American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – The U.S. Air Force's elite demonstration squadron, the "Thunderbirds," will help kick off Super Bowl XLI in Miami with a flyover of Dolphin Stadium on Feb. 4. The team's six red, white and blue F-16 fighter jets will roar over in their signature six-ship Delta formation at the conclusion of the national anthem. The aircraft will fly over at about 500 feet and 450 miles per hour.
"We are honored to participate in the Super Bowl, especially this year, as the United States Air Force commemorates our 60th anniversary," said Lt. Col. Kevin Robbins, Thunderbird commander.
The flyover is just one of many events the Thunderbirds will participate in during 2007 to commemorate the Air Force's six decades of air and space power.
The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and about 120 enlisted airmen performing in more than 25 career specialties. "Our job is to represent the thousands of airmen who serve their country on a daily basis, including the more than 25,000 fighting on the front lines in the global war on terror," Robbins said.
The Super Bowl is the nation's highest-rated TV program annually. According to the National Football League, more than 141 million viewers in the United States tuned in to the last Super Bowl game. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of 1 billion in more than 230 countries and territories
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
CENTCOM Nominee Touts Diplomacy in Iraq Approach
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – Cooperation and assistance from U.S. allies in the Middle East are essential to promoting security and stability in Iraq, the president's nominee to lead U.S. Central Command said here today. Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, whom President Bush nominated to take over for Army Gen. John Abizaid, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that, if confirmed, he would draw on his diplomatic experience as the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, where he has served since February 2005. In Pacific Command, Fallon said, he engages countries in the region for advice and opinions in security operations. He would like to bring this same approach to the Middle East, he said.
"It seems to me that we make progress when we are willing to be open and to use every means at our disposal to try to achieve the ends. But this, of course, requires reciprocal actions from the other parties," Fallon said. "And so I don't know the extent to which those endeavors have been undertaken in the Middle East, but I am very anxious to find out and to try to play a constructive role in that."
If confirmed, Fallon will be the first Navy officer to head Central Command. He acknowledged today that a new way forward is needed in Iraq, with more emphasis on securing the Iraqi population. He said that Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was confirmed Jan. 26 to command Multinational Force Iraq, will be in charge of operations on the ground, while he will focus on the broader issues.
"It seems to me that there's an expectation that I'd be working outside the borders of Iraq to try to get the neighborhood, for example, to help us, and to continue to work these other issues like Afghanistan," Fallon said. "So I'd be looking to work in a complementary manner."
Right now, Fallon said, he sees a lot of inaction on the part of Middle Eastern countries. He is eager to work with the U.S. Department of State in engaging these countries and working toward stability, he said.
In Iraq, political and economic progress must take place, or security improvements will mean nothing, Fallon said. The Iraqi government must act on the objectives it set out to give the people confidence and hope, he said.
"If this endeavor of a pluralistic democratic entity in Baghdad is going to survive, it's going to require political courage and leadership, I believe, to stand up and make decisions that can be helpful to people," he said.
The United States must make clear to the Iraqi government that U.S. forces are not in an open-ended commitment, and progress is expected, Fallon said. However, now is not the time to give the Iraqis strict deadlines without flexibility, he said.
Diplomacy also will be important in dealing with Iran, Fallon said. The government there is trying to deny U.S. involvement in the region, but is also a threat to U.S. allies, he noted. The U.S. must work with these allies and pay close attention to Iran's actions, he said.
"There are many things that ought to be considered as we approach our engagement in the region, and I'll be very anxious to particularly consult with the Gulf region nations to see what's new, what's learned, because it's been a number of years since I actually engaged in this area," Fallon said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – Cooperation and assistance from U.S. allies in the Middle East are essential to promoting security and stability in Iraq, the president's nominee to lead U.S. Central Command said here today. Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, whom President Bush nominated to take over for Army Gen. John Abizaid, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that, if confirmed, he would draw on his diplomatic experience as the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, where he has served since February 2005. In Pacific Command, Fallon said, he engages countries in the region for advice and opinions in security operations. He would like to bring this same approach to the Middle East, he said.
"It seems to me that we make progress when we are willing to be open and to use every means at our disposal to try to achieve the ends. But this, of course, requires reciprocal actions from the other parties," Fallon said. "And so I don't know the extent to which those endeavors have been undertaken in the Middle East, but I am very anxious to find out and to try to play a constructive role in that."
If confirmed, Fallon will be the first Navy officer to head Central Command. He acknowledged today that a new way forward is needed in Iraq, with more emphasis on securing the Iraqi population. He said that Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was confirmed Jan. 26 to command Multinational Force Iraq, will be in charge of operations on the ground, while he will focus on the broader issues.
"It seems to me that there's an expectation that I'd be working outside the borders of Iraq to try to get the neighborhood, for example, to help us, and to continue to work these other issues like Afghanistan," Fallon said. "So I'd be looking to work in a complementary manner."
