MRAP that had been hit by an explosively formed penetrator – far deadlier than a standard improvised explosive device. "All the kids survived," he said.
As the MRAP program moves forward, Gates said he's "pretty much satisfied" that the Defense Department is beginning to make similar progress in providing ISR assets to support warfighters.
Gates announced in April that he had created a task force to give the ISR issue the same level emphasis as the MRAP program. "My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during an April speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
"People are really bending into it now," Gates said today, doubling ISR capability since he announced his initiative.
The fusion of intelligence and operations has created "an insatiable appetite" for the information these systems provide and proof of the need to institutionalize intelligence operations, he said. "I don't want us to ever forget what we have learned in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.
Gates demands monthly progress reports to ensure both programs stay on track. "I have them come back and report to me every month what they are doing," Gates said. "It kind of holds their concentration."
Another priority for Gates – one he frequently says comes directly after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – is care for wounded troops. Gates said feels good about the turnaround since problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center surfaced in February 2007, just months after he took office, through a series of Washington Post news articles.
Gates bristles when he talks about the way leaders initially brushed off the problem as "just a couple of NCOs not doing their job."
He responded in a tough manner that surprised many at the time, firing Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey and Army Maj. Gen. George Weightman, the Walter Reed commander.
Gates imposed this tough sense of accountability again in June when he asked Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley to resign over problems in the Air Force nuclear weapons program.
"Too often, I have seen bureaucracy in Washington – and not just in the Department of Defense – that when something goes wrong, it is the men and woman at the bottom of the ladder who get punished, and never anybody high in the ... hierarchy," he said.
"And I just think that's wrong. People in senior positions can't know every problem out there," he said. "But when a problem is brought to your attention and you don't take it seriously enough, that's a problem."
Since the Walter Reed incident, Gates said he's seen a dramatic improvement in care for wounded warriors. "These people deserve to be treated the best of the best, and I really feel that we let them down," he said.
"I feel good about the fact that we are trying to do better," he said. "The services, and especially the Army and Marine Corps, have really embraced all of this. The senior leadership is very focused on taking good care of wounded warriors and their families."
Meanwhile, Gates said he's seen improvements in how the department reaches out to families of the fallen and said he wants to do more.
He said he was struck earlier this week during the first Pentagon Wounded Warriors Family Summit, when the wife of a soldier killed in combat asked why the bureaucracy made it so difficult for her children to remain in their Department of Defense Dependents School.
Families whose loved one is killed in action face the trauma of the loss itself, the trauma of having to move out of their post housing, then the trauma of having to take their children out of the schools they attend, Gates said today.
"I think we ought to be able to do something about at least the third thing," he said. "So this is an issue that for the next couple of months I am going to push very hard...That's a small thing we can do."
As he looked back over his 23 months as defense secretary, Gates most of the high points have been his experiences with the troops. He recalled an experience at Forward Operating Base Tillman in Afghanistan, listening to a captain he walked with talk about dealing with mayors, negotiating with the local population, fighting the fighting, building roads and partnering with Iraqi security forces.
"I will never forget that as long as I live," he said. "And I think, what an incredible array of responsibilities for – I hesitate to say this... some kid 30 years old."
"At the end of the day, it always comes back to the kids," Gates said.
He recalled his time as president of Texas A&M University, and the personal sense of responsibility he said he felt for each his 46,000 students. "They would walk around in shorts and T-shirts and flip flops and backpacks," he said.
"And then I come to this job and I see kids the same age, 18 to 25, wearing full body armor [and] putting themselves in harm's way," he said. "And if I felt individual responsibility for each of those students at Texas A&M, I feel that responsibility doubly for the people here.
"Making sure that they have everything they need to do their mission and to come home safely is my personal responsibility. I regard them as my own sons and daughters."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
National Guard Provides 'Security Blanket' for New Orleans
By Army Sgt. Michael L. Owens
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - As Joint Task Force Gator continues to help with security in New Orleans, many of the city's residents are becoming comfortable with the attention the soldiers and airmen of the Louisiana National Guard have been giving them. For more than two years, the task force has assisted New Orleans Police Department and other law enforcement agencies by patrolling the streets and helping to keep the city safe. At first, many residents were nervous about the idea of having the military securing their city, but soon after seeing the Guardsmen working in their neighborhoods, they began to embrace the new guys in town.
"When you hear that the military is coming to your city, you tend to imagine mean soldiers with big guns, and that was the perception that I had," said New Orleans Lakeview resident Beatrice C. Marconi. "As they began working, and I saw that my previous views were not a reality, it became a joy seeing them in my neighborhood."
As the city began evacuation operations in late August as Hurricane Gustav approached, many citizens remembered that after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, they returned home to see that all of their possessions were stolen. But with the Guardsmen in their neighborhoods, residents were at ease about leaving their belongings in the hands of the National Guard during the Gustav evacuation.
Eastern New Orleans resident Kerry P. Wagener is one of the many people who put their trust in the soldiers.
"Ever since they began patrolling, their presence has made me and my neighbors feel really comfortable about living in our Katrina-ravaged neighborhood," Wagener said. "When I evacuated for Katrina in 2005, I left with the notion that my home would be robbed by looters. When l left for Gustav, I felt safe knowing that the soldiers would be there to protect our little subdivision."
Air Force Brig. Gen. John B. Soileau Jr., the task force's commander, attributes its success to motivation.
"Since most of the soldiers and airmen live either in New Orleans or surrounding areas, they feel a sense of pride knowing that they are protecting something dear to their hearts," he explained. "When you have a group of people with that much pride, it tends to show in their job performance."
After two years of working in the streets of New Orleans, the soldiers have formed strong bonds with the city's residents. Many residents think of the National Guard as a really close friend.
"They are always walking around and talking with everyone," said 72-year-old resident Gertrude Leblanc. "Like all of my good friends, I seriously hope that they never leave."
(Army Sgt. Michael L. Owens serves with the 241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - As Joint Task Force Gator continues to help with security in New Orleans, many of the city's residents are becoming comfortable with the attention the soldiers and airmen of the Louisiana National Guard have been giving them. For more than two years, the task force has assisted New Orleans Police Department and other law enforcement agencies by patrolling the streets and helping to keep the city safe. At first, many residents were nervous about the idea of having the military securing their city, but soon after seeing the Guardsmen working in their neighborhoods, they began to embrace the new guys in town.
"When you hear that the military is coming to your city, you tend to imagine mean soldiers with big guns, and that was the perception that I had," said New Orleans Lakeview resident Beatrice C. Marconi. "As they began working, and I saw that my previous views were not a reality, it became a joy seeing them in my neighborhood."
As the city began evacuation operations in late August as Hurricane Gustav approached, many citizens remembered that after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, they returned home to see that all of their possessions were stolen. But with the Guardsmen in their neighborhoods, residents were at ease about leaving their belongings in the hands of the National Guard during the Gustav evacuation.
Eastern New Orleans resident Kerry P. Wagener is one of the many people who put their trust in the soldiers.
"Ever since they began patrolling, their presence has made me and my neighbors feel really comfortable about living in our Katrina-ravaged neighborhood," Wagener said. "When I evacuated for Katrina in 2005, I left with the notion that my home would be robbed by looters. When l left for Gustav, I felt safe knowing that the soldiers would be there to protect our little subdivision."
Air Force Brig. Gen. John B. Soileau Jr., the task force's commander, attributes its success to motivation.
"Since most of the soldiers and airmen live either in New Orleans or surrounding areas, they feel a sense of pride knowing that they are protecting something dear to their hearts," he explained. "When you have a group of people with that much pride, it tends to show in their job performance."
After two years of working in the streets of New Orleans, the soldiers have formed strong bonds with the city's residents. Many residents think of the National Guard as a really close friend.
"They are always walking around and talking with everyone," said 72-year-old resident Gertrude Leblanc. "Like all of my good friends, I seriously hope that they never leave."
(Army Sgt. Michael L. Owens serves with the 241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)
America Supports You: Game Show Honors Servicemembers
By Air Force Maj. Edwina Walton
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Despite having an air show the next day to prepare for, Air Force Master Sgt. Robin Brooks decided to play the odds of becoming the "next contestant on 'The Price is Right,'" and it paid off. "Having my named called was music to my ears," said Brooks, first sergeant for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's air demonstration squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Brooks was part of an audience made up of soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, military retirees, disabled veterans and family members for a special taping of the CBS daytime game show Sept. 10.
"This is an awesome opportunity to represent the U.S. Air Force and the Thunderbirds," she said of the "Salute to the military" episode that is scheduled to air on Veterans Day. "I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for the world."
The show's host, comedian Drew Carey, was enthusiastic about hosting Brooks and the rest of the audience members for the special installment of the program, created in conjunction with the Defense Department's Entertainment Media and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.
"I think it's important for everyone to show our support to the servicemembers," said Carey, a former Marine reservist. "We sponsored shows like this before 9/11. And we've even sponsored shows specifically for each the four services in the past. I only wish I could do more."
Carey graciously assigned credit to his production team, but Mike Richards, co-executive producer, said the team had very little to do with it.
"The idea came from Drew," Richards said. "He was very involved in how to lay out this show, down to the prizes being awarded and games selected."
"It was really important for us to make the special 'extra special.' We wanted gifts that were specific to military servicemembers, and we didn't want anyone to leave empty-handed," said Syd Vinnedge, executive producer. "Thus, we are grateful for the support AAFES has given this show. Without them, we couldn't have made it happen. This has definitely been a 'win-win' for all."
AAFES provided six $1,000 gift certificates for online shopping at aafes.com and six 1,000-minute phone cards for the contestants who made it on stage. Additionally, everyone in the audience received 10-percent-discount coupons.
"When Drew explained the concept of the military salute show and wanting to provide gifts specifically for the military, I immediately thought of AAFES," said Barbra Brennan, senior merchandizing representative, CBS Promotional Placement and Awards Department. "I heard about the phone cards from a newspaper commentary addressing how any American could help the troops overseas during the holiday season a few years ago.
"I even checked the program out and was able to go to the aafes.com home page to purchase phone cards for my brother, Marine Maj. Bradley Brennan, while he was deployed to Iraq," she said. "It was a little gesture, but it meant a lot to be able to hear from him on a continuous basis."
Phone cards and gift cards can be purchased at the AAFES Web site for a specific person or any servicemember. It's much more cost-effective than sending packages through the mail, she added, noting that whether you know someone personally or not, a little bit of home makes a world of difference for deployed servicemembers.
While AAFES handled the prizes, Vince Ogilvie, deputy special assistant for entertainment media at the Pentagon, ensured protocol was followed and every service was well represented. The event required Defense Department approval due to the magnitude of support required.
"Drew has always showcased the military in a positive light in the past, and we were more than happy to assist him with this project, because it also helps highlight DoD's America Supports You program." America Supports You communicates citizen support to the nation's servicemembers and their families.
