Laughlin chaplain visits White House for Veterans Day

by Senior Airman Nathan Maysonet
47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

11/8/2013 - LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas  -- A Laughlin chaplain was chosen by his peers to attend the White House breakfast Nov. 11, hosted annually by the president for members of the Veterans Day Committee.

Chaplain (Maj.) Andrew McIntosh, 47th Flying Training Wing chaplain, was asked by the Military Chaplains Association to attend the presidential breakfast as their representative at the event.

"As our representative, Chaplain McIntosh will join with other leaders at the White House to represent our veterans to the highest members of our government and then be transported to Arlington National Cemetery where he will attend the national wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns," said Lyman Smith, MCA deputy director. "The MCA is grateful for Chaplain McIntosh's service and the significant role he plays in representing the military chaplaincy at the national level."

McIntosh is an executive committee member for the MCA, which is an organization that is chartered by congress to be a voice for military chaplains. McIntosh's work with the MCA included supporting military chaplains transitioning from military service back into civilian congregations and veteran's affairs.

He will attend the event with representatives from other service organizations that join with the Department of Veterans Affairs each year to support the national observance of Veterans Day.

"It is an honor and a surprise to be asked to be a part of this event," said McIntosh. "This is my second year involved in the event and it's humbling to represent an organization dedicated to military chaplains that allows us to give so much back to our veterans."

Last year, McIntosh attended the national Veterans Day Ceremony as a flag bearer for the MCA at Arlington Ceremony. This year, McIntosh will attend his final MCA executive committee meeting in Washington D.C. during Veterans Day weekend and was asked by the organization if he would like to attend the breakfast this year. McIntosh accepted the honor wholeheartedly.

"I feel this is a great chance to further honor and serve our veterans," said McIntosh. "My first duty as a military chaplain was to attend the funeral of a veteran that had been on the deck of the U.S.S. Arizona during the attack at Pearl Harbor, so going to Washington to celebrate our veterans is very personal and important to me."

For McIntosh, seeing the president and both military and government leaders at the
breakfast is thrilling, but it is the veterans he will meet there that makes the trip worth it.

"Seeing the various generations of veterans in that setting and to stand amongst them will be amazing," said McIntosh. "The stories and histories our veterans have written and the ones our service members are still writing is powerful. I know the vets who have served us and who we know serve are proud of us."

Hazardous materials, mass casualties and winter storm all in a day’s work for Vigilant Guard participants

By Sgt. Angela Parady
121st Public Affairs Detachment

BRUNSWICK, Maine (11/8/13) - A major winter ice storm bringing nearly three feet of snow and frigid temperatures leaves hundreds of thousands without power. An ice arena collapses with an unknown number of people inside; later that night there is a suspected terrorist attack at a major government facility. A suspected anthrax lab has been reported, and hazardous material has leaked on a ship coming into Portland International Marina.

This culmination of events was only an exercise to test the preparedness of emergency management systems in Maine, but it could happen. To be better prepared, emergency aid agencies and National Guard soldiers from seven states, and first responders participated in a Vigilant Guard exercise in Maine Nov. 5-8.

Every year, NGB and the U.S. Northern Command pick four locations to host the exercise. Each location is in a different FEMA region, so the likelihood of a state being able to host the event more than once is rare. The goal of the program is to enhance both National Guard and state emergency preparedness.

All of the participants work together to assess storm damage, identify hazmat threats, decontamination, search and rescue, patient extraction, triage, and other emergency-response measures. Working side by side and being able to recognize one another helps develop relationships before they are in the emergency situation.

Lt. Col. Diane Dunn, a Maine Army National Guard Soldier who works for Joint Force Headquarters, said that the exercise has met every goal they set out to accomplish, primarily networking and developing resources.

"Every single time you get military partners working side by side with civilians they establish relationships, and that is probably the most important thing," said Dunn.

"Understanding who the leaders are, and what tasks belong to whom, so when you have to support someone, you already know their strengths and weaknesses and where you fit into that picture. Those experiences make this exercise more valuable."

During the last 13 months, Dunn has worked very closely with Maine Emergency Management Agency Exercise Officer Jeremy Damren. They worked directly with NGB and NORTHCOMM to plan the event. He agreed that communication is essential to developing working relationships.

"Many of our responders here would be the same people responding to our neighboring states as well," said Damren. "So now, we recognize these faces and can hopefully work a bit closer than had we just shown up. I think anytime you exchange business cards before an emergency its always better than doing it during the emergency."

Although Maine has not had anything to this scale happen yet, it could happen. Emergency situations in New England, such as Hurricane Irene, or Hurricane Sandy that required a multistate response, have already happened, and this just helps train everyone to be better equipped.

Dunn, a native of Newburg, said this training is the opportunity of a lifetime for the National Guard.
"It gives us the opportunity to not only understand the resources and capabilities the civilians have, but also our role," she said. "How we support our civilians, and where we would fit into our communities and to make sure our families and our community members are safe. Most importantly, that can help response efforts like this."

When a disaster strikes, trained, local emergency personnel respond first. When the first responders have expended their resources, the county comes in to assist. In a situation like Vigilant Guard, with multiple competing priorities, whether it is sheltering people, clearing roads, or just public safety in general, sometimes they too run out of resources.

That's when MEMA enters the picture. It has a designated planning staff that is responsible for responding to emergencies. They can look at all the resources state wide and see where things can be shared. After the state exceeds all of its resources, it requests National Guard assistance, and mutual aid partners in neighboring states, and federal agencies.

The military doesn't step in and take over the situation. They are there to help aid and assist the first responders and other agencies already in place, said Damren, who lives in Belgrade.

"The adjutant general, who manages both us and the Maine National Guard, has said from the very beginning, that all disasters start local. So this military takeover would never happen. What would happen is we would work together."