Right now, Fallon said, he sees a lot of inaction on the part of Middle Eastern countries. He is eager to work with the U.S. Department of State in engaging these countries and working toward stability, he said.
In Iraq, political and economic progress must take place, or security improvements will mean nothing, Fallon said. The Iraqi government must act on the objectives it set out to give the people confidence and hope, he said.
"If this endeavor of a pluralistic democratic entity in Baghdad is going to survive, it's going to require political courage and leadership, I believe, to stand up and make decisions that can be helpful to people," he said.
The United States must make clear to the Iraqi government that U.S. forces are not in an open-ended commitment, and progress is expected, Fallon said. However, now is not the time to give the Iraqis strict deadlines without flexibility, he said.
Diplomacy also will be important in dealing with Iran, Fallon said. The government there is trying to deny U.S. involvement in the region, but is also a threat to U.S. allies, he noted. The U.S. must work with these allies and pay close attention to Iran's actions, he said.
"There are many things that ought to be considered as we approach our engagement in the region, and I'll be very anxious to particularly consult with the Gulf region nations to see what's new, what's learned, because it's been a number of years since I actually engaged in this area," Fallon said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
Group Takes Helping Wounded to New Heights
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – Sometimes all it takes for a wounded veteran to begin healing is being surrounded by family and friends. That's the premise on which the Minnesota-based Veterans Airlift Command was founded. Walter Fricke, founder of the nonprofit organization and a former Army aviator, knows having family and friends nearby can aide a wounded vet's recovery. "I was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and I was wounded while flying a helicopter," he said.
Fricke said he spent about six months in a military hospital with 700 miles separating him from his family. It was only after his family members gathered the resources to visit him that his condition, which had actually begun to decline, started turning around.
"I didn't start healing until my family got there. In fact, I was going downhill until they got there," he said. "I really know the value of having a family close by and also for kids getting home on convalescent leave."
Years after Fricke made a full recovery, he realized there was again an unmet need. Wounded veterans of the global war on terrorism are recovering at military medical facilities and Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country, sometimes far from home and their families.
With the mission of providing "air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes to wounded warriors, veterans and their families through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots," he began Veterans Airlift Command.
It began in spring 2006 and in November, with nine aircraft in its network, Veterans Airlift Command flew its first mission, which involved a young Marine.
"We now have well over 200 aircraft in our system," Fricke said, adding that the number of volunteer pilots has grown without any formal advertising. "The aviation community really connects on this, and they have been pretty aggressive in signing up."
Fricke said he received many requests for assistance during the holiday season from wounded servicemembers wanting to get home to spend time with their families. Typically, though, about half of requests for transport come from family members, he said.
In fact, that's how the first mission came about. A young injured Marine had traveled from his home in Melbourne, Fla., to Jacksonville, N.C., to receive his Purple Heart and other awards. The trip took 13 hours and required four layovers.
The Marine's father, in an effort to make things easier for his son's return trip, contacted the Military Severely Injured Center, which put him in touch with Veterans Airlift Command. "We flew him home in two and a half hours, nonstop," Fricke said.
Other inquiries typically come through official channels, Fricke said, adding that his group has developed a good relationship with Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. The medical facility makes at least one request daily.
The organization operates with very little overhead, Fricke said. The group works with donations that include the pilots' time, use of their planes and fuel. The cost of the flights can vary greatly depending on the distance flown and what type of aircraft is used. A typical flight, up to 500 miles, costs the pilots a minimum of $500, but can go as high as $10,000 when a corporate jet flies a mission for Fricke.
When the group's fundraising mechanism is organized, Fricke expects that anything raised above what is needed to cover his few overhead costs will be used to buy airline tickets when it's not practical to use a private aircraft. For example, if a flight is outside the organization's maximum flight radius of about 800 miles, a commercial airline is a more practical choice.
The organization also has been working with USA Cares on a travel request hotline, Fricke said. Though the group prefers requests come to them via their Web site, by the end of February, USA Cares will be fielding and vetting requests for Veterans Airlift Command assistance received on the travel request hotline, 1-866-784-8917.
USA Cares is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
To date, Veterans Airlift Command has flown about 35 missions and expects to complete at least 250 this year. While he anticipates the organization's volunteer network will be able to handle 1,000 missions in 2008, Fricke's ideal number would be much lower.
"Zero would be the perfect number," he said, to indicate he wished the need for his service didn't exist.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – Sometimes all it takes for a wounded veteran to begin healing is being surrounded by family and friends. That's the premise on which the Minnesota-based Veterans Airlift Command was founded. Walter Fricke, founder of the nonprofit organization and a former Army aviator, knows having family and friends nearby can aide a wounded vet's recovery. "I was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and I was wounded while flying a helicopter," he said.
Fricke said he spent about six months in a military hospital with 700 miles separating him from his family. It was only after his family members gathered the resources to visit him that his condition, which had actually begun to decline, started turning around.