(Air Force Maj. Edwina Walton serves at the headquarters of Army and Air Force Exchange Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Despite having an air show the next day to prepare for, Air Force Master Sgt. Robin Brooks decided to play the odds of becoming the "next contestant on 'The Price is Right,'" and it paid off. "Having my named called was music to my ears," said Brooks, first sergeant for the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's air demonstration squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Brooks was part of an audience made up of soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, military retirees, disabled veterans and family members for a special taping of the CBS daytime game show Sept. 10.
"This is an awesome opportunity to represent the U.S. Air Force and the Thunderbirds," she said of the "Salute to the military" episode that is scheduled to air on Veterans Day. "I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for the world."
The show's host, comedian Drew Carey, was enthusiastic about hosting Brooks and the rest of the audience members for the special installment of the program, created in conjunction with the Defense Department's Entertainment Media and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.
"I think it's important for everyone to show our support to the servicemembers," said Carey, a former Marine reservist. "We sponsored shows like this before 9/11. And we've even sponsored shows specifically for each the four services in the past. I only wish I could do more."
Carey graciously assigned credit to his production team, but Mike Richards, co-executive producer, said the team had very little to do with it.
"The idea came from Drew," Richards said. "He was very involved in how to lay out this show, down to the prizes being awarded and games selected."
"It was really important for us to make the special 'extra special.' We wanted gifts that were specific to military servicemembers, and we didn't want anyone to leave empty-handed," said Syd Vinnedge, executive producer. "Thus, we are grateful for the support AAFES has given this show. Without them, we couldn't have made it happen. This has definitely been a 'win-win' for all."
AAFES provided six $1,000 gift certificates for online shopping at aafes.com and six 1,000-minute phone cards for the contestants who made it on stage. Additionally, everyone in the audience received 10-percent-discount coupons.
"When Drew explained the concept of the military salute show and wanting to provide gifts specifically for the military, I immediately thought of AAFES," said Barbra Brennan, senior merchandizing representative, CBS Promotional Placement and Awards Department. "I heard about the phone cards from a newspaper commentary addressing how any American could help the troops overseas during the holiday season a few years ago.
"I even checked the program out and was able to go to the aafes.com home page to purchase phone cards for my brother, Marine Maj. Bradley Brennan, while he was deployed to Iraq," she said. "It was a little gesture, but it meant a lot to be able to hear from him on a continuous basis."
Phone cards and gift cards can be purchased at the AAFES Web site for a specific person or any servicemember. It's much more cost-effective than sending packages through the mail, she added, noting that whether you know someone personally or not, a little bit of home makes a world of difference for deployed servicemembers.
While AAFES handled the prizes, Vince Ogilvie, deputy special assistant for entertainment media at the Pentagon, ensured protocol was followed and every service was well represented. The event required Defense Department approval due to the magnitude of support required.
"Drew has always showcased the military in a positive light in the past, and we were more than happy to assist him with this project, because it also helps highlight DoD's America Supports You program." America Supports You communicates citizen support to the nation's servicemembers and their families.
(Air Force Maj. Edwina Walton serves at the headquarters of Army and Air Force Exchange Service.)
Gates Visits Fort Bragg to Meet With Soldiers, Spouses
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived at the home of the 82nd Airborne Division and Army Special Operations Command this morning to spend the day meeting troops preparing for or recently returned from combat deployments to get a firsthand update on their operations, requirements and concerns. The secretary was slated to kick off his first visit here at neighboring Pope Air Force Base, where he will preside over a naturalization ceremony for about 40 servicemembers.
"They represent all the services and come from 26 countries on five continents," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday. "The melting pot is clearly alive and well in the United States military, and the country as a whole, for that matter."
Later today, Gates will meet with "All American" Division soldiers who will demonstrate preparations for their upcoming deployment with weapons training, convoy operations and other activities, Morrell said.
The division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in November. The Defense Department announced Sept. 30 that the division's 4th and 1st brigade combat teams will deploy to Iraq during a window that begins this winter and continues through summer.
Gates also will meet with an array of Army Special Operations Command units that Morrell noted deploy regularly to "Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world."
The Army element of U.S. Special Operations Command, its largest, includes Special Forces, Ranger, special operations aviation, psychological operations, civil affairs, and signal and combat service support troops.
Gates will lunch privately with soldiers, then meet with about a dozen 3rd Brigade Combat Team spouses. The session will be closed to observers and the media, Morrell explained, with Gates in a "receiving mode," soliciting candid views about issues ranging from stress on the force to family support services.
These sessions have proven invaluable in the past, Morrell said, giving the secretary insights he might not get elsewhere. They've valuable in "drawing his attention to problems that they may be having that he may not be aware of," Morrell said yesterday.
They've also been the source of new ideas. For example, Gates first heard a recommendation that Montgomery GI Bill benefits be transferrable to family members during a meeting with a military spouses' group at Fort Hood, Texas. The secretary then pitched the idea to President Bush, who liked the concept so much he included it in his State of the Union address, and ultimately signed the measure into law.
For Gates, spending time with troops and their families is the best part of his job, Morrell said. During his 23 months as defense secretary, Gates has visited 108 installations, ships, forward operating bases, provincial reconstruction teams, joint security stations and wounded warrior facilities.
Gates regularly seeks out sessions with servicemembers and their families during these visits, preferring smaller forums to promote an open exchange, Morrell said.
"His visits with ... troops and their family members are really very, very valuable for him for a variety of reasons, one of which is they really buoy his spirits and they re-energize him to come back and move this bureaucracy so that it is more responsive to the needs of the warfighter," Morrell said. "Clearly, he is buoyed by the time he spends with the troopers."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived at the home of the 82nd Airborne Division and Army Special Operations Command this morning to spend the day meeting troops preparing for or recently returned from combat deployments to get a firsthand update on their operations, requirements and concerns. The secretary was slated to kick off his first visit here at neighboring Pope Air Force Base, where he will preside over a naturalization ceremony for about 40 servicemembers.
"They represent all the services and come from 26 countries on five continents," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday. "The melting pot is clearly alive and well in the United States military, and the country as a whole, for that matter."
Later today, Gates will meet with "All American" Division soldiers who will demonstrate preparations for their upcoming deployment with weapons training, convoy operations and other activities, Morrell said.
The division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in November. The Defense Department announced Sept. 30 that the division's 4th and 1st brigade combat teams will deploy to Iraq during a window that begins this winter and continues through summer.
Gates also will meet with an array of Army Special Operations Command units that Morrell noted deploy regularly to "Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world."
The Army element of U.S. Special Operations Command, its largest, includes Special Forces, Ranger, special operations aviation, psychological operations, civil affairs, and signal and combat service support troops.
Gates will lunch privately with soldiers, then meet with about a dozen 3rd Brigade Combat Team spouses. The session will be closed to observers and the media, Morrell explained, with Gates in a "receiving mode," soliciting candid views about issues ranging from stress on the force to family support services.
These sessions have proven invaluable in the past, Morrell said, giving the secretary insights he might not get elsewhere. They've valuable in "drawing his attention to problems that they may be having that he may not be aware of," Morrell said yesterday.
They've also been the source of new ideas. For example, Gates first heard a recommendation that Montgomery GI Bill benefits be transferrable to family members during a meeting with a military spouses' group at Fort Hood, Texas. The secretary then pitched the idea to President Bush, who liked the concept so much he included it in his State of the Union address, and ultimately signed the measure into law.
For Gates, spending time with troops and their families is the best part of his job, Morrell said. During his 23 months as defense secretary, Gates has visited 108 installations, ships, forward operating bases, provincial reconstruction teams, joint security stations and wounded warrior facilities.
Gates regularly seeks out sessions with servicemembers and their families during these visits, preferring smaller forums to promote an open exchange, Morrell said.
"His visits with ... troops and their family members are really very, very valuable for him for a variety of reasons, one of which is they really buoy his spirits and they re-energize him to come back and move this bureaucracy so that it is more responsive to the needs of the warfighter," Morrell said. "Clearly, he is buoyed by the time he spends with the troopers."
Linguists Play Key Threat-Reduction Role, Agency Director Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - For the past 16 years, the United States has worked with leadership in Eurasian countries to reduce the numbers of weapons of mass destruction left behind in former Soviet-bloc states after the Iron Curtain fell, an achievement made possible in part by America's cadre of skilled foreign linguists, the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency said in an interview here. "It takes a very special person, in my mind, who can speak Russian, who's willing to live in Kazakhstan for two years and who's willing to build rapport with the community to make the 'cooperative' part of 'cooperative threat reduction' work," James Tegnelia said.
Since 1992, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, also called the Nunn-Lugar Program after the two U.S. senators behind the initiative, drastically cut the number of leftover weapons, dismantling more than 2,000 intercontinental missiles, eliminating 1,000 missile launchers and deactivating 7,000 nuclear warheads in former Soviet Union states.
U.S. Sens. Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar launched the program amid rising fears that rogue regimes or terrorists sought the remaining stockpiles.
"Maintaining an effective set of threat-reduction activities in former Soviet Union states remains a priority for the United States," according to the DTRA Web site. "These activities are designed to address the proliferation threat stemming from large quantities of Soviet-legacy [weapons of mass destruction] and missile-related expertise and materials remaining in [former Soviet Union] states."
Top graduates from an intensive Russian language and culture course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., may qualify for employment at DTRA. These practitioners work with their Russian counterparts in overseeing weapons facilities inspections. They act as interpreters and escorts, and often provide useful insights into the lay of the land, Tegnelia said.
"These people not only speak the language, they understand the culture, and they're expected to have read Russian novels and understand something about the Russian history, and know when you're making a social mistake to not cause those kind of problems," he said. "It's one thing to get a computer to translate your language, but it's another thing to know that you're saying the right thing and that you're not being culturally insensitive."
Under the Nunn-Lugar rubric, the United States and Russia together compelled Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan to eliminate all nuclear weapons from their territories, and in all, the program has disabled more nuclear weapons than exist in the combined arsenals of the United Kingdom, France and China.
Tegnelia credited the language institute for maintaining its high level of Russian proficiency, even as the number of missile silos, warheads and nuclear bombers in those countries has gone down.
"It would have been very easy to let that atrophy," he said. "But they maintain it; my sense is we're going to need it. They've been a very steady hand at the wheel."
The DTRA director said the agency has considered the necessity of expanding programs like the accelerated Russian language training to include other parts of the world, such as Central Asia and sections of U.S. Central Command's area of operations.
Tegnelia said the linguists fulfilling these vital on-site rolls often are young, intrepid, recent post-baccalaureate graduates.