Working side by side, military and civilian responders extract, decontaminate and treat the victims at the collapsed building. Meanwhile, other crews have been called in to respond to nearly 20 other emergency events throughout the state, from cybersecurity breaches, to a contaminated ship coming into Portland. It took nearly 1500 National Guard soldiers, hundreds of civilian medical and first responders and international partners working together to help mitigate the disaster.

Because events this extreme are not common in New England, this was an opportunity to demonstrate the National Guard and civilian agencies abilities to respond when called, and to train military soldiers for their response, said Dunn.

"It gave us the opportunity to exercise our main job; to defend our state and to respond in time of crisis," she continued. "It is not something we do all the time, so its important that we dust off those plans and are familiar with what our tasks are and how we need to continue to train and prepare so we can meet the call when it comes in."

Similarly, Damren was very happy with the overall exercise.

"Being able to strengthen the military and civilian relationship and reflect that we do all work together," he said. "It doesn't matter what uniform you wear, we are all here to do a job, so let's just get to work, make people safe, and save lives."

Reserve wing holds enlistment ceremony at Punkin Chunkin

by Master Sgt. Veronica Aceveda
512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

11/7/2013 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del.  -- The 512th Airlift Wing conducted an enlistment ceremony during the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Opening Ceremony Nov. 2 in Bridgeville, Del.

On stage at an event, which attracted thousands, the Dover AFB Honor Guard presented the colors, and 2nd Lt. Adara Scholl, 436th AW, sang the national anthem.

The military ceremony featured two recruits reciting the oath of enlistment, signifying the start of their Air Force Reserve career in the Liberty Wing. A reservist already serving in the 512th AW also raised his right hand to re-enlist.

Recruit Zachary Ellis is slated to become a C-5M loadmaster and Recruit Anthony Green will be assigned as an aerial porter. Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hunsiker, is a logistics plans technician, who signed an enlistment contract for six years.

"Even though there is budgetary uncertainty in the Department of Defense, the important mission of the Air Force Reserve at Dover requires that we continue to recruit," said Col. Raymond A. Kozak, 512th AW commander. "There is still plenty of opportunity in the 512th Airlift Wing."

The 1,800-member unit is expected to grow to more than 1,925 by the end of the year. The wing is especially looking to hire for two undermanned career fields, flight engineer and explosive ordnance disposal technician.

Enlisting into the Air Force Reserve is similar to enlisting in the active-duty Air Force. Reservists receive many of the same benefits as the active-duty Air Force but have the flexibility to train and serve near home, attend college full time or maintain a civilian career.

In the Delmarva Peninsula, anyone interested in serving in one of the wing's many career fields, can call Tech. Sgt. Gerale R. Baker Jr. at (302) 677-6912.

Joint exercise paves way for future JBLM war-time capability

by Staff Sgt. Jason Truskowski
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

11/7/2013 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- A month of joint planning between Air Force and Army units at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., paid off when Airmen from the 62nd Airlift Wing and Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery came together Nov. 4-5 to carry out "Operation Guy Fawkes," a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System live-fire simulation exercise.

During the two-day exercise, four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft departed McChord Field carrying a total of seven HIMARS vehicles and approximately 100 personnel, and travelled to three airfields in the western United States. Once the C-17s were on the ground at the airfields, teams scrambled to offload the vehicles, perform the firing simulation, and quickly reload the vehicles back on the aircraft to head back home.

The airfields used in the exercise - Moses Lake, Wash., Yakima, Wash., and Schoonover, Calif. - allowed the crews to train in a variety of conditions, to include landing on a semi-prepared, dirt runway. The exercise also included both daytime and nighttime operations.

Though the Air Force and Army have their own unique mission capabilities, the exercise demonstrated that together those capacities bring JBLM's war fighting abilities to a whole new level.

"This exercise is a phenomenal opportunity for our unit to train with the Air Force," said 1st Lt. Shannon McDonnell, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, HIMARS fire direction officer. "Being able to bring two branches of service together, each with their own unique capabilities is something that will benefit and support Airmen and Soldiers in future missions worldwide."

One objective of the operation was to broaden JBLM's joint planning abilities and open the door for future coordination between the services.

"Operationally, we would like to take a step toward executing the full spectrum of C-17 operations with an emphasis on command and control during wartime operations," said Capt. Paul Tucker, 7th Airlift Squadron exercise lead. "Tactically, we would like to expose the crews to operational objectives they may never have experienced, while sharpening the skills they already practice on a regular basis."

For some of the exercise participants, working with unfamiliar weapons systems presented unique challenges.

"You won't always have publications stating how to tie down every piece of equipment our C-17s are capable of transporting," said Senior Airman Ashton Taylor, 7th AS loadmaster. "It comes down to the fundamentals that we learn in tech school. Fundamentals are a good foundation for success."

The ability to practice those fundamentals in unfamiliar settings and with unfamiliar equipment is one of the benefits of joint training.

"Having HIMARS crews working with the Air Force benefits the joint operations for JBLM," said Spc. Hunter Campbell, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, HIMARS driver. "I think everyone within my unit needs to have the opportunity to train with the Air Force."

The exercise was the second joint HIMARS exercise performed this year.

Physical Training Leader program keeps Soldiers, Airmen ready

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Blake Mize
JBER Public Affairs

11/7/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Physical fitness is a requirement to enter and remain in the military. As careers progress and metabolisms decline, however, maintaining the standards can become more and more challenging.

To ensure all military members on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson are able to adhere to physical fitness standards throughout their time here and beyond, the JBER Health and Wellness Center offers the physical training leader program.

"The purpose of the PTL program is to provide safe and effective resources for unit PT and fitness assessments," said Leyla Kelter, director of the JBER HAWC. "Commander-driven physical fitness training is the backbone of the Air Force physical fitness program and an integral part of mission requirements. The program promotes aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and optimal body composition of each member of each unit."
The process to become a PTL is relatively simple, but does require members to complete certain steps to be considered and become qualified for the duty.