"I didn't start healing until my family got there. In fact, I was going downhill until they got there," he said. "I really know the value of having a family close by and also for kids getting home on convalescent leave."
Years after Fricke made a full recovery, he realized there was again an unmet need. Wounded veterans of the global war on terrorism are recovering at military medical facilities and Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country, sometimes far from home and their families.
With the mission of providing "air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes to wounded warriors, veterans and their families through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots," he began Veterans Airlift Command.
It began in spring 2006 and in November, with nine aircraft in its network, Veterans Airlift Command flew its first mission, which involved a young Marine.
"We now have well over 200 aircraft in our system," Fricke said, adding that the number of volunteer pilots has grown without any formal advertising. "The aviation community really connects on this, and they have been pretty aggressive in signing up."
Fricke said he received many requests for assistance during the holiday season from wounded servicemembers wanting to get home to spend time with their families. Typically, though, about half of requests for transport come from family members, he said.
In fact, that's how the first mission came about. A young injured Marine had traveled from his home in Melbourne, Fla., to Jacksonville, N.C., to receive his Purple Heart and other awards. The trip took 13 hours and required four layovers.
The Marine's father, in an effort to make things easier for his son's return trip, contacted the Military Severely Injured Center, which put him in touch with Veterans Airlift Command. "We flew him home in two and a half hours, nonstop," Fricke said.
Other inquiries typically come through official channels, Fricke said, adding that his group has developed a good relationship with Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. The medical facility makes at least one request daily.
The organization operates with very little overhead, Fricke said. The group works with donations that include the pilots' time, use of their planes and fuel. The cost of the flights can vary greatly depending on the distance flown and what type of aircraft is used. A typical flight, up to 500 miles, costs the pilots a minimum of $500, but can go as high as $10,000 when a corporate jet flies a mission for Fricke.
When the group's fundraising mechanism is organized, Fricke expects that anything raised above what is needed to cover his few overhead costs will be used to buy airline tickets when it's not practical to use a private aircraft. For example, if a flight is outside the organization's maximum flight radius of about 800 miles, a commercial airline is a more practical choice.
The organization also has been working with USA Cares on a travel request hotline, Fricke said. Though the group prefers requests come to them via their Web site, by the end of February, USA Cares will be fielding and vetting requests for Veterans Airlift Command assistance received on the travel request hotline, 1-866-784-8917.
USA Cares is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
To date, Veterans Airlift Command has flown about 35 missions and expects to complete at least 250 this year. While he anticipates the organization's volunteer network will be able to handle 1,000 missions in 2008, Fricke's ideal number would be much lower.
"Zero would be the perfect number," he said, to indicate he wished the need for his service didn't exist.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
Training Center Transformation Ensures Combat-Ready Troops
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – When the National Training Center opened here in 1981, it presented the most realistic environment imaginable for troops to prepare for a potential large-scale, tank-on-tank confrontation with the Soviet Union in Germany's Fulda Gap. Today, this sweeping training center has transformed dramatically to train troops for the fight they face today against terrorists and insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Deep within the Mojave Desert, on a post larger than Rhode Island, there's little sign of the National Training Center's past life, when it focused on preparing troops for a major Cold War confrontation.
Gone is the permanent opposing force that operated with Soviet tactics, dressed in Soviet uniforms and navigated the training grounds in Vietnam-era M-551 Sheridan tanks modified to look like T-72 and BMP tanks.
Army Capt. Sean Patrick, an observer-controller with the Operations Group here, remembers going through the old NTC in 1999. "It was a high-intensity conflict environment, designed for tank-on-tank conflict," he recalled. "It was wide-open desert, with no towns. We were fighting the Soviet army, so our techniques were different."
Today, Patrick and the rest of the NTC cadre and staff offer what soldiers training here describe as the best preparation they could receive stateside for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops now train for the many diverse tasks they'll be called on to conduct while deployed: mounted and dismounted patrols, cordon-and-search missions, searches for weapons caches and high-value targets, bilateral talks with Iraqi officials, and infrastructure missions.
"What we do here runs the spectrum, from troop-leading procedures to teaching units how to react to contact and everything in between," said Patrick.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Lammers, another observer-controller, went through NTC in 1997 with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment. Ten years later, he's training the same unit for its third deployment to Iraq.
"Instead of putting the emphasis on big tank-on-tank battles, now the focus is on stability and support operations," he said. "Also, back then, we used tactical assembly areas. Now our operations are FOB (forward operating base)-based. So a lot has changed."
Training reflects the environment and threats troops will face in Iraq, and is altered slightly for troops deploying to Afghanistan. Scenarios are updated regularly to reflect lessons learned on the battlefield, said Army Col. Steven Salazar, commander of the Operations Group. "We do absolutely everything we can possibly think of to make sure we have a current environment and a current scenario," he said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Heath Thayer, a section trainer for the scout platoon, calls the NTC's similarity to conditions in Iraq the perfect environment to reinforce the tactics, techniques and procedures troops will use during their deployment.
