Army Africa Chief Visits Nigeria, Addresses Inaugural War College Class

By Army Capt. James Sheehan U.S. Army Africa

VICENZA, Italy, Dec. 8, 2017 — U.S. Army Africa’s acting commanding general visited Nigeria to engage with senior land force’s chiefs and share his academic insights with war college students in Abuja, Nov. 30.

Army Brig. Gen. Eugene J. LeBoeuf met with U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria W. Stuart Symington and Nigeria’s chief of army staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to discuss counterterrorism operations and the upcoming African Land Forces Summit.

"ALFS further confirms that the U.S. has all the confidence in the Nigerian army. It is a very important summit for us, and we will do everything to make it successful," Buratai said.

African Land Forces Summit

The African Land Forces Summit is an annual, four-day conference scheduled to take place in Abuja in spring 2018. The summit will host African land forces chiefs from across the continent to discuss and develop solutions for regional threats, challenges, and drivers of instability, including violent extremist organizations.

LeBoeuf’s visit also included a meeting with Nigeria Army War College commandant Maj. Gen. Alani Okunlola. The NAWC was inaugurated in June, and the first class will graduate in December. LeBoeuf spoke to the class about challenges and opportunities in Africa and Nigeria, USARAF’s role, and how the U.S. Army War College has trained strategic leaders for more than 110 years.

“Our Army War College evolved to educate and develop accomplished officers and civilians for service at the strategic level to produce skilled critical thinkers and complex problem solvers in the global application of land power,” LeBoeuf said.

Nov. 29, 2017. LeBoeuf’s engagement in Nigeria also included a senior leader visit with the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria and Nigeria’s chief of army staff and a speech to students at the Nigeria Army War College. Courtesy photo from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria

Okunlola recently visited the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The NAWC cadre has traveled to the U.S., Bangladesh and the United Kingdom to fuse and adapt the best curriculum. In September, staff from the U.S. Army War College visited NAWC to give council on parts of the curriculum, including operational design and theater-level campaign planning.

Nigerian Army War College’s Vision

The NAWC’s vision is to bridge the gap between operational and strategic level commanders. The college will train senior officers how to think and lead armies from on-the-ground tactics to global, big picture efforts.

“This will become the institution from which your army evaluates the complex challenges facing your nation, strives to understand the external and internal forces perpetuating those challenges, and crafts possible solutions for meeting those challenges,” LeBoeuf said. “It should also provide an opportunity to learn about other government institutions and how to work together effectively.”

USARAF’s objective to support Nigeria’s peacekeeping operation’s mission and help bring peace and prosperity to the continent is a long-term effort. LeBoeuf told the NAWC class that USARAF is ready to provide support to the world’s seventh most populated country and Africa’s largest economy.

“USARAF remains available and willing to support emerging requests from the Nigerian army and college leadership,” he said. “We are proud to be your partner, and we look forward to continuing to support the Nigerian army in this endeavor.”

DoD Salutes Acquisition Workforce at Pentagon Ceremony

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2017 — The Defense Department honored 17 individuals and two organizations within the department’s acquisition community yesterday in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan, who hosted the 2017 Defense Acquisition Workforce awards ceremony, said the 165,000 acquisitions professionals within the Defense Department comprise a group that gets things done behind the scenes.

“Today is about recognizing the strength that we’ve built up in … acquisitions,” the deputy secretary said.

“In 2016, we did 269,000 contracts. That’s unbelievable,” Shanahan said. “All of you in the acquisition system… are simultaneously improving it.”

Congratulating the awardees, he said, “You’re an inspiration to those of us who are new to the Pentagon. You’re the people we’ll go to and listen to, and you’ll help [DoD] become even more competitive than we are today.”

Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics thanked the award winners and told them, “You’re making a difference both here in the Pentagon, to our nation, and to all of our allies and partners around the world.”

Winners in the individual achievement awards category are:

-- Skip Hinman, Air Force, requirements management;

-- Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Tamalia Adams, acquisition in an expeditionary environment;

-- Melissa Panarelli, Defense Contract Audit Agency, auditing;

-- Gary Trimble, Navy, contracting and procurement;

-- Wilson Rosa, Navy, cost estimating;

-- Air Force Lt. Col. Andrew Vrabec, Air Force, earned value management;

-- Daniel Carroll, U.S. Southern Command, engineering;

-- Valerie Clinkenbeard, Army, facilities engineering;

-- Jeffrey Martin, Air Force, financial management;

-- Michael Cirillo, Marine Corps, information technology;

-- George Graham Jr., U.S. Special Operations Command, life cycle logistics;

-- Navy Capt. Charles Stuart, Navy, production, quality and manufacturing;

-- Marine Corps Lt. Col. Thomas Atkinson, Socom, program management;

-- Charles Bass Jr., Army, science and technology manager;

-- Ulises Cartaya, Socom, services acquisition;

-- Lee Rosenberg, Missile Defense Agency, small business; and

-- Thomas Sachse, Navy, test and evaluation.