"They've lived in the culture they've tried to learn," he said. "They come back with some real-world experience. They can live in different cultures, they speak different languages, they have a background that not a lot of people have. And oh, by the way, there's not a lot you're going to do in Siberia in the middle of winter, so you end up with some money to pay off your student loans. It's a win-win."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - For the past 16 years, the United States has worked with leadership in Eurasian countries to reduce the numbers of weapons of mass destruction left behind in former Soviet-bloc states after the Iron Curtain fell, an achievement made possible in part by America's cadre of skilled foreign linguists, the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency said in an interview here. "It takes a very special person, in my mind, who can speak Russian, who's willing to live in Kazakhstan for two years and who's willing to build rapport with the community to make the 'cooperative' part of 'cooperative threat reduction' work," James Tegnelia said.
Since 1992, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, also called the Nunn-Lugar Program after the two U.S. senators behind the initiative, drastically cut the number of leftover weapons, dismantling more than 2,000 intercontinental missiles, eliminating 1,000 missile launchers and deactivating 7,000 nuclear warheads in former Soviet Union states.
U.S. Sens. Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar launched the program amid rising fears that rogue regimes or terrorists sought the remaining stockpiles.
"Maintaining an effective set of threat-reduction activities in former Soviet Union states remains a priority for the United States," according to the DTRA Web site. "These activities are designed to address the proliferation threat stemming from large quantities of Soviet-legacy [weapons of mass destruction] and missile-related expertise and materials remaining in [former Soviet Union] states."
Top graduates from an intensive Russian language and culture course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., may qualify for employment at DTRA. These practitioners work with their Russian counterparts in overseeing weapons facilities inspections. They act as interpreters and escorts, and often provide useful insights into the lay of the land, Tegnelia said.
"These people not only speak the language, they understand the culture, and they're expected to have read Russian novels and understand something about the Russian history, and know when you're making a social mistake to not cause those kind of problems," he said. "It's one thing to get a computer to translate your language, but it's another thing to know that you're saying the right thing and that you're not being culturally insensitive."
Under the Nunn-Lugar rubric, the United States and Russia together compelled Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan to eliminate all nuclear weapons from their territories, and in all, the program has disabled more nuclear weapons than exist in the combined arsenals of the United Kingdom, France and China.
Tegnelia credited the language institute for maintaining its high level of Russian proficiency, even as the number of missile silos, warheads and nuclear bombers in those countries has gone down.
"It would have been very easy to let that atrophy," he said. "But they maintain it; my sense is we're going to need it. They've been a very steady hand at the wheel."
The DTRA director said the agency has considered the necessity of expanding programs like the accelerated Russian language training to include other parts of the world, such as Central Asia and sections of U.S. Central Command's area of operations.
Tegnelia said the linguists fulfilling these vital on-site rolls often are young, intrepid, recent post-baccalaureate graduates.
"They've lived in the culture they've tried to learn," he said. "They come back with some real-world experience. They can live in different cultures, they speak different languages, they have a background that not a lot of people have. And oh, by the way, there's not a lot you're going to do in Siberia in the middle of winter, so you end up with some money to pay off your student loans. It's a win-win."
Gates Salutes New Citizens for Service, Sacrifice
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Presiding over a naturalization ceremony here today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called it an honor "to welcome into citizenship 42 men and women who have served and sacrificed for their country before it officially was their country." Gates kicked off his first visit to Fayetteville, N.C., home to both Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg, presenting citizenship certificates to 42 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who hail from 26 countries, many of whom have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Jonathan Scharfen, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, administered the oath of citizenship.
"The oath you have just sworn brings a deep sense of pride to you and your families and your comrades-in-arms," Gates told the group as he recognized their contributions to American principles. All are volunteers who "have stepped forward at a difficult and dangerous time for freedom-loving people everywhere," he said, willingly putting themselves in harm's way for causes they believe in.
"Throughout U.S. history, new citizens in every walk of life have made America a better place," he said. "As soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, you give what is invaluable: your skills, talents and courage."
Gates noted that nearly 43,000 men and women in uniform have become U.S. citizens since Sept. 11, 2001. He called it fitting and just that President Bush signed an executive order that makes all foreign-born, active-duty servicemembers immediately eligible for U.S. citizenship.
"This nation that welcomes you with warmth and with pride is very much in your debt, because you have shown your love for this country in the most honorable way possible," the secretary said.
Among the new citizens is Army Sgt. 1st Class Ulisses Chavez, a native of Honduras serving with the 504th Brigade Special Troops Battalion. With 11 years in the Army, including two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, Chavez said, he's proud to now be a U.S. citizen, and particularly proud to have the secretary of defense at his naturalization ceremony.
"It's an honor," he said, citing Gates' "great speech" that drew comparisons between America's founding fathers and those who serve the country today.
"I see this is an accomplishment," Chavez said. "It's the next step forward, and from here I plan to keep moving on and up."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2008 - Presiding over a naturalization ceremony here today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called it an honor "to welcome into citizenship 42 men and women who have served and sacrificed for their country before it officially was their country." Gates kicked off his first visit to Fayetteville, N.C., home to both Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg, presenting citizenship certificates to 42 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who hail from 26 countries, many of whom have served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Jonathan Scharfen, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, administered the oath of citizenship.
"The oath you have just sworn brings a deep sense of pride to you and your families and your comrades-in-arms," Gates told the group as he recognized their contributions to American principles. All are volunteers who "have stepped forward at a difficult and dangerous time for freedom-loving people everywhere," he said, willingly putting themselves in harm's way for causes they believe in.
"Throughout U.S. history, new citizens in every walk of life have made America a better place," he said. "As soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, you give what is invaluable: your skills, talents and courage."
Gates noted that nearly 43,000 men and women in uniform have become U.S. citizens since Sept. 11, 2001. He called it fitting and just that President Bush signed an executive order that makes all foreign-born, active-duty servicemembers immediately eligible for U.S. citizenship.
"This nation that welcomes you with warmth and with pride is very much in your debt, because you have shown your love for this country in the most honorable way possible," the secretary said.
Among the new citizens is Army Sgt. 1st Class Ulisses Chavez, a native of Honduras serving with the 504th Brigade Special Troops Battalion. With 11 years in the Army, including two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, Chavez said, he's proud to now be a U.S. citizen, and particularly proud to have the secretary of defense at his naturalization ceremony.
"It's an honor," he said, citing Gates' "great speech" that drew comparisons between America's founding fathers and those who serve the country today.
"I see this is an accomplishment," Chavez said. "It's the next step forward, and from here I plan to keep moving on and up."
MILITARY CONTRACTS October 23, 2008
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., Herndon, Va. is being awarded a maximum $27,741,396 firm fixed price contract to provide electrical services. Other locations of performance are District of Columbia and Maryland. Using service is Navy. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is December 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-8035).
Burlington Apparel Fabrics, Greensboro, N.C. is being awarded a maximum $6,410,240 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery contract to provide wool cloth. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 65 proposals solicited with 2 responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is October 29, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.(SP0100-05-D-0516).
ARMY
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded Oct. 21, 2008, a $27,344,101 firm/ fixed price contract for Baltimore District maintenance dredging in Baltimore Harbor and Baltimore Channels waterways. Work will be performed in Maryland, Baltimore area waterways in various locations, with an estimated and completion date of April 30, 2009. Bids solicited were via the Web and three bids were received. USA Corp of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-09-C-0002).
Navy
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded a $22,932,814firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0004 under contract (M67854-07-D-5025) for Field Service Representatives (FSR) and Instructors to support Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by the January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Electric Boat Corporation, Groton, Conn. is being awarded a $19,041,627 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2103) for reactor plant planning yard services for nuclear-powered submarines and support yard services for the Navy's moored training ships. The contractor will furnish, fabricate, or acquire such materials, supplies and services as may be necessary to perform the functions of the planning yard for reactor plants and associated portions of the propulsion plants for nuclear powered submarines. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn. (95 percent) and Charleston, S.C. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $17,198,984 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., Herndon, Va. is being awarded a maximum $27,741,396 firm fixed price contract to provide electrical services. Other locations of performance are District of Columbia and Maryland. Using service is Navy. There were originally 100 proposals solicited with 14 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is December 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-8035).
Burlington Apparel Fabrics, Greensboro, N.C. is being awarded a maximum $6,410,240 firm fixed price, indefinite delivery contract to provide wool cloth. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There were originally 65 proposals solicited with 2 responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is October 29, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.(SP0100-05-D-0516).
ARMY
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded Oct. 21, 2008, a $27,344,101 firm/ fixed price contract for Baltimore District maintenance dredging in Baltimore Harbor and Baltimore Channels waterways. Work will be performed in Maryland, Baltimore area waterways in various locations, with an estimated and completion date of April 30, 2009. Bids solicited were via the Web and three bids were received. USA Corp of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-09-C-0002).
Navy
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded a $22,932,814firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0004 under contract (M67854-07-D-5025) for Field Service Representatives (FSR) and Instructors to support Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by the January 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Electric Boat Corporation, Groton, Conn. is being awarded a $19,041,627 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2103) for reactor plant planning yard services for nuclear-powered submarines and support yard services for the Navy's moored training ships. The contractor will furnish, fabricate, or acquire such materials, supplies and services as may be necessary to perform the functions of the planning yard for reactor plants and associated portions of the propulsion plants for nuclear powered submarines. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn. (95 percent) and Charleston, S.C. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $17,198,984 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
America Supports You: New Jersey Cities to Welcome Units Home in Grand Style
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - Two units of the 82nd Airborne Division will be treated to a heroes' welcome in November when Holmdel and Middletown, N.J., host a joint homecoming for their "adopted" troops. The units and the cities were paired by America Supporting Americans, a California-based nonprofit group that links military units with communities across the country.
"The centerpiece of ASA's work is the Adopt-A-Unit Program," said Linda Patterson, the group's president and founder. "Believing that a strong, supportive connection between young men and women of our armed forces and the civilian communities they are ready and willing to serve is crucial to morale, ASA has committed itself to building and strengthening this link."
While the homecoming event is still in the planning stages, it's scheduled to cover three days, Nov. 6 through 8. A Veterans Day parade is expected to be the highlight of the event and will give the cities' residents the opportunity to come out and personally thank their soldiers, Patterson said.
"I'm sure you can imagine the planning that goes into an event such as this, and we are extremely proud of these New Jersey communities, their city leaders and citizens," she said. "This is going to be an ... event in two outstanding ASA cities who have rallied their citizens' participation, businesses, and schools, young and old to support these soldiers throughout their deployment."
Patterson started America Supporting Americans in 1967 when her brother, Army Sgt. Joe Artavia, wrote to her from Vietnam and asked her to do something to raise the morale of his unit. She, in turn, convinced her hometown of San Mateo, Calif., to "adopt" her brother's unit. The adoption did the trick and raised the troops' morale "as high as the clouds," Artavia wrote to his sister.
Artavia, 19, was killed three weeks after San Mateo adopted his unit, and Patterson has continued working to raise troops' morale by encouraging communities across the country to adopt military units.
America Supporting Americans is included on the America Supports You Web site. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that communicates citizen support to servicemembers and their families.