"This gives us an opportunity to rehearse (standard operating procedures and tactics, techniques and procedures) that soldiers have been working on at home station and evaluate if they will actually work in theater ... against the most realistic and up-to-date threats," he said. "It's all very realistic, about as realistic as it gets."
Much of the activity centers around 12 Iraqi-style villages that dot the landscape, inhabited by some 1,600 actors posing as Iraqi citizens. Most of these actors are soldiers from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment that serves as NTC's permanent opposing force, but 250 are Iraqi-Americans. They adopt roles ranging from political or tribal leaders to mullahs to everyday people whose support varies for or against U.S. troops depending on their actions.
John Wagstaffe, the training center's public affairs officer, compares the scenarios that take place in these villages to "an improvised Shakespearean play."
Citizens in the fictional village of Wasl, for example, started a recent training exercise relatively neutral toward the Americans in their midst. But after a patrol from the 3rd Infantry Division disrupted a house during a search and treated an "Iraqi" woman in a way the local people thought inappropriate, they staged a demonstration. The protest turned violent, and two soldiers were "captured."
The following day, a small group of soldiers met with the town mayor, police chief and religious leaders to help turn a bad situation around. "We focus on getting soldiers used to dealing with the Iraqis and how to react to different scenarios," explained David Beach, one of two site managers in the "town."
Army Pvt. 2 Jimmy Hills, who has played a friendly Iraqi for the past six months, said he sees a direct correlation between soldiers' actions and the local people's behavior. "It all depends on what the soldiers do. If they mess up the city, it's just like in real life; we get angry," he said. "When soldiers go through here, they actually reap the repercussions of their actions. As they do that, they are learning cultural awareness, how to use the language and what to look for."
Nearly every training situation here enforces the ever-present threat posed by improvised explosive devices and snipers. Pyrotechnics are used widely to keep troops ever watchful for roadside bombs, car bombs and insurgents wearing suicide vests. Snipers hide within the villages, often attacking when troops react to IEDs.
For example, medics going through Lammers' simulation training exercise lane got a taste of that when their Humvee and a vehicle loaded with "Iraqis" got hit by an IED. As the troops secured the area and began treating patients, they were hit with a sniper attack.
Army Cpl. Nathan Bell, a gunner with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, who returned from Iraq in March, called the villages, explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire here good preparation for the unit's upcoming deployment. "This is all pretty realistic, and it's making us better prepared," he said. "We're able to work on deficient areas and get retrained in areas we need it."
Army 1st Lt. Doug Serota had glowing words for the training the NTC cadre offered his troops. "These guys learned a lot from overseas, and they know what they need to push our way," he said. "There's always stuff we can learn, and these guys are awesome in what they give us."
The NTC cadre and staff say they recognize the urgency of the training. "Nobody comes to the NTC anymore unless they are going to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan," Wagstaffe said. "That puts a lot more pressure on us to ensure that the training is challenging and meaningful. We have to be sure that when people leave here, they are ready to go."
After-action reviews, conducted after training events, take on a more pressing nature than ever before. "No thin skin, okay?" Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve Smith, an observer-controller, said as he talked with members of 1st Platoon, 58th Combat Engineer Company, about a road-clearance training mission.
Smith pointed out shortcomings in the mission in which five tracked vehicles got ambushed and two of them got hit with IEDs. The vehicles were spaced too closely together, making them vulnerable to attack, he noted. The soldiers didn't properly scan the area for secondary IEDs before reacting to the first. They had no established succession of command in the event that the leaders were lost. And a single vehicle crew was tapped to do two missions it couldn't possibly do simultaneously: evacuate casualties while setting up a traffic control point.
"Hopefully you will learn something from here," Smith told the soldiers, all bound for Iraq within the next few months. "Take what you get here and apply it."
"The whole thing we do here is to get these guys spun up and get them ready," said Bob Mortensen, a civilian who advises troops going through route-clearance training. "The more knowledge people have when they get (to the combat theater), the better. So that's our mandate: to train these guys, give them the most up-to-date information so that when they're into the theater, they're prepared."
Army Sgt. Tony Smith, preparing for his third deployment to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, said he welcomes the preparation he's getting at NTC. "This training parallels everything we deal with over there in Iraq," he said.
"This is probably as close as we are going to get to what it looks like and what we're going to be exposed to in Iraq," agreed Sgt. Marcus Williams, Smith's comrade. "It gets pretty intense here, because that's what it's going to be like when we are over there. So this is the time we can make mistakes and fix those mistakes."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – When the National Training Center opened here in 1981, it presented the most realistic environment imaginable for troops to prepare for a potential large-scale, tank-on-tank confrontation with the Soviet Union in Germany's Fulda Gap. Today, this sweeping training center has transformed dramatically to train troops for the fight they face today against terrorists and insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Deep within the Mojave Desert, on a post larger than Rhode Island, there's little sign of the National Training Center's past life, when it focused on preparing troops for a major Cold War confrontation.