Winners in workforce development innovation awards are:

-- Large organization: Defense Contract Management Agency, Fort Lee, Virginia; and

-- Small organization: U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida

Safeguarding Against Workplace Violence

By Elaine Sanchez Brooke Army Medical Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 7, 2017 — Army Capt. Katie Ann Blanchard ran into trouble with her civilian employee from the start. He was combative, defiant and at times, explosive.

“I kept telling myself it will get better,” the Army nurse said.

Instead, it got worse. Clifford Currie grew erratic and aggressive, to the point where Blanchard feared for her life. Today, she bears the scars of his final violent act, when he doused her with gasoline and lit her face on fire while standing by her desk at work.

Blanchard is just one of the over 2 million victims of workplace violence reported each year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website. The Department of Defense defines workplace violence as “any act of physical violence, threats of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, bullying, verbal or nonverbal threat, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at or outside the work site.”

A Downward Spiral

Blanchard never expected her life would so quickly derail after becoming a first-time supervisor of 15 military and civilian employees at Munson Army Health Center in Kansas. After identifying issues, she encouraged Currie to improve his work performance to ensure the best care of his customers. However, in time, the young lieutenant became alarmed by Currie’s defiance of authority and lack of willingness to improve on the job.

“One day he lost his temper, cornered me and started shouting,” she said. “I was fortunate I was able to call for help.”

Blanchard consulted with civilian personnel and her leadership and started keeping copious notes and records about Currie’s behavior. She placed him on a performance improvement plan but the situation continued to worsen. “He was blowing up twice a day or not coming into work,” she said.

Various events in the workplace can trigger workplace violence including “anger over disciplinary actions, loss of a job, or disagreement with policy or practices,” according to the newly released Regional Health Command-Central Workplace Violence Guide.

Warning Signs

Warning signs of potential workplace violence can include aggressive behavior, conflicts with co-workers or supervisors, statements showing fascination with workplace violence incidents, statements indicating desperation over finances or family issues to the point of suicide, direct or veiled threats of harm, substance abuse, and extreme changes in normal behavior. It can be difficult to determine whether or not a situation will escalate; however, it’s better to “err on the side of safety,” the guide notes.

If there’s any suspicion a situation will escalate, people should notify the employee’s supervisor or other leader as soon as possible, the guide advises. Supervisors should take these concerns seriously and consult with experts, to include the threat assessment team and the human resources department.

“One common thread exists in preventing workplace violence: strong leadership,” the guide notes.

“Supervisors play a key role in recognizing potentially violent situations and taking proactive measures to reduce the negative impact of such incidents.”

Best Course is Prevention

Overall, the best method to end workplace violence is early prevention. To start, agencies should implement a “sound” prevention plan, the guide recommends. This should include required training for employees and supervisors on the signs of and reporting methods for workplace violence, the role of the multidisciplinary threat assessment team, and resources such as Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Employee Assistance Program.  

While she’d seen and reported the warning signs for months, Blanchard didn’t have time to react the afternoon Currie approached her at work. She had just texted her husband that she was heading home for family time with her three young sons when he walked into her office.

She saw the plastic bottle filled with a brownish-tinged liquid in his hand and felt a sudden rush of fear. As she stood up to run, he threw the liquid in her face and tossed two lit matches at her. All she saw was flames. “I thought I was going to die,” said Blanchard.

Currie continued his attack, stabbing at her with scissors, until Blanchard’s colleagues were able to subdue him.

Road to Recovery

A year later, Blanchard continues to recover, cherishing her time with her family. She has become an advocate for workplace violence prevention, especially the need for education and awareness among supervisors. She’s a key member of the newly formed RHC-C Workplace Violence Working Group, which is taking swift action within the region to add more security to military healthcare facilities and working to institute workplace violence prevention education for supervisors and employees.

Blanchard shares her message every chance she gets alongside fellow victim Army Capt. John Arroyo.

A Fellow Survivor

Arroyo was blindsided by a workplace incident in 2014 at Fort Hood, Texas. The Green Beret, who weathered three deployments unscathed, had just stepped out of his car at brigade headquarters when Army Spc. Ivan Lopez pulled up and shot Arroyo in the neck from about 15 yards away. Driven by thoughts of his family, Arroyo held his neck to staunch the bleeding, pulled himself to his feet and began searching for help. At that moment, Lopez walked right by Arroyo without seeing him, an act the Green Beret credits to God.

Lopez killed three people and wounded 15 others that day before turning the gun on himself.

Arroyo was told he’d never speak again, but he overcame the odds and today uses his voice to encourage others who are dealing with adversity and the aftermath of violence.

While he is healing physically, Arroyo said the tougher part was the emotional healing, which is tied to his faith and ability to forgive.

“I love the man who shot me and I love his family,” he said. “People are surprised to hear that but I mean it. God picked me up off the ground that day and restored my life for a reason.

“Both Katie and I plan to use our second chances for good.”

A Message of Hope

Earlier this month, Blanchard’s attacker was sentenced to 20 years in prison without chance of parole. But this news did not signal an end to Blanchard’s journey. She and Arroyo hope to team up to share their stories and message of hope across the military and civilian sectors.

“If I can help prevent even one workplace violence incident from happening,” she said, “then my pain will have been worth it.”