Oct. 22, 2008 - Two units of the 82nd Airborne Division will be treated to a heroes' welcome in November when Holmdel and Middletown, N.J., host a joint homecoming for their "adopted" troops. The units and the cities were paired by America Supporting Americans, a California-based nonprofit group that links military units with communities across the country.
"The centerpiece of ASA's work is the Adopt-A-Unit Program," said Linda Patterson, the group's president and founder. "Believing that a strong, supportive connection between young men and women of our armed forces and the civilian communities they are ready and willing to serve is crucial to morale, ASA has committed itself to building and strengthening this link."
While the homecoming event is still in the planning stages, it's scheduled to cover three days, Nov. 6 through 8. A Veterans Day parade is expected to be the highlight of the event and will give the cities' residents the opportunity to come out and personally thank their soldiers, Patterson said.
"I'm sure you can imagine the planning that goes into an event such as this, and we are extremely proud of these New Jersey communities, their city leaders and citizens," she said. "This is going to be an ... event in two outstanding ASA cities who have rallied their citizens' participation, businesses, and schools, young and old to support these soldiers throughout their deployment."
Patterson started America Supporting Americans in 1967 when her brother, Army Sgt. Joe Artavia, wrote to her from Vietnam and asked her to do something to raise the morale of his unit. She, in turn, convinced her hometown of San Mateo, Calif., to "adopt" her brother's unit. The adoption did the trick and raised the troops' morale "as high as the clouds," Artavia wrote to his sister.
Artavia, 19, was killed three weeks after San Mateo adopted his unit, and Patterson has continued working to raise troops' morale by encouraging communities across the country to adopt military units.
America Supporting Americans is included on the America Supports You Web site. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that communicates citizen support to servicemembers and their families.
Mullen Continues Talks with Baltic Allies in Lithuania
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with officials here today as he continued to reaffirm America's commitment to the collective defense of NATO during meetings with allies in the Baltic republics. A key element of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen's discussions here was "Article 5" of the NATO treaty, which declares that an attack on any NATO member is an attack on all NATO members.
"From the United States perspective, the Article 5 responsibilities are absolute," Mullen said during a news conference.
The chairman visited the region following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, in Helsinki, Finland, yesterday. Mullen said all the nations in the region were concerned when Russia invaded Georgia in August, and his presence in the region was to reassure NATO allies of America's continued commitment to mutual defense.
"I believe that Article 5 is not an issue for discussion," Lt. Gen. Valdas Tutkus, Lithuania's chief of defense, said at the news conference. "We in Lithuania strongly believe that the Article 5 is in place. That was one of the reasons for Lithuania to join NATO."
Mullen said he and Tutkus discussed the bilateral military relationship between the United States and Lithuania, including the exercise program and ways to share lessons learned from combat.
"Warfighting and technology are changing," he said. "How do we take the lessons we are learning in real combat and translate that to other militaries and countries in other parts of the world?"
Mullen praised Lithuania for its support in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lithuania commands a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan and has special operations forces working in the southern part of the country. Tutkus said Lithuania will increase its special forces personnel in Afghanistan next year.
The chairman said he also discussed NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic republics with his Lithuanian counterpart. NATO nations have committed to policing the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through 2011. Mullen said the Baltic states and their NATO allies have time to further discuss the mission and the way forward.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with officials here today as he continued to reaffirm America's commitment to the collective defense of NATO during meetings with allies in the Baltic republics. A key element of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen's discussions here was "Article 5" of the NATO treaty, which declares that an attack on any NATO member is an attack on all NATO members.
"From the United States perspective, the Article 5 responsibilities are absolute," Mullen said during a news conference.
The chairman visited the region following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, in Helsinki, Finland, yesterday. Mullen said all the nations in the region were concerned when Russia invaded Georgia in August, and his presence in the region was to reassure NATO allies of America's continued commitment to mutual defense.
"I believe that Article 5 is not an issue for discussion," Lt. Gen. Valdas Tutkus, Lithuania's chief of defense, said at the news conference. "We in Lithuania strongly believe that the Article 5 is in place. That was one of the reasons for Lithuania to join NATO."
Mullen said he and Tutkus discussed the bilateral military relationship between the United States and Lithuania, including the exercise program and ways to share lessons learned from combat.
"Warfighting and technology are changing," he said. "How do we take the lessons we are learning in real combat and translate that to other militaries and countries in other parts of the world?"
Mullen praised Lithuania for its support in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lithuania commands a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan and has special operations forces working in the southern part of the country. Tutkus said Lithuania will increase its special forces personnel in Afghanistan next year.
The chairman said he also discussed NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic republics with his Lithuanian counterpart. NATO nations have committed to policing the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through 2011. Mullen said the Baltic states and their NATO allies have time to further discuss the mission and the way forward.
Creative Arts Festival Gives Wounded Warriors Therapeutic Outlet
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are among more than 120 disabled veterans from across the country attending the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival this week in Riverside, Calif. The week-long festival kicked off yesterday, bringing together medal winners in national creative writing, music, dance, drama or visual arts competitions. Each participant edged out more than 3,000 competitors to earn spots at the national festival, Department of Veterans Affairs officials said.
Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Slatton, a veteran of operations Iraq Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Desert Storm; and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dennis Linn, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, are among the participants.
Slatton retired in 2005 at Fort Gordon, Ga., and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. He and his VA group, The Heavenly Harmonizers, sang their way to this year's National Veterans Creative Arts Festival -- Slatton's fourth -- by winning a gold medal during a preliminary competition in Houston with their gospel song, "Jesus, You Are the Center of My Joy."
Linn retired in 2004 and suffers from cardiovascular disease. A former military artist who once taught art at the Air Force Academy, he painted his way to the VA national festival with gold medals for three paintings in three different media: pastel, oil and watercolor.
Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake called the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival an extension of VA's rehabilitative care.
"Creative expression is an important component of healthy living," Peake said. "This annual festival shows that real healing goes well beyond our patients' physical needs. Creative arts therapy has a key role at VA in rehabilitation and recovery."
Slatton was introduced to the benefits of music therapy while undergoing treatment at the VA hospital near his Chicago home. He'd been singing in church since he was young and had his own music group for years, but now sings mostly with groups he's met through the VA.
"It's true what they say: Music really does soothe the savage beast," he said. "It gives me an outlet and a way to express myself in ways other than combat."
Slatton called the festival a great opportunity for veterans to share their love of the arts along with each other's company.
"I love the fellowship of the other veterans. I'm hooked on it," he said. "There's no competition here, because to get here, you've already won. So the atmosphere here is all about camaraderie. It's a real pleasure to be here with all these veterans."
Linn, now a professional artist in Rapid City, S.D., called art an outlet that helps him transcend his physical limitations. "Art has always been therapeutic for me," he said. "It cultivates your imagination and creativity and serves as an avenue for self-expression."
Linn called the festival a valuable experience for veterans that takes their minds off the physical or mental challenges they face. "It helps take away the stress," he said. "This is a great program for veterans, and I hope more get involved."
Annie Tuttle, the festival's host site coordinator, said a full schedule of rehearsals, workshops, art showings and other activities this week is showcasing the veterans' talents as well as the benefits of the visual and performing arts as therapy.
A grand-finale stage and art show later this week is expected to be a program highlight. The veterans will exhibit their artwork or perform musical, dance, dramatic or original writing selections in a gala variety show.
The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is sponsored by the VA, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the American Legion Auxiliary, and is hosted by the VA's Loma Linda Healthcare System.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are among more than 120 disabled veterans from across the country attending the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival this week in Riverside, Calif. The week-long festival kicked off yesterday, bringing together medal winners in national creative writing, music, dance, drama or visual arts competitions. Each participant edged out more than 3,000 competitors to earn spots at the national festival, Department of Veterans Affairs officials said.
Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Slatton, a veteran of operations Iraq Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Desert Storm; and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dennis Linn, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, are among the participants.
Slatton retired in 2005 at Fort Gordon, Ga., and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. He and his VA group, The Heavenly Harmonizers, sang their way to this year's National Veterans Creative Arts Festival -- Slatton's fourth -- by winning a gold medal during a preliminary competition in Houston with their gospel song, "Jesus, You Are the Center of My Joy."
Linn retired in 2004 and suffers from cardiovascular disease. A former military artist who once taught art at the Air Force Academy, he painted his way to the VA national festival with gold medals for three paintings in three different media: pastel, oil and watercolor.
Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake called the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival an extension of VA's rehabilitative care.
"Creative expression is an important component of healthy living," Peake said. "This annual festival shows that real healing goes well beyond our patients' physical needs. Creative arts therapy has a key role at VA in rehabilitation and recovery."
Slatton was introduced to the benefits of music therapy while undergoing treatment at the VA hospital near his Chicago home. He'd been singing in church since he was young and had his own music group for years, but now sings mostly with groups he's met through the VA.
"It's true what they say: Music really does soothe the savage beast," he said. "It gives me an outlet and a way to express myself in ways other than combat."
Slatton called the festival a great opportunity for veterans to share their love of the arts along with each other's company.
"I love the fellowship of the other veterans. I'm hooked on it," he said. "There's no competition here, because to get here, you've already won. So the atmosphere here is all about camaraderie. It's a real pleasure to be here with all these veterans."
Linn, now a professional artist in Rapid City, S.D., called art an outlet that helps him transcend his physical limitations. "Art has always been therapeutic for me," he said. "It cultivates your imagination and creativity and serves as an avenue for self-expression."
Linn called the festival a valuable experience for veterans that takes their minds off the physical or mental challenges they face. "It helps take away the stress," he said. "This is a great program for veterans, and I hope more get involved."
Annie Tuttle, the festival's host site coordinator, said a full schedule of rehearsals, workshops, art showings and other activities this week is showcasing the veterans' talents as well as the benefits of the visual and performing arts as therapy.
A grand-finale stage and art show later this week is expected to be a program highlight. The veterans will exhibit their artwork or perform musical, dance, dramatic or original writing selections in a gala variety show.
The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival is sponsored by the VA, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the American Legion Auxiliary, and is hosted by the VA's Loma Linda Healthcare System.
Gates Lauds Improvements in Wounded Warrior Care
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - The military has made "some significant steps forward" in caring for wounded warriors, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast today. Inpatient care provided to wounded warriors always has been world-class, Gates said.
"We've never had a problem with that," he said, "and the medical treatment that our soldiers and Marines and airmen and sailors get from the battlefield to these hospitals has no peer anywhere in the world."
The military has made "some significant steps forward" over the past year, Gates said, citing the services' creation of wounded warrior transition organizations.
"I think that the services have really taken a lot of forward steps in terms of improving care, having care managers who make sure that appointments get made and that they're sequenced correctly," he said.
Other improvements are under way with the disability evaluation system that's used to determine how much money injured servicemembers receive after they're discharged, Gates said, as DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs officials work together toward streamlining that process.