Gone is the permanent opposing force that operated with Soviet tactics, dressed in Soviet uniforms and navigated the training grounds in Vietnam-era M-551 Sheridan tanks modified to look like T-72 and BMP tanks.
Army Capt. Sean Patrick, an observer-controller with the Operations Group here, remembers going through the old NTC in 1999. "It was a high-intensity conflict environment, designed for tank-on-tank conflict," he recalled. "It was wide-open desert, with no towns. We were fighting the Soviet army, so our techniques were different."
Today, Patrick and the rest of the NTC cadre and staff offer what soldiers training here describe as the best preparation they could receive stateside for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops now train for the many diverse tasks they'll be called on to conduct while deployed: mounted and dismounted patrols, cordon-and-search missions, searches for weapons caches and high-value targets, bilateral talks with Iraqi officials, and infrastructure missions.
"What we do here runs the spectrum, from troop-leading procedures to teaching units how to react to contact and everything in between," said Patrick.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Lammers, another observer-controller, went through NTC in 1997 with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment. Ten years later, he's training the same unit for its third deployment to Iraq.
"Instead of putting the emphasis on big tank-on-tank battles, now the focus is on stability and support operations," he said. "Also, back then, we used tactical assembly areas. Now our operations are FOB (forward operating base)-based. So a lot has changed."
Training reflects the environment and threats troops will face in Iraq, and is altered slightly for troops deploying to Afghanistan. Scenarios are updated regularly to reflect lessons learned on the battlefield, said Army Col. Steven Salazar, commander of the Operations Group. "We do absolutely everything we can possibly think of to make sure we have a current environment and a current scenario," he said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Heath Thayer, a section trainer for the scout platoon, calls the NTC's similarity to conditions in Iraq the perfect environment to reinforce the tactics, techniques and procedures troops will use during their deployment.
"This gives us an opportunity to rehearse (standard operating procedures and tactics, techniques and procedures) that soldiers have been working on at home station and evaluate if they will actually work in theater ... against the most realistic and up-to-date threats," he said. "It's all very realistic, about as realistic as it gets."
Much of the activity centers around 12 Iraqi-style villages that dot the landscape, inhabited by some 1,600 actors posing as Iraqi citizens. Most of these actors are soldiers from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment that serves as NTC's permanent opposing force, but 250 are Iraqi-Americans. They adopt roles ranging from political or tribal leaders to mullahs to everyday people whose support varies for or against U.S. troops depending on their actions.
John Wagstaffe, the training center's public affairs officer, compares the scenarios that take place in these villages to "an improvised Shakespearean play."
Citizens in the fictional village of Wasl, for example, started a recent training exercise relatively neutral toward the Americans in their midst. But after a patrol from the 3rd Infantry Division disrupted a house during a search and treated an "Iraqi" woman in a way the local people thought inappropriate, they staged a demonstration. The protest turned violent, and two soldiers were "captured."
The following day, a small group of soldiers met with the town mayor, police chief and religious leaders to help turn a bad situation around. "We focus on getting soldiers used to dealing with the Iraqis and how to react to different scenarios," explained David Beach, one of two site managers in the "town."
Army Pvt. 2 Jimmy Hills, who has played a friendly Iraqi for the past six months, said he sees a direct correlation between soldiers' actions and the local people's behavior. "It all depends on what the soldiers do. If they mess up the city, it's just like in real life; we get angry," he said. "When soldiers go through here, they actually reap the repercussions of their actions. As they do that, they are learning cultural awareness, how to use the language and what to look for."
Nearly every training situation here enforces the ever-present threat posed by improvised explosive devices and snipers. Pyrotechnics are used widely to keep troops ever watchful for roadside bombs, car bombs and insurgents wearing suicide vests. Snipers hide within the villages, often attacking when troops react to IEDs.
For example, medics going through Lammers' simulation training exercise lane got a taste of that when their Humvee and a vehicle loaded with "Iraqis" got hit by an IED. As the troops secured the area and began treating patients, they were hit with a sniper attack.
Army Cpl. Nathan Bell, a gunner with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, who returned from Iraq in March, called the villages, explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire here good preparation for the unit's upcoming deployment. "This is all pretty realistic, and it's making us better prepared," he said. "We're able to work on deficient areas and get retrained in areas we need it."
Army 1st Lt. Doug Serota had glowing words for the training the NTC cadre offered his troops. "These guys learned a lot from overseas, and they know what they need to push our way," he said. "There's always stuff we can learn, and these guys are awesome in what they give us."
The NTC cadre and staff say they recognize the urgency of the training. "Nobody comes to the NTC anymore unless they are going to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan," Wagstaffe said. "That puts a lot more pressure on us to ensure that the training is challenging and meaningful. We have to be sure that when people leave here, they are ready to go."