"A PTL is appointed by their unit commander and must be a military member who has received at least at a satisfactory score on their official fitness assessment," Kelter said.
Once a PTL has been selected by their unit commander, the HAWC offers qualification
courses.

"They must be certified in basic life saving techniques and they have to have the training on how to conduct official and practice fitness assessments," Kelter said.

These qualifications satisfy the requirements to become a basic PTL, but to lead group physical training and be designated as a 'PTL-A,' additional training is required.

"To become a PTL-A, you also must have, in writing, a commander-directed unit PT program that's been approved by an exercise physiologist," Kelter said. "In turn, the PTL-A is trained by an exercise physiologist on group exercise techniques."

A passion for exercise and physical fitness is not an official requirement, but could prove to be a vital asset to a PTL.

"There are quite a few Airmen who are into fitness," said John Limon, JBER exercise physiologist. "That's their personal pastime so they're passionate, but the knowledge base is not quite there. They're into it and they love it, so all we've got to do is refine them a little bit, kind of round off the rough edges, and they can then produce pretty good programs."

Although the PTL program is an Air Force initiative, the HAWC's ability to influence fitness leaders is not limited to one branch.

"The HAWC has been an integral part of the overall development of our leaders and Soldiers, specifically in the realm of physical and mental wellness," said Army Lt. Col. Richard Scott, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment commander. "The HAWC is capable of providing a comprehensive nutrition program covering all aspects of optimal health, performance and rehabilitation from illness and injury."

The HAWC has been able to assist the 1-40th Cavalry with their fitness goals in a variety of ways.

"I'd say that at this point we've got our Army brethren utilizing us more than our Airmen are," Kelter said. "They've come to the realization that we have subject matter experts to be able to actually make them fit-to-fight. They're using our gait analysis opportunities where they come and are videotaped while they're running and we're able to give them strength and conditioning training to help better their performance."

Kelter, who is also a Pacific Air Forces consultant for exercise physiology and health promotion, said the various fitness programs have allowed the HAWC to set their sights on loftier goals.

"The goal is to reduce the number of people that are on profile," she said. "We are in the process of becoming a pilot program for the Air Force, specifically for PACAF, called the combat fitness program."

She added the overall goal goes beyond the fitness of individual Airmen and Soldiers.

Being physically fit allows you to properly support ... the mission," she said. "The goal of the fitness program is to motivate all members to participate in a year-round physical conditioning program that emphasizes total fitness, to include proper aerobic conditioning, strength and flexibility training, and healthy eating. Health benefits from an active lifestyle will increase productivity, optimize health and decrease absenteeism while maintaining a higher level of readiness."

National Guard helping America sustain enduring global partnerships

By Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau

PRISTINA, Kosovo (11/7/2013) - The National Guard State Partnership Program is an invaluable tool for the United States and for the nation's foreign partners, U.S. and foreign leaders said here Wednesday.

"The National Guard State Partnership Program is our most productive relationship," said Akim Ceku, minister of the Kosovo Security Force.

U.S. Ambassador Tracey Jacobson said the 20-year-old program that pairs state National Guards with more than one third of the world's countries also is hugely useful in building enduring partnerships both with Kosovo and regionally.

Ceku and Jacobson told Army Gen. Frank Grass, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, that National Guard processes are being emulated overseas.

For example, Balkan leaders are discussing using the National Guard's Emergency Management Assistance Compact between states as a model for regional cooperation between nations facing natural or manmade disasters.

General Grass also has heard similar observations during an ongoing trip to multiple countries to meet with troops, combatant commanders, other leaders and foreign partners. Grass said that the SPP is a critical tool in reassuring America's partners about the nation's continued commitment to enduring partnerships during a time of fiscal constraint and budgetary challenges.

With an annual cost in the $9 million to $13 million range, the SPP sees more than 600 events successfully executed between U.S. states and foreign countries each year.

"It is a reciprocal partnership that is just phenomenal," Grass said.

In the Kosovo example, Minister Ceku cited a litany of benefits for his country: Iowa National Guard members are helping Kosovo improve firefighting and hazardous materials capabilities; professionalizing its noncommissioned officer corps; and advancing Kosovo's goal to become a security provider by one day contributing to overseas peacekeeping and other operations.

The Iowa Guard is helping "make us become a force for good," Ceku said. "You are a model for our society in many areas - the U.S. in general, and the Iowa Guard in particular."

Ambassador Jacobson said the relationship has also been a catalyst to non-military activities separate from the National Guard's involvement, such as student exchanges and business investment.

Some of the SPP's success lies in the National Guard's unique dual mission supporting the Army and the Air Force in federal missions while serving as America's first military responder at home. This construct also has the added benefit of attracting recruits who are professional Soldiers and Airmen with accomplished civilian skills.

During his trip, Grass and his senior enlisted advisor, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Mitch Brush, have heard from Guard members about their multiple overseas deployments - in one Soldier's case, eight and counting - in the last 12 years. They also heard first-hand accounts of Guard members responding to domestic state active duty missions ranging from support to national security special events to defense support to civil authorities after hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, snowstorms, flooding and the Boston bombings.

"We bring an extraordinarily rich tapestry of skills and experience to our overseas partnerships that our partners value tremendously," Grass said, "and Guard members benefit in return. Iowa Soldiers and Airmen, for example, have brought home strengthened skills and an invaluably enriched geopolitical perspective."

Indiana National Guard hosts multiagency explosives training

By Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Lowry
Indiana National Guard Public Affairs

INDIANAPOLIS (11/7/13) - Consider the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.; the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.; the Boston Marathon bombing and Friday's shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport.

All were terrorist acts. All involved first responders.

National Guard Airmen and Soldiers are America's military first responders, and its members are sometimes called into action to support civilian authorities.
To be prepared, they train.