"We have a pilot [disability rating] program where there is just one exam and one rating between us and the VA, but it is just a pilot program," Gates said.
Gates acknowledged that still more can be achieved in caring for wounded warriors.
"Part of the problem is we make decisions here and we budget money here for things, and it takes awhile, often, for that to trickle down to individual posts and bases and to the individuals involved," Gates said.
"So, while I think we've accomplished a lot and we are headed absolutely in the right direction, there's no question that we still have further to go, and there's still a gap between where we want to be and where we are," he said.
About $900 million in resources have been earmarked for treatment and research of servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, Gates said, and the Defense Department will establish a Center for Excellence at Bethesda, Md., that will specialize in research and development in finding new treatments for PTSD and TBI.
"It will be a world-class facility at Bethesda, serving all of the services," Gates said. "There's a lot that we don't know about TBI and post-traumatic stress, so we've got a lot of experiments going on around the country."
To help change the military culture to accept that psychological injuries are as devastating as physical wounds, Gates supported the initiative to remove a question on the security clearance form that asked servicemembers whether they ever had received psychological counseling or other kinds of mental health treatment. There's no question, Gates said, that more military people of all ranks are seeking care for mental health issues.
"This is another area where we have a strong culture to overcome, where people basically say, 'Suck it up and get on with the job,' and so on," Gates said, "without realizing that people who have PTSD have suffered a wound just like they've been shot and need to be treated."
The secretary credited Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. with leading his service in promoting the need for soldiers of all ranks to care for their mental health. Noncommissioned officers of all the services, Gates said, play a key role in monitoring young troops' mental health and encouraging them to seek help, if necessary.
Changing military attitudes about mental health issues will take time, Gates acknowledged.
"I think changing Question 21 to where people don't have to worry about losing their security clearance or have their career affected is an important step," Gates said. "But fundamentally, it's a leadership issue in terms of setting an example, of senior officers even acknowledging that they may have had to seek help ... and set the example that way."
Gates signs condolence letters for the families of servicemembers who have died in service to their country, and he provides hand-written notes with each one. It's important, he said, for the fallen to be remembered as people and not become statistics.
Shortly after he took office, Gates said, he told his staff he wanted to see photos of each fallen servicemember, as well as the hometown newspaper obituary, attached to the condolence letters he was to sign.
"I want to get to know every one of these people and the sacrifice that they'd made," Gates said.
Though all military members are expected to do their duty, the secretary said, the sacrifices they make in doing so must not be overlooked. "I think not forgetting the sacrifice that has been made and not letting people become a number is absolutely essential," he said.
With a new administration taking over in January, Gates said, the bonds he has forged with U.S. military members will make it hard for him to leave the Defense Department.
"The opportunity to serve with our troops and to lead them has been the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - The military has made "some significant steps forward" in caring for wounded warriors, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast today. Inpatient care provided to wounded warriors always has been world-class, Gates said.
"We've never had a problem with that," he said, "and the medical treatment that our soldiers and Marines and airmen and sailors get from the battlefield to these hospitals has no peer anywhere in the world."
The military has made "some significant steps forward" over the past year, Gates said, citing the services' creation of wounded warrior transition organizations.
"I think that the services have really taken a lot of forward steps in terms of improving care, having care managers who make sure that appointments get made and that they're sequenced correctly," he said.
Other improvements are under way with the disability evaluation system that's used to determine how much money injured servicemembers receive after they're discharged, Gates said, as DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs officials work together toward streamlining that process.
"We have a pilot [disability rating] program where there is just one exam and one rating between us and the VA, but it is just a pilot program," Gates said.
Gates acknowledged that still more can be achieved in caring for wounded warriors.
"Part of the problem is we make decisions here and we budget money here for things, and it takes awhile, often, for that to trickle down to individual posts and bases and to the individuals involved," Gates said.
"So, while I think we've accomplished a lot and we are headed absolutely in the right direction, there's no question that we still have further to go, and there's still a gap between where we want to be and where we are," he said.
About $900 million in resources have been earmarked for treatment and research of servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, Gates said, and the Defense Department will establish a Center for Excellence at Bethesda, Md., that will specialize in research and development in finding new treatments for PTSD and TBI.
"It will be a world-class facility at Bethesda, serving all of the services," Gates said. "There's a lot that we don't know about TBI and post-traumatic stress, so we've got a lot of experiments going on around the country."
To help change the military culture to accept that psychological injuries are as devastating as physical wounds, Gates supported the initiative to remove a question on the security clearance form that asked servicemembers whether they ever had received psychological counseling or other kinds of mental health treatment. There's no question, Gates said, that more military people of all ranks are seeking care for mental health issues.
"This is another area where we have a strong culture to overcome, where people basically say, 'Suck it up and get on with the job,' and so on," Gates said, "without realizing that people who have PTSD have suffered a wound just like they've been shot and need to be treated."
The secretary credited Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. with leading his service in promoting the need for soldiers of all ranks to care for their mental health. Noncommissioned officers of all the services, Gates said, play a key role in monitoring young troops' mental health and encouraging them to seek help, if necessary.
Changing military attitudes about mental health issues will take time, Gates acknowledged.
"I think changing Question 21 to where people don't have to worry about losing their security clearance or have their career affected is an important step," Gates said. "But fundamentally, it's a leadership issue in terms of setting an example, of senior officers even acknowledging that they may have had to seek help ... and set the example that way."
Gates signs condolence letters for the families of servicemembers who have died in service to their country, and he provides hand-written notes with each one. It's important, he said, for the fallen to be remembered as people and not become statistics.
Shortly after he took office, Gates said, he told his staff he wanted to see photos of each fallen servicemember, as well as the hometown newspaper obituary, attached to the condolence letters he was to sign.
"I want to get to know every one of these people and the sacrifice that they'd made," Gates said.
Though all military members are expected to do their duty, the secretary said, the sacrifices they make in doing so must not be overlooked. "I think not forgetting the sacrifice that has been made and not letting people become a number is absolutely essential," he said.
With a new administration taking over in January, Gates said, the bonds he has forged with U.S. military members will make it hard for him to leave the Defense Department.
"The opportunity to serve with our troops and to lead them has been the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said.
Face of Defense: Logistics Agency Employee Rises Above Disability
By Beth Reece
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - Sasha Puyans is used to getting "The Look." Strangers have gasped, pointed and stared. Some have stopped to take her picture. The attention usually doesn't faze Puyans, who will happily pose for photos with a smile so wide and friendly that observers can't help but see past her short stature and the electric scooter she uses to get around.
"People who've never seen a dwarf before are genuinely shocked when they see me," said Puyans, who has worked with the Defense Logistics Agency's Information Operations Directorate since September 2000.
"Yes, I use a scooter and crutches, but I'm over it, Honey. I'm going to keep on cruising and make the best of things," she said.
Puyans was diagnosed at age 3 with diastrophic dysplasia, a rare cartilage and bone disorder that causes joint pain and restricts movement. Those who have the disorder have a short stature with very short arms and legs, commonly known as dwarfism.
While people with diastrophic dysplasia are protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Puyans said she doesn't feel disabled.
"Since I was little, I always knew I was smart. I knew this was going to get me ahead," she said, pointing to her head.
The 31-year-old is the only one of four siblings to earn a college degree.
"As a disabled person, it's not like I can just go get a construction job. Either I get an education and a professional job doing the best I can, or my options are cut in half."
Puyans' DLA career began with the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, a 14-week summer program that gives disabled college students real-world work experience. She was taking classes at Baltimore City Community College and working part time for the Social Security Administration when a friend recommended she submit a resume.
After turning down seven different job offers she received through the Workforce Recruitment Program, Puyans accepted a position with DLA.
"I could see a future here," she said. "Things have worked out quite well, and there's still room for growth."
Puyans calls DLA a "fabulous place to work." Though she's held various positions in the agency, she said she loves her current job of handling the checkbook and credit-card purchases for the Information Operations Directorate.
When back and leg surgeries and infections kept her in the hospital or homebound for an extended period two years ago, Puyans' supervisors made arrangements for her to work from home when able.
"At that time, I was doing a lot of training database work and spreadsheets. I was really busy, which was wonderful," she said. "A lot of people were like, 'Don't you just want to rest?' But if I sat there with nothing to do, I would have fallen apart. Having my computer, interacting with people from work, it was my way of having some kind of normalcy."
Other employers may not have been as accommodating, Puyans said. "The agency went above and beyond. DLA is really a wonderful place for a disabled person to work."
Puyans is active in Little People of America, a national nonprofit group that provides support and information to people with dwarfism. According to the LPA, more than 80 percent of children born with dwarfism have average-height parents. Puyans' Cuban-born parents are of average height, and only her brother, Brian, shares her genetic condition.
Puyans said she long ago accepted being in the minority in her day-to-day life, so the LPA conventions she attends with Brian always leave her awestruck.
"Rarely do you see even two dwarves in a room, but at these conventions we see 3,000 other people just like ourselves," she said.
Puyans said a recent trip to Mexico for her first Little People of Mexico Convention renewed her appreciation for being a disabled person living in America.
"If you're disabled and live in Mexico, you're not a normal part of society. They don't have the same opportunities for education there, and many of them are reclusive," she said. "But here, I go to work, I have a career. I live a full life."
Even the scooter she relies on doesn't stop Puyans from commuting an hour and a half on a mix of buses and trains from her home in Baltimore.
"I've had surgeries since I was a month old – from my head to my feet. I could very well be doing nothing, sitting at home collecting a Social Security check. But that's not what I chose," she said.
(Beth Reece works at the Defense Logistics Agency Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - Sasha Puyans is used to getting "The Look." Strangers have gasped, pointed and stared. Some have stopped to take her picture. The attention usually doesn't faze Puyans, who will happily pose for photos with a smile so wide and friendly that observers can't help but see past her short stature and the electric scooter she uses to get around.
"People who've never seen a dwarf before are genuinely shocked when they see me," said Puyans, who has worked with the Defense Logistics Agency's Information Operations Directorate since September 2000.
"Yes, I use a scooter and crutches, but I'm over it, Honey. I'm going to keep on cruising and make the best of things," she said.
Puyans was diagnosed at age 3 with diastrophic dysplasia, a rare cartilage and bone disorder that causes joint pain and restricts movement. Those who have the disorder have a short stature with very short arms and legs, commonly known as dwarfism.
While people with diastrophic dysplasia are protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Puyans said she doesn't feel disabled.
"Since I was little, I always knew I was smart. I knew this was going to get me ahead," she said, pointing to her head.
The 31-year-old is the only one of four siblings to earn a college degree.
"As a disabled person, it's not like I can just go get a construction job. Either I get an education and a professional job doing the best I can, or my options are cut in half."
Puyans' DLA career began with the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, a 14-week summer program that gives disabled college students real-world work experience. She was taking classes at Baltimore City Community College and working part time for the Social Security Administration when a friend recommended she submit a resume.