After-action reviews, conducted after training events, take on a more pressing nature than ever before. "No thin skin, okay?" Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve Smith, an observer-controller, said as he talked with members of 1st Platoon, 58th Combat Engineer Company, about a road-clearance training mission.
Smith pointed out shortcomings in the mission in which five tracked vehicles got ambushed and two of them got hit with IEDs. The vehicles were spaced too closely together, making them vulnerable to attack, he noted. The soldiers didn't properly scan the area for secondary IEDs before reacting to the first. They had no established succession of command in the event that the leaders were lost. And a single vehicle crew was tapped to do two missions it couldn't possibly do simultaneously: evacuate casualties while setting up a traffic control point.
"Hopefully you will learn something from here," Smith told the soldiers, all bound for Iraq within the next few months. "Take what you get here and apply it."
"The whole thing we do here is to get these guys spun up and get them ready," said Bob Mortensen, a civilian who advises troops going through route-clearance training. "The more knowledge people have when they get (to the combat theater), the better. So that's our mandate: to train these guys, give them the most up-to-date information so that when they're into the theater, they're prepared."
Army Sgt. Tony Smith, preparing for his third deployment to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, said he welcomes the preparation he's getting at NTC. "This training parallels everything we deal with over there in Iraq," he said.
"This is probably as close as we are going to get to what it looks like and what we're going to be exposed to in Iraq," agreed Sgt. Marcus Williams, Smith's comrade. "It gets pretty intense here, because that's what it's going to be like when we are over there. So this is the time we can make mistakes and fix those mistakes."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
National Leaders Thank Wounded Warriors
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – How does a nation thank someone whose legs were destroyed by an insurgent's homemade bomb? How do Americans pay tribute to someone whose face melted in the fires of war? In marking the opening of a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and two new Fisher Houses here yesterday, Cabinet secretaries, military leaders, senators, business leaders, and celebrities did their best to express their gratitude to some of the nation's sons and daughters who bear the scars of combat. The VIPs acknowledged both the servicemembers' and their family members' sacrifice.
"All those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and all those recovering from their wounds remind us of the price of freedom," Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said. "It is a price that is periodically required to be paid in blood, and suffering and courage."
England was one of about 3,000 people gathered here to mark the opening of the Center for the Intrepid, the Army's national rehabilitation center, and two Fisher Houses, where families of the severely wounded stay to be near their loved ones. The $50 million center was built from private funds donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
"What you see before you is a monument built by contributions by 600,000 Americans," said Arnold Fisher, chairman of the fund. "This is a monument to not only the men and women and their families who will come here, but a monument to the generosity of our citizens and their love for those who serve."
Both the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation are members of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program works to highlight ways in which Americans support U.S. troops
The guests, including actress Michelle Pfeiffer, talk show celebrity Rosie O'Donnell, singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and producer David E. Kelley, paid tribute to more than 300 severely wounded men and women. While some troops sat in a row of wheelchairs in front of the stage, others slowly walked beneath crossed swords to silently parade before the applauding audience.
Mellencamp performed two of his hit songs, "Pink Houses" and "Our Country" during the event. The entertainer said he came here because the rehabilitation center is a worthwhile project. "It shows the spirit of what people can do on their own when they want to and when they need to," he told American Forces Press Service.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the military's highest-ranking officer, said he objects to the idea that these members of the all-volunteer force "lost" their limbs. "You gave an arm; you gave a leg; you gave your sight as gifts to your nation that we might live in freedom," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphatically told the wounded warriors.
Pace said families members have sacrificed in ways that most people can only imagine. They, too, often need rehabilitation, and that's why the Center for the Intrepid and the Fisher Houses are so important.
"Those of you who are family members of the fallen and of the wounded have served this country as well as anyone who has ever worn the uniform, and we thank you for that," the chairman said. "You pray for us when we're gone, and ... when we're wounded, you're there to put us back together again."
Pace's senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, later echoed his boss's sentiments. "Families are the most important thing to us soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and 'Coasties,'" Gainey said in an interview. "If we have a system that will take care of our families, then we can deal with it, and that's a fact. If we take care of the families, we take care of the troops."
Pace also paid tribute to the military's caregivers. "From the instant any of us is wounded on the battlefield until the time we arrive here," he said, the medical professionals provide "the loving care and compassion that these wounded warriors so deserve."
One of those caregivers, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Kathy Rasmussen, assistant administrator for the Center for the Intrepid, led the chairman on a brief tour of the $50 million facility. The 24-year veteran from Charles City, Iowa, recently retired from active duty but stayed on as a civilian employee here. "What better way to continue to serve my country," she told American Forces Press Service. "I absolutely love working with the patients."
Army Master Sgt. Daniel Robles, 17-year-Army veteran from Tucson, Ariz., who's now a patient at the Center for the Intrepid, was severely injured about four months after deploying to Iraq. He said hopes to find work at Fort Sam Houston.
"There's a lot of good people here who want to support me in that," he said in an interview. "I think it's going to work out."