On Monday, the Indiana National Guard hosted explosive-detection training for local, state and national first responders. They included members with the FBI, Transportation Security Administration, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Marion County Sherriff's Department.
"One of the threats that is still out there now, in addition to al-Qaida, is home-grown terrorists. And their weapon of choice is this type of explosive, which is homemade," said John Beckius, an assistant federal security director with the Transportation Security Administration.

During training at the Indiana National Guard headquarters in Indianapolis, the FBI provided two types of homegrown explosives - triacetone triperoxide and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine.

These peroxide-based explosives are turning up more often, and are new threats post-9/11, said Tim Carpenter, FBI special agent and bomb technician.

While terrorists use these explosives more frequently, the first responders have to be ready to combat these new techniques. The first-response agencies rely on explosive-detecting dogs to find harmful substances.

"For most K-9 programs, it's the first time they've been exposed to these explosives," said Carpenter.
This is what the dog handlers called imprinting. Now that the dogs know the substances as explosives, they will be able to recognize them when working too.

"It's a worthwhile training scenario set up by the FBI and TSA," said Craig Patton, an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer and K-9 training supervisor. "It's a chance to re-familiarize the dog with these particular odors. It's very beneficial."

Patton said the last time IMPD dogs encountered the peroxide-based explosives was in training prior to 2012 Super Bowl.

Other dog handlers agreed about the training's benefits.

For Sgt. Bill Carpenter, an officer with the Indianapolis Airport Police who works with a German shepherd named Aston, it's a chance for Carpenter's dog to hone his skills.

"It's good training," said Carpenter. "It's been six months since he's been exposed to the odor. He's good, but I need him to refine his techniques."

Carpenter wanted Aston to hunker down when he smelled the explosives.

Besides playing host to the first-response organizations, the Indiana National Guard has a part in the training, if only theoretical.

"If they find it, we’ve got to go get it," said 1st Sgt. Jason Wootten, as he watched the training. Wootten is the top enlisted Soldier for the 53rd Civil Support Team. The Airmen and Soldiers of the CST identify, assess, assist and advise the civil authorities - like the ones at this training - that request them to respond.

"We have a great working relationship with fire and police departments throughout our great state," Wootten said.

Beckius summed up why this multiagency training was so important.

"We are all supportive of each other," said Beckius. "When there are large events - Final Four, Super Bowl, the 500 --no department can handle them by itself."

Seawolves, Team Denali share day of training, fitness

by Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Smith
4-25 IBCT Public Affairs

11/7/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Collegiate athletes with the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves men's hockey team were up before dawn and ready to train with U.S. Army Alaska paratroopers in a day filled with tests of physical endurance Oct. 25 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The event was designed to foster mutual respect between the paratroopers and athletes as they found similarities in shared values and attributes.

The busy schedule was designed to enhance leadership and teamwork skills while focusing on physical and mental fitness.

The Seawolves broke into small teams with each team assigned one paratrooper as a guide and teammate.

The first event on the agenda was a grueling cross fit workout session consisting of six rounds of 40 pushups, 30 goblet squats with a 20-pound kettle bell, 20 box jumps, 10 pullups, five lunges per leg with a 45-pound plate lifted over the head, and a 200 meter run carrying a medicine ball.

One team's guide, Sgt. Rick Henry, with the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, said he was impressed by the hockey players' efforts.

"I thought they were beasts," he said. "They are definitely top collegiate athletes for sure."
Henry was happy to host the hockey team for the day at JBER.

"It's a great opportunity to network with the community. It's good for building esprit de corps and camaraderie with local players from the Anchorage area, and I think it's just a good opportunity to for a little friendly competition, to kind of pit some military athletes with some college athletes," Henry said.

"This is a good opportunity for us to do a team building exercise," said Steve Thompson, the director of hockey operations for UAA. "Obviously the military is a great standard of leadership, so we want to try and role model from you guys and learn some life lessons out here, and it's also a great opportunity for you guys to kick our butts and get us whipped into shape for the season."

"We appreciate everything that you guys do for us," Thompson said. "My dad was in the Air Force, so I grew up on Elmendorf, and we have a lot of Canadian guys, and they always think it's really awesome to see how our country is based off the military and how much pride we take in being American."

After the Crossfit exercises, the teams showered and headed to the Wilderness Inn Dining Facility for lunch and a leadership and teamwork presentation led by the commander of the 1-40th Cavalry, Army Lt. Col. Richard Scott.

Scott, a former collegiate athlete starring in soccer at the University of Washington, said there are many commonalities between Soldiers and collegiate athletes.

He said people who grew up in an athletic environment do extremely well in the Army, because their attributes easily transfer. Organized sports learned at youth, regional, national, Olympic, and college teams share Army values and standards of competitiveness, sacrifice, commitment and fitness.

"A lot of the things that you guys are doing right now, I am for the same things here in this organization," Scott told the team. "That's where the similarities come in to play."

"We take the same approach in our organization in the Army," Scott said. "With leadership comes great responsibility, shared hardship, commitment, dedication, hard work, sacrifice. ... Collegiate athletes know about winning. They know sacrifice and commitment, and hard work and what that leads to. They know about team work."

USARAK's command team, Army Maj. Gen. Michael H. Shields and Command Sgt. Maj. Bernard Knight, were also in attendance at the luncheon.

Shields provided valuable advice to the athletes.

"Preparation, preparation, preparation," Shields said. "Bottom line is, a lot of people want to win, but they don't have the will to prepare to win.

"That's what's going to make the difference between the great teams and probably good or average teams," Shields said.

Replenished and rested, the Seawolves and paratroopers moved out for more scheduled physical endurance and team-building exercises including a Humvee push, a several-mile run which included a grueling uphill climb wearing protective masks, a casualty litter carry, a room clearing mission including tussles against foam-padded enemies to locate sensitive material, then a run to the finish line carrying Army inflatable
boats.