After turning down seven different job offers she received through the Workforce Recruitment Program, Puyans accepted a position with DLA.
"I could see a future here," she said. "Things have worked out quite well, and there's still room for growth."
Puyans calls DLA a "fabulous place to work." Though she's held various positions in the agency, she said she loves her current job of handling the checkbook and credit-card purchases for the Information Operations Directorate.
When back and leg surgeries and infections kept her in the hospital or homebound for an extended period two years ago, Puyans' supervisors made arrangements for her to work from home when able.
"At that time, I was doing a lot of training database work and spreadsheets. I was really busy, which was wonderful," she said. "A lot of people were like, 'Don't you just want to rest?' But if I sat there with nothing to do, I would have fallen apart. Having my computer, interacting with people from work, it was my way of having some kind of normalcy."
Other employers may not have been as accommodating, Puyans said. "The agency went above and beyond. DLA is really a wonderful place for a disabled person to work."
Puyans is active in Little People of America, a national nonprofit group that provides support and information to people with dwarfism. According to the LPA, more than 80 percent of children born with dwarfism have average-height parents. Puyans' Cuban-born parents are of average height, and only her brother, Brian, shares her genetic condition.
Puyans said she long ago accepted being in the minority in her day-to-day life, so the LPA conventions she attends with Brian always leave her awestruck.
"Rarely do you see even two dwarves in a room, but at these conventions we see 3,000 other people just like ourselves," she said.
Puyans said a recent trip to Mexico for her first Little People of Mexico Convention renewed her appreciation for being a disabled person living in America.
"If you're disabled and live in Mexico, you're not a normal part of society. They don't have the same opportunities for education there, and many of them are reclusive," she said. "But here, I go to work, I have a career. I live a full life."
Even the scooter she relies on doesn't stop Puyans from commuting an hour and a half on a mix of buses and trains from her home in Baltimore.
"I've had surgeries since I was a month old – from my head to my feet. I could very well be doing nothing, sitting at home collecting a Social Security check. But that's not what I chose," she said.
(Beth Reece works at the Defense Logistics Agency Public Affairs Office.)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Officials Call Energy Efficiency 'Huge Priority' for Air Force
By Navy Seaman William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - As the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, the Air Force has made conserving resources a priority, officials said yesterday. "We have to continue with our strategy of reducing demand and increasing [energy] supply and changing the culture within the Air Force," Kevin Billings, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, told bloggers during a teleconference.
Billings said finding cheaper, more efficient energy remains a top priority, because the Air Force uses so much energy.
The Air Force is spending more time looking for best practices and collaborating with the other services in terms of how to move forward, Billings said. In addition to changing facilities management activities and aviation operations, he added, the Air Force now wants to address the general outlook airmen have toward conserving energy.
"Technology can provide us better aviation operation procedures and, certainly, more alternative energy and renewable energy resources," Mike Aimone, assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics and installations, said. "But the culture can significantly reduce the demand for electricity if we, in fact, build this culture where airmen make energy a consideration."
In addition to changing its energy conservation culture, the Air Force is exploring ways to use its land for energy sources, Billings said. For example, he said, the Air Force sold 140 acres of land at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to developers to build 72,000 solar arrays that created 14 megawatts of clean, renewable energy for Nevada Power. As a result, he said, the Air Force received a 20-year reduction of $1 million per year off its energy bill.
The Air Force also has begun a significant effort to monitor how much petroleum is being used on its bases, Aimone said, initiating an audit to find out the best methods of satisfying energy needs besides putting convoys of petroleum products.
Another project is the ongoing application of insulating foam to worn-out tents in Iraq and Afghanistan. At one location, Aimone said, eight air conditioning units were needed to cool the tents before the foam was applied. Now, only three air conditioning units are needed, he said.
Looking forward, Billings said, the Air Force plans to research more opportunities to use wind and solar energy and to test different fuels for vehicles. However, he said, some of the more efficient fuels are more expensive.
"We're not going to subsidize it in terms of paying a premium for the fuel, because we've got a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers to fly our missions as cost-effectively as possible," Billings explained.
While the Air Force will continue to search for more efficient energy, Billings said, it will not interfere with their overall mission.
"The No. 1 thing is providing our mission and making sure that we fulfill our mission ... while developing energy resources -- whether they be wind, geothermal, solar or mineral resources under our land," he said.
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - As the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, the Air Force has made conserving resources a priority, officials said yesterday. "We have to continue with our strategy of reducing demand and increasing [energy] supply and changing the culture within the Air Force," Kevin Billings, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, told bloggers during a teleconference.
Billings said finding cheaper, more efficient energy remains a top priority, because the Air Force uses so much energy.
The Air Force is spending more time looking for best practices and collaborating with the other services in terms of how to move forward, Billings said. In addition to changing facilities management activities and aviation operations, he added, the Air Force now wants to address the general outlook airmen have toward conserving energy.
"Technology can provide us better aviation operation procedures and, certainly, more alternative energy and renewable energy resources," Mike Aimone, assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics and installations, said. "But the culture can significantly reduce the demand for electricity if we, in fact, build this culture where airmen make energy a consideration."
In addition to changing its energy conservation culture, the Air Force is exploring ways to use its land for energy sources, Billings said. For example, he said, the Air Force sold 140 acres of land at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to developers to build 72,000 solar arrays that created 14 megawatts of clean, renewable energy for Nevada Power. As a result, he said, the Air Force received a 20-year reduction of $1 million per year off its energy bill.
The Air Force also has begun a significant effort to monitor how much petroleum is being used on its bases, Aimone said, initiating an audit to find out the best methods of satisfying energy needs besides putting convoys of petroleum products.
Another project is the ongoing application of insulating foam to worn-out tents in Iraq and Afghanistan. At one location, Aimone said, eight air conditioning units were needed to cool the tents before the foam was applied. Now, only three air conditioning units are needed, he said.
Looking forward, Billings said, the Air Force plans to research more opportunities to use wind and solar energy and to test different fuels for vehicles. However, he said, some of the more efficient fuels are more expensive.
"We're not going to subsidize it in terms of paying a premium for the fuel, because we've got a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers to fly our missions as cost-effectively as possible," Billings explained.
While the Air Force will continue to search for more efficient energy, Billings said, it will not interfere with their overall mission.
"The No. 1 thing is providing our mission and making sure that we fulfill our mission ... while developing energy resources -- whether they be wind, geothermal, solar or mineral resources under our land," he said.
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Rules for Political Activities Apply to Troops, Civilian Employees
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 22, 2008 - With the national election less than two weeks away, Defense Department officials are stressing to troops and civilian employees that federal law and DoD directives limit their involvement in certain political activities. Political-related "dos and don'ts" pertaining to members of all service branches are proscribed within Defense Department Directive 1344.10, titled, "Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty."
The federal Hatch Act delineates what federal civilians, including those working for the Defense Department, may or may not do in the political realm.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians may attend political events such as meetings and rallies, but military members must only be spectators and may not wear their uniforms. In addition, servicemembers aren't permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity within political groups, or take part in partisan political campaigns or conventions.
Under Hatch Act rules, government civilians may be active in and speak before political gatherings or serve as officers of political parties or partisan groups. They're also allowed to manage political campaigns and may distribute literature, but not at work. They also may write political articles, or serve as spokespersons for political parties or candidates.
military members generally aren't allowed to campaign for political office. Civilians can campaign for office in nonpartisan elections. Partisan political activity is defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party or candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group.
Yet, basic rules apply to both military members and government civilians. Neither can use their position in the military or the government to influence or interfere with elections. Servicemembers and federal civilians never can engage in political activity on the job, in a government vehicle, or while wearing an official uniform.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians are not to distribute political literature at work. This also applies to politically partisan e-mail messages forwarded over the Internet.
Servicemembers and government civilians are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process. But they should know there are rules in place that govern the extent of their involvement in political activities, officials said.
Oct. 22, 2008 - With the national election less than two weeks away, Defense Department officials are stressing to troops and civilian employees that federal law and DoD directives limit their involvement in certain political activities. Political-related "dos and don'ts" pertaining to members of all service branches are proscribed within Defense Department Directive 1344.10, titled, "Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty."
The federal Hatch Act delineates what federal civilians, including those working for the Defense Department, may or may not do in the political realm.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians may attend political events such as meetings and rallies, but military members must only be spectators and may not wear their uniforms. In addition, servicemembers aren't permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity within political groups, or take part in partisan political campaigns or conventions.
Under Hatch Act rules, government civilians may be active in and speak before political gatherings or serve as officers of political parties or partisan groups. They're also allowed to manage political campaigns and may distribute literature, but not at work. They also may write political articles, or serve as spokespersons for political parties or candidates.
military members generally aren't allowed to campaign for political office. Civilians can campaign for office in nonpartisan elections. Partisan political activity is defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party or candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group.
Yet, basic rules apply to both military members and government civilians. Neither can use their position in the military or the government to influence or interfere with elections. Servicemembers and federal civilians never can engage in political activity on the job, in a government vehicle, or while wearing an official uniform.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians are not to distribute political literature at work. This also applies to politically partisan e-mail messages forwarded over the Internet.
Servicemembers and government civilians are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process. But they should know there are rules in place that govern the extent of their involvement in political activities, officials said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS October 22, 2008
ARMY
AM General LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded Oct. 21, 2008, a $179,586,188 firm/ fixed price contract for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled vehicles to contract. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., with an estimated and completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. Bids solicited were via Broad Agency Announcement and nine bids were received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S-001).
CPP Construction Co., Gaithersburg, Md., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $14,850,000 firm/fixed price contract. Construct facilities at the Dalecarlia and McMillian Water Treatment Plants to replace existing chlorine storage and feed systems with aqueous hypochlorite storage. Work will be performed in Wash., with an estimated and completion date of July 3, 2010. Bids solicited were via the Web and nine bids were received. USA Corp of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity
(W912DR-09-C-0005).
Air Force
Assurance Technologies of Carlisle, Mass., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver, Colo., are being awarded cost plus incentive fee/fixed fee contracts for $29 million. This action will provide for Self-Awareness Space Situations Awareness acquisition, which is born out of the Air Force's need to provide threat-warning instruments or sensors for our nation's space-based assets. This two-year developmental project will work towards demonstrating a viable sensing capability, as well as integration, for high-value space assets to include detection, assessment and notification of any attribute interference or attacks from multiple threats. At this time $10 million per contract has been obligated. Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Superiority Systems Wing, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8819-09-C-0021 (AT) and FA8819-09-C-0023 (Lockheed)).