During the ceremony, Arizona Sen. John McCain acknowledged the debt the nation owes its combat veterans and their families. "We have incurred a debt to you, and no matter how sincerely and generously we honor our obligations to you, we can never repay in full," McCain said. "What you have done for us we can never do for you. But we're mindful of that distinction and humbled by it.
"Our appreciation for your service demands that we all do what we can ... to help keep this nation a place, an idea worthy of the hardships, dangers and sacrifices you have borne so valiantly for us."
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said the country has been well served by those who fight for our freedoms.
"We are blessed to have so many who have given so much," she said. "But in return, we are obligated to ensure in every way we can that they and their families are given the support that they have so richly earned and deserved."
The rehab center will be a place of healing and support, for the wounded warriors who face a challenging road ahead, Clinton said.
"May this center and the staff that serve so nobly here help all who pass through its doors to heal in body and soul, to look forward to a future that is still filled with potential, to live long and productive lives at home and to continue in whatever way you choose to serve this nation that admires, respects and loves you," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 30, 2007 – How does a nation thank someone whose legs were destroyed by an insurgent's homemade bomb? How do Americans pay tribute to someone whose face melted in the fires of war? In marking the opening of a new state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and two new Fisher Houses here yesterday, Cabinet secretaries, military leaders, senators, business leaders, and celebrities did their best to express their gratitude to some of the nation's sons and daughters who bear the scars of combat. The VIPs acknowledged both the servicemembers' and their family members' sacrifice.
"All those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and all those recovering from their wounds remind us of the price of freedom," Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said. "It is a price that is periodically required to be paid in blood, and suffering and courage."
England was one of about 3,000 people gathered here to mark the opening of the Center for the Intrepid, the Army's national rehabilitation center, and two Fisher Houses, where families of the severely wounded stay to be near their loved ones. The $50 million center was built from private funds donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
"What you see before you is a monument built by contributions by 600,000 Americans," said Arnold Fisher, chairman of the fund. "This is a monument to not only the men and women and their families who will come here, but a monument to the generosity of our citizens and their love for those who serve."
Both the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation are members of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program works to highlight ways in which Americans support U.S. troops
The guests, including actress Michelle Pfeiffer, talk show celebrity Rosie O'Donnell, singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and producer David E. Kelley, paid tribute to more than 300 severely wounded men and women. While some troops sat in a row of wheelchairs in front of the stage, others slowly walked beneath crossed swords to silently parade before the applauding audience.
Mellencamp performed two of his hit songs, "Pink Houses" and "Our Country" during the event. The entertainer said he came here because the rehabilitation center is a worthwhile project. "It shows the spirit of what people can do on their own when they want to and when they need to," he told American Forces Press Service.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the military's highest-ranking officer, said he objects to the idea that these members of the all-volunteer force "lost" their limbs. "You gave an arm; you gave a leg; you gave your sight as gifts to your nation that we might live in freedom," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphatically told the wounded warriors.
Pace said families members have sacrificed in ways that most people can only imagine. They, too, often need rehabilitation, and that's why the Center for the Intrepid and the Fisher Houses are so important.
"Those of you who are family members of the fallen and of the wounded have served this country as well as anyone who has ever worn the uniform, and we thank you for that," the chairman said. "You pray for us when we're gone, and ... when we're wounded, you're there to put us back together again."
Pace's senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, later echoed his boss's sentiments. "Families are the most important thing to us soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and 'Coasties,'" Gainey said in an interview. "If we have a system that will take care of our families, then we can deal with it, and that's a fact. If we take care of the families, we take care of the troops."
Pace also paid tribute to the military's caregivers. "From the instant any of us is wounded on the battlefield until the time we arrive here," he said, the medical professionals provide "the loving care and compassion that these wounded warriors so deserve."
One of those caregivers, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Kathy Rasmussen, assistant administrator for the Center for the Intrepid, led the chairman on a brief tour of the $50 million facility. The 24-year veteran from Charles City, Iowa, recently retired from active duty but stayed on as a civilian employee here. "What better way to continue to serve my country," she told American Forces Press Service. "I absolutely love working with the patients."
Army Master Sgt. Daniel Robles, 17-year-Army veteran from Tucson, Ariz., who's now a patient at the Center for the Intrepid, was severely injured about four months after deploying to Iraq. He said hopes to find work at Fort Sam Houston.
"There's a lot of good people here who want to support me in that," he said in an interview. "I think it's going to work out."
During the ceremony, Arizona Sen. John McCain acknowledged the debt the nation owes its combat veterans and their families. "We have incurred a debt to you, and no matter how sincerely and generously we honor our obligations to you, we can never repay in full," McCain said. "What you have done for us we can never do for you. But we're mindful of that distinction and humbled by it.
"Our appreciation for your service demands that we all do what we can ... to help keep this nation a place, an idea worthy of the hardships, dangers and sacrifices you have borne so valiantly for us."
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said the country has been well served by those who fight for our freedoms.