"It was awesome," said Seawolves captain Matt Bailey, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. "It was a good experience to get a feel for what you guys go through, and learn about some of the training stuff you guys do."

Like Scott, Bailey also said there are similarities between collegiate and Soldier athletes.

"A lot of the same teamwork stuff we do on a daily basis is huge for you guys too, so there is a lot of correlation between the different aspects and values you guys have and the ones we have in hockey," Bailey said.

Bailey said the workout was tough, but fun and rewarding.

"It was a good workout for us. I really like doing different things, so it was a good change," Bailey said. "It was good camaraderie working out with you guys and working with our team leaders."

Capping the day off with a little more fun, the Seawolves played floor hockey with children at JBER's Two Rivers Youth Center.

Final Doolittle Raider toast to be broadcast live at 2 p.m. Saturday

11/7/2013 - DAYTON, Ohio (AFNS) -- When the last surviving Doolittle Tokyo Raiders make a final toast to their fallen comrades Nov. 9, the world can witness the historic moment.

Although the final toast ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is not open to the public, The Pentagon Channel will host a live broadcast beginning at 2 p.m. Alaska time. The live stream will also be available at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil and www.af.mil.

On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. Led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, these men came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. Today, just four of the men survive: Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of Crew No. 1; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, co-pilot of Crew No. 16; Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 15; and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of Crew No. 7. At this time, Cole, Saylor and Thatcher plan to participate on-site and Hite hopes to watch the ceremony from his residence due to health concerns.

In 1959, the city of Tucson, Ariz., presented the Doolittle Raiders with a set of silver goblets, each bearing the name of one of the 80 men who flew on the mission. At each of their past reunions, the surviving Raiders would conduct their solemn "Goblet Ceremony." After toasting the Raiders who died since their last meeting, they would then turn the deceased men's goblets upside down.

For more information on the Doolittle Raid and its historic significance to the nation in World War II, visit http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/misc-42/dooltl.htm

(Editor's Note: this article is localized and edited based on an Oct. 25, 2013, piece by Rob Bardua, National Museum of the Air Force, published on Air Force Link)

Medic has a knack for being on scene of emergencies

by Chris McCann
JBER Public Affairs

11/7/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- It was hour 12 of a September convoy, about an hour from Glennallen, Alaska, when the vehicles slowed and Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Wahler mentally cursed - another vehicle down during a trip which had already been plagued with Humvee repairs.

Then the reason came over the radio - a civilian motor vehicle accident. Someone was injured.

Wahler's vehicle, one of the last in the convoy on their way to Donnelly Training Area near Delta Junction, moved up, and Wahler, the senior medic, was ready when they stopped.
"It was a civilian truck," he recalled. "I assessed the casualty on the ground; he was conscious. I took the shirt on his head off, and it looked like maybe an open skull fracture."

The man had been a passenger in a vehicle driven by his son. The son, mostly uninjured, had gotten his father out of the truck.

Wahler called Spc. Randy Sickles, another medic with the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, and gave directions.

"Sickles is the one that got me the stuff I needed from our [field litter ambulance]," Wahler said. "We got him bandaged and put him in a cervical collar. It was damp out and misting, only about 50 degrees outside, so we got him into the FLA. Specialist Sickles - when everything happened, he was the kid that really worked hard. ... We put [the victim] on oxygen, kept him warm, and waited for the civilian ambulance."

Due to the remote location, civilian medical help took about 25 minutes to arrive.
"They put him on their ambulance and took him to an airfield," Wahler said. "Then he was on a Learjet to Anchorage."

Once the patient was in good hands, the convoy continued to DTA.

For some, saving a life on the spur of the moment might be grounds for a little boasting.
"I guess I have a unique ability to look at the job differently," Wahler said. "It's just another call - I don't get upset or excited; it's just a call."

An Army brat, Wahler wanted to join the military police. His father, a recruiter, was the son of an MP himself, Wahler said.

He was well aware of the demands of the job, and was having none of that.

"I went to the [military entrance processing station] and said I wanted to be an MP. But Dad said no, so I decided to be a medic."

While not his first choice, Wahler has made the most of his career.

"I enjoy it. There are days when it's the worst job in the world, but mostly I enjoy it."
The worst part?

"Putting someone you know in a body bag. That's the worst thing to do. Telling his guys he didn't make it."

And the best?

"Watching the medics you taught do the things they're supposed to do. Saving someone, that's just part of my job. But to see a medic do something they're supposed to do and save a life, and see their reaction to that - those are the best days."

Wahler has deployed to Bosnia once, Afghanistan thrice, and once to Iraq.

"I've seen my medics succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan ... a lot of my guys were fresh out of [Advanced Individual Training] in Iraq; in Afghanistan I had opportunities to go out and watch them. I could just watch them, and let them do it until they finished or asked for help."

Sickles has worked closely with Wahler for the last year.

"He's a good leader," Sickles said. "He's personable and easy to talk to.

There are some [noncommissioned officers] you can't talk to, and then there are
NCOs like Sergeant Wahler. He has no problem answering questions."

Wahler seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, said Headquarters and Headquarters Troop 1st Sgt. Jerry Bronson.

"Just yesterday, there was an incident with a Soldier at the motor pool," Bronson said. "[Wahler] ran down there and evaluated him and called an ambulance. It was serious enough that he was taken directly to Providence [Hospital].

"He's one of my best NCOs - there are a few people who really love what they're doing in the military, and he's one of them. He's very passionate about it."

Recently, he was in midtown Anchorage when he found a vehicle stopped at Seward Highway and Northern Lights Road.

"There was a gentleman having a seizure," he said. "I stopped and sat there in the truck with him, and two seconds later, Anchorage Police showed up. The fire department showed up not even five minutes later.

"I love the fact that I'm around sometimes; it feels pretty good. But I don't brag about it," Wahler said.