ATK Mission Research of Santa Barbara, Calif., is being awarded a cost plus incentive fee contract for $26,116,415. The contractor shall accomplish all the effort necessary to design, fabricate, install, and test the Space Threat Assessment Testbed (STAT) System to meet all specification requirements (one lot). The STAT will create a realistic space environment to perform developmental and early operational testing of space hardware for Department of Defense, national Reconnaissance Office, and other agencies against man-made threats and naturally occurring environmental phenomena. STAT will emulate the environmental conditions existing at various orbits and self-induced effects. Additionally, STAT will emulate man-made threats to perform real-time system test and evaluation. Finally, STAT will lay the foundation for near real-time connectivity to a satellite operations center for integrated system testing, training, tactics, techniques, and procedures development. This action is a 54-month effort. At this time $1 million has been obligated. AEDC/PKM, Arnold AFB, Tenn., is the contracting activity (FA9101-09-C-0002).
Missile Defense Agency Contract Award
Alliant Techsystems Inc. of Elkton, Maryland, is being awarded a $8,331,652 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for designing, fabricating and testing components as a risk reduction program for future unitary kill vehicle divert and attitude control systems. Award is in response to the Broad Agency Announcement HQ0006-06-MP-BAA. Work will be performed at Elkton, Maryland with an estimated completion date of January 2010. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HQ0006-08-C-0045). The contract will be incrementally funded by $850,000 using Fiscal Year 2008 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funds.
NAVY
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. is being awarded a $5,851,025 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2104) for planning and design yard functions for Standard Navy Valves in support of Nuclear Powered Submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va. and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
AM General LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded Oct. 21, 2008, a $179,586,188 firm/ fixed price contract for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled vehicles to contract. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., with an estimated and completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. Bids solicited were via Broad Agency Announcement and nine bids were received. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S-001).
CPP Construction Co., Gaithersburg, Md., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $14,850,000 firm/fixed price contract. Construct facilities at the Dalecarlia and McMillian Water Treatment Plants to replace existing chlorine storage and feed systems with aqueous hypochlorite storage. Work will be performed in Wash., with an estimated and completion date of July 3, 2010. Bids solicited were via the Web and nine bids were received. USA Corp of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity
(W912DR-09-C-0005).
Air Force
Assurance Technologies of Carlisle, Mass., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver, Colo., are being awarded cost plus incentive fee/fixed fee contracts for $29 million. This action will provide for Self-Awareness Space Situations Awareness acquisition, which is born out of the Air Force's need to provide threat-warning instruments or sensors for our nation's space-based assets. This two-year developmental project will work towards demonstrating a viable sensing capability, as well as integration, for high-value space assets to include detection, assessment and notification of any attribute interference or attacks from multiple threats. At this time $10 million per contract has been obligated. Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Superiority Systems Wing, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8819-09-C-0021 (AT) and FA8819-09-C-0023 (Lockheed)).
ATK Mission Research of Santa Barbara, Calif., is being awarded a cost plus incentive fee contract for $26,116,415. The contractor shall accomplish all the effort necessary to design, fabricate, install, and test the Space Threat Assessment Testbed (STAT) System to meet all specification requirements (one lot). The STAT will create a realistic space environment to perform developmental and early operational testing of space hardware for Department of Defense, national Reconnaissance Office, and other agencies against man-made threats and naturally occurring environmental phenomena. STAT will emulate the environmental conditions existing at various orbits and self-induced effects. Additionally, STAT will emulate man-made threats to perform real-time system test and evaluation. Finally, STAT will lay the foundation for near real-time connectivity to a satellite operations center for integrated system testing, training, tactics, techniques, and procedures development. This action is a 54-month effort. At this time $1 million has been obligated. AEDC/PKM, Arnold AFB, Tenn., is the contracting activity (FA9101-09-C-0002).
Missile Defense Agency Contract Award
Alliant Techsystems Inc. of Elkton, Maryland, is being awarded a $8,331,652 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for designing, fabricating and testing components as a risk reduction program for future unitary kill vehicle divert and attitude control systems. Award is in response to the Broad Agency Announcement HQ0006-06-MP-BAA. Work will be performed at Elkton, Maryland with an estimated completion date of January 2010. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HQ0006-08-C-0045). The contract will be incrementally funded by $850,000 using Fiscal Year 2008 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funds.
NAVY
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. is being awarded a $5,851,025 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2104) for planning and design yard functions for Standard Navy Valves in support of Nuclear Powered Submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va. and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Navy Commissions Submarine New Hampshire
The Navy's newest attack submarine New Hampshire (SSN 778) will be commissioned Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
Sen. Judd Gregg will deliver the ceremony's principal address. The ship's sponsor, Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., is the widow of Lt. Cmdr. Thomas McGuinness, a veteran Navy pilot and co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when McGuinness gives the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
The fifth submarine of the Virginia-class, New Hampshire was delivered eight months early thanks to the Navy's on-going cost-reduction initiatives. This will mark the first time since 1996 that the Navy has commissioned two submarines of the same class in the same year -- USS North Carolina was commissioned in May.
Through their unique capabilities of stealth and endurance, Virginia-class submarines directly enable the Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, and maritime security. Equally adept at operating in the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, New Hampshire will significantly contribute to the mission areas of anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; special operations forces; strike; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare.
Cmdr. Mike Stevens, a native of Tacoma, Wash., will become the ship's first commanding officer, leading a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 7,800-ton New Hampshire was built under a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. New Hampshire is 337 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at depths greater than 800 feet and at speeds exceeding 25 knots submerged. New Hampshire is also designed with a reactor plant which will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.
Additional information about this class of submarine is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .
Sen. Judd Gregg will deliver the ceremony's principal address. The ship's sponsor, Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, N.H., is the widow of Lt. Cmdr. Thomas McGuinness, a veteran Navy pilot and co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when McGuinness gives the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
The fifth submarine of the Virginia-class, New Hampshire was delivered eight months early thanks to the Navy's on-going cost-reduction initiatives. This will mark the first time since 1996 that the Navy has commissioned two submarines of the same class in the same year -- USS North Carolina was commissioned in May.
Through their unique capabilities of stealth and endurance, Virginia-class submarines directly enable the Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, and maritime security. Equally adept at operating in the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, New Hampshire will significantly contribute to the mission areas of anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; special operations forces; strike; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare.
Cmdr. Mike Stevens, a native of Tacoma, Wash., will become the ship's first commanding officer, leading a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 7,800-ton New Hampshire was built under a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. New Hampshire is 337 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at depths greater than 800 feet and at speeds exceeding 25 knots submerged. New Hampshire is also designed with a reactor plant which will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.
Additional information about this class of submarine is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4 .
Serbian, U.S. Officials View Balkans Regionally, Mullen Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - Serbian and American military officials understand the two nations disagree about Kosovo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today, but they recognize the relationship has to be about more than just that nation. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with Serbian President Boris Tadic last night and discussed ways the U.S. and Serbian militaries can work together.
Tadic recognizes that there is more to the U.S.-Serbian relationship than their disagreement on Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States quickly recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February.
Serbia has turned to the West, and is working to join the European Union. It is also a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, often a stepping-stone to full membership in the alliance. The nation is working to eliminate the barriers to full integration in the European economy and the Euro-Atlantic community, the chairman said.
This includes energetically searching for Ratko Mladic and other war criminals from the Bosnian war.
"I get the sense that they are focused on the underpinning of the military-to-military [relationship] and a future that has them as members of the European Union and NATO," Mullen said.
Serbia has a strong strategic commitment to keep tensions low and to make sure violence doesn't break out over Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States and Serbia must continue to make progress in Kosovo, he said, and the next big way is to support the European Union Rule of Law Commission in Kosovo.
"There is so much focus on security and stability in Kosovo that everything is seen through the prism of Kosovo," Mullen said. "We have got to look beyond Kosovo independence, because that isn't the end of the importance of the region. We have to focus on the Balkans writ large. I'm mindful to focus on Serbia as Serbia affects the region, and not just how Serbia affects Kosovo.
"There has to be a balance there," he said.
Mullen said he is pleased with the path of the military-to-military relationship between the United States and Serbia. "Part of that is the great relationship with the Ohio National Guard [as part of a Guard partnership program], but part of it is the general slope-up."
The chairman said he'd like to see Serbian forces working alongside U.S. forces in actual operations. "You can only learn so much from training," he said. "There's always learning that goes on from a real-world operation."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - Serbian and American military officials understand the two nations disagree about Kosovo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today, but they recognize the relationship has to be about more than just that nation. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with Serbian President Boris Tadic last night and discussed ways the U.S. and Serbian militaries can work together.
Tadic recognizes that there is more to the U.S.-Serbian relationship than their disagreement on Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States quickly recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February.
Serbia has turned to the West, and is working to join the European Union. It is also a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, often a stepping-stone to full membership in the alliance. The nation is working to eliminate the barriers to full integration in the European economy and the Euro-Atlantic community, the chairman said.
This includes energetically searching for Ratko Mladic and other war criminals from the Bosnian war.
"I get the sense that they are focused on the underpinning of the military-to-military [relationship] and a future that has them as members of the European Union and NATO," Mullen said.
Serbia has a strong strategic commitment to keep tensions low and to make sure violence doesn't break out over Kosovo, Mullen said. The United States and Serbia must continue to make progress in Kosovo, he said, and the next big way is to support the European Union Rule of Law Commission in Kosovo.
"There is so much focus on security and stability in Kosovo that everything is seen through the prism of Kosovo," Mullen said. "We have got to look beyond Kosovo independence, because that isn't the end of the importance of the region. We have to focus on the Balkans writ large. I'm mindful to focus on Serbia as Serbia affects the region, and not just how Serbia affects Kosovo.
"There has to be a balance there," he said.
Mullen said he is pleased with the path of the military-to-military relationship between the United States and Serbia. "Part of that is the great relationship with the Ohio National Guard [as part of a Guard partnership program], but part of it is the general slope-up."
The chairman said he'd like to see Serbian forces working alongside U.S. forces in actual operations. "You can only learn so much from training," he said. "There's always learning that goes on from a real-world operation."
Police Union Signs Statement of Support for Guardsmen, Reservists
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - The National Fraternal Order of Police formalized its support here yesterday for the men and women who wear both the military uniform and that of their local law enforcement agencies. "I don't know of any other profession that has as many people in the National Guard and Reserve as law enforcement," said Chuck Canterbury, president of the Police union. "It just seems like the two go hand in hand. I'd just like to apologize that we haven't done this before."
Canterbury signed his organization's commitment to ensure job security as well as employee benefits for its police officer in the nation's military reserve components and their families during war and peacetime. The organization understands the requirements and essential roles military volunteers hold in preserving national security, he said.
"So many of our members are in the Guard or Reserves, and we just wanted to show our support and make sure the people that are mobilized are remembered and taken care of," Canterbury said. "Law enforcement and the military are both highly regarded by the national public, and it's always good for these groups to speak in a united voice."
Now that the National Fraternal Order of Police has formally affirmed support of its military members and the federal government, the next step is to challenge local chapters and lodges nationwide to make the same commitment, he said.