"We are blessed to have so many who have given so much," she said. "But in return, we are obligated to ensure in every way we can that they and their families are given the support that they have so richly earned and deserved."
The rehab center will be a place of healing and support, for the wounded warriors who face a challenging road ahead, Clinton said.
"May this center and the staff that serve so nobly here help all who pass through its doors to heal in body and soul, to look forward to a future that is still filled with potential, to live long and productive lives at home and to continue in whatever way you choose to serve this nation that admires, respects and loves you," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
National Guard Chief Confirmed for Additional Two Years
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 29, 2007 – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum for a two-year extension as chief of the National Guard Bureau.
President Bush nominated Blum for the extension in December. The Senate acted on the nomination Jan. 26. Blum will have served as the chief for four years in April.
During his tenure, Blum has presided over the transformation of the National Guard from a strategic reserve to an operational force. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he rebalanced the National Guard to ensure the nation's governors would have at least one-half of their National Guard available at all times to respond to potential catastrophic events. During Hurricane Katrina, he directed the largest military response to a national disaster in American history, sending more than 50,000 Guardsmen from every state and territory to relieve the badly stricken Gulf states.
In 2006, Blum answered the call of the president and four southwestern governors to send up to 6,000 troops to support the Customs and Border Patrol mission along the U.S.-Mexico border. The largest mobilization of the Guard since World War II also occurred during Blum's first four years as the National Guard Bureau chief.
Blum is the senior uniformed National Guard officer responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting more than half a million Army and Air National Guard personnel. Appointed by the president, he serves as the principal advisor to the secretary and chief of staff of the Army, and the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force on all National Guard issues. Blum serves as the Army and Air Force's official channel of communication with the governors and adjutants general of the states.
Prior to his current assignment, Blum served as chief of staff of U.S. Northern Command from August 2002 to April 2003.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
Jan. 29, 2007 – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum for a two-year extension as chief of the National Guard Bureau.
President Bush nominated Blum for the extension in December. The Senate acted on the nomination Jan. 26. Blum will have served as the chief for four years in April.
During his tenure, Blum has presided over the transformation of the National Guard from a strategic reserve to an operational force. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he rebalanced the National Guard to ensure the nation's governors would have at least one-half of their National Guard available at all times to respond to potential catastrophic events. During Hurricane Katrina, he directed the largest military response to a national disaster in American history, sending more than 50,000 Guardsmen from every state and territory to relieve the badly stricken Gulf states.
In 2006, Blum answered the call of the president and four southwestern governors to send up to 6,000 troops to support the Customs and Border Patrol mission along the U.S.-Mexico border. The largest mobilization of the Guard since World War II also occurred during Blum's first four years as the National Guard Bureau chief.
Blum is the senior uniformed National Guard officer responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, programs and plans affecting more than half a million Army and Air National Guard personnel. Appointed by the president, he serves as the principal advisor to the secretary and chief of staff of the Army, and the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force on all National Guard issues. Blum serves as the Army and Air Force's official channel of communication with the governors and adjutants general of the states.
Prior to his current assignment, Blum served as chief of staff of U.S. Northern Command from August 2002 to April 2003.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
Navy Aviator Missing In Action From the Vietnam War Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Navy Cmdr. Peter Mongilardi Jr., of Haledon, N.J. He will be buried on April 11 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.
On June 25, 1965, Mongilardi departed the USS Coral Seain his A-4C Skyhawk on an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. His flight encountered bad weather and enemy fire over Thanh Hoa Province, causing the wingman to lose visual and radio contact with Mongilardi. Contact was never re-established and the aircraft failed to return to the carrier.
In 1993, a joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) archival team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), obtained information concerning the crash while researching documents, artifacts and photographs at the Central Army Museum in Hanoi. Later that year, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team conducted an investigation in Thanh Hoa Province. The team interviewed two local Vietnamese citizens who recalled the crash and said the pilot died in the impact. The men then led the team to the crash site.
In 1994, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and pilot-related items, including a belt tip, boot heel, pieces of flight boot and other items worn by the pilot.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used nuclear DNA in the identification of the 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.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
On June 25, 1965, Mongilardi departed the USS Coral Seain his A-4C Skyhawk on an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. His flight encountered bad weather and enemy fire over Thanh Hoa Province, causing the wingman to lose visual and radio contact with Mongilardi. Contact was never re-established and the aircraft failed to return to the carrier.
In 1993, a joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) archival team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), obtained information concerning the crash while researching documents, artifacts and photographs at the Central Army Museum in Hanoi. Later that year, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team conducted an investigation in Thanh Hoa Province. The team interviewed two local Vietnamese citizens who recalled the crash and said the pilot died in the impact. The men then led the team to the crash site.
In 1994, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and pilot-related items, including a belt tip, boot heel, pieces of flight boot and other items worn by the pilot.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used nuclear DNA in the identification of the 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.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books, blogs and websites.
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