"The job has its difficulties, but I don't find it as hard as people think it is.

For the most part, I see the bleeding, I make it stop. That's the critical point. Stop the
bleeding, keep him breathing ... it's not brain surgery."

Since a combat medic generally deals with trauma and passes off the casualty to a better-equipped doctor, he said the job isn't terribly complicated.

"I fell into the job; it's just one of those things I figured out," Wahler said. "It's not a job for the fainthearted; you need to have a resiliency in combat. But it's not a "higher calling" for me.

"I did know I wanted to be a Soldier - as far back as I can remember."

When he's not saving lives or teaching subordinates, Wahler fishes - for "anything that will hit on a bobber and a worm" - as much as he can in the summer, if the weather is good.

"I'm a temperate dude; only if it's sunny," he said. While he moved a lot growing up, many of his father's assignments, and later his own, allowed him to hunt deer and other game, a hobby he continues, with a caribou hunt slated for this winter.

His secret to resiliency, after five deployments, is to talk about the hard things.

"I use my experiences to tie into teaching, or what my guys are teaching. If someone asks me about the bad stuff, I can go down the list. I don't bottle it up. I care about Soldiers with all my heart, but at the end of the day, it's just a case."

POTFF to help Air Commandos, families: POTFF provider's procedures

by Airman 1st Class Andrea Posey
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

10/23/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- This is the third article in a series about Preservation of the Force and Family, a special operations command initiative, and how it will help Air Commandos and their families at Hurlburt Field.

Lt. Col. Patrick O'Maille, 1st Special Operations Support Squadron, Psychological Applications chief, has been involved in Preservation of the Force and Family since its very beginning and has participated as a subject matter expert in the source selection for the contracting company.

O'Maille educates POTFF providers on how to effectively engage the unit members in conversation in a way which makes them approachable if someone needs help. This enhances the provider's skills on how to have effective conversations.

"It's a lot of role play of common situations that could come up with the unit member," he said. "So looking at ordinary situations that people have that could be initial signals of them beginning a gradual decline toward something that could emerge into mental health problems."

O'Maille said he mentors POTFF providers and gives them technical oversight.

This involves meeting with POTFF providers weekly and addressing how things are going, if there are any friction points that need to be smoothed over, or if there is any information he needs to get from POTFF providers to help with their mission.  O'Maille also works as a liaison between POTFF providers and the 1st Special Operations Medical Group. POTFF providers are credentialed at the 1st SOMDG and have to meet certain requirements.

O'Maille encourages providers to engage with their organizations and get involved with activities by attending operations, intelligence and staff meetings.

"This makes it so they're no longer seen as just mental health staff, but as another unit member who have some additional skills and abilities to help get the mission done," O'Maille said.

He also talks to commanders who have providers embedded in their units to ensure the interface is effective.

"I'm helping the POTFF providers evolve to where their success is determined by a unit member not seeing them as the psychological or social worker but as part of the team," he said. "A lot of folks will look to their left and right and see who they have around that know something about the problem and can help them, someone they trust and are comfortable with. To have somebody who has that additional mental health expertise really enables some helping to occur much earlier in the stream."

O'Maille believes the effects POTFF will have within the units are changing the historical misperceptions about the negative implications of going to the medical group as the first level of intervention when an issue comes up.

"The game changer is that there's a lot of talking, interaction and conversations that happen at that lower level with individuals," he said. "This gives them the ability to make referrals and get resources quickly into someone's hands so they don't have to go through a bureaucratic channel, fill out paper work and go through numerous steps to be logged into a system before they can get help presented to them. The help can occur quickly without a lot of administrative action happening. I think the rapidness of the helping is what sets it apart from the medical group."

As for the future of POTFF, O'Maille said there will be a new needs easement survey given the 1st Special Operations Wing. This will give POTFF providers information to work with based on the concerns.

"Whatever gets offered in the future is going to depend on the needs of the units," he said. "It is up to the POTFF providers to have a good healthy working relationship with their organization and command team so that they can offer up whatever the unit members need for a class, briefing or a group meeting depending on the situation."

O'Maille said he predicts more integration in community resources.

For example, the airmen and family readiness center has requirements to deliver base resiliency interventions throughout the wing.

O'Maille said he encourages calibration in these types of efforts because it will individualize and customize events to individual units.

"POTFF providers are there daily and will pick up on what makes that organization unique," he said. "The value of the collaboration would be to customize the events so units feel like they are getting something out of it, it wouldn't be just a cookie cutter educational offering but instead a uniquely tailored event for them."

The next article in this series will focus on how chaplains are implementing POTFF at Hurlburt Field.

Official Praises Progress in Eliminating Syrian Chem Weapons

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2013 – A senior administration official praised the United Nations effort to rid Syria of chemical weapons and said the United States will continue to support the effort.

In a White House blog post, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall -- the White House coordinator for defense policy, countering weapons of mass destruction, and arms control -- praised the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for its work in Syria. The U.N. group announced Oct. 31 that it is confident Syria cannot produce new chemical weapons.

Just a few months ago, Sherwood-Randall wrote, Syria had one of the largest chemical weapons stockpiles in the world, one that included mustard gas and the sarin nerve agent. On Aug. 21, Bashar Assad’s regime used sarin gas on a civilian neighborhood, but the regime’s ability to use chemical weapons was only part of the problem, Sherwood-Randall said.

“Given the situation on the ground in Syria,” she wrote in her blog post, “this dangerous arsenal was at risk of capture by or transfer into the hands of extremists.”

The National Security Council staffer charted the process that led to the U.N. team working to control these weapons.

“In mid-September, we and Russia agreed to work together to ensure the destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons program in the fastest and safest manner possible,” she said. “Our joint commitment led to an historic United Nations Security Council resolution that legally bound Syria to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile under international supervision on a very fast timeline.”