"The next step is to go out to our 2,200 lodges and chapters throughout the country and having them sign a show of support," he said. "We've just done it at the national level, so now we've got to do it at the local levels, so they will know what we're doing."
The Fraternal Order of Police is more than 320,000 members strong and is the most affected among organizations working with the Defense Department's National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs.
"This show of commitment is going to mean a lot throughout the country," Hall said. "Service as a police officer is very compatible with that of military service. With that, the support of organizations like the [Fraternal Order of Police], who understand the rules and the laws and go far beyond that, are critical."
ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve-component members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. It is the lead Defense Department organization for this mission.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - The National Fraternal Order of Police formalized its support here yesterday for the men and women who wear both the military uniform and that of their local law enforcement agencies. "I don't know of any other profession that has as many people in the National Guard and Reserve as law enforcement," said Chuck Canterbury, president of the Police union. "It just seems like the two go hand in hand. I'd just like to apologize that we haven't done this before."
Canterbury signed his organization's commitment to ensure job security as well as employee benefits for its police officer in the nation's military reserve components and their families during war and peacetime. The organization understands the requirements and essential roles military volunteers hold in preserving national security, he said.
"So many of our members are in the Guard or Reserves, and we just wanted to show our support and make sure the people that are mobilized are remembered and taken care of," Canterbury said. "Law enforcement and the military are both highly regarded by the national public, and it's always good for these groups to speak in a united voice."
Now that the National Fraternal Order of Police has formally affirmed support of its military members and the federal government, the next step is to challenge local chapters and lodges nationwide to make the same commitment, he said.
"The next step is to go out to our 2,200 lodges and chapters throughout the country and having them sign a show of support," he said. "We've just done it at the national level, so now we've got to do it at the local levels, so they will know what we're doing."
The Fraternal Order of Police is more than 320,000 members strong and is the most affected among organizations working with the Defense Department's National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs.
"This show of commitment is going to mean a lot throughout the country," Hall said. "Service as a police officer is very compatible with that of military service. With that, the support of organizations like the [Fraternal Order of Police], who understand the rules and the laws and go far beyond that, are critical."
ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve-component members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. It is the lead Defense Department organization for this mission.
Airman Missing In Action From Wwii is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War Two, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is 2nd Lt. Ray D. Packard, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Atwood, Calif. He will be buried on Oct. 22 in Prescott, Ariz.
Representatives from the Army met with Packard's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On Aug. 25, 1944, Packard was a pilot in a flight of 22 P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft that left the allied airfield at St. Lambert, France, to attack enemy airfields near Laon-Chambry, France. Enroute to their target, the fighter group was intercepted by more than 80 German fighters near Beauvais, France. During the ensuing dogfight, 11 P-38s were shot down, including Packard's which crashed 15 miles south of Beauvais near the town of Angy. Five of the pilots escaped and evaded enemy capture and two were taken as prisoners of war. Of the four men who were missing in action, three were later recovered and identified, but Packard remained unaccounted-for.
In 1951, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Command team investigated the incident and interviewed a French citizen who said he recovered human remains from a P-38 crash site in Angy. The team also interviewed the mayor of Angy who said that the remains had been buried in a local cemetery, but had later been exhumed and he didn't know what happened after the disinterment. The team went to the crash site, but only found small pieces of aircraft wreckage.
In 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team traveled to Angy to investigate the incident. The team interviewed the son of the French citizen interviewed in 1951. He turned over to the team human remains and other non-biological evidence recovered from the crash site. The team interviewed another French citizen, an aircraft wreckage hunter, who turned over remains and other evidence from an excavation that he conducted at the site.
In 2006 and 2007, JPAC teams conducted two excavations and recovered more human remains, aircraft wreckage, and material evidence including Packard's identification tag.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons in the identification of Packard's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
He is 2nd Lt. Ray D. Packard, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Atwood, Calif. He will be buried on Oct. 22 in Prescott, Ariz.
Representatives from the Army met with Packard's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On Aug. 25, 1944, Packard was a pilot in a flight of 22 P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft that left the allied airfield at St. Lambert, France, to attack enemy airfields near Laon-Chambry, France. Enroute to their target, the fighter group was intercepted by more than 80 German fighters near Beauvais, France. During the ensuing dogfight, 11 P-38s were shot down, including Packard's which crashed 15 miles south of Beauvais near the town of Angy. Five of the pilots escaped and evaded enemy capture and two were taken as prisoners of war. Of the four men who were missing in action, three were later recovered and identified, but Packard remained unaccounted-for.
In 1951, a U.S. Army Graves Registration Command team investigated the incident and interviewed a French citizen who said he recovered human remains from a P-38 crash site in Angy. The team also interviewed the mayor of Angy who said that the remains had been buried in a local cemetery, but had later been exhumed and he didn't know what happened after the disinterment. The team went to the crash site, but only found small pieces of aircraft wreckage.
In 2006, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team traveled to Angy to investigate the incident. The team interviewed the son of the French citizen interviewed in 1951. He turned over to the team human remains and other non-biological evidence recovered from the crash site. The team interviewed another French citizen, an aircraft wreckage hunter, who turned over remains and other evidence from an excavation that he conducted at the site.
In 2006 and 2007, JPAC teams conducted two excavations and recovered more human remains, aircraft wreckage, and material evidence including Packard's identification tag.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons in the identification of Packard's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Defense Department at Forefront of Energy Conservation, Official Says
By Navy Seaman William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - The Defense Department is constantly looking for ways to proactively conserve and reuse energy, a department official said. "We're really leading the nation in looking at energy and considering energy," Mindy Montgomery, deputy director for investment, Office of the Director for Defense Research and Engineering, said during a teleconference with bloggers Oct. 20.
Montgomery said that every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oilraises the DoD's fuel spending by $1.3 billion per year. The department has spent $3 billion to $5 billion extra each year due to the price increase over the last couple years, she said.
But energy conservation does more than help to compensate for rising prices, Montgomery said. It makes operational sense, too, she noted.
"Seventy percent of the convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel and water," she said. "So if we can reduce those, we can reduce all the security assets that go along with all ... these convoys."
While DoD has made progress in energy conservation, Montgomery said, it still has a long way to go.
"Since 2005 we've reduced our total energy consumption by 6 percent," Montgomery said. "On the installation side, since 2003, we've reduced our demand by 10 percent."
Unfortunately, reduced energy consumption doesn't automatically translate to money saved, Montgomery said. DoD has spent $13 billion in total energy costs since 2005 due to rising fuel costs, she said.
"I'd like to say we've saved, but unfortunately, energy costs have gone way up," Montgomery said. "Even though we've reduced consumption, it still costs us more in the long run."
Montgomery said that some electricity costs have stabilized, which should lead to savings in the near future. Installation-specific improvements also should lead to savings, she said.
To reduce energy consumption at installations, the department created the Power Surety Task Force to focus on combatant commanders' energy needs, Montgomery said. For instance, in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers were using tents that were worn out and were not energy efficient, Montgomery said. The task force recently found a substance called installation foam to spray on the tents, which is reducing energy consumption by about 30 percent.
"Now, we're keeping the air inside," Montgomery said. "By the way, the tents are actually about 20 percent cooler than they ever got with the air conditioning," she added.
Montgomery estimated that the DoD will save about $400,000 a day and take about 13 fuel trucks off the roads a day as a result of using the insulation foam.
The Department also is looking at more efficient turbine engines for aircraft, more fuel-efficient engines for the next generation Humvee, and other alternatives that may decrease energy and fuel costs, Montgomery added.
"That program is run by the Army tank and automotive command," she said. "They're looking at different drivetrains, different kinds of engines, [and] different power systems on the vehicle."
Montgomery said the task force also has been focusing on modifying technologies and looking for new methods of power generation.
"We actually just opened a solar farm [that produces] over 14 megawatts in Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada," she said. "We've also, for the last 20 years, had a geothermal plant at China Lake [Naval Air Weapons Station, Calif.]," she added. "I want to say it produces somewhere between 180 and 200 megawatts."
Officials also are looking at expanding its use of geothermal power generation, which uses heat from the Earth.
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2008 - The Defense Department is constantly looking for ways to proactively conserve and reuse energy, a department official said. "We're really leading the nation in looking at energy and considering energy," Mindy Montgomery, deputy director for investment, Office of the Director for Defense Research and Engineering, said during a teleconference with bloggers Oct. 20.
Montgomery said that every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oilraises the DoD's fuel spending by $1.3 billion per year. The department has spent $3 billion to $5 billion extra each year due to the price increase over the last couple years, she said.
But energy conservation does more than help to compensate for rising prices, Montgomery said. It makes operational sense, too, she noted.
"Seventy percent of the convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel and water," she said. "So if we can reduce those, we can reduce all the security assets that go along with all ... these convoys."
While DoD has made progress in energy conservation, Montgomery said, it still has a long way to go.
"Since 2005 we've reduced our total energy consumption by 6 percent," Montgomery said. "On the installation side, since 2003, we've reduced our demand by 10 percent."
Unfortunately, reduced energy consumption doesn't automatically translate to money saved, Montgomery said. DoD has spent $13 billion in total energy costs since 2005 due to rising fuel costs, she said.
"I'd like to say we've saved, but unfortunately, energy costs have gone way up," Montgomery said. "Even though we've reduced consumption, it still costs us more in the long run."
Montgomery said that some electricity costs have stabilized, which should lead to savings in the near future. Installation-specific improvements also should lead to savings, she said.
To reduce energy consumption at installations, the department created the Power Surety Task Force to focus on combatant commanders' energy needs, Montgomery said. For instance, in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers were using tents that were worn out and were not energy efficient, Montgomery said. The task force recently found a substance called installation foam to spray on the tents, which is reducing energy consumption by about 30 percent.
"Now, we're keeping the air inside," Montgomery said. "By the way, the tents are actually about 20 percent cooler than they ever got with the air conditioning," she added.
Montgomery estimated that the DoD will save about $400,000 a day and take about 13 fuel trucks off the roads a day as a result of using the insulation foam.
The Department also is looking at more efficient turbine engines for aircraft, more fuel-efficient engines for the next generation Humvee, and other alternatives that may decrease energy and fuel costs, Montgomery added.
"That program is run by the Army tank and automotive command," she said. "They're looking at different drivetrains, different kinds of engines, [and] different power systems on the vehicle."
Montgomery said the task force also has been focusing on modifying technologies and looking for new methods of power generation.
"We actually just opened a solar farm [that produces] over 14 megawatts in Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada," she said. "We've also, for the last 20 years, had a geothermal plant at China Lake [Naval Air Weapons Station, Calif.]," she added. "I want to say it produces somewhere between 180 and 200 megawatts."
Officials also are looking at expanding its use of geothermal power generation, which uses heat from the Earth.
(Navy Seaman William Selby works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
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