The U.S. government has provided some of the tools these U.N. inspectors need to accomplish that mission, Sherwood-Randall said, adding that the world has recognized the incredible job these men and women are doing by awarding the organization the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

“The people behind the scenes are brave and dedicated, and so we applaud the OPCW and U.N. personnel who have taken great personal risks to get the job done,” she said. “They planned and conducted the inspection site visits, supervised the destruction process, and provided security and logistics to the inspectors.”

The United States has contributed $6 million of the $14 million earmarked for the mission. This includes direct financial assistance to the trust funds set up to support this project, as well as training, equipment, protective gear, logistical support, and medication for the inspection team, Sherwood-Randall said.

The mission continues and will require more money and resources.

“We are already laying the groundwork to provide substantial contributions to the destruction outside of Syria of Syria’s remaining 1,000 tons of chemical agent,” she said.

The United States has unique capabilities it can apply to the task, Sherwood-Randall said, “thanks to the leadership at our Department of Defense and the foresight and innovation of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.”

Also, she said, the United States is working with other countries that can provide additional capabilities and support.

“In the end,” she added, “Syria will be held accountable for the safe and swift elimination of its chemical weapons program.”

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Security Forum here yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel summed up the timeline and the Defense Department’s role.

"President [Barack] Obama's resolve to take military action to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons helped create an opening for diplomacy with Russia -- which we pursued,” he said. “That led to a U.N. Security Council Resolution and to the involvement of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons inspectors on the ground in Syria working to oversee the removal and destruction of chemical weapons.

“We are on a course to eliminate one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world,” Hagel continued. “DOD has not only maintained military pressure on the Assad regime and will continue, it has also developed the technology that may very well be used to destroy these chemical weapons."

Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, said the Defense Department is looking ahead.

"With the successful destruction of Syria's capacity to produce chemical weapons, we are now focused on the critical next step of removing and eliminating the chemical agent stockpile," he said.

Fire in the hole: CMAFS exercises to secure America's Fortress

by Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

11/6/2013 - CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo. -- Hot, white light from their helmets cut through the heavy smoke like a New England lighthouse. In search of victims trapped by fire and billowing haze, the Cheyenne Mountain AFS firefighters rushed into the chaos with a single thought: "This is my job."

The result of a chemical spill, firefighters pulled victims from the smoldering corridor, decontaminating each individual before handing them over to a medical triage team. The triage team methodically diagnosed each patient while providing initial treatment for chemical burns, skin irritations, and smoke inhalation. After these initial diagnoses, teams of three and four used litters to carry victims to an impromptu clinic for more comprehensive care and treatment.

This was the scene Oct. 30 at CMAFS during U.S. Northern Command's annual Vigilant Shield homeland defense exercise. During the exercise, the 721st Mission Support Group tested its readiness and effectiveness of in-house assets during a "button-up" contingency, when its blast doors are closed for simulated enemy attacks.

In addition to testing the CMAFS firefighters, volunteer victims served as training aids to help personnel from medical, mental health and chaplaincy agencies to expect the unexpected.

Dino Bonaldo, 721st Civil Engineer Squadron director, said that because the heat ventilation and exhaust system dynamics are so different during a button-up, the impacts and consequences of any contingency within Cheyenne Mountain are greatly magnified.

"Contingency operations are CE centric," said Bonaldo. "You have to practice like you play. If you don't practice, you don't develop that automatic, disciplined response that is critical when seconds count."

Bonaldo further emphasized the importance of these types of exercises as they impact not only local, but also national defense response abilities.

"Unless you practice, there will be a delay in your response," said Bonaldo. "We continue to leverage that disciplined, repeatable and efficient response with our mutual aid partners in the community, capable of responding to the full spectrum of contingencies."

Built in the Cold War era, CMAFS today operates, maintains, secures, sustains, mobilizes, tests, and controls the worldwide warning and surveillance system for North America. Its role is key to supporting the national defense mission.

"The Mountain exists because of its survivability, reliability and security," said Col. Travis Harsha, CMAFS and 721st Mission Support Group commander. "It's 'America's Fortress,' perhaps the most impenetrable command center on Earth, providing its occupants 99.999 percent reliability for power, water, air and more. We support NORAD, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command crews perform their air defense, space surveillance and missile warning missions to defend the United States and Canada and our allies."

Harsha added that with any exercise like Vigilant Shield, training is the goal.

"Overall the exercise was a success for us," said Harsha. "It honed our people and processes to better support our critical homeland defense missions. I am very proud of everyone involved and I know we are ready for anything."

Navy Commander Charged with Accepting $100,000 Cash and Prostitutes in Widening International Bribery Scheme

Third Navy Official Charged Along with Owner of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia

A third senior U.S. Navy official has been charged in a complaint unsealed today with accepting prostitutes, luxury travel and $100,000 cash from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for classified and internal U.S. Navy information, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.

U.S. Navy Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, 41, was arrested in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday evening and made his initial appearance in federal court in the Middle District of Florida this morning.  Also named in a complaint unsealed today is Leonard Glenn Francis, 49, of Malaysia, the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), who was arrested on Sept. 16, 2013, in San Diego.

 Two other senior Navy officials – Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 46, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Supervisory Special Agent John Bertrand Beliveau II, 44 – have been charged separately in connection with bribery allegations.  GDMA executive Alex Wisidagama, 40, of Singapore, has also been charged with participating in a related scheme to overbill the Navy for services provided in ports throughout Southeast Asia.

“As described in the corruption charges unsealed today, senior officials with the United States Navy abused their trusted positions as leaders in our armed forces by peddling favorable treatment -- and even classified government information -- for their personal benefit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman.  “In turn, the GDMA executives who illicitly sought information and favors from those Navy officials boasted about their unlawful access to those officials and then traded on the influence that they illegally bought.  Day by day, this massive Navy fraud and bribery investigation continues to widen, and as the charges announced today show, we will follow the evidence wherever it takes us.”

“According to the allegations in this case, a number of officials were willing to sacrifice their integrity and millions of taxpayer dollars for personal gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.  “While the overwhelming majority of the 400,000 active duty Navy personnel conduct themselves in a manner that is beyond reproach, we and our law enforcement partners at Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Criminal Investigative Service continue to investigate the allegations of fraud and corruption that tarnish the stellar reputation of the U.S. Navy.”

 “The arrest and criminal complaint against Commander Sanchez is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those individuals who would abuse their positions of trust within the Department of Defense,” said Special Agent In Charge Chris D. Hendrickson of the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Western Field Office.  “Allegations like these against Commander Sanchez can tarnish the reputation of honest and hardworking government personnel and put military personnel defending our nation around the globe at risk.  The mission of DCIS is to ‘Protect America’s Warfighters’ and we will continue to relentlessly identify and investigate those individuals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. taxpayers.”    

According to the complaint, Sanchez received bribes in return for sending sensitive U.S. Navy information to Francis, and making recommendations within the Navy to benefit Francis’s company, GDMA.  GDMA is a multinational corporation and longtime government contractor based in Singapore, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars of “husbanding” services for the U.S. Navy in at least a dozen countries throughout the Pacific.  Husbanding involves supplying food, water, fuel, tugboats and fenders, security, transportation, trash and liquid waste removal, and other goods and services to ships and submarines in foreign ports.

Like Sanchez, Misiewicz is accused of providing sensitive Navy information to Francis and secretly working on behalf of GDMA in exchange for prostitutes and luxury travel.  GDMA, which has operating locations in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and the United States, allegedly overcharged the Navy and submitted bogus invoices for millions of dollars in services.  Beliveau, the NCIS agent, is charged in another complaint with illegally supplying Francis with sensitive information, including reports of investigations by NCIS into possible frauds committed by GDMA in billing the U.S. Navy under its contracts.  Wisidagama is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States related to the overbilling.

According to court records, Sanchez allegedly provided Francis with internal Navy information, such as U.S. Navy ship schedules – some of which were classified – and information about husbanding issues that could affect GDMA, in order to help GDMA win and maintain Navy business.  Court records allege that Sanchez regularly emailed Francis internal Navy discussions about GDMA, including legal opinions, and made recommendations in GDMA’s favor about port visits and Navy personnel assignments.  In return, Francis gave Sanchez over $100,000 in cash, together with travel expenses and prostitutes.  Court records allege that the conspiracy started in January 2009, when Sanchez was the Deputy Logistics Officer for the Commander of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, and continued when he was transferred to serve as Director of Operations for Fleet Logistics Command in Singapore, until he transferred to Florida in April 2013.

Sanchez and Francis allegedly communicated regularly via email and Facebook.  Sanchez referred to Francis as “Lion King” and “Boss” in the emails, while Francis called Sanchez “brudda.”

For his part, Francis allegedly hired female escorts for Sanchez and friends on multiple occasions, on one occasion emailing one escort: “Hey Love Jose is in Manila at the DIAMOND Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap.”

According to court records, in an email exchange on Oct. 16, 2009, Sanchez and Francis allegedly discussed a trip Sanchez planned to take to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with Navy friends he called his “Wolf Pack.”  They discussed the number of rooms the “Wolf Pack” needed, and Sanchez asked Francis for pictures of prostitutes for “motivation.”  Francis replied: “J, got it we will hook up after the FLAG dinner, will arrange a nest for you guys and some birds [women].”  A few days later, on Oct. 19, 2009, Sanchez sent a Facebook message to Francis saying, “Yummy . . . daddy like.”  In an Oct. 23, 2009, Facebook message, Sanchez asked Francis, “Where r we staying in KL [Kuala Lumpur]?  No pictures to get our spirits up?”

Between Aug. 26 and 28, 2011, Francis allegedly communicated through email to the address of an escort whom Francis had previously hired for Sanchez.  Francis wrote: “Hey Love, Jose is in Manila at the Diamond Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap room.”  The escort responded to Francis, “Papi, I'm here jose's fon is not answering. I'm here [h]aving dri[n]ks at the lobby. Call him:: (( maybe his sleeping?”  Later that day, she emailed Francis, “I'm with h[i]m already heehhe.”

Court records alleges that Francis sent an email on Oct. 20, 2011, asking Sanchez to help “swing” business his way regarding a U.S. Navy ship’s need to refuel at a port in Thailand.  The Navy can use “sea cards” to purchase fuel for its ships at a price negotiated by the Defense Logistics Agency for Energy, as opposed to procuring fuel at usually higher prices from the husbanding contractor.  In an email from Sanchez the next day, he told Francis: “Ask and you shall receive...we worked this out this morning…”  According to court records, the USS Mustin did conduct a port visit to Laem Chabang, Thailand, during which it purchased fuel from GDMA, not via “sea cards.”  As a result, the USS Mustin allegedly paid more than $1 million for fuel – more than twice what the fuel would have cost through use of the “sea card.”

The criminal complaint alleges that in an alleged Dec. 2, 2011, email discussion in which Sanchez told Francis about the status of an investigation of GDMA, Francis replied: “I have inside Intel from NCIS and read all the reports. I will show you a copy of a Classified Command File on me from NCIS ha ha.”

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by NCIS, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter, and the Royal Thai Police and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau Singapore also provided law enforcement assistance.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Pletcher and Robert Huie of the Southern District of California, and Catherine Votaw, Director of Procurement Fraud, and Brian Young, Trial Attorney, of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

The details contained in the criminal complaints are allegations.  The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Those with information relating to fraud, corruption or waste in government contracting should contact the NCIS anonymous tipline at www.ncis.navy.mil or call the Department of Defense Hotline at (800) 424-9098.